Art Show: Beyond Boundaries
Reception Saturday, October 11, 5 - 7 PM
Kathy Bodycombe
Kathy's Story
Kathy Bodycombe has lived in California all her life and now calls Ojai home. While raising a family and working part-time in graphic arts, her fine art practice remained on the back burner. That changed in 2002, when she returned to school and completed her degree in Fine Art at California State University Channel Islands. Since then, she has been painting regularly and sharing her passion through teaching.
Kathy taught in local schools through Focus on the Masters' Learning to See program, as well as at private schools, inspiring students to express themselves through art.
Kathy's Art
Kathy paints from reference photos, drawn to interesting compositions, strong color contrast, and the changing effects of light and season. Her work is rooted in both realism and abstraction, reflecting an evolution of style that began with post-impressionist influences and gradually developed into a more personal, expressive approach.
She works in both oil and acrylic, often juggling several paintings at once in her home studio—a converted kid’s bedroom. She prefers to paint late into the evening, sometimes losing track of time until night falls and dinner is long overdue.
Though her style continues to evolve, Kathy remains dedicated to creating works that reflect the landscapes and moments that inspire her.
Gina Niebergall
Gina's Story
Gina Niebergall has been making art for as long as she can remember—always with a pencil and paper in hand, even as a child. She grew up in Ventura and earned a degree in studio art from UC Santa Barbara. After graduating, she stepped away from painting for nearly a decade, feeling discouraged by a contemporary art scene that prioritized conceptual and minimalist work over the realism she was passionate about.
For nearly ten years, Gina co-owned Pete's Breakfast House while raising a family. In the early 2000s, as her kids grew older, she returned to painting with renewed focus, building a backyard studio to support her practice. Now retired, she paints almost daily, finding joy and purpose in the rhythm of her creative routine.
Gina's Art
Gina works primarily in oils, with California landscapes appearing throughout much of her work. She enjoys exploring other mediums like collage, cold wax, chalk pastels, and abstract forms. Whether painting plein air or from reference photos, she’s almost always accompanied by music.
She tends to overthink her work, often setting pieces aside to revisit with fresh eyes. To keep the process flowing, she works on multiple paintings at a time. Her collages, which require more room to spread out, have taken over one of her kid's old bedroom—though even that isn't enough space. Her studio companion, her cat named Albert, brings both company and the occasional bit of chaos.
Gina prefers to paint in the mornings when she feels mentally sharpest. Quiet and unassuming, she lets her expressive, thoughtful work speak for itself.
You can view Gina and Kathy's Oil paintings of Landscapes at Fox Fine Jewelry from October 9th to January 10th. Join us for their reception on Oct. 11th.
See more of Bodycombe's and Niebergall's. work