Eighteen artworks by Watsonville artist Sefla Joseph are now on exhibit at the Aptos Public Library, along with a show by Aptos artist Diane Levin.
Spread around the facility, Joseph’s works include abstract portraits done with charcoal, chalk, and ink and paintings in acrylic/mixed media on canvas.
“I found myself starting to work with charcoal, chalk and ink in the Covid period during a time of isolation,” she said. “I fell in love with the forgiving nature of charcoal. The mark making felt emotional and the hands-on experience helped me have a less controlled approach to my work. The abstract portraits were a perfect fit for me and the portraits helped me to find the spirit of the work.”
Joseph has shown her work in numerous group and solo shows, including PV Arts in Watsonville and at the Blitzer Gallery on the west side of Santa Cruz.
“I was very fortunate to have begun my formal art training with Master Charles Reid who I studied with for many years,” Joseph said. “I was an Open Studio artist for over 20 years. My work is about discovering our shared humanity.”
Levin’s works are hanging in the Children’s room at the library.
“These paintings are acrylic on canvas, done in a figurative/abstract style, meaning they are not literal, and sometimes, may not even look like a finished piece of work,” Levin wrote in a statement. “My goal, in particular, is to create a loosely defined image that evokes an emotion, as if the image is saying something to you.”
The San Francisco native has been living in Aptos for the past 46 years and has been a student of Joseph over the years.
“I’ve been doing painting since I was a kid,” she said. “My dad was a painter.”
Her show features several portraits of animals. Her abstract expressionist paintings have appeared in numerous shows around the county.
Joseph currently teaches in-person private classes and zoom classes in painting that include two-day workshops two to three to 3 times a year.
Of Levin, Joseph said, “She is a natural and one of the best painters in the county.”
And on April 25 Joseph will be teaching a mini-workshop at PV Arts from 10am to 12:30pm at 280 Main St. in Watsonville. To register, call PV Arts at 722-3062 or visit pvarts.org. The shows run through June 30 at 7695 Soquel Dr. in Aptos.
