Once upon a time, Ocean Pleasant was a precocious five-year-old who’d pass the time drawing in her mom’s office. Just three years later, she’s a veritable household name in the local art scene, and her work consistently sells for more than $400. Today at La Strada, Ocean will debut her latest paintings, which feature swirling imagery created by layers of sand, textured pieces of construction paper, bright acrylic paint and even rocks ย all embedded in caulk on a three- by three-foot canvas.
Ocean is inspired by her travels with her mother to such places as Guatemala, and by artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat. “I took her to the Basquiat exhibit,” says her mom, Maranda Pleasant, who’s also a local artist, “and she realized art didn’t have to look like anything. Now she’s on fire ย I just get her supplies and leave. She’s selling better than I am.” And from the looks of things, this eight-year-old wunderkind has the artist mind-set down. “I don’t really paint anything,” she says. “I just like to paint.” See? The Pleasant little show starts at 7 p.m.
March 30-May 1
This article appears in Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2006.