Kyle Deven was born in Whittier California in September of 1983.  His family moved to Anaheim when he was 3 and for the most part has stayed there every since.  Kyle is an odd person.  He is a vegetarian and is calm and easygoing in nature, but has been known to become extremely excited about music on almost all occasions.  He’s been obsessed with music since his childhood.  But because he was lacking proper instruction and guidance; his interest didn’t become a hobby or a practice until he was in high school, when a friend convinced him he should play guitar.  Kyle started playing with friends and has actively played in a few Orange County bands since 2001.  After transferring from OCC in Costa Mesa, Kyle moved to San Francisco where he attended San Francisco State University and managed to get a BA in History.  He moved back to Anaheim in March of 2008 and has been loving life in the OC music scene again.  He will admit that he loves the Bay Area but he honestly missed the music down in Orange County.  Kyle loves meeting everyone so if you go to shows in Orange County you might run into him, if you do say hello!  He’d be really happy that you did.

As a proud native of Orange County for nearly 23 years (i.e. my whole life), I’ve grown to love and appreciate all of the aspects of life behind the “Orange Curtain.” Not only do we have a spectacular coastline, but also Orange County is home to one of my all-time favorite places on this planet. Yes, you guessed it, it’s Disneyland. Growing up in the shadows of the “happiest place on earth” has undoubtedly influenced my creative interests. However, as my childhood years flew by, I soon realized that there was more to this place I call home than shirtless mice and color-coordinated tourists.

Being the youngest of three girls, I grew up surrounded by all things feminine. Piles of clothes, make-up, and the occasional Tiger Beat magazine featuring dreamy Leonardo DiCaprio were not a rare sight in our household. In this female environment, I feel it was only natural for me to become a complete fashion fiend. I grew up idolizing Gwen Stefani and even found myself copying her style right down to the little jeweled bindis. Style and the arts have always been a passion of mine.

I graduated from Chapman University in 2008 with a Bachelors Degree in Art. I currently reside in Irvine, and help run a contemporary women’s boutique. Having had a design internship with St. John Knits as well as the chance to design my own line of purses, I hope to further my career within the world of fashion. As for now, I enjoy Mediterranean food, drawing, gentle breezes, and watching Oprah.

The year: 1985. The day: August 22nd. The time: 7:45 A.M. A baby is born. This baby’s name is William Davis and Martin Luther King Hospital has never seen a child like this; a child so full of promise that you can almost hear destiny whispering his name. No, this is no ordinary young whippersnapper.

All hyperbole aside, my name is Billy Davis and I’ve lived in Orange County nineteen of the twenty-three years that I’ve existed on this earth. The four years that I was unaccounted for inside of our little patch of Southern California, I was studying for a BA in English at the University of California Santa Barbara. With a list of heroes that include William Shakespeare, John Milton, Henry David Thoreau, and Bruce Wayne (Batman for the layman), it is not hard to see that I aspire to be both literary and awesome.

I currently work in Tustin at an engineering firm (with an English degree nonetheless… go figure), and live in Anaheim, CA. I always strive to find the best in everyone, everything, and every place. I guess you would call me an optimist. I see the world through rose-colored glasses. It would not be an overstatement to say that music is my biggest influence in life. That and Star Wars. And being that there’s no mystical life-force that allows me to manipulate objects using only the strength of my mind, I would like to use my gifts to bring all the wonderful people of Orange County good news about the awesome music that they may or may not be listening to. I’ll keep my ear to the ground so that you don’t have to. I hope that I and the entire staff of OCAC can do our part to make this place we call home just a little more beautiful with our words and our actions every day.

1. Please tell us more about yourself, your background, education and what you do as an artist.

I’m 22 and a recent college graduate from Chapman University with a BFA in Studio Art. I was born and raised in Orange County California as well as in Baja Mexico. It’s these two places that have, and continue to shape the type of art that I make. Most of my work is done by painting on velvet; a form of art that is commonly labeled as “low brow” and “kitsch.” What I try to do is find ways to combine the touristy kitsch forms of art and the traditional styles that I learned from studying the old masters. In my artwork, and in general, I like to point out the irony in things that people wouldn’t take the time to notice. I currently live in Yorba Linda and spend my time working on my artwork and helping out at the Orange County Museum of Art. I have shown my art in both the US and in Europe, and have had the pleasure of being a part of two performance/happening pieces; one at the Getty and the other at the Orange County Museum of Art for the 2008-09 California Biennial.

2. How long have you been an artist?

I come from a very large and creative family, my mother is a doll artist and my sisters are all very talented when it comes to the arts so I guess it runs in the family. Having been exposed to art my whole life, it seemed only natural to pursue it as a career choice for myself.

3. Where do you get your daily inspiration from?

Most of my inspirations come from my lifestyle contradictions of having lived in wealthy Orange County as well as in tourist dependent Baja Mexico. Themes such as wealth, class, and appearance are all very common. I also love pointing out the irony in things; such as with the Chapman Donor paintings. I did those because I felt it was rather Ironic that there were all these portraits of these wealthy donors who I was supposed to respect and be grateful for, and because the portraits were done so poorly I couldn’t help but notice the negative things in the images. When I should have been thinking about their dedication to academics and willingness to supply me with a classroom to paint in, instead I noticed that the light in the photograph made their hair look purple and their sweaters creepy.  Its a sad realization that I knew I shared with my fellow classmates, so I decided to heighten that creep factor by painting them as I saw them on black velvet. Combining again my Mexican influences, the black velvet, with more traditional art styles, classical portraiture.

4. Who are your top three biggest influences?

I guess that Glenn Brown is a major influence of mine. He’s a contemporary painter and I remember seeing his paintings for the first time a few years ago at MOCA during their Ecstasy show. That exhibit in general changed the way I viewed art.  But it was his paintings that changed the way I made art. His style of painting helped me to create my series of black velvet paintings of the Chapman Donors. I also love Robert Rauschenberg, for his bravery and boldness with different materials. He was able to take items that no one thought had any art potential and turn them into masterpieces. I look to his work for ways to be brave with the usage of my own materials. Elizabeth McGrath is a contemporary sculptor and painter whose works have a kind of a Tim Burton lowbrow feel that I really enjoy. I saw her artwork a while back at the LA gallery La Luz De Jesus; a gallery known for showing kitschy low brow artwork. All of her pieces have this sort of tragic dark humor that I find really fascinating.

5.    Who is your target audience?

People with a sense of humor.

6.    How would you describe your art to people?

Traditional classical art with a lowbrow, kitsch twist.

7.    What is a typical day of work look like for you?

I don’t really have a “typical day.”  Each one varies, but as of right now I spend most of my time with my family and helping out at the Orange County Museum of Art. And of course creating my own art. Most of my art is made at night.  I’m a bit of an insomniac, so it works out better that way.

8.    What are your favorite tools of the trade?  Mediums, supplies, etc.

I really like painting on velvet so being able to find good quality fabric is really important, and its even better when multiple colors are involved. Honestly though I love going to the art store in general and stocking up on all kinds of paints, pens, pencils, inks, ect. I also build my own canvases so I make many frequent trips to Home Depot to buy nails and wood.

9.   What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to an artist that’s just starting out?

It didn’t take me long to realize that making connections is huge in the art world, I highly recommend that you start going to as many art events and gallery openings as you can. Its a fun way to get great art ideas and see what the art world is like. Don’t be afraid to talk to people there; meeting people who are involved and interested in the arts is one of the most beneficial things you can do. You not only gain valuable connections from this but you are able to find and meet up with people who have the same passion and excitement for art as you do. There are a lot of really great galleries and art walk events located in Orange County, you might as well take advantage of them.

10.   Finally, where can we see your work?

I’ve just posted an online portfolio that has not only my velvet pieces but other works that I have done as well. This can be found on the blog that I keep, lamialarkin.blogspot.com which has updates about my work and local art events. You can also see the Flashing Nipple Happening by Mary Kelly that I was involved in at the Orange County Museum of Art, it will be up until March 15th.

Lamia Larkin will be joining OC Arts & Culture as a contributor.  You can also follow Lamia on Twitter.

If someone had told me five years ago that I was going to move to Orange County, I probably would have called them crazy. I, just like everyone else outside of California, had a skewed view of the place. Not to mention I was living in the Fabulous Florida Keys. Whenever I tell people where I’m from, they can’t imagine why I would want to leave. Think about a theme park. It is so much fun to go there. Lots of people go many times a year, and some people might even say they want to live there. Living in the Keys is like living in a theme park. It’s a lot of fun to visit, but after a while that fun starts to get old and you get bored. It’s not like that here at all. It is definitely a place where tourists go, but it is also an exciting place for residents as well.

I came here a little over four years ago when I met my husband, who was born and raised here in Mission Viejo, which has been ranked the number one safest city in America several times. We’re currently raising our two little boys here. My favorite part about living here is that we never seem to run out of things to do. There are endless amounts of parks, we have beaches, canyons, creeks, mountains, museums, and more. Not to mention Disneyland! Whoever said that Orange County is the place to be wasn’t lying, but you’ll never know until you actually go.

Angela Bishop also writes for Nine More Months.  You can follow her on Twitter.

I was not raised in Orange County, but it’s finally starting to feel like home. Growing up, Orange County was synonymous with Disneyland. The only time I would ever visit southern California was to go to Disneyland. But now that I live here,  I never even visit Disneyland.  Funny how that works.

I grew up in the bay area and moved down to the OC five years ago. Strangely enough, at first glance, Orange County didn’t seem to have any sort of culture. Or at least not one that you think that you would want to be a part of. But as time marched on, I began to really notice what this area has to offer, and it’s not like anywhere else in the world.

Is it easy to take jabs at the “It’s all about me” attitude and self centered under-pinnings that most people think is what defines Orange County? Yes, it most definitely is. But below the surface, this place actually has a lot of culture and is an amazing place to live.

What I want to do with my virtual soapbox is talk about the things that most define me as a person.  I hope to share with you; my thoughts on art, technology, music and film as related to Orange County.

And I think you will start to see just what makes up this wonderful place that we call Orange County. After five long years, I have finally assimilated myself to the strange culture here. And now I proudly call it my home.

You can follow Evan on twitter.

A Southern California native son, I was born in Santa Ana on land once owned by my direct ancestor Jose Antonio Yorba, who came to California with Portola and Father Junipero Serra to found the famous missions and presidios in 1769.  Through my maternal grandmother’s ancestral family, which includes the Yorbas, Avilas, Pryors, Sepulvedas, Rioses, Ramoses, and Serras among others, you could say I am a living descendant of Orange County history.  One of my cousins was Whitey Harrison — of the surfing Hall of Fame — who was making boards back in the ‘40s in San Juan Capistrano, so again, I am connected to one of the roots of Orange County.  My maternal grandfather, Frank Winterbourne, published, edited, and wrote for the old Coastline Dispatch newspaper.  He covered business, art, culture, and local heritage.  His father, John, wrote for and ran newspapers in Colorado, including at Cripple Creek which boasted opera houses and theaters.  John’s father, George, wrote for and published newspapers in Kansas and Iowa in the 1880s.   Whatever I write here — for Orange County Arts and Culture — I’m just following in their pioneering footsteps, you see.

I was raised here, but have also spent years in the metropoles — Montreal, New York City, and Washington, D.C.  Like others here, I am proudly a foodie.  I like fine dining out from gourmet to soul food, from our wide ethnic diversity to hole-in-the-wall diners.  I shop the farmers markets and the local Trader Joes to cook my own meals, too.

I’ve kicked around in jobs mostly related to the Arts, from performance to galleries, from film, television, radio to stage and childrens theater.  I’ve written, edited and done illustration for newspapers, magazines, and websites.  I’m not tooting my own horn.  I’ve just been lucky and disciplined.  I’m deep in history, nostalgia, Art, culture, heritage, and that vague tenuous grasp on something we all share called community or — in the larger sense — humanity.  “It is in experiencing the good things of life that we dispel our worries and fears.  It is by sharing the good things in life that we come together in harmony.”

Working at a job that he neither liked nor paid well, the young man found himself examining his role in what felt to be an ever shrinking universe, and reflected on his childhood dream. He had always wanted to be a part of the motion picture industry, the creative world that had always excited and captured his imagination. It was then that he realized this was most definitely not that dream. He also realized that the job that currently robbed him of forty plus hours a week neither required nor appreciated the creativity imprisoned within him. Finally came the realization that he was no longer a young man, but just an ordinary man. At 25 years old, it was time for Brandon Thresher to wake up if he ever wanted to do more than dream.

Though he was never short on excuses, the facts were that Brandon had never truly applied himself at school and eventually convinced himself that it was not important for him to be educated in his desired field and relied primarily on chance to come knocking on his door. Unfortunately, in order to turn things around, he would have to start from the beginning. With one hand firmly grasping hope and the other clenched to faith, he set into motion a process that led him to Fullerton College. It would be a stepping stone on the path to Chapman University’s Film School, and one day his childhood dream.

Brandon currently resides in Placentia, where he spends most of his time at work, school, or with his amazing wife, and dedicates every spare moment to writing, organizing and filming his next cinematic adventure. He currently writes articles and reviews representing all forms of entertainment that OCAC gives him the opportunity to share his excitement about (or lack there of).

You can follow Brandon on Twitter.

My name is Timothy Long. I am a web designer, photographer, tech geek, wave-riding junkie, outdoor enthusiast, and a part-time freelance’aholic.

I suppose Orange County’s to thank, in one way or another, for virtually every interest or activity that I currently enjoy (as diametric as they often are). Orange County gave me surfing, a gateway into a great tech scene, a wonderful church, a music scene to take pride in, and, in many ways, the inspiration to create art.

I have always loved California, and I’ve spent the majority of my life exploring what it has to offer. But luckily, my coming of age was set against the backdrop of this safe, exciting and surprisingly diverse locale.

While some may consider our beloved OC to be the full value embodiment of pretension and excess (which, I’m sorry to admit is the staple of many of our local inhabitants), I’ve found that Orange County, particularly south county, provides a far more agreeable alternative to LA in terms of art and culture. I’m happy to finally have an outlet to share some of the things that make me proud to live here.

Timothy currently works as Art Director for a fabulous little online publishing company in Irvine. He can be found elsewhere on:
mymathematicalmind.com
linkedin.com/timothylong
twitter.com/timothylong

Orange County.  The name itself wouldn’t have meant too much to many people outside its county limits a decade ago.  Sure, it has been home to the likes of Disneyland, Angel Stadium, and its beautiful beaches for far longer than that, but really it wasn’t until the likes of films like Orange County and television series like The O.C. and Laguna Beach came along that Orange County took on a new sort of persona.  It went from a county once filled with orange groves to a place known for its wealth of beauty, and the wealthy and beautiful who live here.  The “Orange County Bubble” is a term frequently used by its natives to denote the distinction between the OC and the remainder of Southern California – and really, just about ANYWHERE else you could find yourself.  Thing is, there’s far more to this collection of 34 incorporated cities, approximately 3,121,251 residents, and countless resources than its glossy exterior presents.

Once you peel back the Orange Curtain, there’s a thriving community of people whose diversity is hard to match, and whose heart is even tougher to duplicate.  With great resources, there is great power – and fortunately, the power to do good.  Orange County houses a variety of organizations who do just that.  From non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and Rock of Africa, to the faith communities of Saddleback Church, Rock Harbor, and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Orange County has a heart that’s far from skin deep.

I was born in England and raised there up until I was 6, but I have spent at least 15 of my 24 years living in Orange County.  I must admit, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with it in the past.  Now, though, after living on the east coast as well as in the south for a brief stint, I have a far deeper love of this place I have learned to call home.  Now, I live near the beach in Costa Mesa and I work in Irvine – what has come to be the business hub of Orange County.  My life is hardly stoic.  It is volatile and challenging, and blessed with the presence of friends, family, and a Boston Terrier I call Asher.  Together, we do this thing called life, in the bubble called Orange County.  I’ll be exploring the lesser publicized facet of the OC – it’s non-profit organizations and the people who drive them on towards the greater good.

Natalie writes at The Ramblings of a Muse. You can also follow her on Twitter.