As part of The Honarkar Foundation's commitment to supporting the local art community, we are pleased to announce two solo exhibitions in August featuring Laguna Beach-based artists Andrew Myers and Denise Di Novi. Join us in celebrating these exhibitions at the Artist Reception on Saturday, August 10, from 4-6pm. Both artists will be in attendance, and complimentary wine will be served. Andrew Myers is a Laguna Beach-based artist celebrated for his innovative approach to three-dimensional painting. Born in 1979 in Braunschweig, Germany, and raised in Spain, Myers relocated to the United States at sixteen. He pursued formal art education at the Laguna College of Art and Design, where he focused on figurative sculpture and drawing. Myers has gained significant recognition for his pioneering use of screws as a primary medium. His meticulous technique involves placing thousands of screws to create textured, intricate images. These works are enhanced with layers of oil paint and mixed media, resulting in art that is both tactile and visually compelling. This innovative method blends painting and sculpture, offering viewers a multidimensional experience. This exhibition presents a comprehensive survey of Myers' oeuvre, chronicling over two decades of his artistic journey. It is the most extensive presentation of his work to date, celebrating his commitment to pushing artistic boundaries and redefining the possibilities of contemporary art. - From the beginning of this journey where becoming an artist rescued me, I have surrendered and allowed it to take me where I needed to go, to reveal what needed to be revealed. My approach to art is layered, literally and figuratively. I begin from a place without rules, allowing this alchemical process to unfold layer by layer. It begins with my hands molding a foundation, followed by paint that is scraped, scratched, and sculpted with tools that make sense to me in that moment. More materials are added that give the canvas a sense of history, capturing the many lives I’ve lived. Often times, the subject or theme is hidden from me until I’m finished. The allowance of creativity to channel through me, without interference, produces a direct reflection of my interior emotional life. This experience of freedom has been the most profound salve during a very difficult time. On March 20, 2020 my beloved husband died. He was the love my life and we had five beautiful years together. When I lost him, I knew that I wanted to make sure that my grief journey was intentional to honor him and the unconditional love we had shared. Three days after he died, I started painting. The world had shut down but I was almost unaware of the pandemic. A kind of portal opened to the places where my love was still very much alive. Art made the unbearable bearable. Trusting the canvas could hold whatever emerged and feeling held by my husbands spirit throughout, I have not stopped painting since then. I’ve been blessed with an eclectic and exciting film and television career for over 35 years. I produce and direct movies to create an emotional experience for other people, to not only entertain but illuminate things that are important to me. The collaborative nature of what I do has brought me great joy and now the intimate nature of my paintings is something I want to share, in the hopes that they and my story are healing for others.