Ironstone Heritage Museum

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Artist, Ruth Morrow, Theme Division Artist

Ironstone welcomes back Artist Ruth Morrow again this year. Ruth will be present at the Opening Weekend of the Spring Obsession Event on March 2 & 3. Do stop by to see her "Art in Action".

Now, in Ruth's own words... at bit about the artist,

T-025 Classy Dills by Ruth Morrow watercolor 20x26 $500

RUTH MORROW

Ruth Morrow has spent the past 26 years painting and photographing the beauties of the Mother Lode. Ruth's loose and fanciful painting style is visible in her watercolor, acrylic, oil and mixed media pieces.

2011 - 12 have been busy and gratifying years in her artistic endeavors. At Sacramento Fine Arts Gallery Ruth was presented with an award for excellence for her watercolor "A Close-knit Village" and the Olive Schmid Memorial Award for her piece "Spring at the Old Homestead". She received multiple first awards at the 2012 Frog Jump Professional Art Show. "Spring at the Old Homestead" also received a second place at the October Mother Lode Art Show. In March she received a bronze plaque from the Windsor-Newton Company in New York for her excellence in watercolor.

Ruth was the first artist to win the Ironstone Obsession Theme Division poster contest twice with "A Romp in the Dills" and "Truckin Dills", both of which have sold out.

This year will be Ruth's 10th year of acceptance into the KVIE Art Auction.

For the past 4 years the artist has been a member of Loft Gallery Co-op in Sonora. She also belongs to Calaveras County Arts Council, the Gallery Group, The Golden Palette and Arts of Bear Valley. In Sacramento she is affiliated with Sacramento Fine Arts Gallery, Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons and Northern California Artists. Her work may be viewed at Aloft Gallery in Sonora, Calaveras Arts Council in San Andreas, Gallerie Copper in Copperopolis, Murphys Grille, the Window Gallery in Arnold, Art on Main Gallery in Murphys and her studio in Arnold.

Meet Spring Obsession Theme Division Artist, Gwenlyn Norton

Gwenlyn has been a participant in Ironstone's Spring Obsession Art Show for many years now, bringing a unique and vivid perspective to the world around us. Now, from Gwenlyn's own words ...

Gwenlyn Norton
Gwenlynsgallery.com

What is this power that takes over my mind and body and puts me in the flow of creativity?
I am so focused,
So dedicated,
So directed,
So determined,
So utterly consumed by spending as much time and energy
As I am able
To building,
To experimenting with materials, with color, with texture ***
Driven to see what happens, what develops, what results from my actions...
To experience the excitement, the humor, the failures, the rewards and the new challenges.
It's the life I thoroughly relish.

My contributions to Ironstone Vineyards, Theme Division,
16th Annyal SPRING OBSESSION Art Competition & Sale
are as follows:

T-016 Faith by Gwenlyn Norton pencil 12x16 $450

T-017 Dancing on the Keys by Gwenlyn Norton Mix Media 12x18 $350

Faith

Dancing on the Keys

Monday, January 21, 2013

Meet Artist Constance McLennan, Spring Obsession Theme Division 2013 Accepted Artist

T-014 "Spring Flare" by Connie McLennan oil 16 x 16 $450

CONSTANCE MCLENNAN
Biography &
Statement

"For me, painting must be more than the technical exercise of rendering what can be seen or photographed. Whereas a detailed rendering is finite and limited in what it offers, a more impressionistic work embodies the spirit of the artists and reveals new aspects the longer one looks."

I grew up in the isolated, small-town atmosphere of Yreka, CA, a historic mining and lumber community. A favorite memory is of accompanying my father, a veterinarian, on his out-calls amid the natural beauty of Mt. Shasta and the surrounding ranches and countryside. I drew and painted from an early age, receiving my first "award" at age four from the San Francisco Chronicle - the weekly "Junior Art Champion".

My painting career took a long time to develop. Before attending Academy of Art University in San Francisco, I graduated from CSU Sacramento with a degree in journalism. After two years at the Academy, I began my artistic life as a freelance illustrator. In the following years, I illustrated a variety of local and national advertising, institutional and editorial projects, including 13 children's books. One of my last illustration projects was the poster for the 2010 California State Fair.

I attended my first painting workshop in 1994. I continued to attend and learn a little more about painting one week every year for several years. Between 2010 and 2012, I was enormously influenced by a series of workshops with well-known impressionist Don Hatfield.

My training as an illustrator gave me a solid foundation for painting. But, while the ingredients of a successful painting are similar to those of an effective illustration, painting affords me the freedom to paint subjects I choose in a way I find more satisfying. I began as a realist but am working toward impressionism. For me, a painting is as much about how an artists handles color, design and brushstrokes as it is about the subject or message.

I am a two-time contributor to the U.S. Air Force Art Collection. In May, 2011, my collection of 25 8x8 paintings won first place in the "20 -20 Show" at the Kennedy Gallery in Sacramento. My painting of a Rocklin heritage oak received a "Judges Choice" award in Ironstone's 2012 Spring Obsession Show. That painting also was chosen "Best of Show" in the 2012 University Art Open Exhibition. Guests may visit my home studio in Rocklin during the Art & Chocolate Studio Trek (April 27 - 28) and the Placer Art Studios Tour in November.

Heritage Museum Note: Connie will be present this year at the Opening of the Spring Obsession Show, March 2 & 3. Stop in and say hello!

T-015 Greenland Trio by Constance McLennan oil 16x16 $450

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Family & Friends help Drain your cellar?

Family & Friends help you drain your wine cellar over the Holidays?
I know we did and had a great time doing it!

I'm restocking this Saturday from 9 to 2 at Ironstone's Warehouse Wine Sale.

I know this will probably backfire on me, but, we managed to get several cases of the Leaping Horse Shiraz into the Museum for a "pre-sale" deal through New Years and what a great wine for only $3 a bottle! I know I restocked several times. As the family headed home after the celebrations, they stopped by for a few cases as well. It will be one of the featured wines on Saturday along with a nice Leaping Horse Merlot, and a very tasty Stone Valley Chardonnay among others. Can't beat that $36 a case price!

Several cases are going home with me again if I can get there early enough!

Artist Felicia Ulvevadet, Spring Obsession Theme Division Artist

Joining the Spring Obsession Theme Division Artists is Felicia Ulvevadet.

Felicia Ulvevadet

Artist Statement

Watercolor has always intrigued me and I often thought of trying to paint with this medium. In 2005, I final decided to explore the world of watercolor in a beginner class. Since that first class, I found it is something I love and believe I have found my niche as an artist. Since, my retirement, I have been able to devote more time to my passion for watercolor. I enjoy painting still life, florals and animals.

I hope my love of painting will come through to others in my art.

T-003 "Rainbow in a Vase"

watercolor 13.5 x 16.5

$200

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Theme Division Artist, Janice Freischlag

Also accepted into Ironstone's 16th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show opening March 2nd. is Janice Freischlag. Janice has two entries that will be arriving for this exhibit.

T-021 "After the Rain" watercolor 12x16 $250

T-022 "Daffodil Aglow" watercolor 16x20 $295

Janice Freischlag: A Biography

Janice began her fascination with art in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1989. She began with German folk art painting, Bauernmalerei. After five years in Germany, she returned to the U.S. and began to broaden her painting skills. On returning, Janice and her husband moved to Lake Tahoe where she was fortunate enough to befriend , Lola, her mentor and owner of Lakeside Gallery. At Lake Tahoe, where she became more accomplished, she began painting in oils. To her surprise she started to get commissions for pet portraits and more. She is accomplished in a wide range of subjects as well as most painting mediums, i.e. acrylic, water, gauache and oil.

Janice and her husband now reside in Ione, California, at Lake Camanche, with a parrot and four cats. She has a very productive berry and vegetable garden, apple trees planted from seed, is and orchid enthusiast, gourmet cook and paints whenever possible.

Theme Division Accepted Artist Judy Knott

As we draw closer to the opening of the 16th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show March 2nd., the excitement is growing here at Ironstone as preparations are in full swing. The Theme Division entries are in and accepted artists have been notified. As their information comes in, I will share with you here the accepted work along with the artists bios.

Ironstone's 16th Annual Spring Obsession - THEME DIVISION Artist -
Judy Knott

Entry #T-006 "Ready for the Picking"
Oil, 36x18 $900

Judy will be on site Plein-air painting on Saturday, March 2, from 11 - 4 .

Biographical Information
My home is in Elk Grove, California where I’ve lived since 1990 with my husband of 31 years.

My studio is in my home and In addition to painting with oils, I also work with watercolors, design and make jewelry and have started a greeting card line.
I am the President of Elk Grove Artists for 2013 & 2014 and belong to Northern California Artists and the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael.
My career outside of art has revolved around computers predominantly in the medical field. My last job before retiring in October 2011 was with Catholic Healthcare West Medical Foundation (Dignity Health) where I was a trainer, documentation specialist and finally an IDX computer analyst.
I have a B.A. in Speech Communications, a certificate in Project Management and from 1996 to 2006 held an Adult Vocational Education Teaching Credential.

Artist Statement

I picked up a paint brush in 2008 and have not stopped painting since. I was able to take some classes from Kate Anderson, a local artist, before she moved away and I am thrilled that she took me under her wing. Although I enjoy water colors I decided to concentrate on oils. I started entering my art into competitions in 2012 and have gained some recognition including a prize in the student category of Artist’s Magazine in the January/February 2013 issue. I paint in a somewhat impressionistic style but I am continuing to find my way and am enjoying the journey. My subject matter is varied and ranges from still lifes and interiors to odd items such as gas meters and drinking fountains. More recently I’ve become infatuated with fish and am excited to be commiserating with folks in the fishing community. Conservation is important to me and if art can bring further awareness of nature to the public, then I’m proud to play a part.
Most recently a few of my fish paintings have been accepted into the January Animal Attraction show at Temporary Contemporary art gallery in Sacramento.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Did I say Popcorn?

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The world is going green, and environmentally-conscious consumers have discovered a way to ship products without using the dreaded Styrofoam packing peanuts: popcorn! While it isn't a perfect solution--natural oils can damage or discolor paper products, and it's heavier than Styrofoam--popcorn is cheap, easy to use

, and won't clutter up landfills like some other materials will. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that after you've finally put that package in the mail, you can reward yourself with a movie and your leftover packing materials.