Diane Farris Gallery is very pleased to announce a solo exhibition of conceptual realist painter Kathryn Jacobi. New Paintings comprises two of Kathryn's on-going series: still life portraits of breads, fruits and vegetables and her signature series of haunting portraits of the human figure emerging from darkness.

In this new body of work Kathryn continues this exploration of darkness and light. The subject matters are saturated in the spotlight and emerge from a mysterious blackness. In the past one will remember her "Divas in Extremis" series of Opera Singers and in this exhibition she includes new paintings from her "Gospel Singer" series.

The artists states, "I am fascinated by the way the properties of sight tough what is most internal in ourselves. Light blooming out of the darkness is a metaphor that carries forth into our collective experience of what it is to be human and to gain insight and understanding into the world around us".

She remains strongly influenced by the Spanish and Dutch masters. Carefully rendered in the medium of oil, Kathryn's radiating panels and canvases captures the spirit she so admires in her mentors, "Their treatment of portraiture moved me because of the accuracy in presenting visual experience combined with a devotion to psychological truth".

Kathryn Jacobi divides her time between Santa Monica, California and Sechelt, BC. Her paintings and drawings have been exhibited in museums, universities, and galleries in Berlin, Denmark, Madrid, Toronto, and Vancouver as well as throughout the United States.

The opening will also celebrate the release of The Popsicle Moon, an interactive CD book for children ages 5-9 and over 40. Read by Kathryn's husband, actor Richard Dysart, and written by Sean Stratton the CD book features 26 full color illustrations by Kathryn. This story is equipped for the deaf and hard-of-hearing with an American Sign Language video insert. The video shows Tara Potterveld, a nationally certified sign interpreter, signing the story to coincide with the both the narration and the text. Both the narration and the ASL video may be watched at the same time, or either or both may be turned off.

On exhibit in the North Gallery is a group Christmas show of new "smaller" works by gallery and guest artists: Mandy Boursicot, Jane Brookes, Shannon Belkin, Sam Lam, Lynda Nakashima, and Wesley Anderson.