| ROBBIE BURNS NIGHT, ACRYLIC, 36 x 24. |
By Bonnie Gangelhoff
BORN: Walnut Creek, CA.
ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts in drawing from Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, and an internship at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE WAY YOU WORK: “I like to create challenges, like painting on unusual surfaces or painting 100 miniatures by a deadline.”
FIRST ART SALE: “It was in 2003, and I sold one-third of my debut solo show on opening night.”
MANTRA OR MOTTO: “We all have one song in life. We just compose it differently each time we sing it.”
SECOND-CHOICE CAREER: Creative writer.
OTHER PASSIONS: Biking, traveling, and meeting neighbors.
QUIRKIEST TRAIT: “I can talk backwards fluently. I was on local radio and television in Sandy, UT, when I was 10. David Letterman’s people called my parents and wanted me to be on his show, but my parents said no. They didn’t want me to be a freak show.”
BIGGEST FEAR: Climate change.
FAVORITE STUDIO MUSIC: “The sound of my daughter napping over the baby monitor. It’s the only time I get to paint.”
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: “If the blank page is intimidating, crumple it before you start.”
PET PEEVE: Apathy.
FAVORITE ARTWORK BY ANOTHER ARTIST: The Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago.
PRICE RANGE: $1,000 to $6,000.
NEXT BIG GOAL: “To get into museum collections and get representation in New York City and Los Angeles.”
CREATIVE SPARK: Any change of perspective.
GALLERIES: Gottlieb Gallery, Portland, OR; Phoenix Gallery, Park City, UT; Gallery Heinzel, Aberdeen, Scotland; www.beccabernstein.net.
Featured in our annual “21 under 31” feature in September 2008