"Honolua Bay" Painting

Rooted in Southern California and inspired by travel, my paintings reflect the warmth and ease of coastal living. Influenced by my home in California and time spent in Hawaii, I create contemporary artwork inspired by the way light and atmosphere shape our experience of a place and the memories we carry from it. Working between abstraction and representation, I simplify forms and soften details to create a mood versus a specific place. The result is artwork that feels elevated yet relaxed, offering a more modern interpretation of life by the water. Artist Bio Kristen Guest is an award-winning and published full-time artist based in Southern California. She studied painting, printmaking, and book arts at Middle Tennessee State University, where she earned a degree in Art. Today, she works from her home studio in Poway, California, creating modern coastal artwork inspired by the light, atmosphere, and lifestyle of the California coast. Her work is currently represented through Janssen Artspace in Palm Springs, California; Libby Silvia Artstyle in Boston, Massachusetts; Liza Pruitt in Richmond, Virginia; Sandstone Gallery in Laguna Beach, California; and Sorelle Gallery in Westport, Connecticut, where select works are offered through 1stDibs. Kristen is also a licensed artist with Image Conscious, a San Francisco-based fine art publisher whose distribution network includes major retailers, hospitality projects, healthcare environments, interior designers, and international markets. Her artwork has been exhibited at Ashton Gallery in San Diego, California; The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in San Diego, California; Huntington Beach Art Center in Huntington Beach, California; Borrego Art Institute in Borrego Springs, California; Arc Gallery in San Francisco, California; Port Angeles Fine Arts Center in Port Angeles, Washington; Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Illinois; JAG Gallery in Key West, Florida; High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina; and Saatchi Art's The Other Art Fair in Los Angeles. Her work was also featured in Saatchi Art's 2026 Summer Mailer Campaign, which reached more than 50,000 households across the United States.