Wednesday, February 27, 2013

This Weekend Already?! JOIN US!


Meet the artists this weekend! Come to Ironstone's 16th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show Opening this weekend, Saturday & Sunday, March 2 & 3 starting at 10:00 am. 
Joining us this weekend are:
2013 Spring Obsession Artists Art-in-Action
in Alhambra Music Room
Saturday & Sunday

Connie Carson-Romano
Carol Clark
Jerry DeGarza
Randy Klassen
W. Vaughn Lew
Connie McLennan
Ruth Morrow
Phil Murillo
Bobbie Powell
Katerina Rutherford

2013 Spring Obsession Artists that will be painting on site
Saturday
Linda Beach
Stephanie Benedict
Judy Knott
Sunday
Robyn Leimer

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Meet Artist Carol DAvid, Spring Obsession Open Division Artist

Carol David

Carol David is a California impressionist whose work is manifested solely, and splendidly, in pastels.

Her love of art and nature began while she was still a child tagging after her father, a US Davis entomology professor who documented his work in pen and ink. Her father recognized her potential as she entered high school and encouraged her to do what many wanting to be commercial artists did at the time; take a correspondence course.

Carol's love of art only grew and correspondence courses led to being her high school newspaper's art editor and then graduation from San Jose State University with a BA in Commercial Art and Art Education, to which she added a teaching credential and certification in Special Education.

Carol added a beautiful family in to the mix and art quickly had to fall a bit lower on the priority list, but Carol's passion remained and she has found her way back to a full schedule of working her craft.
Carol finds great inspiration in workshops and connection with other artists and some of her most compelling work has resulted from that.

Over the past years, it became clear that pastels were her meduim of choice. Carol's work has since been seen in exhibits across California and she as received signifant recognition and awards for her work. Her most recent award was at the Tahoe show "Truckee Exposed" where she received first prize for hier "Lupines" piece.  She was also honored by the Stanislaus Arts Council with their 2010 Excellence in Arts Award for Visual Arts.

Carol's work is also commissioned on a regular basis.  Subjects range from sentimental collage football scenes to sweeping landcapes to people injoying a sunny day to equine beauties.

Carol believes pastels are her tools to interpret. expose and share a beautiful world. And most days, that's just what you'll find her doing.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Meet Artist Bruce Hancock, Spring Obsession Open Division Artist






Bruce B. Hancock
California Painter
Sacramento, California


Nearing the age of sixty, Bruce B. Hancock began a new phase of his life.  After more than 40 years in design and construction management in both the public and private sectors, Bruce returned to a childhood pastime of drawing and painting.  Setting aside his coat and tie and picking up a smock and brush, he began to paint again. 

From the shores of the Pacific coast to the open spaces of the Central Valley and up the foothill slopes of the Gold Country, Bruce paints California.  He is also drawn to the ancient lands and cultures of the great American Southwest.  “The vast spaces of the Western landscape overwhelm and inspire me.  Capturing the majesty, the history and the people of the West will keep me busy for the rest of my life.” 

Bruce paints in both oil and acrylic, but oil remains his favorite medium.  Whether it is landscape, still life or portrait painting, his work is distinguished by strong brushwork and bold color.   An active member of the Sacramento Plein Air Painters, Bruce finds the moments of creating art outdoors to be among the most rewarding aspects of painting.  The immediacy of the plein air experience draws him back again and again.  “Nature is a humbling and endlessly demanding teacher,” he says, “But If you are patient and attentive you will learn lessons that cannot be taught anywhere else.”    

Coming late in life to the easel has presented challenges and opportunities in abundance.   After the initial excitement of returning to painting again, he began to understand how much he had to learn.  To grow as an artist, he regularly studies through workshops and studio sessions with gifted painters he admires.  “There is so much to learn and to experience and to try.  I have to admit that I feel the pressure of time, but I understand that the artist’s journey never ends, no matter when in life it started.  How blessed I am to have each of these days at the easel. “  

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Meet Artist Ruth Andre, Ironstone Vineyards 16th Annual Spring Obsession OPEN Division artist



Ruth Andre - Spring Obsessions 2013

Contemporary Landscapes and Abstract Oils - Palette Knife Paintings

My paintings have transformed themselves from representational to abstract works in the past  year. The new work has been an awakening, revealing the inner spirit of my heart. The paint moved from the palette knife to canvas releasing the paint to tell its own story. My hand held the energy from within as the mixing of paint colors ignited and nature's beauty emerged. 

I studied art and design at California State Long Beach as well as printmaking at Otis/Parsons Art Institute. My interest in art led me to a career representing artists and photographers located in Los Angles, San Francisco and New York. Then in 1992 I took my first painting workshop with Maurice Larioux in Santa Fe, NM and I was hooked on painting. I continued studying on my own and taking workshops with known artists to learn the art of painting. I have been involved with art most of my life. Printmaking, fiber-sculpture and graphic design are all part of who I am with painting being my true love. I look to my previous careers as very important since they were a molding of different mediums that formed what I do today.


Meet Artist Robyn Lyee Leimer, Spring Obsession Open Division Artist



Robyn Lyee Leimer
Artist Bio

Robyn Lyee was born at Hill Air Force base outside of Ogden Utah. She spent many summer vacations with her grandparents at their home in Ogden. She has many precious memories of time spent with her grandparents on their front porch, looking out at the
mountains in the distance, enjoying the beauty and splendor of nature. Robyn has always been enthralled by nature. Nature's delicate perfect lines and symmetry of shapes, as well as the bold bright variations of colors continually capture her eye.

After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Art's degree from San Jose State University she is pursuing her passion on a daily basis focusing primarily on plein air painting. She is continually promoting plein air in her community and in her life's pursuits. After
graduation Robyn joined up with the Peninsula Outdoor Painting group (POPs) when she can, but enjoys plein air painting in the East Bay as well. She was instrumental in creating and organizing plein air paint out events with the Fremont Art Association as well as
organizing a weekly plein air group for the East Bay called Fremont Art Association Plein Air / East Bay Outdoor Painters (FAAPA/EBOP) which gets together to paint/sketch on Wednesday mornings. 

Robyn is also a member of the California Art Club: actively participating in the various exhibits, artist painting events and painting retreats that the club sponsors. Robyn enjoys the spontaneity of plein air painting. Starting out with nothing; being able to absorb it all from sight to sound. Capturing the essence from temperature, atmosphere and feelings evoked around her while finding the truth in nature that is constantly changing. Robyn says, "Plein air painting is a pursuit that continues to challenge me and I
love it. It is JUST PLEIN FUN!" 

Meet Artist Judy Boles, Ironstone Spring Obsession OPEN Division Artist



Judy Boles Art  

While taking family roadtrips as a girl, my father taught me to see the beauty in any landscape: orchards, corn fields, lakes, mountains, sea coasts ...and even barren desserts. Painting and drawing became my favorite childhood pass time. After getting a teaching credential from Chico State University, I taught high school English and Art in
northern California. However, my art soon had to take a back seat
to raising children and a career in the corporate world. Since
retiring in 2006, I am now able to pursue my passion for art once
again.

My art is a sort of visual diary of places or scenes that have moved
me. The observation required to render a scene on paper or canvas
makes me feel closer to the scene and to nature in general. While
living many years in Petaluma, CA, I was drawn to coastal hills, the
shoreline, and the wonderful vistas of the wine country. In 2011, my husband and I moved to Arnold, CA, in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

We now live in the natural beauty of a national forest. My new
inspirations: mountain streams, alpine lakes, redwood trees and
the constantly changing seasons.

Visit my web gallery at: rojubo.com/jbolesart
Or email me at: rojubo@rojubo.com




Meet Artist Christine Muratore, Ironstone's Spring Obsession OPEN Division Artist


Christine Muratore   
Artist Statement:
Instead of investing in the limitations of creating art from hindsight, we should initiate the path of art with foresight.

The dynamic synergy of structural and organic relationship is evident in our environment. Color, light and texture merging at different moments in time visually transform objects in our environment. Though the objects remain constant, these joined influences change how they are seen.

This coexistence is visible in natural cycles or exposure through time and function.

Working with aspects of architectural restoration has given tangible reference to this relationship.

Individual thoughts, emotions and responses are products of underlying experience. One's perspective has a structural base formed by this history while remaining organic.

As new experiences unfold, people reconstruct that framework, expanding, discarding, or renewing perceptions from current influences upon that support. Learning to play an instrument can initially be a painful experience, once mastered, it's a source of joy.

Inspired by the structural and organic relationship, my compositions explore images, color and textures to create a visual history of experience, while alluding to the ongoing transformation of self. The intention is to capture the ambiguity of perception. 

Short description of Work: Paintings using oil, acrylics, complementing medium and materials where texture is essential to the compositional statement.  An emphasis on the organic and structural relationship through form, color and texture.  


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Meet Artist Bobbie Powell, Ironstone Spring Obsession OPEN Division artist



Bobbie Powell, Artist

Roseville CA 
bobbiepowell@surewest.net
www.rosevillearts.org
www.dailyartbeast.com

Bobbie is all about bright colors and heavy textures. She
creates using oils, acrylics, inks, watercolor, collage, etc.
doing landscapes, still life, narrative figurative, abstracts
and commissions upon request.
She is a self taught award winning artist, and attends art
instruction seminars and workshops with some of the best
contemporary artist-instructors in Placer and Sacramento
Counties. She has also been instructed and critiqued by
the nationally famous artists of Intensive Studies
Seminars in Taos, New Mexico.
Bobbie is represented by Patris’ Art Gallery and Studio in
Oak Park, California.
She has a small working studio in Roseville and can be
contacted via email. Her work is shown in the Directory of
Artists at the Roseville Arts website listed above, on
Facebook and she shares her thoughts and art process on
her blog, The Daily Art Beast.