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Vito MateraVito Matera creates artwork imbued withlighthearted introspection, experimenting in anontraditional format with color and form. Materablurs the line between painting and sculpture. Heshapes and sands natural wood surfaces, addingdepth and richness with an acrylic emulsion. “I usewood as a live medium that compensates for theinertia of acrylic,” he explains. The artist revels inthe texture of wood, varying the amount of pigmentto allow the simple beauty of the wood’s texture toshine through and become a part of his work.An immensely appealing aspect of Matera’s oeuvreis that it allows his audience to enter a realm ofplayful abstraction. The colors of his homelandweave their way through his art – the rich blue ofthe Mediterranean, the pale, dreamlike glow of themoon, and vibrant splashes of a red and yellow sunall feature in his creations – and he creates sensual,Equus Caballus Acrylic & Emulsion on Wood 15” x 16” x 4”curving gradients that draw the eye inward. Matera is inspired by Mediterranean myth and the imagination of popular culture.Simultaneously introspective and charged with a genuine sense of humor, his work makes light of the thought that serious artneeds to take itself seriously.www.vitomatera.itwww.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Vito_Matera.aspxDebi MackinnonLavender Drifters Acrylic on Canvas 36” x 48”Rhythm and movement permeate the work ofDebi Mackinnon. Inspired by the Fauvists, TomThomson, and Emily Carr, her work with acrylicsdisplays confidence and elegance that transcend thecanvases on which they are painted.Mackinnon’s art is at once a bold challenge and acelebration of life. She paints larger-than-life flowersand gardenscapes that are full of disparate, brilliantcolors, and all of her work has an innate, intuitivesense of movement that invites viewers to stay awhileand get to know each painting.By responding to the natural world around her with afocus on movement and color, Mackinnon capturesordinary moments and makes them into somethingextraordinary. “Color is my inspiration and the purest,most vibrantly brilliant and even bizarre colors are allaround us in our natural environment,” she writes. Her bold brushwork and use of color create rhythms and melodies in eachpainting that are fresh and unique.Mackinnon has lived all her life in western Canada, and it is no secret that the natural beauty of that area inspires her art.Nurtured by an artistic family, she quickly proved herself in the art world. She strongly believes in giving back to society, andhas donated paintings to a number of worthy organizations that benefit individuals in need, including the Vancouver GeneralHospital, Ronald Macdonald House, Canuck Place, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Endeavour Foundation, and The CancerFoundation.www.debimackinnon.comwww.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Debi_Mackinnon.aspx101 ARTisSpectrum