Lapidary Gold Mine!

We have been very busy here at Ironstone's Heritage Museum. Incoming is an overwhelming collection of lapidary rock and collection minerals, over 70 boxes!  These are all coming in from a very old collection, near 90 years old. 

Not having a geologist in house, the research to determine what these are and what value if any is a bit challenging, but doable.

Once pieces have been identified, they will go up for sale here in the Museum. 

This week we will be tackling the items in the photos below.

Rhodonite in 4 very distinct colors and patterns along with a very large slab of what I was told is onyx.

The Rhodonite above are very large slabs and cabochons. Forgive my little camera, but that yellow piece is actually a very lovely peach color, not yellow. Ditto below...

The first slab is a rich pink with distinctive black patterns. Most resemble landscapes with Oak Tree images. There are quite a few slabs and cabochons of this particular color.

The round cabochon above is a much lighter pink with more spider web like black lines. You can see white quartz on many of the slabs and cabochons of this coloration.

The far right slab is a sparkling pinkish red color with both less distinctive black lines as well as more defined markings. There are fewer of this coloration in the mix so far.

And last by not least is that NOT yellow oval cabochon. It is a beautiful peach color with black accents. Very few of these pieces so far. 

However, since we have unpacked only 10% of the entire collection, there is no telling what we may find throughout November as we unpack the collection.



According to Wikipedia...
Rhodonite is a manganese inosilicate, (Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca)SiO₃ and member of the pyroxenoid group of minerals, crystallizing in the triclinic system. It commonly occurs as cleavable to compact masses with a rose-red color (the name comes from the Greek ῥόδος rhodos, rosy), often tending to brown because of surface oxidation.

Mohs scale hardness‎: ‎5.5 - 6.5

Crystal symmetry‎: ‎Triclinic 1 pinacoidal

Crystal habit‎: ‎Tabular crystals, massive, ...

Crystal system‎: ‎Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M ..


Rhodonite crystals are known for their capacity to bring emotional healing and to release blocked energy from within the heart chakra.

Above you see today's challenge. The very large slab I have been told is onyx.  It is a very old collection piece around 10" x 8", going from 1" thick to 2" thick.  Stunning cream color with some crystallization in some spots. A beautiful piece.

On top are several cabochons that may or may not be of the same material along with 3 beautiful pieces of stone canyon jasper. 

We are very grateful to the Calaveras County Gem & Mineral Society for offering to help us unpack and identify the remaining boxes of material. It will be like Christmas for all of us!   I will be posting images of pieces we are working with along with specimens that have already gone into the new cases here in the Museum.

If you love rocks come on by and take a look. There are some really outstanding slabs, specimens and cabochons. 

And, if you know rocks, you may correct us at any time! Your knowledge is more valuable that our "Google-ing". So do stop on by.

Behind the scenes shots

Gett'n ready for The Band Perry!

We Are BACK!!!

It has been too long since we have posted or even had time to visit all our friends here at the IronstoneBlog!

But do not fear, our hiatus is over.

We are getting ready today for The Band Perry Concert.  Light and sound crews are unloading and lifting gear on the new state of the art stage, lots of trucks unloading props, drums, guitars and more.

Very exciting!  Tuesday, the 11th. Gates open at 6:00 pm.

Enjoy a few of the back scene photos ... More as soon as they download from our phone...

Meet Artist Katherine Forst

Katherine Forst

 Flora  Katherine Forst   mix  16x12.5  $1250

Artist Biographye

Katherine Forst, b.1979, Oakland, CA, is a Monterey based artist who creates mixed media art based on the classical mosaic technique. She studied art history at Smith College with a passion for Italian Renaissance art. After graduation she moved to Italy where she lived for 10 years, absorbing the ancient and Renaissance aesthetic. While in Italy, she studied mosaic in Ravenna at the Centro per on Formazione Professionale (CFP), and the Accademia dele belle arti and apprenticed in Ravenna's top mosaic studio. She was certified by the CFP as a professional mosaicist. Her work has been shown in galleries around California.

Meet Artist Sherrie K. Palmer

Sherrie K. Palmer

A member of Arts of Bear Valley since 2003 and a certified oil painting instructor, Sherrie's love of art began in early childhood. In 2000 she bacame interested in painting with oils after having painted for years with acrylics. Her inspiration was a magazine article that stated, "it's never too late to be what you might have been." That was inspiration enough to make a goal of finding out what it would be like to be "An Artist". With the encouragement of her family and friends, that inspiration has become a true reality.

   Sherrie has participated in art lasses in community college and workshops in Vallejo, CA, Portland, OR and Murphys. She and her husband moved to Arnold from Concord in 2003, after a 15 year desire to live in the Sierra Foothills. The family vacationed at Lake Alpine regularly, enjoying camping, fishing, and hiking. Sherrie says "the Sierra Mountains inspire the artist in everyone. The skies, sunset, windflowers, the stars so close at night; God's absolute beauty is everywhere you look."

Beginning in 2003, she has taught several floral & landscape classes in the Bay Area and Arnold. Sherrie has also exhibited at the following places, Bear Valley Summer Art Show, Calaveras Big Trees Show, Calaveras County Fair (numerous awards), Murphys Grill, Cottage Springs Resort, Snowflake Lodge, Pacific State Bank and Window Gallery in Arnold. Sherrie has served as President for Arts of Bear Valley in 2009, 2010 & 2011. She was Chairperson for the 2012-2013 Big Trees Park  Summer Art Show. Her desire is "to continue my pursuit of fine arts, expanding my talents to enhance my capabilities." She has continued to add watercolors to her palette by attending workshops by Jill Figler, Carolyn Macpherson, Jeannie Vodden; art classes of Martha Wallace, Murphys ; oil workshop with Judie Cain. Since 2012 Sherrie has been the Art Teacher at Christian Family Learning Center in Angels Camp, Ca. Sherrie feels that "art gives me the true joy and pleasure of reaching the artistic person inside of me."

    Sherrie's present preferene is oils, as they "have a deep rich color when incorporated together, you can experience an explosion of many colors, textures and even a translucent appearance." She delights in capturing this result with large floral, animals. Landscapes and many other artistic forms,

maxmerlo@comcast.net

Meet Artist Judie Cain

          Judie Cain
                        www.cainart.com

Country Classic * WINNER, 3RD PLACE *  gouache 5x7 $300

Oil Painter, Instructor

~a colorists' nostalgic impressions ~

A native of Burlingame, CA, Judie studied at California College of Arts after high school. Family responsibilities behind her, in 1987 taking an early retirement from the business world, Cain returned to painting by attending college, numerous workshops and taking private lessons.

Judie has taught her oil painting fundamentals and color workshops in the western states as well as locally. She also paints in gouache.

~~ Her paintings and classes are at Copper Art Gallery, where she'll be teaching "Color Demystified" classes in May. Www.townhallarts.com. 209-785-2050.

Gifts from the Farm  oil  20x24  $1800

This award winning artist has been represented in galleries in Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and California, including Murphys, Copperopolis and Carmel.

Ms. Cain has several works in print, Giclee and produced on home products and are collected worldwide.

Meet Artist Carol Clark

Artist: CAROL L. CLARK

Date: March, 2015

The Gift  oil  24x30  $325

Carol's favorite mediums are oils and waterolors. She enjoys bright and muted colors as well as the affects created by glazing layers of transport colors.

Carol enjoys landscapes, historial building and homes. This year she added figures to her themes.

Carol sells her art as originals and displays them at Ironstone Vineyards.

Waiting  oil  18x24  $300

Meet Artist Carol David

Carol David

Welcome to my World of Creativity!

SOLD

My paintings reflect my love of people in their surroundings. I love to capture the mood of my subjects. My choice of medium is pastel because of the brilliant colors, it's dry form and the immediate effect it has on paper.

Mountain Air  pastel  18x24  $750

I also like to portray the majesty of nature in my work since I grew up in Davis, Ca., an agricultural area, and spent much time in the Sierra Mountains on vacations. It was my father, an Entomology professor, who inspired me to have a deep appreciation for nature and a passion for art.  My people paintings are usually done from a photo back in my studio and I create my landscape paintings on location.

Carolsrt37@aol.com.  *  www.caroldavid.com

Meet Artist George Dillon

GEORGE DILLON

Website: www.georgedillonstudio.com
Email: George.dillon1@comcast.net

I've got my eyes on you   30x30  $575

  George has had an interest and a connection to art all his life but only in the last eighteen years has been able to dedicate his full tine to hits pursuit.

His teachers include nationally renowned landsape artist Charles White, watercolorists Penny Soto and Joan Dougherty, Judie Cain a frequent contributor to Artist Magazine and portraitist Gary Bergren. Ben Kikuyama, an internationally known feature artist at the Lahaina Galleries in Maui has been his mentor in the field of mix media and three-dimensional art.

The Self   acrylic  26x32  $575

George's style is most often surreal if modern and has been influenced by Picasso, Matisse and George's Braque as well as his first encounters with African Art and travel. His imagination and whimsy have all been inspiration to him and have encouraged his experimentation with color, themes and materials. His 3-dimensional Art is typically built from canvas or paper and them layered upon each other to form his interpretations of the subject. He takes a more conventional approach to more traditional themes.

George's art is typically both bold and colorful and challenges his viewers' sensibilities with sometimes humorous and sometimes penetrating looks at culture and it's surroundings . Further adding to his art are his pithy titles that often reflect both innuendo and a healthy splash of irony .

Three Faces of Eve  acrylic  24x30  $575

When asked what type of art he creates, Dillon respond, "It is hard to categorize , but I am known for color. I want each observer to have an emotional response of some type to my paintings. The vivid use of color causes a reaction as we tend to be internally stirred by the spectrum before us. I can describe what a painting means to me, but I hope the viewer comes up with a meaning that conjures up his or her own inner feelings ."

Dillon always starts a painting with the idea of where he wants to go but reflects that sometimes the creative process takes over and the finished product is something he never dreamed of. He gets a great feeling looking at a painting and having no idea how he did it but great satisfaction in the accomplishment. He offers a tip for viewers, "Often my titles help to discover what the art piece is trying to convey".  Many of his titles will challenge the observer to examine their own awareness.

Currently George is a member of the Calaveras County Arts Council, the Amador County Artists Association and the Lodi Council of Arts. His works have been on display in several  venues in the Bay Area, Sacramento and currently in the California foothills.

Meet Artist Geneva Davis Season

Geneva Davis Season

O-084 Racoon  oil 12x26 $200

Over thirty years ago Geneva's creative art journey began. Studying a variety of techniques and mediums has led to a body of work of great diversity. Her work may be characterized as realism to Impressionism but as variety of subject matter a distinctive style has evolved which can vary depending in the subjet matter and medium.

The variety of subjects has included animals, birds, rich and lively florals and gardens that evoke color and mood. These might be considered to be signature work whether in oils, watercolor, or most recently pastels. Others might insider the sentimental renderings of children to romantic figures the most moving to the imagination, in any case the journey continues and might include almost any subject but be assured it will have warmth and emotion as a constant . Geneva's paintings are in many private collections.

O-084 Hope you Like Flowers  11x14 $295

Her paintings may be viewed at Pinecrest Gallery in Pinecrest, Ca. All That Matters Gallery in Twain Harte, Ca. Town Hall Gallery in Copperolis, Ca. and Ventana Gallery in Sonora, Ca.
Geneva's home studio is open to visitor's by app. 209-533-2014.

O-085 Seaside Garden 11x14  $295

Ironstone Concerts 2015!

Meet Artist Judy Boles

Judy Boles Art

O-027  Stanislaus River - Big Trees  oil  12x16  $350

 As a girl, I took many cross country trips with my family, watching the varied landscapes go by. during those trips, my father instilled a sense of adventure and an appreciation for the beauty in all landscape: orchards, cornfields, lakes, mountains, sea coasts, and even barren deserts. Painting and drawing the things I saw became a favorite childhood pastime. After finishing college, I taught high school English and Art in Northern California for several years, but my art soon took a back seat to the joys of children and to the demands of the corporat world. Since my retirement in 2006, I have been pursuing my passion for art more fully.

O-024  Autumn Grapes  acrylic  11x14  $350

My work is a visual diary of scenes that have inspired me. The close observstion needed to render a scene on canvas makes me feel connected to the place. While living many years in Sonoma County, I was drawn to the 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, where we live in the awesome beauty of a National Forest. My new inspirations are mountain streams, alpine lakes, Sequoia trees and the constantly changing seasons.

O-028  Yellowstone Bison  oil  16x20  $350

Please visit my web gallery at: Romulo.com/jbolesart
Or email me at: rojubo@rojubo.com

Spring Obsession Winners!

After a stunning opening of Ironstone's 18th Annual Spring Obsession Art show this past Saturday, Open Division Judge, Kathleen Dunphy, announced the names of the winning paintings in the OPEN Division!

Earning the JUDGE MERIT AWARD:

"Spring Celebration" by Carol Goff  

"Laundry Day"  by Linda Knoll

"Amaryllis"  by Jan Alcalde










3rd Place Winner
"Country Classic"  by Judie Cain

2nd Place Winner
"Winter Apple Tree" by Linda Knoll

1st Place Winner

"Haiku Interlude" by Marilyn Wear









FAMILY Merit Awards went to:
"On the Water at Sunrise" by W. Vaughn Lew

"Springtime Adolescence"  by  Ron Miranda

Spring Obsession is HERE!

Ironstone's 18th Annual Spring Obsession Event opens

at 10 AM Saturday!

Free admission to the exhibition with 

Meet 'n Greet the "Working Artists";

George Dillon

Jessica Fonda

Katherine Forst

George Haskell

Ruth Morrow

John Reid

Ron Rice

Katerina Rutherford

Teresa Steinbach-Garcia

And with the weather looking to be grand, search out painter 

Judie Cain painting somewhere on the grounds at Ironstone.

At 1:00 PM, Chef Robert and Wine Maker Steve 

collaborate on a Cooking Demonstration that is open to the public at no charge!  Come see the magic happen!

Daffodils are out in stunning color this weekend. Bring your paint or cameras. Too good to miss!

4:00 PM begins the Food & Wine Pairing from Around the World, featuring select appetizers, each paired with a different Ironstone wine. This event is $25 pp. Please call to make sure it isn't sold out.

The 2015 Obsession Poster is unveiled at this event and will go on sale in the Tasting Room & Museum on Sunday for $10 each.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 ...

Gallerias open at 10:00 AM along with Artist's Meet n' Greet/Art in Action. All Free admission. Close at 3:00

All Art work is available for sale starting on the day of the event. However, we do ask that pieces not be removed until after the Food & Wine Pairing Event.

This exhibit will be on display through Mother's Day Weekend.

Open Division Judge, Kathleen Dunphy

Ironstone is pleased to present Kathleen Dunphy who will be judging the OPEN Division of Ironstone's 18th Annual Spring Obsession OPEN Division.  

Kathleen Dunphy’s rapid success in the competitive art world was predicted when American Artist Magazine recognized her as one of the Top Ten Emerging Artists in 1998, just 2 years after she had closed her floral design business to devote herself full time to painting.  She is one of those rare people who have true passion, dedication, and a gift for transposing nature’s beauty to canvas.

Kathleen’s early art education included workshops by Kevin MacPherson and Dan Gerhartz. In 2000, Kathleen was awarded a full scholarship at the renown Academy of Art University in San Francisco.  She maintains strong ties to the Academy, where she has been offered a faculty appointment and participates in the annual Alumni Auction. Further study with Scott Christensen and T. Allen Lawson helped hone her skills and refine her own unique style of painting.

In 2003, Kathleen designed and built her own studio in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California, where the pristine setting of her home provides endless inspiration for her work.  Kathleen’s landscape paintings can now be found in galleries from coast to coast. Her honors are considerable and include important juried shows in California, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and Maine; Best of Show from the American Impressionist Society; an Award of Excellence from the Oil Painters of America; ten California Art Club Gold Medal Shows; eight magazine articles including being featured in Southwest Art’s plein air issues in 2009 and 2013; the Federal Duck Stamp Competition; Birds in Art; Arts for the Parks; Grand Prize at the Acadia Invitational Exhibition in Bar Harbor, Maine; and many others. In 2014, Kathleen’s painting “The Flotilla” was purchased by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum for inclusion in their permanent collection.  Kathleen has attained signature status with the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, Laguna Plein Air Painters, the American Society of Marine Artists and Artists for Conservation. Her highest honor to date came in 2013 when she was elected to join the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America as one of only 35 Signature Members. In a short period of time, she has earned an impressive and growing reputation with galleries, private collectors, and art magazines across the United States.  

In the spirit of passing on the gifts of her artistic abilities, Kathleen began teaching in 2005 and is a much sought-after workshop instructor. Her engaging style of teaching and one-on-one instruction garners high accolades from her student artists. 

Kathleen has joined many of Ironstone's other prestigious judges selecting the awards at Ironstone's annual Spring Obsession Art show. 

Meet Artist W. Vaughn Lew, Spring Obsession THEME Division accepted artist

W Vaughn Lew

Artist

Murphys, California

T-004  In Like a Lion  oil  16x20  $500

I'm originally from Eastern Oregon. My family moved to Lodi in 1961 where I attended Lodi High School, graduating in 1964.
  I then enrolled at Sacramento State College, where I was a Commercial Art Major. De Witt Whistler Jayne was my main influence. He was a renowned commercial artist, illustrator, and portrait painter with a gift for teaching and an eye for perfection. "Mr. Lew", he would say, "so much for a nice beginning, but let's have a finish." I've been striving for that quality ever since.
   Another instructor that had a very positive effect on me was Dr. Tarmo Pasto, an eccentric art psychologist and art instructor who taught the "Space Frame Concept". It was all about space and form.
   After graduating from SSC and getting a teaching credential I was fortunate to get an art teaching job at Elk Grove High School. I taught there for several years, but had an itch to get into construction. That is where I've been until eight years ago, when my wife Glenda, and daughter Melissa and I moved to Murphys.
   One thing that is certain is that art requires a commitment. I feel that I now have the time and space to finally concentrate on my painting. Although I have been producing some art over the years, it is only now that I can continue to the next piece without an extended time period between. Landscapes, townscapes, wildlife, and portraits all interest me. My goal is to create images that bring the viewers into a space that takes them away, and gives them pause to reflect.

Meet Artist Jorune Jonikas, 18th Annual Spring Obsession THEME Division accepted artist

JORUNE M. JONIKAS   

T-026  Three Graces  acrylic  14x18  $195

Discovering late in life that I could create art has been an unexpected gift. Although throughout my early life, I always wished I could draw, I never seriously considered attempting it or taking classes - until I retired.  I retired from a 25 year career in federal law enforcement and decided to explore that persistent itch and started taking every art class that was offered through the Smithsonian in Washington DC. It was a new and wonderful world opened up to me by professional artists teaching the Smithsonian art classes. During my time there, I was privileged to be included in gallery art shows at the Foundry Gallery, Washington DC and at the Mansion at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD.

Moving to Sacramento allowed for continued growth-taking different and varied art classes, and getting to know new talented artists.  Painting to me is quiet and contemplative and although I tend toward the realism side, I'm still learning and experimenting with different styles and bolder colors. I paint in oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel. I find each has its own dynamic and that sometimes a subject matter is better suited to one medium than another. I have a definite fondness for painting animals, both wild and domestic and I have been fortunate to have received commissions for pet portraits. I have paintings in private collections in Maryland, Illinois, Colorado and Sacramento. I have been honored to have been accepted into juried shows at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in 2012 and 2013, and have exhibited at Citrus Heights City Hall and at restaurants in Fair Oaks and Sacramento. I am especially pleased to have been accepted into the Ironstone Vineyards, Spring Obsession art show for the fourth time. Ironstone has been a wonderful and awe inspiring experience.

Meet Artist Debra Montgomery, Ironstone Spring Obsession THEME Division accepted artist

Debra Montgomery
Fine Metal Sculpture
www.finemetalscuplture.com
Art Piece: RENAISSANCE
Copper and Wood Daffodil

T-028  Renaissance  repousse  7.25x10.75  $1500

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a welder by trade, having changed careers in 2000. I anticipated pursuing a very practical blue collar career when I went back to school. In discovering the aesthetic versus functional aspects of metal along the way, it has proven to be an unexpected and fascinating detour in my vocational path.

Working primarily in welded steel and the copper forming techniques of repousse and chasing, I value the potential for expressiveness and texture in my work. An integral part of my style is accuracy and tangibility. When people see my work, I want them to be inclined to reach out and touch it.

I do not always have a set plan when I start creating a piece. Of course there are mathematical formulas to calculate factors such as proportions and scale. Other times, the metal surface can, in essence, take on a life of its own, with the shadows from the lights hinting where the next hammer hit should be. A good part of my passion for and the challenge I get out of my work is driven by my finding the way to the end result.

I take great pleasure in utilizing traditional metalsmithing techniques, bringing into fruition, detail-oriented two and three dimensional art that would be considered non-traditional in nature.

As I continue to hone my skills as an artisan, I hope to develop my portfolio into a diverse and extraordinary collection of work that one would not expect to be constructed out of metal.

Meet Artist Katerina Rutherford, Spring Obsession THEME & OPEN Division accepted artist

Katerina Rutherford

T-019  Festival of Life I  gouache  18x18.5  $450

  

Paintings "Festival of Life 1" and "Festival of Life 2"


This is my 3rd Obsession and 4th Theme Division. for this year's Spring Obsession I wanted to create a joyful painting, one that celebrates the creative events put forth every year by the Ironstone Winery.

For the connection between wine and art, I tried in both paintings to express through a wonen-themed allegory of dancing in tulips, playing inside vineyards of daffodils in a wine glass.

I reducted my color palette to two tones to get more expression out of the painting. Finally, I used cubist abstract forms I found while being inspired by cubist artist Vaclav Spala (1885-1946), who comes from my home country, the Czech Republic.

T-020  Festival of Life II  gouache  18x20.75  $550

Angels Camp and San Francisco motifs accepted into the OPEN Division 2015

I am a plein air painter. Over the past 10 years I have focused more and more on plein air painting. My major topic on canvas over the last five years has become cities.

Angels Camp:

O-125 Gold Rush House  oil  15x18  $800

Angels Camp is an amazing gold rush town in Northern California, situated right on top of the Mother Lode of gold. Angels Camp was founded during the Gold Rush days in 1849/50.

O-126  Main Street Angles Camp 2014  oil  26x19  $1200

Walking along Angel Camp’s famous frog jump sidewalk on Main Street has a feel like time stopped during the Wild West days, except for one difference: you will not see horses and buggies, but big American cars and pickup trucks. This contrast of big cars and trucks and the Wild West architectural styles became a new approach to my plein air artistic visions.

San Francisco:

O-127  Powell Street in San Francisco  26x21  $1500

In May 2014 I spent one week painting in downtown San Francisco. During that one week I worked on only two motifs, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. My experience of painting cityscapes has personally been worth it!

Powell Street is one of San Francisco’s typical, breathtaking streets that winds up and down the city’s hills…cable cars snaking up and down, appearing and disappearing again at the top of another hill. Next to the cable cars are vertical and horizontal lines of cars and swarms of people busily moving about the city… I found this to be a perfect morning motif.

I realize that except for San Francisco’s buildings, everything else is in motion. I simply became an animator trying to capture the blink-of-an-eye on canvas over the course of five mornings. The City by the Bay’s fickle weather blessed us that week with consistent, warm sunshine.

If you would like to see more of my artworks, please go to my websites: www.katerinarutherford.com :or www.skolavideni.com under my name. Both websites are in English, German and Czech.

Meet Artist Connie Romano, Spring Obsession THEME Division accepted artist

Connie Carson-Romano  

T-003  Daffodil Rays  acrylic  16x20  $240

    Art is an expression of the way the Artist views the world in which he lives. Through my paintings, I try to communicate the emotions that made the subject something I wanted to share with others whether it is joy, serenity or the excitement of the beauty of nature. I know I have succeeded at my Art when someone looks at a painting or drawing and says, "That  painting makes me feel ... "
    
    Expressing myself through art has always been a form of meditation and relaxation for me, although until 4 years ago I never shared my passion for painting with anyone. My husband encouraged me to show my paintings and I found that people enjoy what I have to share.

T-002  Dreaming Big on the Lip of a Tulip  acrylic  16x20  $260

    Acrylic paint, with its forceful colors was my favored medium for years. About a year ago I began experimenting with oils. The difference in the mediums is very exciting to me as it allows for a varied representation of subjects.

    The colors that are present in nature are phenomenal and I love trying to create the same shades. Having been raised in the mountains of New Mexico I found myself immersed from an early age in the amazing palate of nature and the challenge of trying to recreate that on canvas. Now as a resident of Northern California, I am awed at the diversity of landscapes we live in and the unlimited array of challenges awaiting my brushes.

    Two Artists looking at the same object or same landscape will create completely different expressions of what they see. I find it is amazing and exciting that so many different interpretations of the world around us are available through the eyes of Artists. I love visiting galleries and museums to view the varied presentations of life as expressed by different individuals. It is my pleasure that I am able to add my own personal expressions to this collection.

CarsonRomanoGallery.com.

Meet Artist Barbara Young, Spring Obsession THEME Division accepted artist

ARTIST STATEMENT FOR BARBARA (BARB) YOUNG

T-027  Wine and Spring  watercolor  11x20  $400

Since coming to Sonora in 1990, Barbs ART has expanded to include many sales and now, participation in local galleries, In 1996 she took a watercolor class from Dianne Starnes, while recovering from heart by-pass surgery. Since that time Barbs choice of medium has bee WATERCOLOR.

She has a prolific way of depicting old and historical buildings and capturing life like realism in her paintings of landscapes. And as well as doing watercolors, she has a special touch with her Sharpie Pen Sketches of rocks and trees, and pinecones, and other things that depict the Sierras.

Now retired, Barb can spend more time on the things she loves: painting and drawing, and Therapy Dog WORK with her doggies Happy BURITTO, & Kristy both Chihuahuas.

Barb has done some commissioned paintings, with unique challenges. She also has sold a lot of her paintings and sketches, as well as cards made from her paintings and sketches. You can find Barb around the Sonora and outlying areas sketching and taking pictures, and observing the many views and buildings. She also spends a lot of time in the Sierras.

Barb has come a long way from her beginnings in ART as a teenager, copying comic book characters and doing paint by - number Paintings. Her hearly works were sad and gloomy (which expressed her early life); and now, her work has taken on a "lightness, and colorfull expression." Barb credits her abilities as a God given talent.

Barb has won many awards at the MLAA shows in Oct. Her work can be seen at the ALOFT Gallery, Sonora. At Twain Heart's All That Matters; Pinecrest Gallery in Pinecrest and Sonora Blue Print. Barb has entered the Ironstone show many times.

bar-bar-a@att.net