Three very different styles of art are on display now at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College (TCC), but the artists have one very important thing in common: they are father, mother and daughter. What is more, the clan is headed up by famed Northwest painter Alfredo Arrequin and includes his wife Susan Lytle and their daughter Lesley Rialto, noteworthy artists themselves - hence the name of the exhibit, “Family Portrait.”

This exhibit contains more than 50 works of art ranging from landscapes, portraits and still life studies to three-dimensional work that includes beaded costumes and velvet purses. Arrequin calls the collection “a sample of many hours of creativity in the company of loved ones,” for the three artists work together in one studio, yet are each in their own worlds.

Arrequin has been painting for over 40 years, having received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Washington (UW). The University of Washington Press published a much heralded full-color art book on him in 2002, created by UW professor of Spanish and Portuguese Lauro Flores. Arrequin’s work hangs in the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., and he was recently invited to exhibit at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. He bested over 200 other artists to win the commission for designing the poster for Washington State’s centennial celebration in 1988, and he was even invited to design the White House Easter Egg that same year. In all, his accomplishments are far too many to list.

Arrequin’s artwork is dazzling to behold, with its kaleidoscopic colors, hidden images and layers of meaning, both historical and mythological. Born in Mexico in 1935, Arrequin arrived in Seattle in 1956 and made the Northwest his home. What flows from his paintbrush reflects his Latino roots, the flora and fauna of lush tropical environments and the faces of famous figures he admires, like Cesar Chavez and Frida Kahlo. In 1995, Arrequin received an OHTLI award, the highest recognition given by the Mexican government, for his commitment to promote Mexican culture abroad.

He covers every inch of the canvas with minutely crafted, intricate designs that swirl around in repeating patterns of rich colors and forms. There is a wild and untamed essence in much of his work, invoking images of ancient Aztec civilizations amid butterflies, tropical birds and animals in a psychedelic landscape. Some of his works are big in size, measuring up to six feet by four feet or more, providing a feast for the eyes (and mind).

However, Arrequin’s work does not overshadow that of wife Lytle and daughter Rialto in the TCC show; in fact, the exhibit was deliberately designed to show the artistic relationship among the family members, and it works well.

Lytle, too, celebrates nature in her paintings. In her artist’s statement, she wrote, “Whether painting a shell, a flower, an animal skull or a moody morning sky, my hope is to convey a love for life and express appreciation for the magic that surrounds each of us every day.” Her color palette is oftentimes dark, but what comes from it provides a beautifully unique and delicate vision of orchids, still-life objects and even her own face looking in a window. On the lighter side, her big, dramatic bouquets of flowers in glass vases show the artist’s knack for painting clear glass - not an easy task.

Objects of nature appear in Rialto’s art, as well. Rather than working with a brush, she works in beading and printed velvet. Her pillows and purses are embossed with her own original carved designs of exotic animals, like bats and big cats.

A belly dancer, Rialto performs regularly in Seattle at Georgia’s Greek Restaurant and Olive You. She wears her own intricately designed belly dancing costumes that drip with thousands of sparkling hand-sewn beads. The ones she put on display for the TCC art show add distinct depth to the exhibit.