Mardi de Veuve Alexis

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area imbued with the love of art from an early age. My mother was an artist and both of my sisters were also talented and creative. I remember drawing and painting from an early age. While years ago I started out in a more representative style, I found my voice as an abstract artist working with color, line, shape and texture, mixed media and collage. My new body of work is inspired by an evolving local urban environment, urbanization as a condition, and contemporary culture. Working for the past three years from my Venice, CA studio, I was viscerally impacted by the changing neighborhood and demographics: There is the noise and energy of new construction. Resulting structures are rising vertically to unexpected new heights, marginalizing once amply sun lit creative spaces. Graffiti of all shapes and sizes most often depicted on the grey backdrop of concrete, has become rampant as an exciting urban art form communicating an evolving cultural diversity. This is change and evolution, disturbing and exciting at the same time.

As an abstract artist, I typically communicate a theme and tonal palette with pattern, mark making, layering and textural effects through mixed media and collage. I strive to communicate beauty and elements of design readily visible in virtually all aspects of everyday life, if only we look. My work often evolves from an emotional response I have to current events and the human condition as I try to balance emotions of sadness or despair with a sense of playfulness. Usually I don’t have a distinct plan in mind when I start a new project. It’s more important to me to work in the moment and non-objectively. As far as process goes, I allow myself the freedom to express without judgment or boundaries. Thoughts and ideas spill out on canvas, panel or paper. Drawings, layered patterns, shapes, colors and textures are merged, transformed and energized with paint, stained papers or newsprint, mylar and other materials. Although passionate about color, I often stick to a neutral palette, working with velvety black charcoal, inks, gouache and acrylic paints, with just an occasional surprise of pigment.

I first studied art in Alexandria, Virginia and Washington, D.C., where I was living during the 70"s and 80's, while working and raising my two children. Later I returned to California where I studied art at UCLA in the School of Architecture and Design. Subsequently, I have continued to develop my skills as an artist by working and studying with other professional artists and mentors in the Los Angeles area.

Mardi has travelled and shown her work throughout the world. She is inspired by different cultures and her interpretation of the human condition. Mardi's paintings and drawings have been shown and collected in California, Stockholm, Sweden, Belgrade, Serbia and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Collage, mixed media, line and textural effects characterize Mardi’s current body of work on canvas, panel and paper that is largely focused on urbanism and aerial landscapes. Mardi is currently represented by Izen Miller Gallery and D Gallery on El Paseo in Palm Desert, CA. She is a member of the Artist Council of the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Joshua Tree Art Gallery, Gallery 62 in the Moranga Valley, Women Painters West, Los Angeles Art Association, and an Exhibiting Member of California Art League.

Recent exhibitions:

Annual UC Riverside-PD/PSAM AC Juried Exhibition
Artistic Expressions of the Coachella Valley
March 1 – April 29, 2018

Bold & Bright
2018 Palm Springs Annual Juried Art Show
February 2-February 25, 2018

Solo Exhibition –Urban Extraction
January 3 – February 23, 2018
City of Fontana
Fontana, CA

Lights Out
October 7 – November 5, 2017
JTAG, Joshua Tree, CA

Annual Palm Springs Art Council Exhibition
October 7 through December 10, 2017
Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs, CA


Line and Form
November 11- December 23, 2017
Izen Miller Gallery
Palm Desert, CA


California Dreaming
April 1- May 3, 2017
Izen Miller Gallery
Palm Desert, CA

Gallery 62
Members Gallery Exhibition
February 28 – March 28
Joshua Tree, CA

Artistic Expressions of the Coachella Valley
University of California Riverside-Palm Desert Center
March 3 - April 23, 2017
Curated by Palm Springs Art Museum – Artist Council

Desert A-Z
Annual Palm Springs Juried Art Show
February 3-25, 2017
Curated by the City of Palm Springs Public Arts Commission

Personal Narrative
February 28-June 4, 2017
Annenberg Community Beach House
Santa Monica, CA
Curated by Sheli Silverado and Diane Williams

Love in Deed
February 3-19, 2017
Topanga Gallery, Topanga, CA
Curator, Raul De La Sota

Convergence
-Expressions of Change
December 10, 2016-January 7, 2017
Joshua Tree Art Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA
Curator, Frederick Fulmer

Energy & Stillness: A National Abstract Exhibit
October 22 – November 13, 2016
Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA

Systems + Process
Angel City Brewery Gallery
October 7 – November 4, 2016
Los Angeles, CA
Curated by Sheli Silverado and Diane Williams



New Cooking School Café, “Urbana” solo exhibition (Ilana Bloch) –April-July, 2016
Culver City, CA

Topanga Canyon Gallery Juried Show (Michael Zakian) - January 2015
Topanga, CA

Winter Exhibition: Santa Monica Studios - Arena One Gallery - 2015
Jim Morphesis, Juror
Santa Monica, CA

Segil Fine Art - “Summer Solstice” – June/July, 2014
Monrovia, CA

California Art League, Blinn House “In The City” – January 2014
Pasadena, CA

Breadbar Bistro, Century City (solo exhibition) - 2013-2014
Los Angeles, CA

Winter Exhibition: Santa Monica Studios - Arena One Gallery - 2013
Santa Monica, CA

Gallery Y - 2013
Los Angeles, CA

Studio 33 Exhibit “Bloch Party” - Designer Services Gallery (DSG) – 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Women Painters West – 90 Years – DSG - 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Encino Terrace Center, Multi-Media Exhibition - 2011
Encino, CA

Studio 33 Exhibit “Bloch Party” – DSG - 2010
Los Angeles, CA

“Chaos and Order” at Arena 1 Gallery - 2010
Santa Monica, CA

VOCA Gallery - 2010
Venice Beach, CA

Studio 33 Exhibit - DSG - 2009
Los Angeles, CA

Orrefors Kosta Boda Gallery (solo exhibition) - 2008
Costa Mesa, CA

ArtHouse Gallery - 2008
Santa Monica, CA

EsStudio at Magnolia 502 (solo exhibition) - 2006-2008
Puerto Vallarta, CA