Offering individual reflection

Lolita Harper

Lisa Eddy’s art is created to inspire reflection. She wants her

audience to look at her work and see something of themselves in the

jewel-toned oils on her canvas.

“I think all art should be viewed as mirrors into the individual

viewing the art,” Eddy said. “No two people will walk away with the

same impression or experience.”

The Huntington Beach resident’s exhibit, “Framing the Unconscious:

A Portrait of Dreams,” is on display in a small industrial office in

Costa Mesa.

Amid the boxy, drab industrial buildings on Logan Avenue, a burst

of creative color shines through. Brilliant hues -- brought to life

by Eddy’s creative brush strokes -- make their lively debut on the

walls of Art Martyr Gallery.

The self-proclaimed “nontraditional, alternative venue” gallery

shares a renovated industrial space with the Corner design firm. Amid

the working space of graphic designers Tony Colombini and Anne Westin

hang rotating exhibits from local artists. Eddy’s works decorate the

walls through Sept. 30.

Eddy said her art is real to her in the same way that her dreams

are real to her, with random images and pure emotions passing through

in colorful, phantom-like forms. Her work is simple and bold, she

said, designed to illustrate contrast with bright colors against dark

backgrounds.

Her message of reflection is embraced by the gallery owner.

“This space brought together many loves,” Colombini said. “If the

art fits with our vision, we make it happen and create value and have

fun.”

Fun is the word that best describes the small suite. The ceiling

is painted blue with the supporting walls in white and black. On the

white walls are Eddy’s creations. On the black -- and everywhere else

-- more fun.

There are displays of model cars, art on skateboards, hand-painted

furniture, coffee tables on shopping cart wheels and a mini-bar with

old matchbooks fixed into the countertop. High above the computer

workstations are more original pieces of art. A rendition of the

traditional Tide detergent box brightens the south wall and a series

of three desert highway landscapes adorn the northern wall.

“Those are mine,” Colombini said quietly.

But the focus for this exhibition is on Eddy, he quickly reminds.

The Surf City artist depicts dreamy imagery and reality through mixed

media.

The reveries take form on canvas, furniture and small-scale

hand-painted prints, using oil paints and mosaic tiles.

Westin, the gallery coordinator, said she was enthusiastic about

getting the community-grown gallery up and running. Eddy is the

second artist to showcase at the Art Martyr Gallery, which is barely

two months old, Westin said.

“I always wanted to be a part of a gallery where I could work with

emerging artist and help them get a foot in the door,” Westin said.

This month, the foot is Eddy’s.

* LOLITA HARPER is a writer for Times Community News. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.