'Naughty Baby' Opens at The Happening Gallery

A colorful and eclectic mix of works makes up The Happening Gallery's newest show, which opened Sunday afternoon with an artists reception and donation drive.  

Titled “Naughty Baby,” the show runs through July 17 and features 15 artists based in the Los Angeles area. A portion of the proceeds from sales during the three-hour reception benefited Clothes the Deal, which provides business clothing for the poor to help them them dress for job interviews and the workplace.

The Happening Gallery curates by talent rather than resume or experience level, which produces a diverse mix of work, said gallery owner and artist-in-residence Natalie Gray.

The gallery also makes an effort to seek out uplifting and colorful works. Curating criteria exclude the overly violent, political or depressing.

“We think there’s enough of that in the world,” Gray said. “We try to make everything very vibrant, colorful, positive and uplifting.”

Gray strives for vibrancy in her own work, using bold colors to create abstract paintings that pop to the eye. At the reception, she provided 3-D glasses to enhance the viewing experience.

A range of works and artistic mediums compose the latest show, including digital prints, photography, acrylic paint and combination work. Orna Livni, a Tel Aviv, Israel, native based in Los Angeles, blended cut photographs into acrylics.

She used the lines of the photographs as guides to expand into the broader canvas.

Personal themes also factor strongly into many of the works. Alabama native Sarah Amanda Jones utilized black ink and watercolor to create metaphors for spiritual life. Jackie Boland's "Black and White" series portrays her own inspirational figures, from B.B. King to Jeff Buckley to Mother Teresa. 

Sara Billingsley's paintings, which utilize muted colors as well as metal stencils for a raised effect, express emotions about her parents' divorce when she was 6 years old. 

"I escaped into art," Billingsley said. Of her process, she said, "I start with one color and then I react."

For Melanie Van Latum, whose painting inspired the name of the whole show, her still-life oil paintings serve as mementos of items left to her by her late grandmother.

“It’s very personal to me,” Van Latum said. “[Painting] brings me closer to that object.”

Gallery guests at the reception appreciated the diverse range and the location of the gallery itself, which is at 4047 Lincoln Blvd.

“It’s a great idea to have art on Lincoln,” said Los Angeles resident Janet Harold, adding that she was a first-time visitor to The Happening Gallery. “It’s such a busy street. ... Art is supposed to be relaxing.”