Monday, December 31, 2018

Reminder! Call to Artists

Just a friendly reminder that the Theme Division Entries for Ironstone Vineyards Annual Spring Art Show are due Friday, January 4th. This show is juried, open to both Professional Artists and beginners. Winner of the THEME Division not only wins a $500 prize, but the image becomes the promotional poster for Ironstone’s award winning “Obsession” wine, gaining world wide acclaim for the winning artist.  So, get those entries in!

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Photo shoot



Photographer Scot Neiman here today taking some awesome photos of Ironstone's Heritage Museum and the Kautz Family.

Can't wait to see the final results. Promise to share as soon as they come back to us.


Thursday, December 6, 2018

Murphys Christmas Open House! UPDATE!

UPDATE!  So sorry I missed the first 5 minutes!  There were some awesome floats that you had to see, but, not here. Sorry!  What a fun night in Murphys!














Friday, Dec. 7th. Murphys celebrates the start of the Christmas season with a parade at 5:30 and shops open till 8:00 pm. Come by Ironstone for a warm up before 5:00 then get on downtown for all the fun! Carole’s, firepits & fun.


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Murphys townsfolk getting ready for the Friday festivities, decorating the town Christmas tree, donated by Ironstone Vineyards. Millier Winery generously donated the space for the tree this year right in their parking lot. Come on down and join the fun!


Monday, November 26, 2018

Crucibles or shot/wine glasses?

Ironstone's Heritage Museum has on display several crucibles that were recovered from the 5000 ft level of the Historic Argonaut Mine in Jackson, California. They spent the last 99 years as part of a private rock collection recently purchased by Ironstone owner, Mr. John Kautz.

The Argonaut Mine deposit was discovered in 1850, ultimately reaching a vertical depth of 5,570 feet via a 63 degree shaft.  The mine operated until 1942 producing more than $25 million in gold.  Unfortunately, it was also the site of the worst gold-mining disaster in the state's early history.  

Along with the nearby Kennedy Mine, it is registered as a California Historical Landmark #786.

Crucibles found at the 5000 ft level of the Argonaut Mine in Jackson, California

Now, back to crucibles... These crucibles are heat resistant containers used to smelt the gold recovered from the mine.  Smelting refers to melting then "burning off" the impurities that gold might be mixed with, resulting in nearly pure gold.

The crucibles you see here in the photo from the Argonaut Mine are in excellent condition with some amazing glaze patterns.

Here in the Museum, we were so taken by the forms and colors of the old crucibles that we decided to partner with our dear friend June Vaughn of Vaughn Pottery to come up with some fun ideas for you to enjoy.  
Our new shot glasses joining the historic Crucibles from the Argonaut Mine.

Shot Glasses?  Wine Cups? Saki Cups?  Whatever you choose!
They are now here and available for you just in time for the Holidays.  Vaughn Pottery created two styles influenced by the originals, in a variety of shapes and sizes.  All sell for $26.  We are excited about these fun ceramic glasses and hope you enjoy them as well.  

You may email cgomez@ironstonevineyards if you would like us to save you one before they are sold out! 


Wednesday, November 14, 2018


Maggie, our Museum gal at Ironstone is in a contest to be one of the “calendar girls” for Patelco's 2019 Pet Calendar.  Maggie so wants to be a Calendar Girl, and welcomes any votes she receives. Maggie will reward all her supporters with a full body tail wag the next time you see her at the Ironstone museum and jewelry store.  Just click on the link below to vote for Maggie.   Besides helping Maggie, every vote helps rescue animals in need.  Also, if Maggie wins, she will donate her prize to the Calaveras County Humane Society in their efforts to help pets in need.  You can vote once per day from each device you have.  So, vote early and vote often.  J








Saturday, November 10, 2018

CALL to Artists * Entry forms now available

Entry forms for Ironstone's 22nd annual Spring Obsession Art Show are now available.  You may download from this site, email cgomez@ironstonevineyards or come in to Ironstone Heritage Museum or Tasting Room and pick one up.

Theme Division entries are due Friday, January 4th, 2019. OPEN Division entries are due Saturday, January 26, 2019.

Details are included with the entry forms, however,
should you have any questions, please feel free to email cgomez@ironstonevineyards.


Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Vaughn Pottery New Arrivals

#347  $350 front
#347  $350 back view




Like Christmas morning, we were ripping the paper off the boxes revealing treasures beyond our expectations.  These new designs are breathtaking.  The intricate carvings into the new clays speak volumes of the creativity and imagination of June Vaughn.  With a new color palate in this first vase, Vaughn Pottery has opened a new phase of design.  Too difficult to describe here, a visit is a must. 
#349  $400

Seen above is a new shape which we are very excited about.  In natural colors the carved footed vase features a lidded top. 



#348   $325
This subtle beauty is inlay-ed with jasper and fossils, highlighted with intricate carvings in an almost mystical design.
Below are featured two of the new signed wearable art pieces.  All include adjustable necklaces. 


#3414  $160
#342  $140


Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Woodies Wonder Gold Discovery

Ironstone Vineyards is proud to have on display a very special Gold Nugget recently discovered in Woods Creek, not far from the little town of Columbia, just on the other side of the river from us. 




Woodies Wonder as it is now called, lay hidden away under boulders for millennium till reportedly discovered by an amateur gold prospector in 2016. Taking his find to owner of Gold Prospecting Adventure in Jamestown, a video was made while all were still in shock over this amazing find. You can see the video here if you'd like  ...  Woodies Wonder discovered





The Union Democrat wrote an article shortly after that about the find that soon went viral.  Here is their link. 

Union Democrate Article

This past year, the Kautz Family purchased this nugget which was reported as weighing 16 oz.  The actual gold weight is 11.2 troy ounces after it was assayed.

Woodies Wonder now joins the 44 pound Crystalline Gold Leaf Specimen found in 1992 by the Sonora Mine at their Jamestown site. 

In addition to these spectacular pieces of Gold, the Museum also features a wonderful collection of fossilized wood and other rocks & minerals.  There is no charge to visit, so do come by and take a look. 

Monday, October 22, 2018

Holiday Spirit kickoff with Dennis McNeil

There are any number of ways to get into the Holiday Spirit this season, decorating and baking top most of my friends lists.  Ironstone is offering another fun prospect with a dinner show featuring musician Dennis McNeil with guest Teri Bibb.





If you haven't heard Dennis's spectacular voice before, Ironstone's Heritage Museum does have his CD, "About Time" available for sale now.


You may also learn more about Dennis from his website  http://dennismcneil.com.

Teri Bibb comes to Ironstone as an acclaimed Broadway star performing in well over 1000 productions.  She also played Christine in Broadway's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

If you haven't made your reservations, take a chance and have some fun.  You won't regret this musical evening with the family.


Tuesday, October 16, 2018

The Phantom of the Opera and PUMPKINS!


It is time again for a great evening with our favorite Dave Moreno on the Historic Alhambra Pipe Organ and The Phantom of the Opera.  Opera Singer Linda Small preforms live at all those parts of the Movie featuring the leading lady singing.  If you haven't participated in this event before, I highly recommend you give it a try. You won't be disappointed. Especially inspiring for the Halloween Season upon us!

Now, the MOST fun part of this evening is, you, the attendees, have the great pleasure of selecting your favorite decorated PUMPKIN!

Ironstone Vineyard's Staff decorate a pumpkin from each department for you to select a winner.  Below are a few from last years entries.  Come see what surprises are instore this year!







Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Vaughn Pottery New Arrivals

We are so excited to present Vaughn Pottery recent arrivals.  June has outdone herself with a new line of stunning wearable art pieces.  So difficult to describe, so we have attached a little video for you to enjoy of her work.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Meet Artist John Malley, Spring Obsession Artist


John Malley, painter



O-013  Desert Landscape_  by _ John Malle wc 9x12  $125

O-014 Guardian Of The Moors_ by _ John Malleywc  11x15  $175

O-016  Canyons_ by _ John Malley wc 11x15  $175




Decades of long haul truck driving through the deserts, forests, and mountains of the western United States does something to a person. In John Malley’s case, it made him want to paint.



“Whatever we do, we should try to give hope and understanding to someone else. That’s what I want to do with painting. Just give someone a chance to stop in their busy life and see the natural world. Even for just a minute, I want them to feel the beauty of God’s world and help them feel understood somehow.” - John Malley



John Malley is a husband, father and cookie-pushing grandfather who has spent his entire life in California. He grew up in 1950s Modjeska Canyon, on the western slope of the Santa Ana Mountains. After a childhood spent getting into mischief in the great outdoors, his career as a truck driver showed him the world through the large picture window of his truck's windshield.



Sweeping views of western landscapes became more intimate as the artist continued his outdoor childhood adventures by taking his wife and two daughters fishing, hiking, camping, snorkeling and dirt biking. Whether from the cab of his truck or the trails of his hikes, John Malley began to connect the colors around him to very specific emotions. In 2016 after he retired, his wife, Lynne Malley, suggested he attend painting classes in Lodi, California. Even though it was likely a bid to get him out of the house, it finally let the artist translate the emotions into color and form and try to reach out to others through his work.



The browns and oranges of his desert landscapes translate into comfort and soothing stability for the artist, while the greens and blues of forests and waters show how life keeps going, healing and progressing. The artist loves starting a blank canvas with a sketch and then layering on and amplifying emotion with color. He hopes his paintings help others feel more connected, understood and at peace.


Saturday, April 28, 2018

Meet Artist Judy Morgan, Spring Obsession artist

Judy Morgan Watercolors
P.O. Box 1388
Valley Springs, CA 95252
Jmorgan_1@comcast.net
 

O-099  Anasazi Dwelling by Judy Morgan wc 24x30 $450


Judy Morgan is an accomplished watercolor painter and has paintings in collections throughout the United States.  Born in Indiana, she grew up and was educated in Southern California and now lives in Calaveras County.  She was a longtime resident of San Diego County where she was an active member of the San Diego Watercolor Society.  Over the years, Judy was fortunate to have been able to study with many well known watercolorists such as Rex Brandt, Edgar Whitney, Gerald Brommer and Cheng Khee Chee.  She works mainly in transparent watercolor on paper or canvas but also sometimes incorporates collage, ink or acrylic in her paintings.  She finds watercolor fascinating and enjoys putting what she sees in nature onto paper.  She is equally adept painting on location or in her studio where she works from photos and sketches.  She has won many awards in the Calaveras County Fair and her paintings  can be seen at Art on Main in Murphys, CA, the Arts Council in San Andreas, CA and the two summer shows put on by The Arts of Bear Valley.


Meet Artist Jan Freischlag, Spring Obsession Artist


Jan Freischlag




I began my fascination with art in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1989, where I learned a type of German folk art painting called Bauernmalerei. After five years in Germany, I returned to the U.S. with my husband and began to broaden my painting skills. We moved to ​Lake Tahoe, CA, where I was fortunate enough to befriend Lola Owen, my mentor and owner of Lakeside Gallery. While working with Lola Owen, I became more accomplished, and began painting in oils as well as most painting mediums such as water color, acrylic, and gouache . I began to get commissions for pet portraits and various other subjects which are wide in range. My husband and I now reside in Ione, California, at Lake Camanche, with a parrot and four cats. I have a very productive garden, am an orchid enthusiast, gourmet cook and paint whenever possible

Meet Artist Effie Komure, Spring Obsession Artist


“It’s Never Too Late”                                                                     Artist Effie Komure



Yes, it’s never too late is a phrase that Effie firmly believes.

Effie’s life starts at a concentration camp in Rohwer, Arkansas.  She was born on January 29, 1944.  Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor and World War II was declared by the U.S.
O-023 Fantancy forest by Effiedean Komure wc 18x12 $350

The United States of America incarcerated every man, women, and child who were of Japanese ancestors on the west coast.  Effie’s first year of life was in a small single walled barracks that was very cold in the winter with snow and very hot and humid in the summer.
O-024 Sunset of 2017 by Effiedean Komure wc 21x14.5 $400
  After the war had ended Effie’s family moved back to Lodi, California.  Her father farmed grapes before the war and lost everything.

He returned to start all over.  He was able to purchase 60 acres of grapes with the help of the entire family.  The vineyard is still in existence today.



Effie’s first art contest that Effie won was at Bruella Elementary School.  The teacher gave her first place from a drawing of Father Serra, who started a missionary in California.  The teacher showed the entire school the painting.  It was published on the front page of the school news paper.  This is when Effie decided to emphasize Art as a major in college.

O-025 Sandhill Cranes by Effiedean Komure wc 11x14 $250


Effie attended Sacramento State College and majored in art and education.  She taught secondary education in Sacramento for twenty-five years and the last fifth teen years she was a counselor in High school.  After retiring from education, raising a family, finally Effie started painting in watercolors.

Every Thursday she paints for Three hours in the same location where she attended high school called Hutchins Square.  With the help of art instructors Clare Oak, Jean Janssen, and Andrea Morris, Effie is given a chance to fulfill her desire to become a watercolor artist.

Recently, Effie took second place in the Lodi Grape Festival Art Show.  This was the won twice and she has ribbons from other local art shows. 

Last year she was accepted to show in the Sand Hill Crane Art Show.  She was able to sell several paintings in the last several years.  One of her painting hangs at her church.

Yes, It is never too late.  She just became seventy-four years old and finally in the Ironstone Spring Art Show. 


Meet Artist Angela Harmon, Spring Obsession Artist


O-091 Yesterdays Paris  by Angela Harmon mm 9x12 $150

Angela Harmon is a 1999 transplant from the Bay Area.  She and her husband Don have been transforming their property on historic Main Street in Douglas Flat including an art studio with origins from an 1850’s cabin, orchard trees and gardens of inspiration and joy.  Angela’s art studio was the original home on the property. 
O-090 Pathway to the Blackberries  by Angela Harmon wc 12x16 $225


Recently retired, Angela is now enjoying a renewed avocation in floral art designs.  Drawing upon her experience and design concepts from competitive flower show arrangements and flower creations for weddings, Angela is creating floral arts in oil, watercolor and mixed collage mediums.  She also creates dried floral wreaths, which she has done for over 15 years, utilizing flowers and ornamental herbs she grows in her garden.  She has exhibited her paintings at the Ironstone Spring Obsession show and gallery shows of the Calaveras County Arts Council.  She is a member of the Arts Council and has participated in their open studio tours.

Although primarily self-taught and continually learning from published artists via books and DVD tutorials, Angela has been fortunate to learn fundamental design and value techniques from local fine artist Judie Cain.  Participating in oil painting workshops given by renowned artist Janette Jones, Angela was encouraged to pursue her passion for flowers in new creative artistic mediums.  Her abundant floral gardens are a continual source of inspiration in creating designs of bright color and detail. 

Meet Artist Andrea Morris, Spring Obsession Artist


O-075 A Bygone Eraby Andrea Morris  acrylic  18x24 $1475

Andrea Morris was born in Karlsrhue Germany and spent much of her younger years in Montana and Arizona.  She was exposed to art from an early age as her Mother was an artist and taught painting classes in their home.
She developed a love of wildlife and people and spent much of her time drawing and using pen and ink to capture her subject. It was not until the 1970’s that she started to explore working with color in watercolor.  Working in a local watercolor gallery in Tucson, Arizona she learned about building up her paintings through layers of transparent color.

O-076 The Travelers by Andrea Morris  acrylic  20x20 $1225
She experimented in working in oils and acrylics and immediately fell in love with the mediums and has worked almost exclusively in these two.  A new passion for mixed media has begun to be represented in her recent works.
Her main focus of subject still remains wildlife and people and she has been working towards representing her subjects in a colorful and expressive style.
Being self taught she has learned most about her art by painting, experimenting and studying other works of art.  She has made a living painting, teaching and competing in art shows and has garnered many awards including best of show.
She presently resides in Lodi California and teaches classes in her small studio. She continues to paint and show her work in the surrounding areas art venues.

 
O-074 Sixties Monets Garden by Andrea Morris  acrylic  18x24 $1475


Meet Artist Vickie Chew


VICKIE CHEW ART

                 WWW.VICKIECHEW.COM


Vickie has lived all of her adult life in Calaveras County in the mid northern Sierra's and Foothills. She has a BA in Business Administration and has been studying art for the last nineteen years. Vickie is a juried member of OPA, Oil Painters of America, CAC, California Art Club, Calaveras Arts Council and Arts of Bear Valley. She has won many awards in professional art shows and she works continuously to broaden her painting knowledge by attending master workshops and seeking inspiration from her favorite mentors. She additionally has pursued art course work through local colleges.



Vickie’s oil painting shown here at Ironstone were completed in studio and although she completes many of her works in Plein Air. She accepts commissioned work in studio and murals, contact her today at 209-743-4126.
O-110 Glass Beach by Vickie Chew oil 10x14 $400