Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Lisa Livingston

 LISA LIVINGSTON: ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Lisa Livingston is an artist from California's Central Valley, an area distinguished by beautiful gardens, abundant farmlands and flourishing orchards which have deeply influenced her work. An avid gardener, her paintings are often inspired by bountiful flowers, trees and colors found in nature throughout the year.

T-016 Pink Charms by Lisa Livingston acrylic 8x10 $300

The art she creates features complex patterns of shape and color presenting a unique vision of the natural world. Her acrylic, watercolor and mixed media paintings portray flowers, landscapes and abstract nature forms that reflect the temporal beauty of the seasons and cycles of nature. She often captures a poetic, transcendent quality in her subjects.

T-017 Trumpets of Spring by Lisa Livingston acrylic 8x10 $350

Lisa's work has been shown in exhibitions at Filoli, the Carnegie Art Center, and Ironstone Vineyards among other regional venues and is included in private collections.

A Former Art History instructor at both Modesto Junior College and CSU Stanislaus, she now devotes her time to research, painting, photography, and other creative endeavors.

A portfolio of current work is available at www.lisalivingstonart.com

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Stacy Lindsey

 

O-071 Falling by Stacy Lindsey oil 14x11 $200

Stacy Lindsey is a visual artist that works with collage, acrylics, oils and anything else she can get her hands on. Her work often reflects deep feelings that she’s unable to explain until the work is complete. She uses composition, poses, bold colors and subtle iconography to convey meaning. The piece submitted to this show was created in remembrance of the Atlanta spa shootings in 2021.

When she’s not using art to process her emotions, she’s using it to experiment with materials and colors. Learning new skills is half the fun. She strives to use recycled materials whenever possible. Her closet is filled with old books, magazines, broken jewelry and vintage frames.

Stacy is an early childhood educator and teaches art classes through Tuolumne County Arts and at local schools. She aims to use her skills as an artist and teacher to create connections and build communities. In a world where we are all separated and living individualistic lives, she believes that creativity can bring people together.

Stacy grew up in Tuolumne County and attended Columbia Community College. She graduated with an A.S. in Early Childhood Education and hopes to someday be a therapist where her skills can be put to even greater use.  She lives in Columbia with her two preteen sons, cat and copious house plants.

 

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Vaughn Lew

T-004 Gnomes hideaway by W. Lew oil 20x34 $600

 W Vaughn Lew

Artist

  I'm originally from Eastern Oregon.  My family moved to Lodi in 1961 where

I attended Lodi High School, graduating in 1964.

  I then enrolled at Sacramento State College, where I was a Commercial Art

major.  De Witt Whistler Jayne was my main influence.  He was a renowned

commercial artist, illustrator, and portrait painter with a gift for teaching and an

eye for perfection.  "Mr. Lew", he would say, "so much for a nice beginning,

but let's have a finish."  I've been striving for that quality ever since.

  Another instructor that had a very positive effect on me was Dr. Tarmo Pasto,

an eccentric art psychologist and art instructor who taught the "Space Frame

Concept",  It was all about space and form.

O-012 Lookout by Vaugn Lew pastel 15x19 $950

  After graduating from SSC and getting a teaching credential I was fortunate

to get an art teaching job at Elk Grove High School.  I taught there for several

years, but had an itch to get into construction.  That is where I've been until five

years ago, when my wife Glenda, and daughter Melissa, and I moved to Murphys.

  One thing that is certain is that art requires a commitment.  I feel that I now 

have the time and space to finally concentrate on my painting.  Although I have

been producing some art over the years, it is only now that I can continue to

the next piece without an extended time period between.  Landscapes, townscapes,

wildlife, and portraits all interest me.  My goal is to create images that bring the

viewers into a space that takes them away, and gives them pause to reflect.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Karen (Kara) Lemens

 

Karen (Kara) Lemens

O-048 Strawberries-and-Cream by Kara Lemens-$550-oil 9x12

Kara paints life and light in a realistically impressionistic style in oils. She enjoys capturing a variety of subjects—whatever the light makes beautiful or interesting. She tries to convey the impression the subject made on her, using the language of oil paint. She finds that painting from life and all prima (while the paint is wet) best enables her to express that impression.

O-049 Spring-Blush-by Kara-Lemens-$500-oil 8x10

Kara loves painting on location (en plein air) with her border collie, Frisco. She paints primarily in the Texas Hill Country and the mountains of Colorado, but is always up for a plein air adventure wherever life takes her! She also enjoys creating still lifes in her studio, combining the natural beauties of flowers and fruits with objects of timeless beauty, such as family antiques. She wants to capture the conversation between the objects and her feeling of connection to them.

O-050 Carnation-Complements-by Kara Lemens-$475-oil 8x8.

Kara has been juried into many shows in Texas, Colorado, and California. She also has studied with numerous prominent artists and is especially fortunate to have been mentored by Kathleen Dunphy since 2018.

O-051 Beauty-and-the-Brass-by Kara Lemens-$700-oil 12x16

Kara is grateful that her art enables her to share beauty and her experience of the world with others!

T-010 Spring Cheer by Kara Lemens oil 14x11 $675

T-011 A Golden Trio by Kara Lemens oil 12x9 $550

You can find Kara’s art at karenlemensfineart.com and follow her outdoor and indoor art adventures on Instagram @karalemensfineart.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Linda Lawrence

 Linda Lawrence

O-063 -Mosquito Lake-by Linda Lawrence 12-x 16-  Oil $375

Always artistic by nature, Linda was constantly drawing as a child, and enjoyed art classes throughout her school years in Soquel and Fresno, California. As an adult, her love of design was explored and expressed through photography, homemade cards, sketches and interior decorating.

O-064 Boards Crossing- by Linda Lawrence 16-x 12-  Oil $375

Linda and her husband, Ron moved to Murphys in 1992, for its inherent natural beauty and small-town lifestyle. As her children grew more independent, Linda was thrilled to begin taking classes through Columbia Junior College around 2000, and first studied with Hermione Rios.

O-065 Wailea Shore-by Linda Lawrence 12-x 9- Oil $275

Linda paints primarily in water-based oils, which she finds to be user-friendly and a bit healthier overall. Through the years, she has developed a playful, colorful style, and had enjoyed and appreciated the influence of instructors Diana Boyd, Susie Hoffman, Sunny Sorenson, Eva Walker, and Judy Cain through Town Hall Arts in Copperopolis. She has also taken workshops from Murphys renowned plein air artist Kathleen Dunphy, and Colley Whisson of Australia at Coastal Maine Art Workshops in Rockport, Maine.

O-066 Icelandic Popptes-by Linda Lawrence 10-x 8- Oil $225

Linda often shows her work at the Calaveras County Arts Council and was accepted to present a painting in their 2017 show, AnimalScapes. She was also invited to show at the Studio 11 Gallery in Oakland, California in 2018, and had her first show at Hovey Winery in early 2020.

Linda is thoroughly enjoying the evolving process of becoming an artist, and the self-expression, freedom, and mindfulness it provides. She considers her fellow artists soulmates and true inspirational treasures. 

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Tabitha Kremesec

 

T-001 Lovely visions by Tabitha Kremesec 18x24 oil $465

Tabitha Kremesec's preferred mediums are both oils and watercolors. Tabitha loves to create a variety of art such as animals, landscapes and portraits. Animals, landscapes and portraits are her passion.

T-002 Reflections of yesterday by Tabitha Kremesec 18x24 oil $465

Painting is therapeutic in dealing with several disabilities and encouraging that she can overcome limitations. 

O-003 Golden Fields by Tabitha Kremesec 30x40 oil $1840

Tabitha has a unique perspective and loves to focus on capturing the realism of a scene and she loves to paint impressionism art as well. She is very creative and experimental with both mediums together. 

O-004 Up the lazy river by Tabitha Kremesec 40x30 oil $1840

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Lucinda Johnson

 

Lucinda Johnson                        https://lucindajohnson.com

Lucinda is an award-winning, California-native artist (born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area). Art has always been at the center of Lucinda’s life. “As a child I enjoyed drawing from nature to become familiar with graceful lines, form and space. I am also very conscious of composition, shapes, lighting, and values from my photography education” she says. Through self-taught studies and workshops with professional artists in a wide array of mediums, art has always been a way for me to share California’s unique personality and vistas. Lucinda began experimenting with oils in 2020 and shared “I approach an oil painting with a similar thought process to painting with soft pastels.” When painting a landscape on canvas she first primes the canvas with warm undertones. Additional layers are next added dark-to-light. Using a palette knife she first mixes the correct values on the palette, and then proceeds to paint/blend colors on the canvas (wet-on-wet) or layer/glaze with brushes.

O-076 Mendocino Mist-by Lucinda Johnson oil 4x8 $175

O-077 Autumn Brillance--by Lucinda Johnson oil 4x8 $175

O-078 High-Sierras-Autumn-Glow by Lucinda Johnson pastel 12x16 $1200

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Aaron Johnson

 

Aaron Johnson : Artist

 

O-072 Airstream-Dream by Aaron Johnson wc 8x10 $2300

Artist Statement I create art because I am devoted to the feeling of meticulously transforming a surface into something new. From a No.2 pencil on a grade-school desktop, to color on canvas, prepared board and fine papers, It has always been intriguing for me to watch an image emerge from nothing. When I am working on a painting or drawing, pushing and pulling layers of colors and sharping details, I am acutely focused and truly in my element.

O-073 Angus-Young-Tantrums-by Aaron Johnson wc 16x23 $4200

Biography

Aaron Johnson lives and works in Orangevale, California. He creates his artwork in various mediums including oil, acrylic, graphite, and pastel as well as digital media. Aaron studied art at Sacramento City College and California College of the Arts in San Francisco, earning an AA and BFA respectively. His subject matter is predominantly vintage popular culture including classic automobiles. Aaron’s artwork is privately collected, commissioned and has been exhibited in select galleries like Christopher Hill Art Gallery in St Helena, Edward Montgomery Fine Art in Carmel By The Sea, Fire and Rain Art Gallery in Folsom, Wonderland SF in San Francisco, Musichead in Hollywood California and more. Please feel free to contact Aaron to discuss his artwork or any possible commission opportunities be they commercial or private.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Annie Hughes

 

O-054 Home is her Hen House by Annie Hughes acrylic 21x26 $600

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Tara Holeman

 

T-023 Misty Morning Daffodils by Tara Holeman acrylic 12x12 $150

    My name is Tara Holeman. My two passions in life are being a mother to my beautiful son, Sylas, and sharing my love for the arts!  I attended Fresno State and earned a BA in Fine Arts, with an emphasis in drawing and painting. While going to school I was fortunate to work as a commercial artist for Trader Joe’s. Studying the arts while being employed as an artist was a dream come true and an invaluable experience!  

Upon completing my undergraduate program I decided to go into art education, which I am proud to say I have been doing now for the past 16 years! I have taught all levels in K-12, however I am currently working as a high school art teacher in Fresno. It is the BEST job! 

     I love creating art in all media! Some favorites include pastel, watercolor, ink, Prismacolor pencil, just to name a few. I enjoy experimenting and exploring new styles and techniques. My students constantly inspire me to take creative risks!  Recently, I have really enjoyed working in a more loose and expressive style. Being a new mom has made time and energy a precious commodity, so it has in many ways forced me to loosen up and create in the short times that I have. Nap time is now my coveted creation time! 

 

     This painting called, Misty Morning Daffodils, is an important work in the return to my artistry and reigniting my passion for painting. My motherhood role has taught me many valuable lessons, one I have found to be especially important is to be authentic to yourself and remember to do what brings you joy!!

So, I decided that for this piece I would not plan or agonize over the intended outcome, but rather to simply paint and express the soothing serenity of one of life’s simple joys. Delicate spring daffodils in the misty morning light. A symbol of stillness and peace in an ever chaotic world. 

 

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist Holly Heath

O-088 Impossible Bloom by Holly Heath acrylic 10x8 $150

 Holly Heath is a local artist living in Murphys. She is thrilled to have multiple pieces in this years showcase. “Impossible Bloom” was inspired by the day-blooming gazanias in her garden and the impossible beauty of the night sky. Never the twain shall meet. “Mountain Misery” is a spraypainted piece with a moss border, meant to capture the feeling of a day in the woods. 

 As a child Holly always loved to draw. She took classes in watercolors for several years from Martha Wallace. Since then she has been primarily self-taught with the occasional class and input from her artistic brother Jesse. Holly decided to branch out into acrylics in her 20’s.Not long after, her aunt was kind enough to give her a massive set of paints and brushes for Christmas which inspired her to further develop herself as a painter. 

O-089 Mountain Misery  by Holly Heath acrylic 17x17 $150

 

She enjoys exploring different subjects and challenging herself to make each piece unique and beautiful. Lately she has been working do develop her style and expression with acrylic paints. She also enjoys making collaborative pieces with her new husband Jeremiah Heath, several of which are featured in this years’ showcase. 

 Besides painting Holly loves to garden and spend time outdoors. She finds joy in bringing beauty and abundance from the earth. She also has a passion for the performance arts. A juggler, she has performed across the globe from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland to the local Black Bart Playhouse. Holly may also be seen in the local theater community, most recently with Murphys Creek Theatre. She also loves to play and listen to music, exploring a wide variety of styles and genres.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artists Holly and Jeremiah Heath

 

T-007 Vera Nocturn by Holly & Jeremiah Heath acrylic 15x30 $300

Holly and Jeremiah Heath are a local artistic couple living in Murphys. They have many collaborative art projects both visual and musical. Holly has been developing her technique with acrylics over the past several years. Jeremiah has been drawing fantasy–adventure pencil and ink for approximately ten years, taking inspiration for this series from equal parts Arthur Rackham and Alberto Vargas. Together they have been developing their style and this year have branched out into collaborative acrylic work. 

O-040 Lunar Lander by Holly & Jeremiah Heath mm 12x12 $175

 Holly started doing acrylic paintings around nine years ago, drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature and from her favorite literature. Besides painting, Holly also has a passion for the performance arts. She has been in a number of local plays, juggling shows and is excited about she and Jeremiah’s musical project “BlackGrass” in which she plays mandolin.

 Jeremiah started drawing approximately ten years ago as an escape from the performing arts, in order to develop something for himself. He slowly realized that visual mediums are also a performing art if you keep showing them to people. The first art book he bought was “How to Draw Dragons”, from there he started drawing Manga inspired by the Greek myths. He is inspired in his art by craggy mountain ranges and lonely landscapes. In this latest series, he is trying to bring out a bit of whimsy in defiance of a merciless world. He also has a diverse artistic background in music and drama, he plays guitar in their musical duo.

O-041 Sittin' on Saturn by Holly & jeremiah Heath mm 23x23 $200

 Holly and Jeremiah hope that their audience enjoys the art that they seek to share.

Meet 2023 Spring Obsession Artist George Haskell

 

George Haskell

Artist and Musician

 

O-067 The Bear just over the Mountain by George Haskell oil 8x10 $300

 George’s passion for painting started in college when he took an independent study in painting. After retiring from a forty year career in special education George returned to art.  Among his favorite topics are Yosemite, seashores, sunsets and animals.  What ever the subject is George focuses on capturing luminous, light color and mood of the subject at hand.  He has studied with Judy Cain, Susan Sarback and Heinie Hartwig. George is a member of Arts Of Bear Valley.

 

O-068 Vetrans by George Haskell oil 11x14 $475

Besides art, George is also a musician.  He sings and plays both guitar and banjo at local wineries and restaurants.

 

George lives just outside of Murphys on the top of Treasure Mountain with his wife Patricia, two cats, two corgis and two horses.