Meet Artist George Haskell

George Haskell

Artist and Musician

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.

O-155 Leaf Master by George Haskell oil 10x10 $250

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 horses, and two corgis. 

O-156 Summer Halfdome by George Haskell oil 9x12 $290

Meet Artist Rhett Regina Owings

O-042  Sprinklers by Rhett Owings  oil  11x14 $500

Rhett Regina Owings

I have been painting for over 30 years. I enjoy painting landscapes, still life, animals and anything else that tickles my fancy! I paint in plein air as well as in my art studio. Oils are my medium of choice, but I also like using pastels, water media, and mixed media.

Capturing the color and scenery around me is important to me. I love color and enjoy watching the colors mix on my palette and painting. I have painted in orchards, golf courses, wildlife land, gardens & parks, Gold Rush towns, Yosemite, along the coast and on farms in the Central Valley and in Salinas. My colors have accompanied me to Alaska, Yellowstone, Utah, Mexico, Canada and Europe. What a wonderful life I have led. Art is my life and I am happy to share it with you. 

O-044 On the Way to Sonora by Rhett Owings  oil  16x20 $500

RHETT REGINA OWINGS

RhettsStudio@gmail.com

Please look at my online gallery at: 

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/rhett-regina-owings-7163

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Meet Artist Jacqueline Del Curto

Jacqueline Del Curto believes art must take one beyond itself to the idea of truth. As a figurative painter, she hopes to delight and edify others with her creative understanding of the world. 

O-050 Persephones-Table-by Jacquelin Renee Del Curto  acrylic  16x20  $700

Jacqueline studied at the Ingbretson Studio in Manchester, New Hampshire, while attending the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack. She went on to study at the Florence Classical Arts Academy in Florence, Italy, and apprenticed under English painter James Gillick in Lincolnshire, England, while earning a Bachelor's degree in Theology from the Catholic Distance University.

Jacqueline’s work is featured in private collections in the United States and Europe. She teaches private painting classes and workshops in California and elsewhere by arrangement.

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Jacqueline Renee Del Curto

www.jacquelinereneefineart.com

209-840-8342

Meet Artist Tracy Stone

Tracy Stone..

T-017  Little Bird by Tracy Stone oil 16x20 $250

Born and raised in California. I currently live in Valley Springs, originally from the Bay Area.

I currently work for a snack company as an Administrator, owning my own business prior.

In my spare time I spend time riding and caring for my beautiful horses and caring for my sweet wonderful Dachshund and playful funny Labrador retriever.

My most memorable memories are spending time with my 11 grandchildren, and many more memories to come.

My hobbies are restoring furniture, and my newest passion ART.

 I have watched my husband Bradford Stone create paintings, with me being his greatest fan and critic.

So I thought maybe giving it a try. Attending school my art teachers always admired my creations. always giving me encouragement to follow art as a career.  Maybe it’s time!

Meet Artist Judy Day

JUDY DAY

Judy Day loves the outdoors and has hiked and sketched in the high Sierras most of her life.  “My paintings are inspired by my trips into the Sierras, vacations around the world, majestic landscapes, historical sites and almost everything in my neighborhood,” she explained.  “I never know what will catch my eye and inspire me.” 

T-003 The Daffodil by Judy Day  wc 16x20 $200

Watercolor is the favorite medium of the artist, having explored a variety of media throughout her career.  Most of the time she paints on traditional watercolor paper.  More recently Day has rendered paintings on newer surfaces such as Yupo and Aquabord, which provide a more fluid look. 

Judy holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design and a K-12 California Teaching Credential in Art Education and Math from Art Center School of Design and Cal State Northridge.  She recently retired from 20+ years teaching at David Starr Jordan Middle School in Burbank, California.  In April of 2010 she moved to Jackson, California. 

T-002 White Daffodil by Judy Day  wc 11x11 $75

Her awards and honors include 1993-94 Jordan Middle School Teacher of the Year Award, 1994 Burbank Woman of the Year, 1995 Disciples Christian Educator Award presented by Chapman University, 1996 Outstanding Teacher Award given by the LA Times and CSUN School of Education, and in 2002 the California League of Middle Schools Educator of the Year Nominee.  She has received numerous awards and ribbons for her paintings at the Amador County Fair, Ironstone winery and the Lodi Art League Show.

Day teaches art locally to both children and adults.  During the school year, she teaches watercolor painting to local 4^th graders as part of the Arts Council’s elementary arts education program. In the summer she returns to her former Southern California home to direct a week-long children’s art camp.  She has illustrated three educational children’s books as well as numerous posters and brochures.  Day artwork hangs at the Sutter Creek Gallery, where she also handles framing. 

Meet Artist Victoria Fout

Victoria Fout 

Life can be very hard, so Victoria tries to add a splash of color and whimsy by imagining fantastical worlds and beings, exploring the duality between fantasy and reality, light and darkness, life and death, expressing emotion, and reimagining nature with paint. Victoria creates fantastical creatures within surreal landscapes, using acrylic on canvas as her main choice of medium. She loves a colorful palette, and creating different textures in some pieces by manipulating and sewing raw canvas, adding 3dimensional elements such as fabric, rocks, jewelry, etcetera, to elevate the painting experience to bring her fantastical worlds even more to life.

T-010 Be The Orange Daffodil by Victoria Fout  acrylic  8x10  $175

Victoria Fout grew up in Angels Camp, California. She found her love for art at Columbia Community college during the most difficult time in her personal life. Art became a life-raft; a comfort, escape, therapy, and a creative outlet.  Victoria is now an emerging freelance fine artist with a fresh and unique perspective, and earned her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2016. Her artwork has been shown at SFAI, the Calaveras County Fair, Ironstone Vineyards, the Calaveras County Arts Council, and currently at Manzanita Art Emporium. She currently serves as a Board member at the Calaveras Art Council.
“Lost within my own darkness I find the colors of expression and joy when I paint. My art is an invitation into my world, welcome.”

Meet Spring Obsession Theme Artist, Tabitha Kremesec

T-008  Three Daffodils  by Tabitha Kremesec  wc 14.5x22 $400

My name is Tabitha Kremesec and I’m just starting my own business in watercolor painting. 

Before turning to painting, I wrote a book of poetry published in 2016 (“Life as We Know It and Other Poems”). 

Then I became intrigued with watercolor and entered two drawings in the calaveras county fair jumping frog jubilee ,and won 3^rd place for both of these graphite  drawings .In June of 2018 I started taking watercolor classes. I had a great teacher and while I still have a lot to learn, I am a fast learner and I’m determined to do great work as an artist.  

T-009  Daffodils and Tulips  by Tabitha Kremesec  wc 16x20 $300

 In addition, I now sell greeting cards that I painted, refrigerator magnets and paintings along with many other items.  I have my own shop on etsy.com and my own website tabithaswatercolors.com. I enjoy painting and continue to take lessons from YouTube and my sister in law.  I’m learning a lot but have so much more to learn and I will as painting has become a passion.

Meet Spring Obsession Theme Division artist, Janice Freischlag

A FEW WORDS ABOUT ME

T-005  Wistful Tulip  by Janice Freischlag  gouache 11x14 $395

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.

T-004 Spring Rain by Janice Freischlag  gouache 11x14 $495

Meet Spring Obsession Theme Artist, Gerald Garza

Full Bloom by Gerald Garza  18x24  $500

Gerald Garza is a professional artist based out of Ione, CA.   He finds inspiration from his love of the outdoors.  As a novice painter in the late 60’s inspiration was in his surroundings, the Mid Century Modern architecture. That quickly gave way to American artist, Georgia O’Keefe. Her daring colors and enlarged flowers made an impression on him and that love of still life continues to this day.  His major medium is oil on canvas with an emphasis on still life and landscape.  He also paints in water color and acrylics.  His work was well received at a gallery show in Texas for the Union Pacific Railroad.  His work has been viewed throughout Northern California, Las Vegas, Nevada, Midland, Texas, and Seattle, Washington

Spring Debut by Gerald Garza  18x24  $500

Happy National Popcorn Day!

In Honor of National Popcorn Day, Ironstone Heritage Museum is offering complimentary Popcorn to our guests today only.  Come on by for a visit!

And we are using the fancy popcorn machine! Just for you!

Pet of the Month Gracie

The Wonderful Staff at Ironstone Vineyards are also owners of some awesome pets.   Each month we are going to share with you one of these PPP (picture perfect pets) so you can get to know and love them as we do.

Tell me the truth, do I look chubby from this angle????????

This is Gracie my 13yr old buddy. She’s a rescue that’s been with me thru many moves even to TX and back. She and her brother were left as kittens in a paper sack in a dumpster. A good Samaritan heard  them so crawled in, Got them out, then brought them to a women whom places rescues in new homes.  I knew she was the one the minute I saw her.  She, like Bob, is a little on the hefty side and receives plenty of  love and attention. I figure she deserves it after the rough start as a kitten.

Patti - Tasting Room

American Daffodil Society presents

Presented with permission from the  AMERICAN DAFFODIL SOCIETY

"Mentoring Moments" Allen Haas

The purpose of this monthly newsletter is to encourage daffodil growers in the American Daffodil Society.  The primary reference is the ADS "The Daffodil Primer Zone 3-7."  Zone specific copies are mailed to all new members.  Additional copies may be obtained thru the web store on daffodilusa.org. Each newsletter stands on its own and only focuses on each month's suggested activities.  Even though I'm writing from my perspective, I grow in zone 7a in the mountains of western North Carolina at around 2200 feet, I hope readers can take something from each newsletter. In addition, growers are highly encouraged to reach out to their local societies and ADS Regional Vice Presidents and Directors for additional mentoring and growing advice. Good luck and happy growing! What to do now? 1.  Plant remaining bulbs 2.  Grow on potted bulbs 3.  Prepare for Spring emergence 1.  Plant remaining bulbs "It's never too late to plant your daffodil bulbs unless you never plant them!"  That's what I tell growers when they ask, "Is it too late to plant my bulbs?"  That's also assuming the bulbs are healthy and haven't dried up. Whether you've been holding your bulbs from spring bulb sales or just taken advantage of great "end of season" sales from catalogs and nursery centers, you need to plant them now! If your ground is still workable, you can plant your bulbs directly into your garden/landscaping (see pages 6-8 The Daffodil Primer (TDP). Otherwise, you'll need to get your bulbs rooted in pots or flats before setting them out.  I like to start mine in either a garage or basement with temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees.  After approximately 4 weeks, the bulbs should be well rooted.  You can move them outside into the ground and/or in an unheated greenhouse/cold frame.   2.  Grow on potted bulbs If you have pots that you started for fall or holiday blooms and want to save the bulbs, you'll need to grow them on until you can move or transplant them outside.  Remove any spent blooms, move them to a well lit (natural or artificial) location and water half strength with a general purpose fertilizer.  The key here is to control how much water they get.  Too little, they'll wither away.  Too much, they'll rot away.  Hopefully all this TLC will again produce beautiful blooms in a couple of years.   3.  Prepare for Spring emergence   Depending on where you live, it's a good idea to start looking at your daffodil garden/s.  Make note of the ones that are already starting to break ground and also how much sun they're getting throughout the day.  I like to use my smart phone to take pictures and make notes, but maintaining a garden journal never hurts.  You'll need to acquire a good daffodil fertilizer (see page 10 of TDP) for when your daffodils start actively growing in the coming months.  Organic or inorganic, granular or liquid, the choice is really up to you. Good luck and see you next month!

Copyright © 2019 American Daffodil Society, All rights reserved.

Call to Artist, Theme Division deadline extension

We have extended the deadline for entries into the THEME Division of Ironstone's Spring Obsession Art Show to 3pm Monday, Jan. 7th., 2019.   

Due to technical "improvements", IT has shut down our email system from Friday afternoon with possible reinstatement Monday afternoon.  

This has made all on line entries and inquiries unavailable until the system is back up and running.  

We apologize for the inconvenience.  

This will also set back notifications of accepted works till later in the week.  

Bear with us as we wait through this issue.  

Hope to be back on line soon.

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!

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.

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!

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! 

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

https://woobox.com/5ygg6b/gallery/RkjQBSnH8Ew

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.

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

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. 

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.