Ariah Myles
Hometown or adopted CA hometown: Thousand Oaks, California
Growing up in Southern California, all I wanted was to be near the ocean. A short drive through the canyon to the beach was my refuge. It meant freedom. There were two things I was sure of, I wanted to be a surfer and an artist. The former ended up being a huge part of my life, yet there was an itch that remained. A friend of mine used reverse psychology and challenged me to make a painting better than a local artist we had seen. As my pride took charge, I went out and bought my first oil paints. I took my French Easel out on location and was immediately humbled, yet hooked. I fell in love with the process, the salt in the air, the sun on my face. I’ve been lucky enough to paint outdoors, ‘en plein air’ for the last 11 years, honing my craft, and looking forward to sharing that vision. As I go forward with my lifelong passion, I hope to help preserve those places and capture a little bit of the beauty I see in the landscape for you.
Style and influence:
I very much believe that painting quickly and spontaneously is the best way to learn. It allows us to get ‘out of our own heads’ and let the creative process take over. I am very drawn to Impressionism for this reason. Especially the Russian impressionists. My primary influence is Isaac Levitan. I am drawn to painting water and especially the ocean. Frederick Judd Waugh and Fritz Thaulow do this especially well. Other influences include Ivan Shishkin, Vasily Polenov, Joaquin Sorolla and Edgar Payne.
Accomplishments
Invitee, Kern County Plein Air Festival, 2020 & 2021
2018 Annual Malibu Board-riders association surfing invitational award designer
Gallery
