About Paula

I don't start a painting knowing where it's going to end up. And honestly, that's the whole point.

My work is built through layers. Color goes down, texture builds up, and somewhere in that back and forth, something starts to emerge on its own. Figures, movement, a quiet little story I didn't plan. I'm not forcing a vision onto the canvas so much as I'm listening for what it wants to become. It sounds a bit mystical, I know, but that's really what it feels like in the studio.

What I love most about working this way is that every layer leaves a trace. A decision I made at 9am is still in there, under everything that came after. A moment of doubt, a bold move, a pause. It's all embedded in the surface. That history is what gives the work its weight. You're not just looking at a finished image. You're looking at time.

I make work that's meant to be lived with. The kind of piece that looks different on a Tuesday morning than it did on a Saturday night. The kind where you notice something new six months after it's been hanging on your wall and feel a little surprised by it. That's the experience I'm going for. Not a quick impression, but a slow, ongoing conversation between the work and the person who owns it.

If you're a collector, I hope you'll take your time with it. Get close. Come back to it. Let it show you things gradually. That's exactly what it was made for.

Editorial image from South Bay Magazine featuring Manhattan Beach abstract artist Paula Langstein and her artwork

Past Art Shows

The Other Art Fair 2026
ART310 2025
The Other Art Fair 2025
El Segundo Art Walk2025
Garrel Fine Art 2025
ART310 2024

Garrel Fine Art 2024
ART310 2023
Manhattan Annual Community Exhibition 2023
CA 101 2023 Annual International Juried Art Exhibition
CA 101 2022 Annual International Juried Art Exhibition
CA101 2019
El Segundo Art Walk
Resin Gallery, Hermosa Beach 2018
El Segundo Art Walk - 2018
CA 101 Art Exhibition - 2018
Hermosa Beach Fine Arts Festival 2017
Art310 Auction 2017
North Manhattan Beach Art Walk 2017
CA 101 Gallery 2017 - Honorary Mention
North Manhattan Beach Art Walk June 2017
El Segundo Art Walk  2017
Human + Nature Art Show, May 2017
In The Moment Art Show, March 2017
El Segundo Art Walk, June & July 2016
Art At The Beach - July 2016

Paula Langstein is proud to be a part of the vibrant Manhattan Beach art scene. Her work has been shown at the Manhattan Beach Art Center and in local events such as the Manhattan Beach Art Walk and Hermosa Art Festival. As a local abstract artist, Paula is passionate about contributing to the creative spirit of the South Bay. Paula’s work is held in private collections across the United States and has been featured in curated exhibitions throughout Southern California.

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