Meet Artist Phil Murillo, Ironstone Spring Obsession Accepted Artist

Phil Murillo  - Artist Bio

O-064  Mill226  by Phil Murillo   53x38  $975

     From my childhood in Chicago, to my current everyday life in the central valley, art has played a vital role throughout my life.  As a kid drawing comic strips, to a teen replicating rock album covers and bands' logos, to my career choice in graphic design, art has always been at my core.

     I graduated from Fresno State with a degree in Advertising Design. Shortly thereafter I started a career in the commercial sign industry.  I had the opportunity to learn and hone my skills at hand lettering, logo design, large format graphics, wall murals, typography, commercial and electrical signage. Ultimately my artistic style and my art studio were developed from my work life experiences.

     Working Class Studios reflects the concept and approach  behind my artwork.  I have a technical working class approach to each painting. I do much planning and visualizing in the beginning stages of the piece. After the plan is in place, I apply many frenetic translucent layers. I follow the plan generally, but always allow for the colors to flow, overlap and interconnect.  These free flowing colors create new images, shapes and color schemes within themselves, a colorful planned chaos.

     Working Class Studios also reflects the importance to me of being environmentally conscious.  Whenever possible I use recycled sign surfaces, re-used substrates, salvaged wood and materials for my paintings and frames, turning landfill into artwork.

     Thank you for your interest. I appreciate it.

     Phil Murillo

O-065  Snow White  by Phil Murillo  21x28   $650

Meet Artist Charlotte Mahood, Ironstone Spring Obsession Accepted Artist

Charlotte Mahood
Artist Biography

O-205  Barco Rifigio  by Charlotte Mahood  36x36  $3000

Charlotte makes her home in the foot hills of the Sierra-Nevada Mountains with her husband and their three pups, El Greco, Leonardo and George. Her studio is located on their property next to their home providing her the opportunity to work on projects any time of the day or night.  Printmaking and Oil Painting are her passions.  Her printmaking work includes, etching, Chine Colle', Monotypes and mixed media.  Charlotte observes and records her impressions of the world around her in colorful passages.  Her figurative work records humanity at work and at play, evoking strong emotion on the part of the viewer. She imparts a sense of design that is uniquely her own.

After earning her Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Degree with high honors at Cabrillo College, Charlotte pursued further studies at The Scottsdale Art School, Kala Art Institute of Berkeley California and The Monterey Peninsula College.  A long time resident of Santa Cruz County before locating in the foothills, Charlotte was a member of The Santa Cruz Art League and the Pajare Valley Art Council. Presently she is a member of The Calaveras Arts Council, Arts of Bear Valley, the Golden Pallet, The Oil Painters Alliance and The Monterey Peninsula College Printmakers.

Her work has been selected for a number of juried shows and is in private collections throughout the Untied States.  Charlotte's work is available for purchase and is exhibited at the Art on Main Gallery, Murphys, California

Meet Artist John Lovewell, Ironstone Spring Obsession Accepted Artist

O-207  Leapard by John Lovewell  36x24 $2400

JOHN LOVEWELL                                                                                                        WILDLIFE ART
BIO

Statement from the artist:

It is my pleasure to personally share some things in my life that have contributed to my love of wildlife and the wilderness and the desire to express this in the field of art.

     I was born in Cody, Wyoming and raised in Kalispell, Montana, not far from Glacier National Park.  What a great time I had growing up, going fishing and hunting with my father and as a teen hiking with my buddies into the back country wilderness with my trusty 35 mm SLR.
     I guess I was drawing birds and animals as soon as I could hold up a pencil, I took up taxidermy at 12 years old, and bacame the town stuffer as people began dropping off specimens on the front porch. I was also called on to draw and paint things, even symbols on the sides of Teepees, and I enjoyed illustrating the High School Annual, with scenes from Indian life.
    Although I left the area, my heart was always there, like getting all choked up in cowboy movies when I saw the Mountain Scenery. I did make it a point to always take my wife and sons to Yellowstone Park every summer for vacation, where I continued to take pictures of old snags and rocks and scenery that I filed away for future use in bringing back old memories on canvas when I had free time.

     That is why I strive for realism, so the painting can be convincing enough that you fell you have stepped into an actual scene of nature and you are there for real, witnessing some kind of drama or action, which then usually means ... predators.
     I was largely self-taught, but felt encouraged when individuals would buy my efforts ... and even more so when some of my pieces were accepted into the Los Angeles Audubon Society Wildlife and Environmental Art Show.
     When I found time, I would take hikes into the Sierras and so finally I decided to move to Sonora, to be c lose by the mountains.
     This was a great decision ... here the Oil Painting World of technique and color was really opened up to me by a local artist and teacher, Gereon Rios of the Sonora Academy of Fine Arts.
     I hope then, that for my efforts will be successful in bringing a measure of appreciation for God's wonderful creations and that my experiences and memories will develop scenes that will perhaps evoke the same joys I have and that lie deep in the soul of those who have tramped in the woods ... or even maybe those who were only able to dream about it.

John Lovewell

Vaughn Pottery delivers! New Arrivals!

Life Force  - #310101  $600

 Bill & June Vaughn of Vaughn Pottery have blown us out of the water with this stunning new piece!  It is an eye stopper!  No one just glances at this piece. It draws you into it layer after layer - textures, colors and a richness that older pieces only hint at.  Inlayed with turquoise and ammonite fossils that interplay with the deep designs and rich earth colors this piece is a life force in and of itself.

Life Force  - #310101  $600