Presented in conjunction with the new Santa Barbara Funk Zone Live program, fine-art painters Cheryl Doty, Annie Hoffman and Susan Tortorici will present their exhibit called 3 Takeaways, 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 29 at Doty Studio, 116 E. Yanonali St.
The show runs through April, 1-5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, or by appointment.
The three artist friends met at a painting workshop in Santa Barbara in 2017 and have been painting together ever since. Funk Zone Live offers an opportunity for them to showcase their work together for the first time.
“The idea for the show began to take shape when we considered how to present a cohesive yet unique body of work, created by three friends who share a passion for painting and a love of art,” said Doty, who invited the others her to join her in exhibiting their work at her studio.
Classically trained, each artist grows their craft through individual study, but it is through the sharing of their knowledge, and then working side-by-side, that they have been able to add another dimension to their art-making.
“For me, painting together is an opportunity to be more experimental, try new media or set up a certain challenge to explore,” said Tortorici.
“It forces us out of our usual approach to painting,” says Hoffman said.
Doty, having studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, built a national signage and graphic arts company called Doty and Associates, which is now owned and operated by her employees.
Hoffman, who is from London, studied classical art at Academie Notre Dame des Champs in Paris before returning to further study in Southern California. She won the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Curators Choice Award in 2021.
Tortorici followed her desire to paint after raising her three children. She learned the fundamentals of painting from living master David Leffel and continues to study privately with teachers from all over the world.
Works by Hoffman, Doty and Tortorici can be seen at www.doty-art.com, www.anniehoffmanart.com and www.susantortorici.com.