Trilogy Art Group holds spring exhibit at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts

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Creating figures with noticeably long legs is no tall order for Nipomo-based painter Jewel DeMoss.

“Everybody loves long legs,” DeMoss said in between sips of chai at Banner Coffee Company in Arroyo Grande. 

DeMoss’ portfolio is full of abstracts and figurative pieces, and the latter usually contain humans or animals with legs for days—especially when she’s painting horses, each with four towering limbs that extend their upper torsos to the top of the paintings’ respective frames.

Visitors of the Clark Center for the Performing Arts during March and April will have the opportunity to spot at least one example of DeMoss’ legwork, in the form of Bluebird. Two relatively tall subjects inhabit the acrylic piece: the titular avian and one human figure. 

In collaboration with the Trilogy Art Group (TAG), the Clark Center’s upcoming spring exhibition—scheduled to debut on March 1, and remain on display through April 30—will showcase figurative and abstract paintings alike from DeMoss, an active member of several artist collectives, such as the Santa Barbara Art Association and TAG.

Fellow TAG member and Nipomo resident Elizabeth Chaney works in both abstracts and portraits. She often finds portraits to be more challenging overall, and always rewards herself after completing one with an abstract painting session.

“After I finish a portrait, I always do an abstract,” Chaney said in an email interview. “I like to get really loose and free with my expression. It’s like a reward for all the discipline that is required for a portrait or mosaic. I usually have three or four paintings going at a time.”

A portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, titled Justice, and a wide abstract piece, titled Fast Forward, are among Chaney’s pieces set to be displayed during the Clark Center exhibition.

“What I wanted to convey in [Fast Forward] … is the capture of a single moment in time. As if you are on a moving train, looking out the window, and everything is speeding by. You are never going to have that moment again,” Chaney said. “Abstracts are … from an internal space for me. I can visualize something in my head and it just comes out.”

With portrait subjects—ranging from influential figures like RBG to people she knows personally—Chaney goes into detective mode and begins with “a lot of research,” the local artist explained.

“If it’s a portrait, I gather tons of photos of that person from all ages. Find out about their lives, either through talking to them personally, or people who know/knew them and/or finding facts/stories on the internet,” Chaney said. “I condense all that information and put up lots of reference photos, much like a vision board. Once I feel I have a ‘sense’ of that person … then the fun begins.”

The wide range of styles and techniques on display in the upcoming Clark Center show reflect the diverse passions and creativity that members of TAG bring to the table every time the organization puts on a group exhibit, organizer and participating artist Fred Ventura said over email.

Known for his digital paintings, Ventura submitted two of his pieces into the show. One of them is Cardinal in Winter.

“I tried to capture the striking beauty of a cardinal, with its vivid red plumage standing out against a crisp blue sky and on a snowy branch,” the Nipomo-based artist said. “I used a contrast of warm reds and cool blues to create a composition that I hope feels both nostalgic and alive. … The cardinal is a familiar sight to many Central Coasters, evoking memories of home, changing seasons, and deep-rooted connections to nature.”

Connect with Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.

This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 9, 2025.