Oak Gallery's Owner and Fine Art Photographer 

Brandy SebastianPhoto taken by Penny Kachuck Brandy SebastianTime Lapse video of Brandy setting up her wall at Oak Gallery.

     It's a surreal moment when something you have thought of throughout your life and what seemed like a distant dream actually happens. I've always been taught that I can achieve anything I want in life, it just takes hard work and dedication. Often that feels like it will never happen with mounting responsibility as we age in life. I feel it's important to say that being open to the unique opportunities that present themselves is key. Thinking out of the box and being willing to literally take a leap of faith, not allowing fear to take hold of your passions. When the vision feels clear and everyhitng falls into place how can that not be the right path. Most of my work is about my journey as a woman and creator, about a person traveling in this life with all of life's challenges. Staying truthful to one's self and not getting derailed by pain, suffering, anxiety or the stress of being human. To stay in joy, love, light, open mindedness, clarity, and accountability. 

     The concept of Oak Gallery is the desire to create a place that felt like home, that was different then a typical gallery space with white walls. There is certainly nothing wrong with that it's just not me. Color played a key in the Purple the color of fantasy and magic.Purple is calming and helps to put us in a place of introspection. It promotes creativity intuition, and clarity. It's of royalty and what dreams are made of. remodel of the space. I struggled with wanting something that truly reflected my personality and of course it had to be different than anything I've seen. My mother, Penny Kachuck, mentioned the colors in my bedroom and it felt right. For me since the remodel of my master bedroom in 2016 with deep purples, subtle grays, and dusty beige/gold it's been my safe place. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis in early 2012 with my first surgery in January of 2013. I could never have imagined how much time I would be spending in my room. With seven surgeries later it certainly has been a place of safety, comfort, and recovery, and is still to this day. So why not make the gallery a place that feels warm, inviting, safe, full of color, filled with love and happiness, like home.

   
 Then came the name, Oak Gallery. It was certainly an evolution but an easy one. Originally it was to be called Gallery on Oak, makes sense as the building is located on Oak. Then I came up with an entire list of names but kept going back Brandy Sebastian hanging Oak Gallery sign.Every moment and all the changes large or small makes the dream more of a reality. to the concept of naming it in the place it stood, on Oak Avenue in Carlsbad. I had the url picked and saved in my url provider account, it was there for days along with many other options. All but Gallery on Oak disappeared from my saved options, heartbroken I let it sit. It was a good thing I did, as I received a call from the company providing my new domain name and had a conversation with a wonderful young man who was instrumental in my decision of calling it Oak Gallery. Having part of the name be Oak made sense, it was the street the building resides, then he told me about what Oak means and how it's connected to family, tradition, our past present and future. It felt right. His suggestion to just call it Oak Gallery came from the unique opportunity to get Oak.Gallery as my url. It was perfect simple and fit. 

     So many wonderful things are planned for this special place. I look forward to storytelling and to teach those to tell their stories through photography. I look forward to artists sharing their journeys and for the walls to be filled with beautiful work that deserves to be on the walls of homeowners and business owners. That photography is art, that it holds the same passion and desire that any medium has for the artist to share a piece of their heart, soul, and mind. Currently can can view fine art photography by Barbara Beck, Will Gibson, and myself, Brandy Sebastian. 

• Check out and stay up to date through the interactive calendar for upcoming events, classes, speakers, and more.
• Read the short bios of our gallery's artists and get a sneak peak of their work.
• Come check out the gallery Wednesday to Friday from 12pm-5pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm. 
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