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Successes for Weekend 1
Morgan Hill's Two-Day Art Party
By Angie Young
The Morgan Hill Community and
Cultural Center’s El Toro Room and adjacent hallways bustled with
activity for two days. Art enthusiasts zipped around each artist’s
booth like honeybees seeking nectar in a floral garden. Classical music
washed over the crowd from an unseen source as if loudspeakers were
embedded in the walls. Sometimes people’s favorite party tunes from
their private CD collections drowned out the soft harmonies. Several SVOS participants
painted in their spots while gabbing with visitors and the press. When
I wasn’t painting or talking to customers, I was yakking it up with the
other artists, gawking at their creative wares, and sharing art-war
stories. Many artists learned a lot by participating this year, and
others sold their pieces or received commission work.
Acrylic painter Sheri
Chakamian sold several of her pieces and received four commission
orders. Because of her marketing plan to advertise SVOS on her own, she
had many visitors come to her booth. She loved the venue and how Daryl
Manning, art specialist of Morgan Hill, arranged the El Toro Room to
accommodate over ten artists. Sheri was really happy with the inaugural
event.
Suzanne Perry made these
delightful, whimsical animals out of clay and sold a bunch. This was
her first year with SVOS, and she was thrilled about the outcome of the
two-day event, which she says exceeded her expectations. Digital photography was
among the hot selling items at this show; Brenda Renzulli happily sold
some of her digital pieces to the owner of the Trail Dust Restaurant in
town, where he’ll display her cow photo.
Another satisfied artist was
Jerri Kuehn, whose spectacular pencil drawings of babies and nature
caught everyone’s attention. As a result, she sold several pieces She
wants to join SVOS next year, and says she loved the location of the
open studios tour.
Marge Regan enjoyed talking
to the artists around her during the lulls between busy spurts. She
liked when people asked about her work and how she created each piece
or jewelry-set. Such conversations frequently ended in a sale. Let’s not forget C.J Myers,
Mary Hughes Hiller, Steve Soult, Satu Viitanen, Don Jensen, Anita Kell
Mason, Carol Belliveau, Theresa Wayne, Renee Filice, Jon Keegan, and
Bob Bowman who contributed to the variety and success of SVOS 2004.
Daryl Manning was the force
behind this fun event. She worked above the call of duty and made sure
this first-time gig was a success. Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy and
Councilman Greg Sellers attended the event, demonstrating the city’s
support for the visual arts. Daryl was quite pleased with the outcome
this year and said: “I liked the diversity of art media represented
here; all the artwork shown was of extremely high quality.”
The artists and Daryl loved
the outcome of the show with sales; fresh contacts, meeting new friends
of kindred spirit and the boost SVOS gave to each participant. This is
the type of event that makes Morgan Hill credible as a “Grand Central
Station” of artistic talent, and this isn’t the last you’ll see of it;
in fact, it’s only the beginning.
ART, HEAT, MUSIC, AND MUNCHIES
The Alameda Art Works Studios Celebrated its Creations with the Public
By Saaba MBB Lutzeler
San Jose’s spring heat wave
inspired artists at the Alameda Art Works Studios to turn on their fans
during the first of three open studio weekends this year. Art
appreciators tromped and trickled into the building’s giant, retracted
garage door in back, as well as through its regular entrance in front.
They headed down art-clad hallways left and right, wandering into and
out of different studios, all-the-while popping strawberries,
sugar-snaps, and m&m’s. Owner Falko Forbrich - donning his
wide-brimmed sunhat and white sneakers - tended the barbeque while
guests and artists feasted together at canopied tables.
Visitors experienced many
shades of the overall celebratory mood as they strolled from one studio
to the next, hearing West African singing and drumming in one
workspace, jazz in another, and live ukulele strumming in yet another.
Hungrily, the viewers snapped up prints, paintings, and cards,
remarking at the range of work and the collective talent. “This is the
best stuff I’ve seen at Alameda Art Works,” said one annual SVOS
attendee. “It’s a full-house,” he added, “and every artist has created
something that’s compelling in a different way.” Indeed, there were
floral depictions, landscapes, urban scenes, portraits and figurative
paintings, conceptual works, pop-art pieces, prints, wood, paper, and
polymer crafts, handmade books, and more. Viewers had the opportunity
to see works in progress and raw materials; and they got the chance to
ask as many questions as their curiosities dictated. Ultimately, despite the
heat, SVOS at the Alameda Art Works was an upbeat and informative
two-day event: visitors and artists alike came away clutching something
–a piece of art, or a bit of money; a new friend, or an important
business contact; or simply the pleasure of a full belly after a long
day.
PACIFIC ART LEAGUE PLEASED WITH SVOS WEEKEND, MAY 1-2, 2004
SPECIAL REPORT BY THE LEAGUE
Seven artists participated in the
Open Studio at the Pacific Art League. Photographer Susan Prather spoke
for all the artists in noting that the venue looked “smashing,” the
combination of artists was really good, and the reaction to the art
very positive. Saturday’s show was attended
by at least 200, buoyed by Saturday morning’s May Day parade. Sunday’s
crowd was less impressive; diminished attendance had been expected due
to the scheduling of this venue on a different weekend from the rest of
the local artists. Helen Ju and Roland Ralston
participated in this year’s Open Studios for the first time. For
Ralston, who showed figurative works in pastel, this was the first time
he had ever hung his work in public. “Having five veteran artists to
work with in this Open Studio was a tremendous benefit,” he said. “I
had five mentors to help me and they’ve all been very supportive.” Ju, who presented small dog
sculptures in wire and paper mache, concurred, “It was very helpful to
see how the others handled themselves throughout the weekend.”
Gary Coleman displayed
abstracts, landscapes and figures in oil and pastel. He also offered
demonstrations of the monotype process, even taking a group of teens
into the art league’s print room to see the press. Also participating in the
show were Werner Glinka (assemblages); Steve Curl (watercolor) and Pete
Zivkov (photography). Executive Director Claudia Morgan was pleased
with the event. “Given our need to show on a non-Palo Alto weekend, the
turnout was very good, and sales seem to be on the rise. The Pacific
Art League is delighted to continue to be a part of Silicon Valley Open
Studios.”
Palo Alto Studios Bring Artists Together
By Patti Linder-Dodd
Tom Taylor is not only a smart businessman, but a true
friend to artists. He recognized that his vacant light industrial
buildings, unused in these hard economic times, might lend themselves
well to multiple-artist studios. From that vision, he developed The
Palo Alto Studios, offering affordable rents to artists. His once
uninhabited warehouse is now teeming with occupancy.
Located at 4030 Transport
Street in a small, quiet industrial neighborhood of Palo Alto, the old
warehouse now contains 14 sky-lit studios. Each studio is 500-square
feet, framed by high, clean white-walls. Each artist is busily moving
within, preparing for the Silicon Valley Open Studios (SVOS) tours,
that will be held there on May 8th-9th from 11a.m. to 5p.m..
Many of the artists are
veterans of Open Studios. However, at this fledgling 18-month location,
this will be the first year 14 artists will participate together. They
are; Terri Acebo, Tami Avery, Karen Frankel, Julie Nelson-Gal, Tom
Garrison, Cassandra Gay, Hedda Hope, Wendy Lowengrub, Doron Noyman,
Simone Raoux, Marie-Louise Rouff, Marie Koretz, Anne Russell and Robin
Welles. As visitors move about each
enclosed workshop to meet the artists, they will indulge their eyes to
a diverse range of mediums, including painting, woodworking,
photography, printmaking, sculpture and mixed-media. Each artist is
eager to communicate their objectives and discuss innovative approaches
to their skills.
One such artist, Hedda Hope,
worldly and well-educated in the field of art, started out as a
figurative artist. In her travels throughout the world, she found
something stirred inside her soul when in the presence of abstract
works of art. She is a quiet and gentle woman on the outside, but her
paintings seem to explode with the passion and energy she holds inside.
Warm, brightly-layered movement fills her canvases, telling a story of
imagined adventures through fields of abstract flower gardens. Every
once in awhile, a partial figure seems to linger among the swirls of
purple, yellow, orange and green, inviting the viewer to set their own
interpretation. Interpretation is what
Wendy Lowengrub does with the human body. Originally painting and
drawing only the literal figure, she now looks beyond the body to
discover fleshy hills and valleys, waterfalls and rivers of veins
hidden in the physical form that was once muscle, skin and bones. Wendy
uses paint, beeswax, charcoal, oil sticks, ink, dirt, rope, wood or
whatever is required to help her complete her compositional journey.
She welcomes and looks forward to viewers critiquing her new body of
work, which explores the abstract in the tangled web of veins and
nerves.
Julie Nelson-Gal's large
images of strangers line the bright white walls of her studio, but
somehow they feel like they could be all related. That's what Julie
intends. The relationship of humanity is very important in each piece
as she assembles the photos in neat rows bound together with bits of
paper, thread, fabric, glue and wax. Capturing the "fleeting moments in
life," as she puts it, is what attracts Julie to these strangers that
stare back at her from the past. Her new piece for the show is an
assemblage of reproduced old photos, lace and paper quilted together
with thread that honor the forgotten children who where once loved. She
keeps the images fragile and raw to remind us of how life and the past
is so easily discarded.
When you commission a work
of art from Tom Garrison, you can ensure that your loved ones won't be
forgotten. A contractor by day, Tom includes something unique to each
individual in his woodwork--their profile. His subtle imagery is lathed
into every bedpost, bookcase, table leg, and even in a simple
candlestick. Sure enough, hidden within the negative space of each
turned piece is the profile of someone near and dear. If a visit to
Tom's studio is on your list, don't forget to bring a few photos of
your family. There may be a bedpost in their future.
Though the future may bring
classes or the occasional unrelated art meeting or seminar to this
facility, these artists are dug-in for the long haul making this
artistic community a welcome change in the economic rollercoaster.
ALLIED ARTISTS WEST: PROFESSIONALS AND FRIENDS
By THERESE MAY
A lovely Saratoga garden setting at the home of host
Mary Ann Henderson will be the site for Allied Artists West, a group of
mostly water colorists and small number of oil and pastel painters.
Creating the feeling of a mini art fair, each artist will set up a
small tented area showing her work, inviting SVOS visitors to peruse
each display while sipping lemonade or white wine and eating cookies. A
small jazz ensemble comprised of husband and son of one of the members
will add music to the ambiance with Saxophone, keyboard and guitars.
The members of this group hope to attract viewers and collectors as
well as just get together and have a good time. They’ve been doing this
for five years and expect a good turn out with lots of sales, good
exposure for their work and a grand party.
Floy Zittin, president of
Allied Artists West, says the group was established twenty years ago
for professional artists who teach, exhibit and sell their work. They
meet once per month to have lunch to talk about and critique each
other's work. In addition to this, they go on plein air painting trips.
On a trip to Carmel last July, nine of the artists stayed at the
vacation home of one of the members. They had a slumber party with
sleeping bags, got up early and went out painting for the day. They are
good friends and have a lot of fun. This summer they will go to the
Russian River to paint. Professionally speaking,
the promotion of group shows is a function of the organization;
according to Floy, the group tries to have at least one exhibit per
year. They have exhibited at many venues in Northern California
including shows at the Tate Museum in Los Gatos and at the Triton
Museum in Santa Clara. To be included in the Allied Artists West group,
artists must be invited by one of the established members to submit
their work for consideration. If the work is well presented, and the
artist is successful in teaching or selling, then the new artist will
be sponsored for membership. As individual painters,
each of the members of Allied Artists West is skillful and adept in her
own way. Floy always liked to draw as a child, and her biology major in
college led her to begin a career as a biological illustrator. She
worked on college textbooks, including a field guide for the National
Museum of Natural Sciences of Canada. She also spent time doing
watercolor paintings of fish in British Columbia, where she enjoyed the
feedback of fishery biologists. Now, in Cupertino, she likes to go
hiking on trails with her husband and is inspired to paint animals and
birds in their natural surroundings. She says that her former job in
biology illustration still influences her work. Floy teaches watercolor
classes in Los Altos and Menlo Park. She has won numerous awards
locally, and her work can be seen at the Viewpoint Gallery in Los
Altos.
Kay Duffy, who has been
painting for over twenty-five years, does “wet and loose” watercolor
paintings. Her spontaneous style lends itself to the practice of going
out on location to paint in the “plein air” mode. She is a signature
member of the Society of Western Artists, as well as belonging to the
Santa Clara Valley Water Color Society and Allied Artists West. She is
president of the Hakone Foundation and teaches watercolor and collage
at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga where she also coordinates the art
program.
Jane McCullough, who is
nationally recognized with a signature membership in the National
Watercolor Society as well as membership in Watercolor West and
California Watercolor Society, exhibited one of her beautifully
detailed watercolor paintings in the Collection 2004 Live Auction on
April 22 at the San Jose Museum of Modern Art. Jane is well
accomplished with her paintings of people, flowers, fruit and scenic
views of nature and gardens. Works by Elaine Frenett, Floy Zittin and
Pat Suggs were featured in the Silent Auction that evening.
Other artists exhibiting
with Allied Artists West in SVOS on May 8th and 9th are watercolorists
Rosemarie Gorman, Oneida Hammond, Jane Hofstetter and Judy Welsh; and
oil painters Jean Kluga and Vivian Taggart. Artist member Millicent
Bishop has organized an art book sale for the SVOS event. One of the
member’s friends whose husband died of cancer gave the books as a gift.
Millie wanted to do something meaningful with the money from the sale
of the books, so she decided to donate the proceeds to Cancer Research.
Members of Allied Artists
West were recognized widely for their artwork and are often called upon
to jury art competitions, and to demonstrate their techniques to art
organizations. Their works are in many private and corporate
collections nationwide. This is a cooperative group of professional
artists who enjoy one another. This enthusiastic energy is sure to rub
off on anyone who visits their Saratoga garden SVOS art party May 8th
and 9th.
NATANSON-MARCUS STUDIO: A GARDEN SETTING
By Therese May
Denise Natanson-Marcus’s garden is rich with a variety
of plants and fragrant flowers. The Los Altos site will be the location
for SVOS on May 8th and 9th for a versatile group of artists gathering
with Denise to offer artwork to the public. Denise and one other artist
began exhibiting with SVOS six years ago. At that time only a few
people attended. The following year one of her neighbors, a watercolor
teacher, asked if her students could participate with her and they
found that many more viewers came because of the increased publicity.
Last year there were eight artists exhibiting in the front and back
gardens of the Natanson-Marcus Studio, with an even greater audience.
Natanson-MarcusDenise says that now during the application period of
SVOS she offers her space to artists who want to show their work with a
group.
Each artist in the group
this year is unique, so attendants will enjoy a new and diverse array
of media when entering the garden. Denise’s Natanson-Marcus’s
California landscape paintings begin with a trip to a natural setting,
like Rancho San Antonio, where she goes with a friend she refers to as
her “painting partner”. She sometimes paints “plein air,” and other
times takes a slide and then goes back to the studio and creates the
landscape on a large canvas.
The porcelain, stoneware
and raku ceramics of Randy Koster have attracted many art connoisseurs
to this venue for the last three years. Dewey Garrett, will be
appearing with his turned wood sculptures. Vivek Wig will show
photography and decorative tiles, while Eva Mora Szorc will share her
vibrant watercolor and acrylic paintings. Katherine Zander will enhance
the ambiance with her paintings, sculpture, prints and wearable art. s.
Denise believes original art is valuable because it holds the energy of
the artist, including all of the thought, care and time that was
invested in the piece. She says that does something special to the
feeling of a collector’s home.
Visitors are welcome to
browse and eat snacks provided by the artists at the mini art fair-like
occasion. According to Denise Natanson-Marcus, the artists want people
to get to know them and their work, and to make sales, of course. She
says that the neighbors have met many of the artists and have begun to
collect their art. It has become an affair to remember in the
neighborhood.
A chance to see how art is made: Demonstrations for May 8-9
By Kerri Lawnsby, Executive Director
Our artists are proud of their artwork--and they want
you to be excited about visual art as well! Many artists have
volunteered to show you how they do what they do---so look below for a
list of demonstrations taking place this coming weekend -- May 8-9 --
near you!
Cupertino
Los Altos
Los Gatos
Menlo Park
Monte Sereno
Mountain View
Palo Alto
Image Transfers onto Wood/Paper/Cloth with Linda Tapscott
Saturday at 2pm
772 Clara Drive, Palo Alto 94303
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Quick Portrait Sketching with Geri McGilvray
Saturday from 4-5pm
2533 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto 94301
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Collage Painting with Martha Castillo
Sunday at Noon and 2pm
772 Clara Drive, Palo Alto 94303
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Digital Scanning and Printmaking with JoAnne Beasley
Sunday from 1-2pm
125 Bryant Street, Palo Alto 94301
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Sunnyvale
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Weekend 1 Highlights
