Plein Aire Painters at Ironstone this Saturday!

The Ironstone Concours d'Elegance has added a new treat this year.  Eleven Plain Aire artists will be on site all day Saturday, Sept. 25th. painting the elegant classic autos, motorcycles, boats, 50's tear drop trailers, Shady Ladies in costume as well as the 4-H projects and animals.  This marks the first year artists have been invited on site during the event itself.  Long time coming if you ask me! 

Friday, we will be hanging representative art from the participant painters in the Ironstone Gallerias where they will remain on display for the following week.  These pieces will be available for sale as well, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Foundation's great works with the California 4-H scholarship foundation, the FFA scholarship fund and the California State Fair Scholarship fund.  All great causes to support our young people.

I will post a little slide show of pieces as images come available.  One sample here,

"Road Dreams" by Suzanne D'Arcy, is just one of many fantastic paintings you will see not only completed, but, works in progress by artists Vienna Watkins-Colodzin, Vickie Chew, Suzanne D'Arcy, Kathleen Dunphy, Dee Helzer, Rick Ingraham, Ray Mesgarzadeh, Tony Pooler, Sunny Sorensen, Henrietta Sparkman and Irene Taylor.  I will post bios as they come in...

Come on out to the Concours Saturday, meet the artists and see how they put these pieces together. 

Watching the creative process is always such a joy.  What the artists sees that catches our eyes is always fascinating as the imagry grows out of the canvas...

Come see for yourself... gates open at 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM.  Cost is $20.00 per person or $35.00 per family.  Plenty of food & beverage concessions as well as great food at the Ironstone Tasting Room Deli. 

Stop by the Museum and say Hi!  This is also the last weekend for the WWII exhibit, if you haven't seen it yet!

Artists Patricia Cherry & Carol Goff represented at Ironstone Gallerias

Artists Patricia Cherry and Carol Goff are currently displaying original paintings in Ironstone's Gallerias.  Complete Bios are located at the lower section of this Blog along with slideshow of works on display.  Do come and take a look at these beautiful paintings. With a wide range of subject matter and completely different styles, Cherry & Goff present a wonderful window to all tastes in art.  Now through September 22nd.

@IronstoneMuseum while we were waiting for @ShaneDwight playi... on Twitpic

Shane Dwight Concert at IRonstone, July 3rd....

http://twitpic.com/23803b

Artists, Chris Barhnart & Nanette Oleson on exhibit through Aug. 11

Artists Chris Barnhart and Nanette Oleson are on exhibit at Ironstone through August 11th. Check  out the biography and slideshow below ...

"Pissarro in the Field"

The second of the two Spalt Guitars is named       "Pissarro in the Field". Breathtaking piece, in the words of Artist Paul Schmidt...

"Lucien Pissarro, son of Camile Pissarro - well known French impressionst painter often called the "father of impressionism" began as a painter but during the 1880's became enthusiastic about woodcuts and wood engravings. (Embedded in the redwood burl of this outstanding electric guitar) this five - color woodcut from 1897 (catalogued in Fern - #92) was entitled variously "In the Field" or "Gold Cloud". The poetry of this astounding print spoken through its language of colours and composition thrilled me immediately upon viewing it.  The gold was reminiscent of Tiffany, and the muted glow was consistent with so many of the other works of art l'd selected. Mango, koa, walnut, redwood burl, poplar, and Macassar ebony (bridge) comprise the woods selected to enliven this instrument, along with the silver, pearl, abalone, Catalin knobs and bone switch. The son-gold yellow orange pickups mirror the character of the lithograph, which weds golds, greens, blues, yellows and browns to form its disposition.  The pearl inlay shaped into gynkgo leaves-inspired-kites sweeps through the body and into the neck for a graceful and strident theme that compliments the stirring quietude of the art.  Bountiful, bold, gentle, and startling in its beauty."

Electrifying Electric Guitars!

"Mucha Summer" by Michael Spalt

Wow, all I can say about this incredable piece of art. I am not a guitar player, but you don't have to be to appreciate these beauties, two of which are here on display in Ironstone's Heritage Museum for an undisclosed period of time.

One of 13 from Michael's "The Nouveau Series Guitars", "Mucha Summer" focuses on the original Mucha "Summer" lithograph which is suspended over gold-leaf and festooned with pearl. This guitar features mother-of-pearl and abalone cat tails flowing through the figured Brazilian rosewood. A stylized dragonfly lights on the Indian rosewood pahntom soundhole with its translucent wings revealing the abalone cat-tail stem beneath.  The glass exhibits a moonlit soft rainbow of strong orange, purple, blue, green, pink, yellow, amber - all luminescent huse floating over the gold-leaf, inspired by the lithograph both in actual colour and mood of the peaceful-warmed summer moment. The earthiness of the Brazilian rosewood is reflected in the colour of the bridge pickup while the water motil is captured by the glass and the blue neck pickup.  The Catalin knobs and resin switch are set in myrtle burl neighboring the Macassar ebony bridge.

These are must see to believe masterpieces.. and the sound spectacular as well!

Ironstone wishes all a peaceful Memorial Weekend

We at Ironstone wish all of you a peaceful and reflective Memorial Weekend. Remember those who have given their lives and futures for us. As we celebrate this weekend, remember those still in the trenches. Send them your best wishes, your thanks and your goodwill as they struggle against odds some of us will never have to comprehend, thanks to their sacrifices.

Last days of May... Lots of new beginnings

Finally after much planning, Ironstone's Heritage Museum WWII exhibit is Open!  Titled, WWII A Small Window, this exhibit portrays small windows into WWII. Weapons used, treasures carried, what they wore and what they thought, just small windows into WWII. This exhibit will run through August.  Check out the slide show to the right.

Also opening this last week, Our Main Galleria presents the surrealist paintings of Melinda Englebrecht.  These very powerful and emotional paintings represent the beauty of the odd juxtapositions to every life and every happening.  Stop by if you have an opportunity. These paintings are very beautiful.

Passport weekend was a beautiful weekend with passport holders catching the Gold Fever, panning with Mario on the creek.  Need I say more!

We are now gearing up for our first concert June 6th. Volunteers will be contacted next week with assignments and all are ready to rock and roll! Are you? Check out the bands on their official websites just to the right of this column. I heard a few new ones myself!  What a Great Concert Season this year!  Hope to see you all here.  Phone is ringing and a bus pulled up.. Gotta go!