California artist Jesse Aldana captures the spirit of the West through the ritual beauty of sunrise and sunset. Blending realistic brushwork with an almost surreal absence of human presence, Jesse paints residential neighborhoods, bustling thoroughfares, and serene coastal scenes of Los Angeles. His work, reminiscent of Ed Ruscha, serves as both a record of the region’s evolving landscape and a metaphor for the openness and opportunity that have long drawn settlers to the West Coast. “The sky is an overwhelming presence,” Jesse reflects about California. His compositions emphasize vast skies framed by slender palm trees and low-slung buildings, placing the viewer at the edge of the final frontier. Working from his Los Angeles home studio, Jesse uses his own photographs as source material, drawing inspiration from the vibrant surroundings of his city. He holds a BA from Brown University and an MFA from The New York Academy of Art and frequently exhibits at the Beverly Hills Art Show.