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Supporting Our Desert Community Member Artists
THE ARTISTS
Our artists come from many backgrounds and disciplines.
Many work in traditional and contemporary styles, including oil, acrylic, and mixed media. In addition, we work with top photographers and sculptors who offer a portfolio of different styles reflecting desert colors, themes, and compositions. But we're not all about the desert, but the desert is often the foundation for our artists, whether they live in a desert environment or are inspired by it, or take their artistic skills around the world and bring their work back to the desert, and to our gallery. If you're an artist like this, the Desert Artists Gallery may be for you. Check our membership offerings and see if this might be a good home for you.
Signature Artists
DAG SIGNATURE ARTISTS
IN OUR EXHIBITION NOW
SCOTT YESKEL
Scott Yeskel is a Los Angeles based Fine Artist who specializes in moody, atmospheric, and familiar feeling landscapes of Southern California. His deep colors and iconic imagery bear the weight of a time gone by, loaded with romanticism and nostalgia. His paintings of classic restaurants, reflective trailers and tall palms tell the story of each and every Angelino, a journey of strong emotions told subtly through light and form. Scott currently teaches an Abstract Workshop at the Kline Academy in West LA and resides with his wife and daughter in the San Fernando Valley.
Scott Yeskel was raised in the suburbs of Orange County, California after his parents moved from New Jersey when he was a child. The mild weather and suburban sprawl fueled Scott’s interest in the landscape.
After graduating from high school, he moved to San Francisco to pursue an education in the arts. Yeskel graduated from the Academy of Art College in 2002 where he won first place in the Landscape category at the Academy’s Annual Spring Show. He was quickly picked up by galleries in Philadelphia, Laguna Beach and San Francisco.
Since that time, Scott has been the subject of over a dozen solo shows, countless group exhibitions and has been featured in over 20 magazine and newspaper editorials. His work speaks to those who identify with the California lifestyle – often romantic but sometimes plagued with frustration. His love/hate relationship with Los Angeles’ freeways, boxy apartments and urban sprawl feed Yeskel’s desire to paint his environment as he sees – a jumble of mixed emotions. Recently, Scott’s work was purchased by prestigious corporate collections including Microsoft and NBC/ Universal.
SOLO SHOWS
2023- Scott Yeskel, 20 Years in L.A., TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
2020- Vacant LA, online exhibition.
2016-Summer Days, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Valley Scenes, Valley Performing Arts Center, Cal State Northridge, Ca.
2015- Modern Escape, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, Ca.
2013- Hotel Pools, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2012- Stop & Go, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2011 – Wanderlust, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Mapping California, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco Ca.
2009 – L.A. To Ventura and In Between, Vita Art Center, Ventura, Ca
2008 – Disconnections, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca
L.A. to S.F. with Love, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, Ca
2007 – Mass Transit, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2006 – Maps, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2005 – Trouble in Paradise, Bedlam Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca.
2004 – Moving On, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
2003 – Two Roads, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2021-23 Summer Salon, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, Ca
2019- Group Cityscape IX, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
Ashes of Hope, Sky Studios, Los Angeles, Ca
2018-Cityscape VIII, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
Celebration Art, Patricia Rovzar Gallery, Seattle, Wa
2016-House and Home, Cannon Art Gallery, Carlsbad, Ca
2105-Venice Art Walk Auction, Google Headquarters, Venice, Ca
2013-Ryman Arts, ‘An Affair of the Arts’, Los Angeles, Ca.
2012-Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Palm Springs, Ca.
artMRKT San Francisco, SFDC Concourse Exhibition Center, S.F., Ca
2011 – L.A. Art Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A. Ca.
Palette to Palate, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, Ca.
artMRKT San Francisco, SFDC Concourse Exhibition Center, S.F. Ca
2010 – Art San Diego, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, Ca.
2009 & 2010 – L.A Art Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A., CA
2008 – Auction 100, Laguna Beach Art Museum, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Aqua Art Miami, Aqua Hotel, Miami, Fla
Red Dot Fair, Park South Hotel-New York City, New York
2006 – Venice Art Walk Juried Auction, Bergamont Station, Santa Monica, Ca.
Fin, Bedlam Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca.
2005 – Create-Fixate, Spring Arts Tower, Los Angeles,Ca.
2004 – Meet the Artists IV, The Pacific Club, Newport Beach, Ca.
Group Cityscapes, Greenwood Chebithes Gallery, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Getting to Know You, Backstreet Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca
Scott Yeskel / Brandon Smith, Hotel Biron Gallery, San Francisco, Ca.
2003 – Around Town, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
2002 – Academy Spring Annual, Academy of Art, San Francisco, Ca.
1998 – Juried Luggage Show, Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, Ca.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
-Abstract Painting Instructor, Kline Academy of Art, Los Angeles, Ca.r
-Private Art Instructor and Mentor for numerous adults and high school level artists
-Instructor of Art Experience, High School Painting, Academy of Art College
-Workshop Painting Instructor, Academy of Art College
NOTABLE COLLECTIONS
Microsoft Art Collection, Seattle, WA., Pennsylvania Power and Light, Allentown, PA., Novo Nordisk, Princeton N.J., Mars Foods-Uncle Bens Rice, Los Angeles, CA., Fox T.V., Los Angeles, CA., Scatter Light Productions, Beverly Hills, CA. Friedman & Solomon LLP, Beverly Hills, CA..
Scott Yeskel was raised in the suburbs of Orange County, California after his parents moved from New Jersey when he was a child. The mild weather and suburban sprawl fueled Scott’s interest in the landscape.
After graduating from high school, he moved to San Francisco to pursue an education in the arts. Yeskel graduated from the Academy of Art College in 2002 where he won first place in the Landscape category at the Academy’s Annual Spring Show. He was quickly picked up by galleries in Philadelphia, Laguna Beach and San Francisco.
Since that time, Scott has been the subject of over a dozen solo shows, countless group exhibitions and has been featured in over 20 magazine and newspaper editorials. His work speaks to those who identify with the California lifestyle – often romantic but sometimes plagued with frustration. His love/hate relationship with Los Angeles’ freeways, boxy apartments and urban sprawl feed Yeskel’s desire to paint his environment as he sees – a jumble of mixed emotions. Recently, Scott’s work was purchased by prestigious corporate collections including Microsoft and NBC/ Universal.
SOLO SHOWS
2023- Scott Yeskel, 20 Years in L.A., TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
2020- Vacant LA, online exhibition.
2016-Summer Days, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Valley Scenes, Valley Performing Arts Center, Cal State Northridge, Ca.
2015- Modern Escape, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, Ca.
2013- Hotel Pools, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2012- Stop & Go, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2011 – Wanderlust, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Mapping California, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco Ca.
2009 – L.A. To Ventura and In Between, Vita Art Center, Ventura, Ca
2008 – Disconnections, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca
L.A. to S.F. with Love, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, Ca
2007 – Mass Transit, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2006 – Maps, Sue Greenwood Fine Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
2005 – Trouble in Paradise, Bedlam Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca.
2004 – Moving On, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
2003 – Two Roads, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2021-23 Summer Salon, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, Ca
2019- Group Cityscape IX, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
Ashes of Hope, Sky Studios, Los Angeles, Ca
2018-Cityscape VIII, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca
Celebration Art, Patricia Rovzar Gallery, Seattle, Wa
2016-House and Home, Cannon Art Gallery, Carlsbad, Ca
2105-Venice Art Walk Auction, Google Headquarters, Venice, Ca
2013-Ryman Arts, ‘An Affair of the Arts’, Los Angeles, Ca.
2012-Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Palm Springs, Ca.
artMRKT San Francisco, SFDC Concourse Exhibition Center, S.F., Ca
2011 – L.A. Art Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A. Ca.
Palette to Palate, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, Ca.
artMRKT San Francisco, SFDC Concourse Exhibition Center, S.F. Ca
2010 – Art San Diego, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, Ca.
2009 & 2010 – L.A Art Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A., CA
2008 – Auction 100, Laguna Beach Art Museum, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Aqua Art Miami, Aqua Hotel, Miami, Fla
Red Dot Fair, Park South Hotel-New York City, New York
2006 – Venice Art Walk Juried Auction, Bergamont Station, Santa Monica, Ca.
Fin, Bedlam Gallery, Los Angeles, Ca.
2005 – Create-Fixate, Spring Arts Tower, Los Angeles,Ca.
2004 – Meet the Artists IV, The Pacific Club, Newport Beach, Ca.
Group Cityscapes, Greenwood Chebithes Gallery, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Getting to Know You, Backstreet Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca
Scott Yeskel / Brandon Smith, Hotel Biron Gallery, San Francisco, Ca.
2003 – Around Town, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
2002 – Academy Spring Annual, Academy of Art, San Francisco, Ca.
1998 – Juried Luggage Show, Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, Ca.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
-Abstract Painting Instructor, Kline Academy of Art, Los Angeles, Ca.r
-Private Art Instructor and Mentor for numerous adults and high school level artists
-Instructor of Art Experience, High School Painting, Academy of Art College
-Workshop Painting Instructor, Academy of Art College
NOTABLE COLLECTIONS
Microsoft Art Collection, Seattle, WA., Pennsylvania Power and Light, Allentown, PA., Novo Nordisk, Princeton N.J., Mars Foods-Uncle Bens Rice, Los Angeles, CA., Fox T.V., Los Angeles, CA., Scatter Light Productions, Beverly Hills, CA. Friedman & Solomon LLP, Beverly Hills, CA..
ROBERT Z. CHEW
Robert Zent Chew is an American artist, born in the Midwest and living in Palm Desert, Calif. He is best known for his abstracted landscapes and abstracted florals, which have been shown in galleries, museums, and are part of many private collections. In Southern California, Chew is represented by the Desert Artists Gallery, Palm Desert, and The Artists Gallery, Los Angeles. Worldwide, the artist is part of the SaatchiArt Online and was named one of its featured artists by SaatchiArt curator Rebecca Wilson.
Robert Zent Chew’s work strikes a balance between representational and abstracted/deconstructed landscapes, and still life compositions. He is focused on mood and feeling to express the core elements of a subject. In many cases his work attempts to make the viewer feel as if they are part of the landscape, whether fully abstracted and with elements of realism.
In his work, there is often a heavy layering of oil and rapid, loose brushwork that helps add dynamism. Working off a palette based in California Impressionism, Chew creates colors and textures, and uses tonalist brush techniques, that are as distinctive as his subject matter, which often is the invisible yet readily recognizable scenes of everyday life. These scenes range from freeway passes to coastal beaches to aerial views of urban/industrial landscapes.
For sales inquiries contact the artist directly at www.robertzentgallery.com.
The paintings of Robert Zent Chew have been exhibited in Los Angeles, California and in a variety of exhibitions and are in private collections from Los Angeles and New York City to Denver and Tampa, Florida. Recent Exhibitions include:
DAG: Desert Artists Gallery, Palm Desert, Spring 2026
TAG Gallery, Los Angeles (Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Summer 2024, Fall 2025)
TAG Gallery Christmas Exhibit (December, 2021)
Emerging SaatchiArt Artists Series (October, 2021)
Old Mission Santa Barbara Museum 2021 Exhibit (June/July 2021)
Kline Fine Art Academy Exhibitions (2019 and 2020)
His painting of the Old Mission at Santa Barbara was featured on a poster celebrating the Mission’s 200th anniversary.
Robert Zent Chew’s work strikes a balance between representational and abstracted/deconstructed landscapes, and still life compositions. He is focused on mood and feeling to express the core elements of a subject. In many cases his work attempts to make the viewer feel as if they are part of the landscape, whether fully abstracted and with elements of realism.
In his work, there is often a heavy layering of oil and rapid, loose brushwork that helps add dynamism. Working off a palette based in California Impressionism, Chew creates colors and textures, and uses tonalist brush techniques, that are as distinctive as his subject matter, which often is the invisible yet readily recognizable scenes of everyday life. These scenes range from freeway passes to coastal beaches to aerial views of urban/industrial landscapes.
For sales inquiries contact the artist directly at www.robertzentgallery.com.
The paintings of Robert Zent Chew have been exhibited in Los Angeles, California and in a variety of exhibitions and are in private collections from Los Angeles and New York City to Denver and Tampa, Florida. Recent Exhibitions include:
DAG: Desert Artists Gallery, Palm Desert, Spring 2026
TAG Gallery, Los Angeles (Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Summer 2024, Fall 2025)
TAG Gallery Christmas Exhibit (December, 2021)
Emerging SaatchiArt Artists Series (October, 2021)
Old Mission Santa Barbara Museum 2021 Exhibit (June/July 2021)
Kline Fine Art Academy Exhibitions (2019 and 2020)
His painting of the Old Mission at Santa Barbara was featured on a poster celebrating the Mission’s 200th anniversary.
MEL SMOTHERS
Mel exhibits at Art Lives Here, and Carter-Burden Gallery, New York City. Hay Hill Gallery, London. TAG Gallery Los Angeles. JAG Gallery, Key West Florida and Archival Gallery, Sacramento, California. In 2006 he was selected to ‘Artists of Year,‛ exhibition at Cooper-Union, NYC. He has taught Art at the University of California, University of Idaho and University of Nevada.
He is a student of fly fishing and jazz violin and is author of the podcast Lake Tahoe Drone. He has a hard-to-find studio along the shore in Lake Tahoe
Artist Statement
My work is motivated by subjects inherited from our times, drawn from personal narratives, reflecting my interest in philosophy, contemporary thought, and sources that span art history. Painting series, “After Dorothea Lange,” " History Paintings," and sculpture series, "The Climes Are a Changin," are compelled by witnessing the class division between my subjects and the privileged politicians and corporations, who discredit scientific and social evidence for their own personal power and greed, resulting in environmental, climate and human disasters.
He is a student of fly fishing and jazz violin and is author of the podcast Lake Tahoe Drone. He has a hard-to-find studio along the shore in Lake Tahoe
Artist Statement
My work is motivated by subjects inherited from our times, drawn from personal narratives, reflecting my interest in philosophy, contemporary thought, and sources that span art history. Painting series, “After Dorothea Lange,” " History Paintings," and sculpture series, "The Climes Are a Changin," are compelled by witnessing the class division between my subjects and the privileged politicians and corporations, who discredit scientific and social evidence for their own personal power and greed, resulting in environmental, climate and human disasters.
DOROTHY BAKER
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Dorothy Baker is a self-taught sculptor and artist with a focus on clay figures. Her best-known work is her “Ladies with Attitude” series, depicting inspired women from around the world.
Baker began her artistic career at age 49 after losing her husband of 30 years. She attended art workshops in the summer with such distinguished potters as Victoria Shaw, Jim Kidoka, Dennis Meiners, and Katy McFadden. Soon her work began appearing in galleries around the Portland area, including the Graystone Gallery and Ryan’s Gallery in Lincoln City.
Artist Statement
Art has been a part of my being for as long as I can remember. I have been drawing, painting, always creating something. Nothing was safe from change, and my home became my canvas.
When I first touched clay, it was an immediate love for the medium. The soft texture in my fingers felt perfect and as I pressed into it faces began to appear. I quickly learned slab construction and how to build a figure. When I build my “ladies with attitude” series they come out at their own pace and in their own form. I let them express themselves. The energy they radiate is inspiring and transfixing to me. I lose myself as they bring themselves out of the clay.
Baker began her artistic career at age 49 after losing her husband of 30 years. She attended art workshops in the summer with such distinguished potters as Victoria Shaw, Jim Kidoka, Dennis Meiners, and Katy McFadden. Soon her work began appearing in galleries around the Portland area, including the Graystone Gallery and Ryan’s Gallery in Lincoln City.
Artist Statement
Art has been a part of my being for as long as I can remember. I have been drawing, painting, always creating something. Nothing was safe from change, and my home became my canvas.
When I first touched clay, it was an immediate love for the medium. The soft texture in my fingers felt perfect and as I pressed into it faces began to appear. I quickly learned slab construction and how to build a figure. When I build my “ladies with attitude” series they come out at their own pace and in their own form. I let them express themselves. The energy they radiate is inspiring and transfixing to me. I lose myself as they bring themselves out of the clay.
Our Member Artists
Become one of our Member Artists.
Our DAG Artists are represented by DAG, featured here in their own shops, have their art displayed to global audiences, receive free demos, online workshops, lessons, new reference materials, tips and insights into pricing, trends, and travel to DAG retreats. Artists also can participate in monthly virtual shows promoted to collectors around the world, and discounts to juried shows.
Our Members Participate in Free Online Workshops
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