Location: United States
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I graduated from Yale University, lived in New York City and currently reside in San Francisco, California, where I am able to gain inspiration from fellow artists and people. I've been painting throughout my life – classically trained since childhood and furthering my art skills throughout college. My paintings, primarily involving children, capture moments in time – from a baby resting to a child caught staring. Through charcoal and pastel, I can put a new spin on what was once black and white and bring it to life with vibrant colors. Painting is meant to educate and express the human feelings we all have. I attempt to bring deeper meaning to my pieces by including torn pages from books and handwritten poetry – helping the viewer to remember a certain time period and/or memory, as well as bringing depth, texture and design to each image. By painting on book pages or from the poetry prose, I hope that people are reminded of the fragility of life and their luck in just existing. There is beauty in even the mundane things we all do; regardless of race or religion, we are all the same.
The face, in particular the eyes, has always been central to my work. In this collection I set out to explore how color and tone change the viewer’s perception of her face and mood: beautiful, soft, cold, warm, surreal, real, anime. The figures are painted on torn pages of poetry by E. E. Cummings, or Janet Fitch’s The White Oleander: adding a layer of verbal imagery as well as physical texture.
I use torn pages from books, newspapers, and hand-written poetry to remind the viewer that our person and personality are composed of imperfect, fragile and fluid fragments, both physical and mental. Both body and mind develop consciously and unconsciously over the course of our lives. The printed words reflect how we acquire knowledge through education and linear experience. Meanwhile, the haphazard layering of multiple pieces of information form formal and informal sources represents how we store, recover and reinterpret that knowledge through conscious and unconscious processes. Those processes are developing and adapting continuously as fragments are added, moved, linked, unlinked and lost. Memory and perception, therefore, are both unique to each of us but are composed of fragments of others.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages of poetry by EE Cummings. Dimensions: 42'59 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from the novel White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Dimensions: 42'50 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages of poetry by EE Cummings. Dimensions: 42'69 inches.
The image of a child looking over its shoulder is a favorite of Dana’s. In this series, charcoal is painted onto torn pages from the popular children’s books by Shel Silverstein: “The Giving Tree”, “The Missing Pieces Meets the Big O”, and “Where the Sidewalk Ends”. These timeless books, written in Silverstein’s unique poetic style, introduce children to concepts that help bring meaning to life. The collage of torn pages and incomplete story lines makes the image of the child more fragile, delicate, and imperfect while surrounded by these thoughts.
Selected paintings include handwritten poetry by Dana’s sister, Erica Loberg. Erica’s unique and modern prose is a raw edge against the simple words and Silverstein’s drawings. This combination of memories, stories, thoughts and emotions accentuate the conflict and confusion which occurs where the internal and external worlds collide and where child-like innocence and adult complexity attempt to coexist.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from the Shel Silverstein book "The Giving Tree." On top of the pages, are original poems from Erica Loberg. Dimensions: 52'42 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages of the children's book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. Dimensions: 64'42 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from the children's book "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" by Shel Silverstein. There is an original poem in the arm of the child by Erica Loberg. Dimensions: 56'42 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from the book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. Included are hand-written (25) original poems by Erica Loberg. Dimensions: 62'42 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from newspaper articles or titles related to children, family and love. Dimensions: 62'48 inches.
Tan, red and blue charcoal were used to paint the delicate image of a resting baby. The image is overlaid onto pages torn from the popular children’s books by Shel Silverstein: “The Missing Piece” and “The Giving Tree”. Silversteins books have a simple poetic structure, which is mimicked by the simple black and white hand-drawn images. The innocent simplicity of these images and words of childhood floats over the young child, accentuating the peacefulness of its sleep. However, these chopped images break up the otherwise smooth surface, bringing a sense of fragility and imperfection of language, memory, and life.
The final (blue) image overlays poetry written by Erica Loberg, the artist’s elder sister, onto the image of the sleeping baby. This addition brings complexity of thought and perception to an otherwise seemingly placid child.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from the children's book "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" by Shel Silverstein. Dimensions: 40'40 inches.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages from the book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. Dimensions: 42'45 inches.
The five cherubs total in this collection represent a contemporary interpretation of the classic image of the Renaissance cherub. Each cherub has a unique personality represented by both pose and coloring. Meanwhile, the cherub’s engagement with the lute contrasts with traditional static and disinterested poses, imbuing the cherub with a sense of humanity and character. The mixed media approach incorporates charcoal on paper and a collage of torn pages from Christian scripture and religious texts as well as, classical sheet music. The wings are made of appliqué feathers, which add perspective and texture but also accentuate each angel’s individual and dynamic nature.
Painted with charcoal/mixed media. Wings are made from feathers and scripture and music sheets comprise the guitar. Dimensions: 42'66 inches.
Painted with charcoal/mixed media. Wings are made from feathers and scripture and music sheets comprise the guitar. Dimensions: 42'62 inches.
Painted with charcoal/mixed media. Wings are made from feathers and scripture and music sheets comprise the guitar. Dimensions: 42'62 inches.
Painted with charcoal/mixed media. The wings are made from feathers and the background is pages from scripture/psalms. Dimensions: 36'62 inches
Painted with charcoal on paper.
Charcoal on paper.
Painted with charcoal over torn pages of newspaper about global warming and pollution.
Painted with charcoal on paper.
Painted with charcoal on paper.
Painted with charcoal on paper. Dimensions: 38'60 inches.
Painted on torn pages of SF Chronicle and NYTimes about Technology companies. Also used tape and staples.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages of newspaper about the gold bubble, coin standard, etc... Flap is exposed and says "historical".
Painted on torn pages of newspaper about real estate.
Painted on torn pages of newspaper about the world. Stitched into the rim of the bubble is thread.
Painted with charcoal on torn pages of wood.
Painted with charcoal: in the background are childhood memories from miscellaneous gallery viewers. There are also torn pages from J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye. Dimensions: 42'60 inches
“Beauty”
“EE Cummings”
“White Oleander”
“Fire & Ice”
“A Moment”
“The Giving Tree Blue”
“Where the Sidewalk Ends”
“The Missing Piece”
“A Moment Electric Blue”
“Those Eyes”
“Baby Sleeping I”
“Baby Sleeping II”
“Baby Sleeping III”
“Milton”
“Maximus”
“Madonna”
“Mozart”
“Sunny”
“Summer Time”
“Summer Day Solo”
“Water Current”
“Shared Summer Days”
“Bubble SF”
“Bubble 2”
“Tech Bubble”
“Gold Bubble”
“Real Estate Bubble”
“International Bubble”
“Blue Bubble”
“Catcher in the Rye”
