Jacqueline LeCourt

The “California Dream” has shaped me into the person I am today, but what exactly is the California Dream? I have grown up soaking in the Californian sun, images, and sounds of the ideal life, and through this body of work I explore the impact it has made not only on me, but the world as well.

I grew up on the sunny beaches of Laguna Beach and moved only 75 miles north to Malibu, California to further my education. I drive to my internship and have a view of the Hollywood sign from my office window. I am living this “California Dream,” but I have not seen much of the negatives of California because of this, so called, “bubble” I have lived in. As I have been exposed more and more to the outside world, particularly in the streets of Los Angeles, reality has become more transparent. I have seen a homeless epidemic occur right before my eyes and get much worse each year. I have seen the difficulty to make a living in Southern California and afford the cost to live. I have also wondered how I can feel so lonely while living in one of the most populated cities in the country, Los Angeles?

Color palette is something I am passionate about in my work. I chose a vibrant color palette based on my reactions to sights I see across Southern California. My color palette is inspired by the 1950s Palm Springs era, that captures the poolside, martini drinking, escapist luxury of the place and time which have shaped my vision of the “California Dream.”

I wanted to depict my positive and negative experiences through dream-like, luxurious landscapes of Southern California. I used elements of art to create my California influenced artwork, specifically through my color palette, the landscapes, and imagery I have painted.

I would like to dedicate my body of work to my uncle, Lenny Steven Pereira, who lost his battle to ALS last month. Forever in our hearts.  (February 22, 1971 - April 6, 2021)