MEET THE ARTISTS

SCULPTING

Kellan Barnebey King is a Los Angeles based artist and educator, working primarily in sculptural formats. Born in Palos Verdes, and currently living in Long Beach, he has degrees in architecture, fine arts, and sculpture from LAHC, CSUDH, and CSUN respectively. His current work focuses on the port and its inequities, the ideas of prosperity and pollution as a dichotomy, and issues surrounding loss during a pandemic. He holds current faculty positions at CSULB, CSUDH, and LAHC.

CARICATURE

Hello, I'm Millie.

Art is a lifelong friend. From drawing as a little kid to becoming a professional full-time artist, I've had the honor to work, play, and draw... a lot.

I started my artistic career drawing pastel portraits, but eventually found the art of caricature to be a surprisingly intriguing and elusive art form to master. This is one of the reasons I decided to focus on becoming a caricaturist, and dedicate my time immersed in the world of exaggerating faces.

CUSTOM FELT PENNANT

Paul is a video producer and director by trade but has always loved creating art and handmade gifts. In 2016, he created an art showcase based in Palm Springs called PS I Found You (find it on Instagram here @PSIFoundYou) What began as a tribute to the classic style of this beloved desert community has evolved into a tiny business (little bit smaller than small). He has sold in multiple pop-ups and appearances at vintage markets in both Palm Springs and Los Angeles. From candle-making to jewelry to photography, this exploration has been extremely fulfilling for Paul and he's excited to share a tutorial for one of his most recent projects with the students of Dapplegray.

PAINTING

Eddie Roque was born and raised by his entrepreneurial mom and sweet grandmother in Hollywood, CA. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s in LA, his artistic upbringing was nurtured by the colorful murals and characters of graffiti art and the hip-hop blasting from boom boxes throughout the city.

As an adult, Eddie spent years of doodling in corporate meetings keeping boyhood dreams alive. An escape from the business career, led to a short but fulfilling stint as a computer science teacher for five years.

For the past 7 years, Eddie has been teaching art to Dapplegray students for the Art At Your Fingertips (AAYF) program and expanding his original artwork inspired by his life in Los Angeles.

Eddie remains inspired by his late wife, Mrs. Carrie Roque, our beloved second grade teacher at Dapplegray, and his three beautiful step daughters; Siena, Sasha, and Carina.

PUPPET MAKING

Laura Henry has been the Young Readers Manager for the Palos Verdes Library since May 2000. She has also been a librarian for the County of Los Angeles Public Library and the Kenosha Public Library. She loves books, reading, and helping kids find books that they will love. When getting her Master's degree at UC Berkeley many years ago, she took a storytelling class and uses that training every day as a librarian, storyteller and even as a puppeteer! Her favorite puppet story is Borreguita and the Coyote and she estimates that she has told these stories thousands of times!

ARTIST

She was paid the ultimate compliment: A few years ago two of her works were stolen from a Westwood gallery - along with a Miro, a Dali and a Lichtenstein. Beverly Bigwood is primarily an artiste du papier. In other words, when the rest of us graduated elementary school and left behind construction-paper days, she continued to play with colored paper, ultimately developing it into an art form. Her whimsical folkart pieces have adorned the walls of such widely known LA restaurants as Spago and El Cholo, plus prominent business establishments such as Giorgio and Fred Segals. (Excerpt from the LA TIMES)

Beverly has been a successful artist for the last 40 years. She started her career in New York, NY, foregoing a career in modeling to pursue art. She relocated to Los Angeles, CA in the early 80’s and quickly became a successful artist with her unique and unusual paper collage art. With Exacto blades and scissors, she could “cut out” a likeness of a face, an animal, or a building. One of her early collages hung in the original Spago for 20 years – a whimsical portrait of Wolfgang Puck in front of his pizza ovens similar to Jesus at The Last Supper. She created art for the partnership of Hugh Hefner and John Dante and their elegant private club Touch. Her collages were donated to the Starlight Foundation and the LA Free Clinic – the opening was attended by then Major Tom Bradley, Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss and the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Her work has been exhibited across the United States and Europe and is collector by celebrities and royalty: actors including Peri Gilprin, Linda Grey, Judd Hirsch, director and producers Richard Donner, Carole and Jeffrey Bloom, Barbara and Garry Marshall, Jon Peters, the late Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic records, the late Henry Geldzahler, Head of Cultural Affairs of New York, NY, Senator Henry Waxman and Princessin Irene Zu Schleswig-Holstein of Germany.

All her collage work is created in a French rag paper called Canson with archival adhesives and is museum quality. She also works in oils or acrylics on canvas, and sculpts in wood, steel, ceramic and stones. Special Castle Banners - two 12 x 4 acrylic on canvas were designed to cover entrance sculptures while Glucksburg Castle, Germany was undergoing renovations in 2005. The last 10 years she has been more focused on designing projects for installations and commercial and private interiors. She currently lives in Indian Wells, California

OIL PAINTING

Professional Artist for over 35 years.

Local to the South Bay, Suzanne is an advocate for art in school and helps develop art lessons, workshops, and team building programs for all ages. Her projects have been taught by Adventures in Art, Gateway to Art, Art at Your Fingertips, and Art to Grow On, CoachArt and THE ArtGAP.

Suzanne has been leading after school, summer, and private art instruction at Torrance Art Academy for 5 years and focuses on early elementary drawing fundamentals and art skills. Students are introduced to new concepts and methods used by the masters. A balance of art history and color theory are taught to help develop the students unique creative abilities and build their confidence.

Actively participate on the SOUTH BAY PLEIN AIR PAINTERS group and can often be found along the local coast with her easel and paints and a few friends.

Last summer Suzanne explored the paintings and works of Monet and Van Gogh in Paris and Giverny, which has inspired much of today’s project.

This summer she will be participating in the Santa Barbara Lavender Festival in June.

In July will be conducting Plein Air Introduction Workshops in Nashville, Tennessee

And in August will be AT ART IN THE OPEN in Wexford, Ireland with 200 other PleinAir Air artists

THE DOT PROJECT

What would Dapplegray do without Natsu Haga??? We are lucky to have her teaching her Dot class for our littlest Colts.

STORY BOARDING

DESIGN A BACKPACK

Working for Herschel Supply, Jon was Creative Director for Vans for 12 years and helped define the direction of the brand, with the responsibility of Vault, Syndicate, California Collection, and Classics in both men, women, and kids all falling under his responsibility. Most importantly I am the husband of Anika Wijenayake and father Rebel Warren, who keep me on my toes and continue to inspire my creativity.

SURFBOARD SHAPING

PVHS Surf Coach and Surfboard Shaping Teacher.

FASHION DESIGN

Hey I’m Evan Smith and I’m 17 years old. I graduated high school at Rancho Del Mar and I like to design and make clothes. I’ve been doing it for last year and I hope to do it professionally when I get older. I think it’s interesting to learn about pattern making/sewing whether or not you are into fashion, it’s a creative process that uses engineering and creativity. Making it something perfect to learn about and do as a hobby. You also allow yourself to create your own style and make your own clothes, which is awesome. I hope to teach everyone everything they might be wondering about how clothes are made and what work goes into to creating them.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Amie is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator with over 20 years of experience in the marketing industry. Her clientele ranges from large global corporations to small beachside boutiques. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach, Amie entered her career in the digital arts. She has worked on many projects over the years which include advertising campaigns, logos, social media ads, invitations, websites, packaging design, large signage, book covers and more. In addition, she occasionally works as a commissioned painter. Amie is truly grateful everyday that she gets to call her lifelong passion and hobby of creating art a “job”. Currently, Amie resides in P.V. with her husband and two daughters who are both Dapplegray graduates.

FASHION DESIGN

Juan was born and raised in Puerto Rico in 1964. He got his BFA in Illustration at Pratt Institute, in New York. Then he worked for many years at Seventeen Magazine, focusing his sketching and graphics within the fashion and beauty industries.

Once In Los Angeles, he has pre visualized commercials, television, costumes and music videos, having his drawings and storyboards serve as concept art for numerous famous campaigns for around the world, such as for L’OREAL.

Juan has resided in the South Bay of Los Angeles since 1995 as a sketch artist, and presently teaches at the Fashion Institute, as well as with Parker Anderson, with elementary school’s fashion art and design programs.

He is currently developing his own collection, books and inventions, and is available for live fashion sketch portraits at private parties, as well as custom surfboard and skateboard fashion sketch designs.

FLOAT DESIGNER

SET DESIGN

HIP HOP

Bria Biggs is a professional dancer in the film and television industry and a fitness professional. She is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist. She has been dancing since the age of 5 years old. She has danced professionally for the Los Angeles Sparks as a “Sparkid” for 5 years, on tv/film for various Disney Channel shows/movies, for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and was a Los Angeles Laker Girl for 5 years! She currently coaches the Song team at Palos Verdes High School (dance team) and teaches dance & fitness classes daily. Bria loves dancing, health & fitness, and making people smile & feel good about themselves.

SKATEBOARDING

Erik Ellington is an American professional skateboarder. He established Bakerboys Distribution with Andrew Reynolds and Jim Greco in 2007. The company provides distribution for closely related skateboard companies. In 2008, Ellington co-founded Deathwish Skateboards with Greco.

DANCE

Laura Whitesides has been teaching dance in the South Bay area for 15 years. She received her training at Ballet Pacifica with Louis Carver, Jimmie De Fore Dance Studio with Jimmie De Fore, Dupree Dance Academy and Edge Performing Arts Center.

Her dance career has taken her to several states and countries abroad including international tours in Italy, Germany, and Japan. She performed and toured as a real-life dancing Barbie for Mattel Toys.

She has choreographed and coached for local Cheer and Song tryouts, local events, and choreographed and costumed shows in Italy and Germany. She has also taught Ballet and Jazz workshops throughout the U.S. and also in Japan.

Laura also choreographs and conducts theme dance birthday/special event parties in the South Bay

MARTIAL ARTS

Master Brent is the owner and instructor at American Legacy Karate Academy located in the Promenade on the Peninsula. He has been teaching martial arts in the South Bay for over 20 years. American Legacy Karate focuses on teaching practical and safe self defense based martial arts. The schools curriculum is designed to help deal with bullying and the character and discipline needed to know how to assert oneself.

DANCE

Choreo Company is the highest level of technical dance offered at PVPHS. They train in jazz, contemporary and hip hop and perform at a variety of venues. Choreo Company performs at pep rallies, Homecoming, produces a full-scale concert called Momentum in April, and The Last Chance To Dance Showcase at the end of the year. In addition to performing, students have an opportunity to explore their own self expression and do their own choreography.

ACTING

Ranjiv has been teaching the Meisner Acting Technique since 2013 at the Sanford MeisnerCenter in Burbank. He also worked with child actors at Weist Barron Hill acting school from 2008 until 2014. Apart from teaching acting, Ranjiv also works in casting under Lisa Essary, specializing in independent horror and thriller films.

STAGE COMBAT

MAGIC

COMEDY SPORTZ

Dash Tyler (co-captain)

Gavin Kresser (co-captain)

Rachel McGinty (manager)

BROADCAST JOUNALISM

AN ADVENTURE THROUGH ROCK!

Juan Croucier is a professional musician / singer-songwriter / solo artist.  He is best known for his work with the multi-platinum selling band RATT.  He has sold over twenty-million records throughout his career and toured the world extensively.  He is also a long-time record producer / engineer, recording numerous bands from his studio known as The Cellar.

RADDEST MUSICIAN IN TOWN!

Ryan Gonzalez is a professional music teacher in Southern California for over 15 years. His Company, South Bay Mobile Music was started in 2009 to provide music programs for schools that lacked the budget to hire a full time music teacher. In those 10 years he has earned an extensive client list including annual contracts with LAUSD, PVUSD, TUSD, City contracts with Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Torrance as well as private school contracts with the Los Angeles Arch Diocese, Chabad of the South Bay and several private schools. 

Ryan also has a packed weekly schedule of private students both online and in home. His classes have an attendance of around 600 students per week across several age groups. 

A professional musician with over 25 years of performing and recording credits to his name, he has also been featured on 7 studio releases, 3 video game soundtracks for Sony Playstation as well several thousand hours of live performances. Ryan resides in Huntington Beach with his wife, Mikaela, son Jack and their daughter Dahlia. 

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR

Celinda (CC) Rechsteiner, born with a physical disability (Cerebral Palsy), has experienced rejection due to being different. She also has experienced being accepted by others once they understand that her disability is no big deal and she is just like them. Therefore, through her story “Apollo With His Friends In Colorland,” she wants to share both of her experiences with young children - that is, how everyone is special the way they are. Despite CC’s experience of rejection, she has a great group of friends, graduated from a University with a BA degree and from Trinity Law School, ran the L. A. marathon and the Disney one-half marathon, is a Deaconess at her Church, and works for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Apollo’s website:

www.ccrechsteiner.com

JOURNALISM

IMMERSIVE ART

Elizabeth (Liz) Michele Cantine saw Swan Lake when she was four and decided she wanted to become a dancer. That same year she started kindergarten and decided she wanted to become a teacher. She never thought she could do both, but it happened! She began her study of dance with Burch Mann. Years later she joined Mann's professional American Folk Ballet and performed at the opening of Frontierland at Disneyland and at the Hollywood Bowl. While at UCLA, she majored in history and dance before becoming a classroom and dance educator and mentor. She developed teaching units integrating the arts and poetry into daily K-12 curriculum. She also founded a dance program for young adults with special needs called Ready, Willing and Able (RWA). She continues to teach dance to children and adults of all ages. The reciprocal teaching and learning she shares with her students is inspiring, rewarding, and life changing! She is grateful for the talents and colors they give so generously.

DESSERTS

Matt Valentine is the baking force behind Sweet Valentine Bakery. He baked and sold his first peach cobbler at ten years old and has not stopped baking ever since. He has twenty years of food industry experience, from James Beard-winning kitchens to being an Executive Chef. Husband and wife team Matt and Kat Valentine are both Los Angeles natives who inherited a sweet tooth, and even a few recipes, from their grandmothers.

COOKING

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.