Kristen Guest

I enjoy pulling inspiration from Southern California and Hawaii to combine it with my love for Mid-Century Modernism and minimal design; translating the beauty and atmospheric feeling of these places into bold shapes, vibrant color, and playful compositions. My work gives homage to artists like Henri Matisse, Mark Rothko, Josef Albers, and Wayne Thiebaud. Though I use reference photos that I’ve taken from my travels for inspiration in the studio, I don't always focus on creating a loose rendition of a photo. Often, I will instead deconstruct the image in a very abstract way. My acrylic paintings have a sense of luminosity when experienced in-person, created from multiple sheer layers of pigment. This layering process also creates fun optical illusions—colors that appear green to our eyes were actually created through the careful layering of yellow over blue. And so on.Sometimes I let the viewer in to this process by revealing small glimpses of the base colors at the edge of my shapes. She is an award-winning and published full-time artist and art instructor in Southern California. She graduated from art school at Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Art Education, that focused on painting, book arts and printmaking, a...

M.F.A. in Media Design (coursework)
Full Sail University
Aug 2016 - Jan 2017

B.S. in Art Education
Middle Tennessee State University
Aug 2000 - May 2007

Solo Exhibitions

2025

"Cocktails & Cabanas"
Janssen Artspace
Palm Springs, CA

"Making an Entrance: The Iconic Doors of Palm Springs"
Ashton Gallery
San Diego, CA


2024

"Cocktails & Cabanas"
Sandstone Contemporary Gallery
Laguna Beach, CA

"Palm Trees"
Ashton Gallery
San Diego, CA


2023

"The Golden Land"
Borrego Art Institute
Borrego Springs, CA

"Java Jitters"
Ashton Gallery
San Diego, CA


2021

Resident Artist Showcase
Bernardo Winery Tasting Room
San Diego, CA


2019

"Pedals for the People"
A Benefit for San Diego Bicycle Coalition
Ashton Gallery
San Diego, CA