"Sweet!" is a painting of Cookies and Cream Tres Leches, a delicious dessert from a beloved immigrant-owned bakery in East Los Angeles. The painting is a tribute to the joy, color, and richness that Mexican American culture brings to Southern California, something so deeply woven into our everyday lives that we often take it for granted. This piece celebrates that heritage with sweetness, bright colors, and a bit of play.
"¡Qué Rico!" es una pintura de un Tres Leches de Galletas y Crema, un postre delicioso de una panadería muy querida y atendida por inmigrantes en el Este de Los Ángeles. La obra es un tributo a la alegría, el color y la riqueza que la cultura México-Americana aporta al sur de California — algo tan presente en nuestra vida diaria que a veces se nos olvida lo especial que es. Esta pieza celebra ese legado con dulzura, colores vivos y un toque de juego.
"Sweet!" ~ "¡Qué Rico!" by Snow Mack
Acrylic on Panel, Assemblage Frame, 12" x 12"
Available and on view at Garel Fine Art ~ Echoes of Sunshine
Garel Fine Art | 1069 N.Aviation Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
Reception for the Artists is June 28th 4-7pm.
Exhibition dates: June 28 - July 26, 2025

"Sweet!" is one of 3 works by Snow Mack included in the group exhibit.

I start my paintings with a sketch, then the drawing is refined for the painting. I transfer the drawing onto canvas or panel. I usually build up the paint in layers of color. "Sweet!" is painted in Acrylics on panel. 

My concept for "Monkeys of Compassion" was inspired by the smiling monkey faces that are the main focus of each piece.  I wanted to create works that remind the viewer to be aware of compassion and goodness in humanity.  The "Monkeys of Compassion" evolved from the idea that, to me, the well known Three Wise Monkeys represent fear.  The world needs to move beyond our fears and respond with compassion.  Courage, kindness, and passion are just a few examples of the strengths of humankind. 

A spiral motif is the dominant design element.  The spirals are made with fortunes from fortune cookies I've been collecting for twenty plus years and three years of collecting Sunday horoscopes representing all twelve signs of the Zodiac.  The messages are slightly obscured, dispensing advice is not my goal, the viewer will gravitate to the words or not.  Placements of random found objects, toys, jewelry, buttons, game pieces and more, compliment the spiral.

"Monkeys of Compassion: Courage"
"Monkeys of Compassion: Kindness"
"Monkeys of Compassion: Passion"
17" x 17"
Assemblages
Materials include:
Vintage buttons from my Mother's collection
Vintage jewelry from my Mother In Law's collection
Fortunes from 20+ years of collecting
Sunday Horoscopes from 3 years of collecting
3 Dashboard Saints from El Santuariò de Chimayó
3 Vials of healing dirt from El Santuariò de Chimayó
3 Small raku offering bowls created by Peggy Zask
Found toys, rusty nails, beach rocks, monkey doll face, game pieces, and more
Vintage Angels wrapping paper
Glue
Gesso
Texture Paste
Mod Podge

"Armored Duck" by Snow Mack
Assemblage on duck decoy, Approximately 14 1/2" x 6" x 6", 2024
Details, photos and videos, sharing my process and final result
🦆

In the early days of eBay, I was shopping for a present for a friend who was obsessed with duck decoys. I found a lovely hand painted duck decoy carved out of wood for my friend, but a long the way I collected 3 plastic, floating style, actual working decoys. I placed them in the backyard next to the pool as decoration but ducks started showing up soon after so I brought the decoys inside. That was in 2004. Over the years, I have brainstormed the many ways I could use them in my art practice. On an afternoon in 2024, while sorting my collection of yard sale jewelry, and other bits and bobs, I began layering random pieces onto a duck decoy perched on my desk. Work on "Armored Duck" began as soon as I could clear a space for it. 
I turned to eBay again for the eyes, and ordered a pack with different sizes and colors. Armored Duck has one blue and one green eye, a bit of a shout out to one of my inspirations, David Bowie. As the project got underway, I installed the eyes, then covered them with masking tape to keep them in pristine condition. I painted the plastic decoy with several coats of gesso to prepare it for the next step. I used texture paste, applied in small areas, to act as glue for the items attached to the duck. I used found objects & trinkets friends sent to me for my art frames, buttons collected for decades, yard sale jewelry, small plastic toys, bits of computers, credit card holograms, belt buckles and keepsake pins.
As I worked on the duck, the assemblage began to take on meaning. I was creating armor for the duck to act as protection. The duck is a protection robot and spaceship/vehicle for a ragtag crew.  Captain Turtle and First Officer Frog, operate the computers from the bridge on the duck's back. Two pilot fish, one on each side, guide the duck through the perilous environment. A Ladybug is a hitchhiker along for the journey. Quack! 🦆

Ultra Hive CD Cover Art Show in Japan ~ NANO GALLERY OSAKA- May 16th-18th ~ DESIGNFESTA GALLERY HARAJUKU, TOKYO- May 20-21 ~ in USA ~ HIVE GALLERY- July 2025 ~ FM OAKLAND- AUGUST and SEPTEMBER 2025

"Forbidden Love" created for UltraHive CD Cover Art Exhibits in 2025, is a variation of a painting titled "Forbidden Love of Blue Cheese Ninja and  Geisha Crane Song" from my colorful Cheesehead series. The theme of the painting, a couple in love standing in front of Cherry blossom tree, was inspired by a photo of my mother. In the photo, my mom who is pregnant with me, is standing in front of a Cherry blossom tree in bloom, in Tokyo, Japan. I was born a few months later just outside of Japan. It has been a dream of mine to return to Japan during the Spring to see Cherry blossoms! 🌸 I am honored to send my artwork to represent me. ​💮
​

​








​

"Iam65; Passport Project 3" by Snow Mack, Digital Collage, Dimensions Vary, 2023
​top row Left to right
1. 1958 - age 2 months, Tokyo Japan, Passport
2. 1963 - age 4, Alexandria VA, Passport
3. 1970 - age 12, New Canaan, CT, School Photo 7th Grade
4. 1976 - age 17, Providence, RI, Passport
 
2nd row l to r
5. 1980 - age 21, Pasadena, CA, School Project, Product Design ACCD
6. 1982 - age 23, West LA, CA, Passport
7. 1988 - age 30, Wilmington, NC, Head Shot for Band 
8. 1989 - age 31, South Fallsburg, NY, ID for Siddah Yoga Ashram

3rd row l to r
9. 1999 - age 41, Venice, CA Digital Domain, with Academy Award photo 
10. 2003 - age 43, Santa Monica, CA - Driver's License
11. 2004 - age 44, Los Angeles, CA - Passport 
12. 2005 - age 45, Downtown LA, CA - Artist Portrait by Jonathan Mack

4th row l to r
13. 2009 - age 51, Mar Vista, CA, Head Shot for Modeling Gig
14. 2015 - age 58, Los Angeles, CA, Passport
15. 2021 - age 63, Los Angeles, CA, Artist Portrait by Jonathan Mack
16. 2023 - age 65, Costco ID photo 

As our country comes to grips with the devastating Covid 19 Pandemic, a very old wound continues to fester until an egregious crime, a murder of a Black man named George Floyd by the very people who have sworn to protect all citizens, sparkes such outrage that Citizens of all colors and all backgrounds take to the streets in protest. So many people, all over the World, voice their anger at the injustices that shatter black families' lives everyday. Some people march on the streets and some contribute in quiet ways. The signs began appearing right after the protests swept through Westwood and Santa Monica. The quiet voices echo throughout my Westside neighborhood, I documented the signs in windows, on light posts, painted rocks and creative installations on front yards. The majority of the images are from June 2020, but I will continue to document the quiet resolute voices of my neighbors in Los Angeles.