I am fascinated by machines of every kind, especially those with wheels, screws, and linkages, like those found in steam locomotives. I’m inspired not only by the obscure beauty of the geometric relationships of the moving parts, but also by the ways they’re assembled and juxtaposed, as predicated by their function within a system, and the evolution of mechanical design convention.

I am mesmerized by the graceful motions of complex mechanisms, my eyes following the curves drawn out by the paths of links, the growth and recession of serendipitous shapes. I want my audience to drink up the details of line and shadow, the interplay of negative and positive spaces, and the reflections and refractions of objects in witness, transcribed by the surfaces and refractive properties of various materials, textures, and finishes.

I want to instill in the viewer my own wonder for the mathematic precision that describes the behavior of the material world. For me, it’s not enough to be told: that on Earth, a body falls at 32.2 feet per second squared, and so, a falling ball traverses 16.1 feet in the first second. I am compelled to demonstrate it’s really true, by creating devices that crucially and continuously depend on the apparently immutable properties of our universe.
It strikes me how easily mechanical systems can serve as both visual and literary metaphors for human social interaction and structure. A wheel may illustrate that – what goes around comes around; a lever – mediates a balance of good and evil; a piston-and-cylinder arrangement – is a stand-in for an obstinate position that can only be influenced by applying pressure.

Though counterintuitive, these mechanical understudies can be just as unpredictable and fascinating as their ideal embodiments, nature being so fickle. Those who dare take on these challenges need to be prepared to create very thoroughly thought-out schemes. That’s because nature has a clever way of thwarting one’s best-laid plans.

I began my artistic journey in the world of graffiti, where the fast pace of spray paint and the unpredictability of urban walls shaped my earliest expressions. Transitioning from graffiti to canvas was both a challenge and a turning point for me. Learning to work with brushes and traditional mediums like acrylic and oil required patience and discipline, but it also pushed me to refine my skills and find a voice that bridges the raw energy of street art with the refinement of fine art.

Growing up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, during the rise of Hip Hop culture left a lasting imprint on how I see the world. Films like Beat Street and Wild Style, along with the TV show Good Times, provided a creative blueprint for me. At the same time, my faith in Christianity serves as a foundation for my practice. Themes of redemption, faith, and morality guide the symbolism and tone of my work, allowing me to create art that is both personal testimony and a reflection of universal truths.

I draw inspiration from artists like Frank Morrison and Kevin “WAK” Williams, who showed me how to merge street energy with gallery polish. Music also fuels my creativity—whether it’s the storytelling of Wu-Tang Clan, the innovation of MF DOOM, the freedom of jazz, or the soul of gospel, sound sets the rhythm for my process before I even pick up a brush. Digital tools like Photoshop and animation have also become part of my journey, helping me expand my work into prints, books, and promotional visuals that connect with audiences in new ways.

For me, art is more than just expression—it’s commentary and collaboration. My paintings often highlight social and political issues, creating space for conversation and reflection. I also love working with artists from different communities and cultures, weaving our voices together to speak on what matters most. By blending spirituality, culture, and the vibrance of street art with the refinement of fine art, I hope my work serves as both testimony and an invitation for others to engage and reflect.

I am an American artist who seeks inspiration from the broader world around me, wherever things have been crafted with amazing precision. Anything that has been so purposefully and skillfully created that the results are jaw-dropping and beautiful. In particular, I pay the most careful attention to work that has risen above the rest, in any creative field, which has been deeply absorbed into the channels of industry conversation.

For the most part, my journey as a painter has moved along a straight-line progression from representational to abstraction. I have maintained a consistency of quality in all modes, producing and selling works in each. My eventual shift toward abstraction was grounded in the desire to patiently form a solid artistic foundation through figurative and landscape work. Recently, there has been a shift toward series painting. Because I spent so much time in the advertising industry, my mind naturally thinks in terms of campaigns. Over the years, my canvas size has grown, opening a larger world of ideas, color, and form.

My desire to bring community, brotherhood, and love to all people is expressed through the language and aesthetics of glass art.

My use of color, shape, and texture symbolizes the beauty of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. My desire is to bring about change in our world through my work. The medium of glass resonates deeply into my entire being, in all of its forms, from hot to cold. It speaks to me in a way that no other medium has done. The bold, vibrant colors that shine, sparkle, and reflect as light and shadows dance over them bring the medium of glass to life. For me working with glass feels exhilarating.

This medium allows me to utilize its beauty by working in tandem with me. Sometimes it bends to my will and at other times it insists on having its own way. Clear glass shows off all of the grandeur of the universe. Working in glass becomes a spiritual endeavor drawing me ever closer to my Higher Power.

I don’t make plans or sketches when I work on a piece. I prefer to let the creative spirit be my guide. It’s amazing to see what flows through my hands, seemingly without effort, when I get outside of myself by interacting with others and putting their needs before my own.

I have always expressed my feelings through my work. After the death of my oldest son, I used my art to express the agony and bereavement I lived in for almost 2 decades. Now my colors are light and joyful and express my gratitude to God for never leaving me. Even as I threw tantrum after tantrum, kicking and screaming God not only walked me but pulled me through that dark time into his glorious light.

I purposely combine colors that don’t “go together” in close proximity to each other. I love the harmony and balance the colors express to me as they mix and meld together symbolizing humanity living together in harmony.

As a traditional, non-digital painter (just oil on canvas), I’ve been commissioned by many publications from The New York Times to The Village Voice. Since 2001, I’ve concentrated on gallery work with an editorial, satirical slant….. essentially larger oil paintings with conceptual content reminiscent of my illustration years. Lampooning politicians, pundits, or spiritual leaders who specialize in alternative facts, manufactured outrage, false equivalents, convoluted conspiracy theories, and tunnel-visioned tribalism (whew) is my form of protest and provides a satisfying outlet.

These themes are prevalent in many of my paintings although are often explored using satire & humor as opposed to a sledgehammer.
Socio-political commentary….. shaken, not stirred.

LOOK UNDER MY NAME ANGELA RUTH DAGOSTINO
HIS PEACE…
hit her up on Saatchionline.com
hit her up on Behance.net
hit her up on ello.co
hit her up on Useum.com
hit her up on alligned.com
hit her up on redbubble.com
hit her up on etejo.com
hit her up on Linkedin.com
also, you can… GOOGLE Angela Dagostino, or Angela Ruth Dagostino
you will find me and I will meet you HERE
(the artist is not on twitter, not on facebook and not on instagram)
ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE ARTIST UNLESS SOLD

I juxtapose color, texture, and form to create a miniature scene that tells a story, imposing order on chaos. Scenes range from whimsical to social commentary, with an occasional purely decorative one. The meaning of some scenes may be obvious; the accompanying text explains the deeper meaning and symbolism of others. In each instance, my inspiration comes from a multi-strand necklace I previously designed using semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls, and Murano glass. In most instances, I include a segment of the necklace, combining it with objects that complement its colors and quality, particularly fine dollhouse miniatures and richly textured fabrics. I then add a broad range of other materials, including realistic animal models, found objects, digitally manipulated photographs, ribbons, and mirrors. To create the illusion that the viewer is present at the scene, I set museum glass in a 4” deep custom wooden frame that curves outward towards the viewer.

Cathryn Baerwald is an emerging artist. Over the past two years, she has been committed to exploring her artistic voice and has found that she loves the texture that can be created through mixed media, and bold colors, and naturally tends to include a narrative in her pieces. Cathryn’s connection to nature and her personal introspection allows her to express and elicit an emotional response through her work.

Her inspiration comes from exploring the natural world and being part of a rich farm community. For hours she can be found wandering around the valley fields she lives in or the forest nearby and what might seem like doing nothing turns into a sense of belonging to another world full of colors and textures. This is later translated into her art. Being part of a farm community, Cathryn sees the resilience of people, the hardship, the gains and losses that come with each season, and over time a profound respect for life itself has been gleaned. Her art comes from this place of respect that has been built and explored in her art.

Cathryn works predominately on wood panels with oil paint and collage. It is common for her to include a gold halo around her subjects to express her view that all of life is to be revered and to allow the viewers the opportunity to consider what they find reverence in.

My photography defines the status of American social conditions. These collections inspect the class structure formed by the plutocratic exploitation of human dilemmas. I use photography to represent the stratum in a palatable way while expanding the medium via technological tampering. This photography has its roots in a documentary but tethers itself to surreal elements to transcribe realities into conceptually fictional media.