About the Artists - West Division

		Nathan Bell
Nathan is a Southern California transplant from Ann Arbor Michigan. Received his bachelors degree from the Art Institute of California in 2004 and has been designing and freelancing in the action sports, music and lifestyle markets including high standing jobs as Art Director for Foundation Skateboards, Senior Graphic Designer for etnies footwear, and Creative Director / co-founder of Pony Attack!!. Nathan is strongly influenced by pop culture, vintage graphics and nature and combines ideas with a hand done aesthetic. Currently he resides in San Diego, CA and hearts sandwiches, collecting records and his two pugs.
		"I was excited to be asked to paint a cast for the Keep A Breast Foundation. I have had the pleasure of volunteering my time to do their last ad campaign and some tee graphics but its nice to step away from computer land and decorate a cast. Thanks for the opportunity KAB. I think you are neat. Especially Kimmy (shameless girlfriend plug)."

		Julie Bossinger
One of my key artistic assets is my flexibility. My art ranges from the whimsical to the macabre and I utilize a variety of methods from traditional to digital. The most personal satisfaction I garner from my work is being able to contribute in a socially meaningful manner by donating my graphic design services to important causes and from donating art pieces for charity auction. I have had the privilege of working with and/or contributing to wonderful charities, such as Cheney Troupe, Global Inheritance, Flying Fox Conservation Fund, Angelman Syndrome Foundation, Artivist Film Festival, various children's health and animal welfare causes and now The Keep A Breast Foundation. My work has been shown in galleries throughout Southern California, Chicago, Indianapolis and Berlin, Germany and has appeared in publications ranging from top selling video games to magazines/journals and most recently a book by Harper's Collins.
		"Art has long been a powerful means of communication, education and unification, bringing together people of all ages and from all walks of life. I am truly honored to be part of the Keep A Breast Foundation's brilliant and unique campaign."

		David Brady
David Brady was born in 1961 in Los Angeles, California. As an artist he is known for his continuous exploration of the figure through traditional and digital collage and his use of found objects. Brady views painting and creativity as a science in which one incessantly experiments with a variety of mediums and self-taught techniques while researching themes through travel, sketching and research. Utilizing a host of found objects and recycled materials his collage based paintings portray powerful and provocative images that reflect contemporary life. His creations include collage, assemblage, oil and drawing as well as digitally based projections and interactive multimedia.

		Samantha Bremner
"Art has been in my life as long as I remember. Being placed in a gifted program at age 10 while growing up on the east coast, concentrating on sketching and painting in college, having the chance to study in Italy and being able to teach the true, classical side of fine art throughout L.A. and Orange County to others, I actually feel that I could never, not have art in my life. I just am and it is a part of me, and thank goodness for that! Without being able to create, express and see as an artist I feel the same as I do about dogs, without them I don't think I could exist!"

		Michael Brown
Seldom does an artist of Michael Brown's caliber come along to inspire today’s fast-paced digital world. Both serene and passionate at once, his images speak from an ancient universal language of beauty that anyone can understand and relate to. Michael draws inspiration from a wide variety of experiences. He continues to explore philosophies that have inspired him, such as Buddhism, Yoga, Vipassana and other forms of meditation, and dancing under the full moon. He shares his creative energy with several different communities, such as the yearly Burning Man festival. He currently resides with his wife, Violet, and their cat, Figaro, in San Diego, California.

Anthony Clarkson

The art of Anthony Clarkson is a portal into child-like innocence, mixed with troubled spirits, broken hearts and a sense of emptiness. When Clarkson graduated from the Colorado Institute of Art in 2002, he was resolute in his decision to make a living as a graphic artist in the music industry. He was hired as the head graphic designer for a prominent record label in Los Angeles shortly thereafter. Embracing a vibrantly hyper realistic digital photo-manipulation technique, his first published album cover followed shortly after joining their ranks and quickly established a long list of published album covers for several bands on various labels. Inspired by the continuously evolving Los Angeles new contemporary art scene and growing weary with digital art, Clarkson began to revisit the drawing style of his youth, mixed with the feelings and dark emotions he has dealt with throughout his adult life.

In late 2005 he was given the chance to be in his first group show at Thinkspace in Los Angeles, thus providing the perfect opportunity to begin showcasing a completely new direction in his artistic style. Clarkson’s art has been showcased in several galleries in the United States including Thinkspace, DvA Gallery, Gallery 1988 LA/SF, Cannibal Flower, C.A.V.E. Gallery and Copro/Nason. Exhibitions of note include special curated exhibitions that were dedicated to Mattel/Hot Wheels, Marvel Comics (hosted by Stan Lee) and Crazy for Cult 2 (hosted by Kevin Smith). Clarkson was also featured in the ‘Intersections’ show at the Cypress College that took place during the spring of 2008. In addition to a growing following on the gallery circuit, Clarkson is also one of 100 artists that has been tapped by vinyl toy juggernaut MindStyle to participate in Experiment 626, a crossover tour in conjunction with Disney. Each artist was sent a blank 10-inch vinyl figure of Stitch from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch movie to customize. These custom art pieces will tour the globe. The traveling exhibition will end in November 2009 in Hawaii. Past that, be on the lookout for additional action in the vinyl toy market from Clarkson as we enter into 2010 and beyond. Clarkson’s vision continues to expand as his paintings evolve into more intense expressions of his own dark thoughts.

		Nathan DeYoung
Seeking to better understand those around him, Nathan DeYoung offers an inquisitive exploration into the human condition. Using the intimate observations of others as a muse, he creates characters that allow him to fully analyze and interpret those to whom he is closest. By revealing and destroying his characters in frenzies of shape and color, he ventures to grasp, uncover, and expose the often hidden, with the hope that insight into others and their actions will enable a deeper understanding of himself. Nathan DeYoung currently works and studies in San Diego, CA. " I'm honored to work with K.A.B. because I am able to use my passion for art to positively benefit the community."

		Rebecca Hahn
Rebecca Hahn was born and raised in Enid, Oklahoma. It’s a small town but strangely enough, many people she meets have actually heard of it. She studied Illustration and Printmaking before graduating with a BFA in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute. To this day she enjoys working with a diverse range of media including Animation. After graduation, Rebecca moved to Los Angeles to work for the Walt Disney Company. During her time with The Mouse, she drew the Winnie the Pooh characters both classic and new for the Consumer Products Division. Rebecca still resides in LA with her husband and fellow artist brian kelly hahn and their whippet Quimby. She has since left the corporate world behind to work from her studio where she continues to create for business and pleasure, tending to her long time loves of story, content, and craft.
		"I have a dear friend currently going though Chemo because of Breast Cancer. I jumped at the chance when asked to paint a bust for the Keep A Breast Foundation. I always feel like there is so little I can really do to help her and this was a perfect opportunity. She is such an inspiration to me, always optimistic, happy, and laughing even in the midst of such a huge challenge. She inspires me every single day to have a better attitude and be a better person."

		Kris Lewis
Kris Lewis began dreaming and flailing atop this lovely carnival ride in 1978, in the great surround of the Jersey shore. His reverence for masters of old is apparent in his depiction of the human figure, which he uses as a vector for hidden stories, delicate emotion, and universal truth. His affinity for people-watching also informs his paintings, collecting glances, gestures, miens and hints and channeling them through the canvas for the viewer to share in the experience. After studying Illustration at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Kris eventually found himself living and working in Los Angeles, where he still resides. His paintings have been featured in galleries in cities around the world, including L.A., San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Miami, London, and Hong Kong. His work has also been seen in the publications Juxtapoz and Modern Painters, and featured in the books Copro/Nason: A Catalogue Raisonne and Two Faced: The Changing Face of Portraiture.

		Sue Li
Sue Li grew up in the community of Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles. She received a degree in Art History & Visual Arts from Occidental College in 2004. As an emerging artist, Sue is looking for opportunities to share her work, meet other artists and connect with organizations involving the arts for important causes. www.sueliart.com
		"I got involved in painting a KAB cast because it was a great way to contribute my artistic skills to a very important cause I care about - promoting breast cancer awareness."

		Kassia Meador
		“I have been involved with Keep A Breast for a few years now. About 6 years ago my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily with all of the advancements of modern medicine they were able to detect it early and stop it before it spread. But if it had been just a few years earlier it might have been too late. That experience made me want to do any and everything I could to help raise money for breast cancer research and raise awareness. Everyone at some point is going to have to deal with breast cancer whether it is with a mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, friend or themselves. It is important to be aware and know as much as you can to help you and those around you. Keep a breast is an amazing organization doing their part to raise money and awareness in a way young people like myself can relate with music, art and action sports. Get involved and do your part!”

		Mike Stilkey
Los Angeles native Mike Stilkey has always been attracted to painting and drawing not only on vintage paper, record covers and book pages, but on the books themselves. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, Stilkey depicts a melancholic and at times a whimsical cast of characters inhabiting ambiguous spaces and narratives of fantasy and fairy tales. A lingering sense of loss and longing hints at emotional depth and draws the viewer into their introspective thrall with a mixture of capricious poetry, wit, and mystery. His work is reminiscent of Weimar-era German expressionism and his style has been described by some as capturing features of artists ranging from Edward Gorey to Egon Schiele. His more recent work is been shown at Kinsey/DesForges Gallery in Culver City, CA, Rice University Gallery, Houston, TX, and Gilman Contemporary Gallery, Ketchum, ID.

		Paul Torres
Naturally gifted with a keen observation of everyday life, Paul Torres new high low brow contemporary rococo style takes aim at the cultural, social religious and sensory flavors and underpinnings of Americana and society. He aims at a wry form of magic realism. Paul’s work is delicious and dripping, and wondrous in its treatment of form and flesh. It is at once an eyes wide open exploration of our violent nature and yet is imbued with forgiving earnestness. His work employs old master styles with undertones of modern influences, using oil, mixed media, acrylic, and dry and wet inks on canvas and panel. Born in Chile and immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Paul was heavily influenced by Westerns and American horror flicks. He attended Otis Parsons and is an Art Center graduate. www.paul-torres.com
“The reason I am painting the cast is to bring some goodness into the world, and I do this with fund raiser events, or just try to do something kind or loving to other human beings or society in general, it's like planting a good seed.”






ABOUT THE ARTISTS
WEST DIVISION