Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Victoria Fout

 Victoria Fout

O-052 Wishing-Away-by Victoria fout acrylic 11x14 $375.

 Life can be very hard, so I try to add a splash of color and whimsy by imagining my own fantastical worlds and beings, exploring the duality between fantasy and reality, light and darkness, life and death, expressing emotion, and reimagining nature. I create fantastical creatures and surreal landscapes using acrylic on canvas as my main choice of medium. I love a colorful palette, and creating different textures. I love to manipulate the paint by using acrylic mediums such as clear tar gel, glass bead medium and molding paste to push the boundaries adding 3-dimensional elements to elevate the painting experience to bring my fantastical worlds even more to life. 

O-053 Blossoming -by Victoria Fout mm 10x10 $275.

 I grew up in Angels Camp, California. I found my love for art at Columbia Community college during the most difficult time in my personal life. Art became a life-raft; I found comfort, escape, therapy, and a creative outlet. Art allows me to express myself. I am a local artist with a fresh and unique colorful perspective. I earned my BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2016. My artwork has been shown at the Calaveras County Arts Council, Ironstone Vineyards, Crafty Chicks Road Show, Manzanita Arts Emporium, The Calaveras Celtic Heritage Celebration, All Hallows Fantasy Faire, Stocktoncon and at the Calaveras County Fair. I also serve as a Board member for the Calaveras Arts Council.

 Lost within my own darkness I find the colors of expression and joy when I paint, adding fantasy to reality. My art is an invitation into my world, welcome

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Evelyn Fitzgerald

 My name is Evelyn Fitzgerald. I became and artist in high school in 1972. I finished my BFA with a #D emphasis from Weber State College, Utah in 2011. Since graduating I have been developing my style and medium in clay and tile. We moved from Utah and settled in Valley Spring in 2018. I have been showing my art at local venues, Lodi Street fair, Arnold and Frog Jump in Angels Camp.

O-007 Freedom Eagle by Evelyn Fitzgerald ceramic 24x20 $700

My art is how I see and engage with places, seasons and nature, not just visually but with texture and color. I develop my designs on paper, I transfer the design to a slab of wet clay mapping out the individual pieces. I then carve to relief or build up the design to the texture that fits my project. I use mason stain for the color applying it in layers until the picture comes alive. My process includes anywhere from three to five kiln firings depending on the complexity of the piece. I finish with a gloss glaze for a deeper richer color. After the last firing, I mount and grout the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle to a tile board, and then it gets framed.

O-008 America's Beauty by Evelyn Fitzgerald ceramic 19x25 $1500

I pick the subjects for my designs from personal experiences, by subject such as school houses or seasons of the year, patriotic or nature at its best. I have been working on this technique for quite some time and I am now happy with my finished works, but I still strive to improve the controls that are required for this art form.

O-009 Alaska's Eagle by Evelyn Fitzgerald ceramic 20x16 $500

My pieces range from 10" x 15" to 18" x 24". the frames are all hand made by my husband, Dave Fitzgerald. I also do figurines, and custom orders and commissioned work.

Evelyn Fitzgerald

Evelyn.Fitzgerald.56

801-628-8876 or 209-920-3457

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Susan Farley

 SUSAN FARLEY        GLASS ARTIST

O-057 The Rose by Susan Farley fused glass 20x20 $300

Susan Farley spent her first years in Walnut Creek and then moved with her fami8ly to Sacramento, where she completed her B.A. and obtained her teaching credential. She began her teaching career of 37 years in Manteca, residing in Stockton with her husband and two sons. She then returned to University California State Sacramento to complete a Masters in Gifted Education and Technology.

She is an avid environmental enthusiast, having donated countless hours of volunteer work in leadership and training for the Sierra Club. She loves the Sierra Nevada Mountains, having gained an  appreciation and reverence of the outdoors from her early experiences with her family, and continues to ski, fish, camp, and hike.

In 2007 she took a glass bead making class and enjoyed the process. However - it would take her 6 attempts to make a symmetrical pair of beads for earrings! Shortly before retiring, she purchased a "well-loved" kiln, and began making fused glass jewelry, It was not too long before she made the leap into other glass forms, from functional pieces such as votives, bowls and platters, to sculptural art pieces. She enjoys this glass art form and all that it allows: the textures, the colors, the shaping, blending, and melting - all allowing for limitless creative expressions.

"It's like Christmas morning when I go out to my cooled kiln to open it and see how my glass came out!"

Susan also enjoys taking photographs, and is often finding ideas for her glass creations from her travels throughout the world, while hiking in the mountains, and in her own backyard. She admits she has not "found her voice", as she is still in awe of what she can attempt to create from what she sees in the world.

Susan has taken a few classes to increase her glass knowledge and skills, and has a mentor friend who is a great resource for her. She has recently wone awards at juried art shows. But as she says: "I have a long way to go - I've just begun my discovery of what is possible in the glass world."

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Steve Ellenburg

 

Steve Ellenburg Art

Wine is the answer, what was the question?  

WWW.SteveEllenburg.com

WWW.Winepainter.com

 

My art is of simplistic forms from the heart focusing on wine, people, and situations.  While I try to present a realistic image, the goal isn’t to draw a photo realistic picture. My goal is to represent the images as I see them.  Maybe even develop a desire to be there.  Most of my work is stand alone but I have several pieces that present a story in several panels.  I try to create a sense of familiarity or desired state of mind or place.

O-005 Keith by Steve Ellenburg acr 16x20 $650

 My journey is a simple one. I doodled a bunch in a younger day then moved to pencil sketching.  I was challenged to chase my enthusiasm.  So, the adventure began…  I started taking workshops and reading books, and the occasional JC course.

O-006 Marilyn by Steve Ellenburg acr 18x36 $1300

 

I started collecting and following what turned out to be my lifetime influences.   MC Escher, Fabian Perez, Maxfield Parrish, JD Hillberry, Aldo Luongo, and Henry Asencio have all contributed to my journey. They say you should paint what you love.  People might not appreciate paintings of my wife and dog but wine, celebrities, personal portraits, and the female form all have their passionate creative expressions that compel me to paint as well.  You can also drive downtown, Placerville CA, and see outdoor mural on the historic Placerville Hardware store.

 

My work is acrylic on canvas and board.  I sell prints for the budget minded.

 

Contact Information

Personal Art Site   https://sellenburg.com/  

 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sellenburg/ 

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/steve.ellenburg.art/

Email: Steve@Sellenburg.com

Phone: 925-818-4282

 Thanks for reading!

 

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist George Dillon

 Studio:  2857 Oak Court, Valley Springs, CA 95252

                      

Email:     george.dillon1@comcast.net

Phone:  (209) 772-2892

Cell:       (209) 608-0859

GEORGE DILLON

 

George has had an interest and a connection to art all his life but only in the last twenty years has been able to dedicate his full time to its pursuit.

 

His teachers include nationally renowned landscape artist Charles White, watercolorists Penny Soto and Joan Dougherty, Judie Cain, a frequent contributor to Artist Magazine and portraitist Gary Bergren.  Ben Kikuyama, an internationally known featured artist at the Lahaina Galleries in Maui has been his mentor in the field of mixed media and three-dimensional art.

 

O-010 Lodi by George Dillon acrylic 30x24 $350

George’s style is most often surreal or modern and has been influenced by Picasso, Matisse and Georges Braque as well as his first encounters with African Art and travel.  His imagination and whimsy have all been inspiration to him and have encouraged his experimentation with color, theme and materials.  His 3-dimensional art, which recently was the subject of his presentation to the Lodi Council of Arts, is typically built from canvas or paper and then layered upon each other to form his interpretations of the subject.  He takes a more conventional approach to more traditional themes.

 

O-011 The-Three-Faces-of-Eve- by George Dillon acrylic 24x30 $350

George’s art is typically both bold and colorful and challenges his viewers’ sensibilities with sometimes humorous and sometimes penetrating looks at culture and its surroundings.  Further adding to his art are his pithy titles that often reflect both innuendo and a healthy splash of irony. 

 

When asked what type of art he creates, Dillon responds, “It is hard to categorize, but I am known for color.  I want each observer to have an emotional response of some type to my paintings.  The vivid use of color causes a reaction as we tend to be internally stirred by the spectrum before us.  I can describe what a painting means to me, but I hope the viewer comes up with a meaning that conjures up his or her own inner feelings.”  

 

Dillon always starts a painting with the idea of where he wants to go but reflects that sometimes the creative process takes over and the finished product is something he never dreamed of.  He gets a great feeling looking at a painting and having no idea how he did it but great satisfaction in the accomplishment.  He offers a tip for viewers.  “Often my titles help to discover what the art piece is trying to convey”.  Many of his titles will challenge the observer to examine their own awareness.

Currently George is a member of the Calaveras County Arts Council, the Amador County Artists Association and the Lodi Council of Arts.  His works have been on display in several venues in the Bay Area, Sacramento and currently in the California foothills as well as the Lodi Community Art Center.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Judy Day

 Judy Day Bio:

T-005 Thru the mist by Judy Day we 16x20 $250

I have a graphic design background and taught middle school for over 25 years. I've worked in all media including animation, sculpture and photography, but watercolor is my passion. I like the way the pigments mix on the paper and flow from the tip of the brush, I can play for hours with paper, paint and water. Add some salt and a spray bottle and I'm set for a day or two.

O-016 That Warm Feeling by Judy Day we 16x20 $250

I love learning new techniques and using new colors and combination of colors. I paint every day from only a few minutes to 8 hours or more, I simply love to paint.

O-017 Stop and small the flowers by Judy Day we 19x21 $300

I am inspired by, hum ... almost anything at one time or another. Landscapes or seascapes, anywhere in the world, Norway, Brazil, Italy, Greece, or around the corner on China Graveyard or up on Electra Road. I see a combination of colors, shapes or textures and they reach out and grab me. Sometimes animals do, like the elephants in Shi Lanka, or the Koala in Australia, portraits of my grandchildren are always fun. Flowers in my yard or in a vase on my table, like I said almost anything.

O-018 The Lake by Judy Day we 16x20 $250

Playing with paint or drawing becomes a push or pull between the process of painting and drawing and the product you can produce. Do I just sit and play or do I want to work on a piece of art to hang in the gallery? Sometimes I am having so much fun playing I am surprised a "Painting" is the result.

O-019 Rough Day by Judy Day we 16x16 $174

I like painting on 300 LB Arches cold pressed paper with Daniel Smith watercolors.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Connie Carson-Romano

 

Artist Connie Carson-Romano

          

It’s fun to look at art and try to imagine what the artist was seeing and how it was interpreted by his or her vision.   So much emotion can be transferred by a painting. And the varied interpretation of the same subject matter is almost miraculous.  It is also interesting to follow the history of painters as they age and evolve into specific styles and genres. 

O-020 African Violets by Connie Romano oil 16x17 $450

Being raised in the 60 and 70s gave my first paintings a surrealistic feel with imagined subjects.  But growing up in New Mexico gave me wonderful landscapes and colors to work with which focused my attention and evolved my paintings into landscapes and scenery; the abstract colors created by nature didn’t need much interpretation.  I found myself drawn to landscapes for a long time as a way of celebrating places I had been and scenery I was captured by.

O-021 a rose by Connie Romano oil 28x22 $525

 

I had a short period where I was attracted to still-life’s but that didn’t last long. Plants and flowers began to fascinate me when I found the Spring Obsession Art Show at Ironstone.  Painting daffodils in different ways turned into an Obsession with all types of flowers and the shadows and light reflections they produce.  Sometimes the emotional aspects of the flowers create more of an abstract feel which I find fascinating. 

O-022 The Iris by Connie Romano oil 16x18 $474

I have always painted primarily for myself but enjoy sharing my view of the world just as I enjoy looking into the vision of life experienced by others.   

 

O-023 Feeding Goldfish by Connie Romano oil 28x22 $510

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Sandra Campbell

 SANDRA CAMPBELL - ARTIST STATEMENT

T-006 Yellow Trumpets by Sandra Campbell mm 20x8 $175.00

I love color and experimentation which is why collage appeals to me. The medium allows me to try new ideas, techniques and papers and affix them to a variety of surfaces. Most collages are abstract or impressionistic while my pastel art tends to be realistic. However, I enjoy punching up the pastel colors.

O-024 Along Ridge Road by Sandra Campbell pastel 10x16 $325

When creating a new collage, I may use watercolo9r, ink or acrylics, in addition to paper, turning it into a mixed media piece. Some artworks are affixed to watercolor paper, while others use surfaces such as matboard, canvas or wooden panels, or cradled canvases. Many collage pieces are fabricated from rice or similar type papers, which come in a variety of textures. Some I hand paint to achieve just the right color combinati8ons. Other pieces utilize papers out of discarded books or magazines and even maps and atlas pages.

O-025 Bird in Bamboo by Sandra Campbell MM 11x8 $300

After retiring from teaching, I took classes in various media. I gravitated to soft pastels and studied for three years with master pastelist Thelma Davis. Many of these pastel artworks, especially landscapes, are based on my own photographs or working plein air with fellow artists in a group that meets twice monthly for critique and support. Besides landscapes, my my subjects include florals, still life and animals, all on sanded papers that accept multiple layers of color.

O-026 Magnolia by Sandra Campbell collage 11x14 $325

My pastels and collages are displayed not only at Sutter Creek Gallery but other local spots as well. These include the Amador County Fair, local venues through Art in Public Places, sponsored by the Amador County Artists Association, and regional art shows. Currently I am teaching a monthly beginning class in co9llage for adults at the Amador Senior Center. Memberships in the ACAA and the local Arts Council provide collegial support as does my informal art group. Some of my work can be viewed on my website at www.sandracampbellart.com and the gallery's website www.suttercreekgallery.

Meet 2023 Spring Artist Judie Cain

 JUDIE CAIN

A Colorist's Impression from life

O-061 Pastoral by Judie Cain oil 20x20 $800

Oil Painter and instructor

A native of Burlingame, CA, Judie studied at California College of Arts after high school. Family responsibilities behind her, and taking early retirement from the business world, Cain returned to painting by attending college, numerous workshops and taking private lessons.

Painting from life as much as possible, or from her own reference photos, Ms. Cain strives to capture the light and mood of the moment using brush and/or palette knife. "My wish is for my paintings to capture the light and life of the moment in an uplifting or inspiring way. The fleeting moments of light on a magnificent natural vista or on the petal of a rose; a simple smile, the still reflection on a pond. The joy of life".

O-062 Inspired by Susan by Judie Cain oil 36x24 $1200

She has taught her workshops, "Basic Nuts & Bolts of Oil Painting" and "Color Demystified" in the western states as well as other local venues,. She currently teaches adult summer classes and private lessons covering painting fundamentals and colo9r. Primarily and oil painter, Judie has begun also to use gouache, and opaque watercolor.

An award winning artist, Ms. Cain has been represented in galleries in Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and California, including Murphys, Sonora, Copperopolis and Carmel.  She has several works in print, Giclee and on home products and is collected world wide.

Judie lives in Murphys, CA where she has a working studio, "The Art Studio", which is open by appointment, classes and special events.

For information about her paintings, gallery representation, classes, please go to www.cainart.com or call 209 559-3345 cell. Email: cainart@goldurhs.com

Meet 2023 Spring Artist Ron Butler

 Bio for Ron Butler

O-013 Born an American by Ron Butler oil 12x16 $10000

Ron Butler enjoys the outdoors, cold weather and Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel. He currently resides in Lodi, CA and is always ready for a day trip to Murphys.

Ron enjoys dabbling with multiple mediums in oils, water colors, acrylics, and pencil and shade. He uses palette knife and brush. Ron has an eye for watching colors flow through art to invoke peace and calm in nature.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Denine Bennett

 We can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers

Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember ... My Great Grandmother, Grandma Esther, encouraged us to make marks on her canvases when we were young and she would, in turn, paint beautiful flowers on the other side. I have those paintings hanging in my house now as a reminder to keep creativity close, and make those marks!!

T-013 You Can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers by Denine Bennett wc 11x15 $300

I am also drawn to nature and what we can learn from it. As Lao Tzu says, "Nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished."  In a society of "Go! Go! Go!" I have been more deliberat3e with how I choose to spend my time. The hustle and bustle might be fun for a bit, but it is NOT sustainable. Rest, relaxation and nourishment have become an important part of my weeks and I have noticed the benefits in many ways, People tell me "you are so positive, how do you do it?"  or they come to me for a good squeeze. Often I find myself in amazing conversations because I was not rushing off to the next thing I had to do. Presence in the moment, gratitude, and love are my guides now.

We Can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers is a step into being more deliberate with my own art. As an art teacher, I create for others ALL THE TIME. Finding my own art again has been a huge blessing and it reminds me that it is within the process that is my happy place. I am at peace in my process. Ti9me fades away. And in the end, whether it is complete or not, I feel loved, I feel seen, and I look forward to my next creative session.

Thank you for engaging with my mark! Have a fantabulous day!

Denine "Superfly" Bennett

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Margarita Anderson

O-027 By The Sea Again by Margarita Anderson acrylic 12x16 $325

 I am a Tracy, CA artist, motivated by the natural beauty of California and influenced by both French and California Impressionism. 

O-028 Mendocino Rocks by Margarita Anderson acrylic 8x10 $150 (2)

I paint in acrylic both outdoors and in the studio. I have been a member of the Tracy art community for nine years and am currently on both the Tracy Art Commission and the board of the Tracy Art League.  

O-029 Mendocino Gloria by Margarita Anderson acrylic 11x14 $275

 Please visit my website to view more of my artwork at margaritaandersonart.com You can follow me on Instagram at margaritaandersonfineart You also can find my work online at The Grand Galleries in Tracy And In the New Dawn online exhibit published by the Livermore Art Associatio

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Phyllis Berger

 

ARTIST STATEMENT

 

PHYLLIS BERGER

 

Entries:  Proud Parents

             Just For You

 

T-026 Proud Parents by Phyllis  Berger watercolor 14x18 $150

 

I spent my early childhood in Stockton, later young years on a ranch outside of Clements.  Now I live back in Stockton but consider myself a country person.  I have always loved Calaveras County and feel lucky to have a home here now.  I am married, with an extended blended family.  My son and his family live in Arnold, which greatly enhances my affection for this area.  Spring is my favorite time to be in Murphys, green hills, flowing creeks, and snow just a short drive up the hill.   I appreciate Ironstone and other resources in Calaveras County for promoting the arts.  

T-027 Just for You by Phyllis  Berger watercolor 20x16 $200

                                                         

            I am an attorney and law professor, and recently retired from active practice and teaching.  My work, family and community activities have kept me very busy over the course of my career, but retirement gave me the time to begin painting.  I took classes and met many wonderful friends in the local art world.  I occasionally work in oils but prefer the informality and surprises of watercolor.   I especially enjoy rural subjects.  Painting every day during the Covid lockdown year kept me occupied with a productive activity and gave me the goal of creating something every day, a motivating life enhancement.