Loci of Enchantment : Deena Capparelli

LAUNCH Gallery is proud to present two exciting and unique perspectives on contemporary landscape painting presented by local artists Deena Capparelli and Todd Carpenter.

Deena Capparelli shares her complete joy and appreciation of her native, natural Southern California with willing viewers ready for an education as well as an adventure.  She uses distinct, vibrant colors to portray fantastical gardens under moody skies with haunting backdrops.  

Deena Capparelli’s narrative of contrived mysterious, earthly places come to life in vivid colorful paintings. Her life- long interests in history of landscape art, gardens, botany, and environmental science informs the artworks. Reflecting on personal experiences, Capparelli’s paintings move through the imagined landscape; images evolve as reactive thoughts and responses to the paint on the surface. Conversions of light, atmosphere, and energy show up in formally shaped bars or bands. These elements break the pictorial space as painterly elements bring the background forward and the foreground to the back. A playful sensibility juxtaposes various styles and techniques. Art historical references are woven into each piece, giving shape to the journeys, pleasures, and places.

About the artist:

Deena Capparelli is an artist and art educator based in Pasadena CA. She holds a MFA in Studio Art (Drawing and Sculpture) from Claremont Graduate University and BFA in Sculpture from CSU Long Beach. She was a professor of drawing and sculpture at Pasadena City College for 33 years before retiring in 2021.

Growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, when it was mostly an agricultural community, inspired life-long fascination with the physical environment has been a mainstay in her work.  Interests in art, environmental science, geography, the history of landscape, garden design, and botany inform her paintings, art installations, and interdisciplinary collaborations with partner Claude Willey.  Her artwork has been exhibited nationally in galleries, and small museums since the mid 1980’s.  Her interdisciplinary work merging, environmental science, geography and art with collectives Moisture, Invisible Trajectories, focused on long term projects in the Mojave Desert and Inland Empire of SO. CA.