LOITER GALLERIES BRINGS THE DAZZLING WORLD OF ARTIST ANGIE CRABTREE'S “GEMSTONED”

“GEMSTONED,” an unique exhibit of oil paintings of gemstones by artist Angie Crabtree.

Inspired both by the eternal beauty of gemstones as well as their vibrant compositions, Crabtree painted her first diamond — a dazzler that was five feet tall — in 2011 for her exhibition, “Living the Dream,” which she saw as a commentary on the American Dream. The energy of her viewers’ responses prompted her to dig deeper into the perception of excess, wealth and luxury.

Using oils, Crabtree creates magnified portraits of real gemstones. Her most well known commissions include “The Pink Promise” diamond and Chopard’s massive 342 carat “Queen of Kalahari” diamond.

Today, Crabtree continues to push the boundaries of what it means to desire and value earth’s treasures — using precious gemstones as a way to delve ever deeper into the psychology of luxury cultures.

Inspired from mandalas and meditative practices, she uses her paintings to prompt the viewer to contemplate the world's inherent fractal structures. She creates a space for introspection, encouraging us to immerse ourselves in the beauty of our surroundings and find harmony in its patterns.

For more information about this show and/or to make a (tax free) donation for this show for Loiter Galleries, please go to loitergalleries.com. Proceeds go to support local artists. Loiter Galleries is a non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Loiter Galleries is grateful to the owners of Mosaic, Long Beach for this pop up space and the ability to carry out its mission to assist local artists.