The above work, which is an oil on canvas, is by Karen Woods, whose first solo exhibition at George Billis Gallery  opens this Saturday, February 23, and runs through March 30. The opening reception - which is, as always, is free, open to the public, and sure to be a lot of fun - is Saturday, Feb. 23, from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Woods writes of her work - "For some time now I have chronicled my journey by painting what I experience while driving around the city. I paint—in the realist tradition—from photographs taken at intersections and on the road, when I’ve been struck by the beauty in the ordinariness of my commute. These images are the “lyrical suggestions” that compel me to paint, to communicate these transcendent experiences so clearly that others might in turn recognize this beauty in the course of their day. For myself, the reward lies in capturing and expanding the space, time, and movement of a moment in everyday life, and to reveal its accompanying emotional weight: its anticipation, reflection, isolation, longing, and transcendence."

The opening also celebrates the second solo exhibition at the gallery by Anne Seidman. Her untitled piece is below:

George Billis Gallery is located at 2716 S. La Cienega Blvd.