Oil Painting of Fetal Kitten for "Rescue Me"

"Fatal Enlightenment."
12" x 12" Oil on Panel by Cody Raiza
exhibited with "Rescue Me"(group show promoting pet adoption) at The Egan Gallery in Fullerton, September 2013

This painting features a fully developed white fetal kitten seemingly in utero. I wanted to create an image that initially strikes the viewer with sentiment. The illusion of the womb-like environment brings the viewer into a maternal state, coveting the delicacy of the subject. These emotions are almost immediately replaced by angst when epiphany takes place that this beautiful being may no longer be living, which in fact, it is not. The subject of this piece is a feral kitten, aborted in the womb when it's mother was turned in for a routine spay, her babies aborted to prevent unwanted feral cat populations. Such a topic is highly controversial yet overlooked by many, as millions of homeless animals are overlooked by the public and euthanized due to overpopulation every year. This piece illuminates the very thin boundary between life and death while paying homage to those forgotten upon our path as humans.
-Cody Raiza

"Rescue Me" art show aims to promote pet adoption

"Rescue Me" is an art show curated by myself, Cody Raiza, which opens the first weekend of September in Fullerton, CA. The show features artists from Orange County, Los Angeles, and cities dappled across the United States. These talented artists have created artwork exclusively for this show and the works aim to promote pet adoption in our community.

Artists contributing to the show are:  
Gene Guynn
Nick Baxter
William Zdan
Chantal Menard
Craig 'Skibs' Barker
Kelly Castillo
Glenn Arthur
Apricot Mantle
Michael White
Cory Benhatzel
John Sollom
Mojo Foster
Jel Ela
Sam Soto
Christina Ramos
Misaki Sawada
Louie Becker
Valeri Lewis
Michelle Orozco

"Rescue Me" art show, Art by Glenn Arthur

 Millions of animals are euthanized in our city shelters every year in the U.S. This art show hopes to give a voice to the issue and a face to the many needy animals in our own communities that need our help.

The grand opening of the show will also be accompanied by a pet adoption event at The Egan Gallery, hosting local rescues: A Home 4Ever Rescue and 4Life Animal Rescue.
A portion of the proceeds from art sales go directly towards saving the life of a shelter pet(s).

Media Contact: codyraiza@gmail.com

Our Facebook Event page: (join and invite your friends)
https://www.facebook.com/events/574881562532032/

artwithananagenda.org 

"Rescue Me" flier, artwork by Glenn Arthur and John Sollom

Where: 

The Egan, inside the Magoski Arts Complex in Fullerton
223 W. Santa Fe, Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832

When:
FRIDAY, Sept. 6th, Fullerton Art Walk 6pm-10pm
SATURDAY, Sept 7th, Grand Opening of "Rescue Me" ART SHOW and PET ADOPTION event 11:30am-3pm

"Rescue Me" flier featuring artwork by John Sollom

"Rescue Me" Instagram flier featuring artwork by Glenn Arthur

Art is Love. Love is All.

I have had the privileged opportunity of participating in a love-themed show along with 98 other artists that opens to the public on May 3rd in Fullerton for the Art Walk. "Love. Sex. Unity. Respect." aims to promote love, equality, and understanding in our community.

My painting titled "Awaiting a Brighter Future, Together" will be on display and up for auction at this show, half of the proceeds of this show go to charitable causes.

This painting is not typical of my usual subject matter or themes, but the issue of equality is one that is very dear to my heart and I wanted to treat it appropriately: with lightness and care. My painting features two male cardinals, toes clasped together as they fly or fall together, symbolizing the bond of love. Love is not dependency, it is a willingness to live selflessly with another, and share each others' triumphs as equally as one's defeats. Love is a delicate bond and should be treated with respect; I hope we can learn to respect others' choices to love beyond societal boundaries of gender.

"Awaiting a Brighter Future, Together"
Oil on wood panel, with metal and glass framing elements 9" x 12"

"Awaiting a Brighter Future, Together" by Cody Raiza

"Awaiting a Brighter Future, Together" by Cody Raiza

"Awaiting a Brighter Future, Together" by Cody Raiza (detail)

'Blood and Oil' at The Hive in Los Angeles

This coming Saturday at The Hive Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles, I will have a small oil painting in a group show curated by White Matter. The theme of the show reflects the relationships between human and machine.

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My small piece titled "Cage Free" is oil painted on a 6" x 6" panel.
The image is of a 16 day old chick growing in its shell. As a society, I feel we are too far removed from our food, millions of boy chicks are thrown into grinders every day to perpetuate the growing commercialization of our food system. I want the viewer to connect the essence of life being shown in the painting with their own consciousness of being.

"Cage Free" by Cody Raiza

cover art for flyer by "Jel Ena"

 

'This Wilde Abyss' in Laguna Beach

"This Wilde Abyss" at Gallery AR4T in Laguna Beach was a success!

Hosted by Splendor Device, a female art collective I am a member of, artist and founder Kelly Castillo played DJ as artist Michelle Orozco live painted during the opening on March 2nd, 2013. Many thanks to Torrey Cook of Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow!

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My oil painting for the show, available through AR4T in Laguna Beach:

10" x 20" oil on canvas wrapped panel.

"Wild Abyss" by Cody Raiza

Cover art on flyer by artist Jennifer James.

Rat King : First finished piece of 2013!

This work titled "Rat King" is only about 9" x 7", graphite on paper.
A Rat King is a real phenomena in which large groups of rats living together become intertwined at their tails; they almost become one living organism as they must struggle to survive, blood and feces bonding the knotted tails together. They were seen as a very bad omen, especially around the time of plague.
I am a stickler for detail, so this piece, extremely detailed in nature, took me a very long time to create.

As a child, I went to the Nutcracker ballet near the Holidays with my mother, and when I discovered what the true meaning of a "Rat King" was, I was inspired to create this piece of art.

"Rat King" by Cody Raiza

Thank for looking! I hope you like it!
Find me on InstaGram : officialcodydanger
and Society6.com at the link below

http://society6.com/CodyDanger
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The Creative Appetite

All artists experience a creative drought at times. Then, as if lightning had struck, you snap out of it, engulfed in a fiery blaze of motivation and hunger. A blood-thirsty hunger to become better, stronger. 
We starve ourselves of the lust to recognize beauty in our world until our minds can no longer live through the withdrawals, and it screams "ENOUGH!" Gasping for air, we realize we need to create to survive.

Keep your eyes peeled for new works...

Cody

"The Descent of Man" for Kat Von D's 'SKULLS' show at Wonderland Gallery