About
Carla Marlenée Bates is a California native whose talents span the fields of both commercial and fine art. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from California State University in Fullerton. As a Graphic Designer and a painter, she has been fortunate enough to work on projects with Malibu-based entities such as: The Malibu Playhouse, Once Upon A Time Children’s Theatre, The Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture, Eco Hero Kids, The Malibu String Academy and The Malibu Civic Ballet. Despite her busy schedule, she makes time for her first love, painting, and has enjoyed success creating land and seascapes depicting her vision of the Malibu experience. "Often in my paintings, I aim to illuminate the human connection with nature, especially a surfers' call to the water. I want to capture the coastal creature in their element; playful, contemplative and immersed in the great beauty of the Pacific Ocean. I refer to these paintings as Ocean Portraits because they usually feature people I know or people that I have had the good fortune to meet thanks to a commission. The subject matter can be described as esoteric, but I think it can speak to that place of joy we all feel inside when we know, in that moment, we are grateful to be here."