Meet Artist Marina Hanson, Spring Obsession Open Division accepted Artist

MARINA HANSON

mhansondesign@aol.com

408-857-5457

O-206  New Beginnings  acrylic  24x28 $800

Artist Biography

     Marina was born and raised in the Ukraine, and came to the United States with her family in 1992.

     Passion for creativity has always defined her and led her to earn a PHD in Architecture and, later, a Degree in Interior Design. She began painting as a way to escape and cope with personal trauma, and has been painting ever since. Today, it’s evident that the world of Art holds a permanent and significant position in her existence. Largely self-taught, she joined Los Gatos Art Association and studio/gallery in Campbell “Gallery of Dreams”.

O-210  Transformation  acrylic  40x30  $1600

     In her paintings, Marina lets her imagination run wild and makes an attempt to paint more then she sees. By capturing on canvas her deepest thoughts and feelings, she is not only able to express herself, but she allows others to connect with her.

     Most of Marina’s artwork is categorized as surrealism, sometimes abstract and landscaping, but the constant elements in her paintings are the vibrancy of the colors and vivid contrasts. She explores her natural abilities and enthusiasm for her commitment to create art within her innermost thoughts and emotions. Marina’s artistic affinity, creative instinct, and dynamic imagination have been refining with each day.

O-207  A String of Pearls  acrylic  30x40  $1600

Artist’s Statement

     “My art is an evolving process; I take and represent only elements which are the essence of the object or of the imaginary being. I’m fascinated by the explosive sensuality of the rich and luxurious chromatics, and rely on my desires for beauty, poetics, and seduction. To say I enjoy painting is an understatement. I’m obsessed with painting! Painting gives me unique moments of freedom and happiness.

                     Fully believing that one cannot know what the future holds, I welcome new opportunities, learn eagerly, and ultimately hope to touch people with my art.”

Meet Artist Robert Gorder, Spring Obsession Open Division Accepted Artist

Robert J Gorder

O-017  Lovebirds charcoal  9.5x8.5  $400

 Born and raised in central Wisconsin, Robert has been passionate about creating and drawing since he was very young.  His drawings range from simplistic India ink to detailed charcoal images.  The India ink drawings are a creative curvature study of light and shadows.   Robert’s approach to charcoal drawing is a negative approach where the paper is covered in black charcoal and the picture is drawn with a multitude of erasers.  Robert enjoyed and embraced every art class in high school because it gave him a creative outlet compared to the other curriculum. This is also when he found a passion in drafting, perspective drawing, and commercial art.  Moving forward in life he attended Madison College in his 20’s to pursue a degree in Commercial Art.  During this time he found the passion for figure drawing and charcoal.  His next 10 years were filled with few drawings but still felt a great passion for art.  Then in 2009 Robert was self inspired to draw a picture of his best friend in charcoal.   From that point on, Robert has been dusted in charcoal in his Baraboo, Wisconsin basement art studio working on drawings of normal items rarely given credit for their beauty.

O-018  Cross  charcoal 20x16  $700

 Artist’s Statement

My drawings range from simplistic India ink to detailed charcoal images.  The India ink drawings are a creative curvature study of light and shadows.   I approach charcoal drawings in a negative approach where the paper is covered in black charcoal and the picture is drawn with a multitude of erasers.  Since recently beginning my journey to pursue my passion of art, the focus has been varied and recently based on client demand.  Beginning with objects found in rural Wisconsin, my drawings have branched out to figurative, animals, private homes, businesses, historic landmarks and special edition vehicles.  My charcoal drawings have become locally known for the exact details on the smallest objects to the ability to embrace people’s expressions in my figurative art.

Meet Artist Barbara Gill, Spring Obsession Open Division Accepted Artist

Barbara Gill
Watercolor

O-183  Blue Rooster  wc  20x16   $150

About the Artist:
I graduated from University of California at Santa Barbara with a BA in painting and received my MA in painting from California State University Fresno.

O-181  Family Album  wc  16x20  $250

Gallery Representation:
Mistlin Gallery, Modesto, CA

Exhibitions and Awards
* Point Lobos: Jewel of the Central Coast Carmel Art Institute, Docent Award
* 59th Annual Spring Show, First Place
* Stanislaus Artist Open Studio, First Place Purchase Award
* California Fine Art Show, State Fair
* Yosemite Renaissance XXIV

Workshops:
I taught "Splash" Workshop for MBPAPA
(Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association)

Membership in Art Organization:
Signature Member, MBPAPA
Valley Sun Catchers Plein Air Painters
California Watercolor Association

www.gillwatercolors.com

Meet Artist Gregory Gallardo, Spring Obsession Open Division Accepted Artist

Gregory  Gallardo

Artist Statement

"I am an art school dropout" ... Upon receiving a scholarship to attend art school, I did  what any rational 17 year old would do; I left home, left school and traveled the worked as a musician. Music more than art encompassed my life for the following 10 years. Ironically, this journey influenced my visual arts in ways that no formal art education could have. One vital lesson I learned as a musician was that the space between the musical notes was just as important as the notes themselves. Visually this concept can be applied to the use of negative space by the strategic application of both color and texture to evoke a sense of motion, rhythm and tempo. In my most recent works my collage techniques emphasize this illusion. Sharp tears reveal white edges which add Rhythm. The magazine paper imagery is glued in patterns, moving the eye around the piece. Figure and background flow in balance. While on the surface this technique may appear academic, the underlying message mirrors my personal views on life and death; a seamless harmonious coexistence.

My journey for creating "art" is a selfish act. The process becomes all encompassing, with the outcome of a work of art often becoming inconsequential to the path that lead me to the final conclusion, i.e.
 "The point of the journey is not to arrive."  When working with collage, ideas unfold without any predetermined direction. Letting the magazine paper speak to me, a page is turned and textures, patterns and color are randomly discovered, altering the theme as each torn piece is glued into place. Building works in this manner becomes a spiritual experience; living in the moment and allowing chance to guide the eventual outcome. The organic imagery taken from the torn magazine paper which comprise my works speak of my link to nature. Found upon closer inspection a torn photograph of a purple sunset becomes the blush of a cheek, a birds nest and the needles of a cactus form hair. My hope is that this method of reinterpretation will give the v iewer cause to reconsider their ideas of our own origin.

40% of the proceeds on direct sales of Gregory's art goes to local charities.

www.gregorygallardo.com

Meet Artist Robert Feigen, Spring Obsession Open Division Accepted Artist

Robert Feigen

O-137  RatzNKatz Symbiosis 2013  acrylic  $1850

My name is Robert Feigen and I am the artist that has performed the attached painting. I am a graduate of California Polytechnic College in Pomona, California with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science and in Business Administration. I have studied for three years at the Sonora Arts Academy and have been an artist for fifteen years. I am now retired and have chosen to focus on my passion for painting and the arts.

My fifty pieced "RatzNKatz" series is a primitive, anthropomorphic, mystical, fantasy, humorous artistic presentation and is my own style of painting in oil and acrylics. The vivid colors and the action of the characters are an expression of myself for a world of happiness and harmony through strength and balance in the face of potential adversity. There is also some sauciness and arrogance thrown in at times. If the viewer stops, looks, laughs, and smiles then leaves only to come back again I will have been successful in my artistic intent.

The RatzNKatz characters in the paintings have human-like faces and qualities and the Ratz with the exaggerated bodies interact to symbolize both the struggles to coexist and to challenge each other with the underdog (Ratz) being in control of the dominant species (Katz).  The themes in each painting are unique and expressive within a particular genre. The "RatzNKatz Symbiosis 2013" is number forty seven (#47) in the Series and depicts the annual meeting between the Ratz and Katz Clans to peacefully coexist in a harmonious way. Of course there is a whole lot of cheating and mischief going on as well as the teasing amongst the characters and between the Ratz N Katz.

The original paintings and stories in the series are for sale. However, the rights to reproduction are not. Whe the paintings are actually reporduced in a limited edition series, the buyer/seller will be entitled to a percentage commission. Therefore, it is a win/win for everyone.

I want to thank you for your interest in my art.

robertfeigen@gmail.com

Meet Artist Libby Fife, Spring Obsession Open Division Accepted Artist

Elizabeth (Libby) Fife

O-052  In Between  acrylic  10x10  $165

What I paint:
I paint landscapes and figurative works using acrylics on board and canvas. The work is realistic or representational in the sense that it comes from actual images-things that I observe-and that there is a kind of resemblance to those images. It's also abstract in a sense because it doesn't portray things in minute detail, down to the nitty-gritty. I omit and refine and simplify because that is my world view. It's how I see things in real life and so that is how I paint too.

Why I paint:
Why paint instead of say, playing an instrument or cooking or dancing? Painting seems to allow me to express, through design and content, what I think and feel about my interests and the environment around me.  With the exception of writing, painting is the only other creative outlet that gives me the freedom to explore and share with others the subjects that interest me most.

How I paint:
My technique for painting is simple and straightforward and matches my personality. Ideas for paintings begin with my own observations. I become attracted to something that I see. It could be something in my landscape or a person's gesture in a vintage photograph.  I then gather information to flesh out the question or idea.  This gathering usually involves in-the-field research. By that I mean I take my paints outside and get busy! I look at colors and the design of my idea and try to get a feel for things. If it's a conceptual figure piece, I do some online research to learn about my subject. Whether I am painting a landscape, a building, or a figure, the bottom line is that I have to be connected to my subject in some way otherwise I just can't paint it effectively.

What the work is about:
Part of my work is project driven and reflects what I am currently learning about at any given moment. My questions or interests are the starting point. I utilize vintage photographs, both my own and ones that I find, along with my writing and research to structure and support each project. The common denominator in all of this is my desire to learn about something that interests me, to paint it and to write about it, while making a strong and interesting-to-me composition to support it.

The second part of my work has more to do with what I call "structure." For painting, structure to me has to do with puzzles. How things in my environment fit together. Although I view my world as a whole, I quickly zero in on what that world is composed of. For people, it's their body parts all moving together with their environment. The gestures of their figures set against their background or interlocked with other figures. For the land, it's all of the pieces such as trees, hills, and sky acting together. To me, people and objects are not stagnant even if they are frozen in time in a photo. Shapes, colors, and light and shadow are important too but really secondary to the above.  

O-053  Winter Hillside  acrylic  10x10  $165

About The Faces (or Lack Thereof):  

 I currently paint my figures without facial features, relying instead on posture and gestures, color and line and shape, to express what I think. I accept that images of people in general can provoke strong reactions whether or not facial features are included. Getting a reaction by not including facial features is not my intent but it's very OK when that happens.  It's my hope that all parts of my paintings will elicit responses and get a dialogue going. I love to talk about my work and am anxious to know what others think. It's why I have gone to some length to explain what I do, how I do it, and why I do it.

Meet Artist Diana Eppler, Spring Obsession Open Division Accepted Artist

DIANA  EPPLER                                   

 www.dianaeppler.com                                                                                

                                                                                              

 

O-128 Sun on the Veil  oil  22x28  $1900

 “My painting subjects are varied as that is my nature.  I will probably be perpetually in some period of transition with my art which, I hope, is a good thing.  I try to work towards a melding of classical, contemporary and my own style; always striving to share with the viewer a means of expression which is representational without being literal or prosaic.

O-127  Courthouse, Fall Morning  oil  22x28  $1900

I used to worry where was I going with my art?  Was I a colorist, tonalist, impressionist, plein air or studio painter?  I now know my art leads me.  Each piece is individual and dictates how it should be painted.  First comes what I feel, then what I see.  When I paint it is me and it is my own.  An idea for painting frequently comes from my emotional response to color and light.  I build around that, often changing the subject matter partly or entirely until the color, light, movement and design meet to fit the mood.  This manner of creating a painting works well for the studio, which I very much enjoy, however, painting en plein air (outdoors in one sitting) is a good way to rejuvenate the very feeling that create the moods.  The California foothills offer the artist an abundance of choices to paint.”  

O-129  Vineyard Pond  oil  11x14  $450

Born in Amador County, Diana lived at Lake Tahoe and in Nevada, Southern and Northern California before returning to the foothills in 1997.  She now resides in Jamestown.  She attended Western Nevada Community College and studied with Wellington Smith, noted artist, lecturer and teacher.  Workshops over the years included Janet Tarjan Earl, Edgardo Garcia, Jeanette LeGrue, Kathleen Dunphy and Charles Waldman although she considers herself, basically, self taught.  Past Board of Director of the Siskiyou Art Assoc., Creative Arts Guild and  Mother Lode Art Assoc. Past member of the Lithia Artists Assoc., Central Sierra Arts Council and Central Calif. Art Assoc.  Founding member of the Post Gallery and founding Director of Aloft Art Gallery, Sonora . Currently her works can be seen locally at Ventana Gallery, Sonora; Galleria Copper, Copperopolis and the Europa Café  in Sonora as well as on her web site.

She has been accepted in numerous juried shows and won many awards including Foothill Favorites in the MLAA Shows.  A finalist in California Shines Statewide Art show for the 2011 US Capitol Christmas Tree Celebration.  Her works hang in homes and businesses across the country.

Meet Artist Patty Ehlers, Ironstone Spring Obsession Art Show, Open Division accepted artist

Patty Ehlers

O-059  A Kiss  graphite  16x20  $425

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Art from San Jose State University with a concentration in Design.   Following college I worked as a free-lance illustrator which allowed me to segue into a job with Lockheed.   While at Lockheed I worked as a Cartoonist and Technical Illustrator.  Europe called and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work in England but had, by then, moved into the Technical Field of Computers.   Art was never out of my thoughts and I dabbled in textiles and ceramics as a hobby.  

O-058  Egg Head  graphite  14x18  $375

In 2011 I retired and relocated from the Bay Area to the Sierra Foothills.   I jumped back into the art world by taking drawing classes at a local gallery.  The focus in my drawing class was portraiture. 

I enjoyed portraiture but there seemed to be something missing for me.  Graphite is so soothing to work with and to view but my cartooning background took over.   I enjoyed skewing the reality with the quirkiness, the gray tones with the vibrant colors, and taking advantage of illustrating the abundant wildlife of the Sierras.