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Moon Garden
Works by Layla Luna
Dale Brock and Visiting Angels Gallery
On view February 3-28, 2023
Artist Statement
Since becoming a new mom, my studio practice has had to continually adapt to fit my daughter’s changing needs. Compared to past series, the current work has been scaled-down in size and simplified in color palette to accommodate condensed studio time. The longest stretches to work are during naptime and after my family is in bed for the night. Painting time is measured by a sweet baby’s sleeps. The imagery of Moon Garden is inspired by the desert. It honors how a landscape, that seemed like nothing more than a backdrop when experienced, can come to represent an entire period of time or a pivotal relationship. I compare having to paint these vast spaces and full experiences within such a limited window of time to tending a garden in the dark of night…just me and the moon.
Artist Bio
Layla Luna is an exhibiting painter with a focus on southwestern landscapes and the author/illustrator of a children’s story series called The Lolly Stories. The exploration of home, nature, and storytelling are the major components of both her painting practice and illustrations.
Luna was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975. She received an MFA in Painting from Texas Christian University in 2016 and a BFA in Painting from Arizona State University in 2008. She studied at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand where she obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art in 2011. Artist-in-residence programs around the country have played a large role in feeding her need to explore and make work in new environments. Currently Luna resides in Fort Worth, Texas with her daughter, husband, and three pups.