Meet Artist Gregory Gallardo, Ironstone 19th Annual Spring Obsession winning Artist

Congratulations to Gregory Gallardo,  3rd. prize winner, Open Division, "Some Distant Dawn".

O-079  Some Distant Dawn  collage 48x17.5  $1450

Gregory Gallardo
Artist

Gregory Gallardo was born in Santa Ana, California in 1962. As a teenager, he was mentored by artist Don White and found early success exhibiting his figurative drawings and paintings. Upon receiving a scholarship to attend art school, Gregory did what any rational 17 year old would do; he left home, left school and traveled the world as a musician for the following 10 years.

O-078  Costas Hummingbird  collage  12x12  $325 

Returning home from his travels, Gregory settled into a less nomadic lifestyle, attending several local Southern California Colleges and University's, but had little patience for organized art instruction and found that networking with other successful artists to be a more satisfying learning experience. Gregory soon left the confines of the classroom to produce commissioned art work and the occasional gallery exhibit. He reemerged on the art scene full - time in early 2001 blending his love for music and the visual arts to create his own unique views on humanity and spirituality.  Most recently Gregory has explored abstract and figurative themes using Acrylic Paint, Collage and Mixed Media.

Since his return in 2001 Gregory's work has been exhibited extensively throughout California and found its way into several permanent collections and museums on an international scale.

O-077 Rooster Dance  collage  12x12  $325

Gregory Gallardo
Web: www.gregorygallardo.com
Social Media: www.facebook.com/GregoryGallardoArt/

Baby Reserve Chardonnay is on it's way!

Took a walk along the driveway to see the first buds of the Reserve Chardonnay coming in.

With a warm day and gentle breezes, you would think it already summer!



Lots of guests today enjoying the Daffodils and Tulips in the barrels. They are so full of color it is almost overwhelming.

Sensory overload ... bring your camera or palette! There are not only daffodils & tulips, but from what I can count, at least 6 additional varietals in those barrels. Once a year full color display. Come by and visit before the spring color is gone. Worth the trip to Ironstone. While your here, stop in and say hello!

Meet Artist "Alex" Furtney, Ironstone Spring Obsession Art ShowO-107

Deanna Furtney "Alex", currently lives in Copperopolis.

O-107  Bob  acrylic  16x20  $400

Born and raised in California, studied art with Alma Steinger.

Furthering her career, Alex was a fine arts major in the USC School of fine Arts.  While at USC, she studied oils, life drawings with Hans Gebhardt. Alex received many awards including the Zellerbock award for excellence.

After College, while keeping up with her painting; she continued to study art. Eventually, she taught art classes in nearby high schools.

Upon moving to Northern California, she was exposed to many artists. Her style developed into bold landscapes as well as doing portraits. She was a founding member of The Center of Creativity and Community, in San Andreas where she taught classes and did design work for landscaping.  She continues to show her work at Gallery 23 in San Andreas. Next spring, she can be seen t Treasure Island Art Show in San Francisco. She does accept commissions.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me!

Deanna "Alex"

Meet Artist Libby Fife, Ironstone Spring Obsession accepted artist

Libby Fife – Fine Art

Email: libbyfife@ymail.com

Website: www.libbyfife.com

O-029  Precarious  acrylic  $235

Bio:

Libby Fife earned her B.A. degree in Psychology from Cal State University, Hayward and worked for 17 years in the banking industry. A layoff in 2007 prompted her to reevaluate her path and to have another look at being creative. Traditional quilting worked well for a while and then frustration set in when she had difficulty finding just the right color of fabrics. This led to painting on the fabrics to get the desired results. That process led to painting on canvas and just about the steepest learning curve anyone has ever experienced!  An ongoing effort to learn about design and composition, art history and the language of creativity, and sales and marketing has led Libby to her current level of work. She has sold her work  both in and out of the county where she lives and has exhibited her painting in local shows. Additionally, Libby has taught classes in sketching and color use to beginning/intermediate painters.

Artist Statement:

Simple renditions of complex things: this is how I think of what I love to do as an artist. Much of what I paint reflects my current interests of those things that I see every day. Along with color, I use geometric and organically derived shapes and lines to represent my ideas, interests and feelings. The resulting images are all based somehow on my observations or thoughts. Whether it’s spending time at museum, driving around my area, or going on a walk, the constant input provides the basis for my creative output. Reading and writing helps me to clarify my thoughts. Sketching helps me to come up with representative images. The resulting pieces, I hope, can be enjoyed on many levels: as colorful paintings utilizing lines and geometry; as pieces that somehow resonate with the viewer’s own ideas; or as something that represents what I think and what I get to share with the viewer. Whatever the outcome, the work satisfies me and at the end of the day it is what makes me happiest.

Style is always difficult to pin down. Knowing a little bit about art history and individual artists can be helpful. At this point, I am firmly in the camp of modern abstract art made during the first half of the twentieth century. I owe a huge debt to many artists long gone: Henri Matisse, Stuart Davis, Fernand Leger and Wassily Kandinsky are all favorites.  Many current day artists have also helped me along by showing what is still possible, most notably Shirley Jaffe and Etel Adnan.  It isn’t hard to draw inspiration from people who have paved the way for me. Advice from a few professional artists, the practice of self-reflection, and actively working in the studio nearly every day all help to support the ongoing process of making art.

Meet Artist Carol David, Ironstone 2016 Spring Obsession accepted artist

O-030  A Secret Place  pastel  18x15  $400

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 UC 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 newspapers 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 into 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 connecting with other artists and some of her most compelling work has resulted from that.

O-031  Tulip Parade  pastel  18x18  $450

Over the past years, it became clear that pastels were her medium of choice. Carol's work has since been seen in exhibits across California and she has received significant recognition and awards for her work. Her most recent award was at the Tahoe show "Truckee Exposed" where she received first prize for her "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 college football scenes to sweeping landscapes to people enjoying 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.

email:carolart37@aol.com

VICKIE CHEW ART

O-004  Mosquito Lake  oil  30x40  $1600

                 WWW.VICKIECHEW.COM

Vickie has lived all of her adult life in Calaveras County in the mid northern Sierra's and Foothills. She has a BA in Business Administration and has been studying art for the last nineteen years. Vickie is a juried member of OPA, Oil Painters of America, CAC, California Art Club, Calaveras Arts Council and Arts of Bear Valley. She has won many awards in professional art shows and she works continuously to broaden her painting knowledge by attending master workshops and seeking inspiration from her favorite mentors. She additionally has pursued art course work through local colleges.

O-007  Big Trees Stroll  oil  8x6  $1215

 Vickie’s oil paintings shown here at Ironstone were completed with brush and palette knife, in studio and Plein Air. She accepts commissioned work in studio and murals, contact her today at 209-743-4126

Meet Artist Alyssa Casey, Ironstone Spring Obsession Accepted artist

Alyssa Casey                        www.alyssacasey.com

O-036  Sunday Afternoon  mix media  30x40  

Bio:

     Having majored in Fine Art and Biology and minored in Geography at UC Berkeley, Alyssa Casey is passionate about drawing, papermaking, teaching, science, and travel.  Through studies with papermaking masters Victoria Rabal in apellades, Spain, Roberto Mannino in Rome, Italy, Professor Kamori in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Paul Wong of Dieu Donne Papermill in New York, she has gained experience with many papermaking techniques and fabers, including abaca, cotton, eucalyptus, hemp, linen, sisal, pine, sugar cane, and recycled paper.  These experiences are synthesized into site-specific works, collages, drawings, sculptures, and localized papermaking workshops using, for example, garden hosta in Massachusetts and cornhusks in central California.

O-034  Wind  mix media  20x27  

close up of Wind

     Among other international and national venues, Casey's work has been shown in Works of Art on Paper at the Long Beach Island Foundation for Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, new Jersey, curated by Carter Foster of the Whitney Museum Department of Drawings, and in Furthermore - The 8th Biennial Exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, curated by Lilly Wei.  Awards include two first place honors for drawing from the Port Warwick Art and Sculpture Festival, Newport News, Virginia, 2005 and 2007, an honorable mention for the handmade paper sculpture, Llibre (Book), from the 7th Biennial - Artwork on Paper, in Sant Pere De Riudebittles, Spain, 2012, and a grant from the U Embassy, Department of Cultural Affairs, in Lisbon to complete the drawing project, California - Alentejo, shown at Escrita na Paisagem, Festival of Performance Art in Evora, Portugal, 2007.  Her work is currently on view at Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs in Long Island City, New York, as part of the show, Devotion/Destruction: Craft Inheritance, curated by Rebecca Pristoop.

O-033  Fall  mix media  38x25  

     In 2012, Casey completed a residency at the Museu Moli Paperer de Capellades, a living museum of papermaking in Capellades, Spain and, in 2014/15, participated in three residencies in Fjellerup, Denmark, through the social practice project, Fjellerup i Bund & Grund, by Anna Lise Jensen, where she completed three large-scale works, Fjellerup Strand og Tang, Strandkroen Palimpsest, and Vandmolekyle.
Commissions include illustrating the children's book Nothando's Journey by Jill Manly and, in 2015, receiving a public art commission with collaborator Rosella Morales, through the 42 degrees art agency for the large-scale installation, Bay Colors, at 901 Market St. in San Francisco, as well as a commission from the City of Brentwood to paint two utility boxes, Balfour Packing Shed and Liberty Basketball.

Detail of Fall

Casey lives and works in the San Francisco bay area and is part of the Bay Area Based art collective, "sub-set" with Hope Amico, Elizabeth Boyne, and Rebecca Redman.

Meet Artist Judy Boles, Ironstone 2016 Spring Obsession accepted artist

O-146  Shore Patrol  oil  15x36  $450

Judy Boles Art

As a girl, I took many cross country road 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 pass time.  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 corporate world. Since my retirement in 2006, I have been pursuing my passion for art more fully.

O-149  Mendocino Coast  oil  18x24  $375

 My work is a visual diary of scenes that have inspired me. The close observation needed to render a scene on canvas makes me fell 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-150  Sedona Schnebley Lookout  oil  18x24  $375

Please visit my web gallery at:  rojubo.com/jbolesart

Or email me at:                           rojubo@rojubo.com

Meet Artist Dan August, Ironstone 2016 Spring Obsession accepted artist.

O-115 What a Little Dew will Do   18x24  watercolor and acrylic   $700

Biography:
Name: Daniel August

Date of Birth: 11/13/1937

Education: Chaffey College; AA degree in Art
       California State College in Fullerton; BA degree in Art
       California State College in San Bernardino; Teaching Credential in Art

I taught Art for 22 years in the Fontana Unified School District in Fontana, California.  The subjects I specialized in were; oil-painting, watercolors, printmaking, silk-screening and ceramics.

My preferred medium is watercolor and my subject matter is generally based in realism but approached with an abstracted view.

Meet Artist Scarlett Fiorini, Ironstone Spring Obsession Accepted Artist

Scarlett Fiorini

O-060  Half Dome  acrylic  28x40  $1350

 I have always been moved to express feelings & thoughts through many mediums of art. I don’t merely want to capture an image, but with every stroke & layer my desire is to let it become a vessel of wonderful expression & inspiration. Every piece is a joy-filled journey to play with form, color, light & balance until I reach that happy place, and I am able to share that with others. 

O-061  Juicy Fruit  acrylic  16x20  $375

O-063  Rain Frogs  acrylic  16x20  $375

Meet Artist Cheryl Smith, Spring Obsession accepted artist

Hello, my name is Cheryl Smith and I want to share my art experiences with you.

O-090   Tulip in the Rain  acrylic  18x24  $425

I began drawing at age seven, and was accused of tracing my drawings as they were so realistic. My mother realized my talent and from that young age encouraged me in every way, giving me the confidence, strength, and endurance to persevere and never give up doing what I loved the most. That is my Art; it is my passion in life!

I have had a myriad of art occupations during the past thirty-five years and have loved every one of them. I was a Graphic Artist for several newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Senior Graphic Designer for an Ad Agency, Art Director for the Penninsula Advisor, and Art teacher for Jr. and Senior High School students. I have also illustrated a children's book.

I was commissioned by Running Fence-recycled to create artworks from the historic textile panels of Christo's Running Fence, Marin and Sonoma counties, 1976. My pieces made from the panel fabric have been displayed in numerous exhibitions and can be viewed on runningfence-recycled.com

I am currently engaged in Fine Arts, doing paintings, custom table designs, crafts, and mixed media pieces using fabric and paint. Being chosen for the 19th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show is a blessing to me. 

I do hope you enjoy my work and will support me in the future. My goal is to create more paintings in 3-D using different and unique medium and designs and to create more colorful and imaginative tables. Thank you for coming to see my work.

Meet Artist Sulastri Linville, Spring Obsession accepted artist

O-087  Eager For Attention  pastel $750

Sulastri Linville

Born in Holland and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sulastri has been doing art since childhood. She has award winning art at the Ironstone Vineyards Spring Art Shows and Sonora Art Shows. Sulastri works in all painting media. Living in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, she shares her unique impressions of the world. Her paintings show a deep love of nature.

O-089  Rascally Raccoon Babies  pastel  $1200

.

Spring Obsession Winners 2016

Ironstone's 19th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show kicked off this past weekend with outstanding weather, stunning Spring Flower displays, Northern California Daffodil Society Spring Show and the wild Murphys Irish Days event downtown Murphys.   

Present through the weekend were 10 accepted artists displaying a much broader range of their style with original art work and prints along with Art in Action and an outstanding demonstration of the fine craft of Hand Paper Making. Participating artists were:
Alyssa Casey
Vickie Chew
Carol Clark
Sulistri Linville
Deborah Marlene
Connie McLennan
Ruth Morrow
Katherine Plumer
Juliana Tillman
Kathleen Wolf


Judges Merit Award Winners:


"Point Arena" by Judy Day








"Prairie Fire" by Wendy Rogers






"Washboard Chaz" by Dale Huey






3rd Prize Open Division
"Some Distant Dawn" by Gregory Gallardo



2nd Prize Open Division
"Splash Mob" by Ron Miranda









1st Prize Open Division
 "The Lookouts" by Kathleen Plumer










Family Merit Award Winners:


"Nature's Symphony"  by Susan King







"Lynn Takes a Break"  by Juliana Tillman





Theme Division Winner / New 2016 Poster

"New Spring" by Vaughn Lew

Meet Artist Judie Cain, Spring Obsession accepted Artist

JUDIE CAIN

A Colorist's Impressions from life

O-068  Tumble Down  oil  20x24  $1300

Oil painter and instructor

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

Painting from lie as much as possible, or from her own reference photos, Ms. Cain strives to capture the light and mood of the moment using brush and/or palette knife. Her colorful paintings are uplifting and inspiring.

She has taught her workshops, "Basic nuts & Bolts of Oil Painting" and "Color Demystified" in the western states as well as other local venues. She currently teaches adult summer classes covering painting fundamentals and color. Primarily an oil painter, Judie has begun also to use gouache, an opaque watercolor.

Ms. Cain has been represented in galleries in Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and California, including Murphys, Sonora, Copperopolis and Carmel.  She has several works in print, Giclee and on home products and is collected world wide.

Judie lives in Murphys with her husband, Lou Papais, where she has a private, working studio.

For information about her paintings, gallery representation, classes and studio, please go to www.cainart.com or call 209-728-2267 (studio). Email: cainart@goldrush.com

O-067  Favorite Time of Year  oil  20x24  $1300

Meet Artist George Dillon, Spring Obsession accepted artist

O-=019  Tango Dancers  acrylic  30x15  $325

GEORGE DILLON

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

     His teachers include nationally renowned landscape 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 featured artist at the Lahaina Galleries in Maui has been his mentor in the field of mixed media and three-dimensional art.

     George's style is most often surreal or modern and has been influenced by Picasso, Matisse and Georges Braque as well as his first encounters with African Art and travel. So farGeorge has traveled to over ninety countries. His feature show for March will exhibit works he created from his experiences in several of these localities.

     His imagination and whimsy have all been inspiration to him and have encouraged his experimentation with color, theme and materials. His 3-dimensional art, which was the subject of a presentation to the Lodi Council of Arts, is typically built from canvas or paper and then 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 its surroundings. Further adding to his art are his pithy titles that often reflect both innuendo and a healthy splash of irony.

     When asked what type of art he creates, Dillon responds, "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."

O-018  Sunny But Windy  acrylic  18x24  $300

     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 Jeanette Crawford Baird, Ironstone Spring Obsession artist

O-143 Lotus Garden  oil  40x30  $2400

Jeanette Crawford Baird

Artist Statement

For me, my painting is about learning to see light in new and different ways, how it affects color and form. It is about developing a deeper way of expressing myself that hopefully, resonates with the viewer.  As I grow as an artist, obtaining clarity of sight has become exciting.  I paint in both acrylics and oils, with my passion being portraiture, especially vintage photos.  There is something that resonates with me in trying to capture the gesture and expression of a person at a precise moment in time.

O-144  Lavendar Fields  oil  16x20  $850

Currently, I am exhibiting with a group of seven artists –Bay Area Studio Artists (BASA) as well as curating several solo shows for the upcoming year.  Art has become an incredible focus in my life as I see where this journey may take me.  I feel like I have discovered my voice through my painting.  What an incredible experience!

O-145  Sound of Silence  oil  24x30  $1640

Jeanette Crawford Baird

       jeanettebaird.com

GALLERIES:

2008 – 2014 - Lafayette Art Gallery, Lafayette, CA

2009 - 11 - Blackhawk Gallery, Danville, CA

2008 - 09 - Pioneer Art Gallery, Danville, CA

2008 – 11 - Valley Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA

EXHIBITS:

Collector Art in Berkeley, CA and San Francisco, CA; Artist Markets, Lafayette Art Walk; Chow Restaurant in Lafayette & Danville, CA; Lafayette Art & Wine Festival; Open Studios; Permanent Installation at Old Town Theater - Lafayette, CA;  Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Art Gallery – Benicia, CA; Orinda Library; Danville Art in the Park; Village Theater Art Gallery – Danville, CA ; Blackhawk Bistro; Mason Wine Cellars in Napa, CA; Orinda Book Store - Orinda, CA; Chimney Rock Winery in Napa, CA

ARTISTS THAT I HAVE STUDIED WITH:

v Jeanette LeGrue, Peggie Kroll-Roberts, Timothy Horn, Bryan Mark Taylor, Randy Sexton, Camille Przewodek, Brian Blood, Wanda Kemper, Marcy Wheeler, Sandy Ostrau, Carol Marine, Ken Auster 

Meet Artist Misty Dawn, Spring Obsession accepted artist

	O-154  Joe Rocket  graphite 14x17 $550

Misty Dawn Whittle, 


Equine Artist

About myself:

Originally from Angels Camp, I now reside in Placer County with my husband and son. Last year I made a big life change and retired, after 27 years, from a wonderful career as a hairstylist. For multiple reasons, but primarily, to help my husband in his new business ventures, but also to re-ignite a passion I have had all my life, self-taught drawing. I am lucky to have married into a multi-generation cattle ranching family from Angels Camp, that has given me the an outlet to pursue my other passion of photography. From those priceless shots of cowboys in action, I am able to capture and translate those images to graphite artwork.

I have been around horses all my life, and the depths of their beauty are beyond the majestic physique, but their spirit. I am in awe of each one I meet. Our own horses are a great source of inspiration as well. and I am sure they are very tired of getting their pictures taken. I've recently met some fantastic professional photographers who allow me to use their images as well. It's amazing the talent that surrounds us.

I take much pride in specializing in exact detail, albeit, very time consuming, but equally gratifying. I am now being asked to do commission work of equine, pets and people, and I love, love seeing the reaction on people's faces when they see their beloveds immortalized in a piece of art. It gives me great pleasure.

Thank you for viewing!

                              ~Misty Dawn

https://www.facebook.com/mistydawn.equineart

Free Art Demonstration, History & Technique of Hand Papermaking, by artist Alyssa Casey

1894 Six Mile Road

Murphys, Ca. 95247

209-728-1251

www.ironstonevineyards.com

PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Chris Gomez

Ironstone Vineyards

Phone: (209) 728-1251

Fax:      (209) 728-1275

Email: cgomez@ironstonevineyards.com

FREE DEMONSTRATION “HISTORY & TECHNIQUE OF HANDPAPERMAKING” BY

ARTIST ALYSSA CASEY.

Accepted Spring Obsession Artist, Alyssa Casey presents a demonstration of HandPapermaking at Ironstone Vineyards, March 19, 2016. Free to the public from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM, Alyssa Casey will be demonstrating her methods in Ironstone’s Culinary Center.  Alyssa will be available after the demonstration for questions.

Hailing from Berkeley, this is Alyssa’s first year participating in Ironstone’s 19^th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show which opens at 10:00 AM, Saturday, March 19^th, 2016 and runs through Mother’s Day weekend.  Three of Alyssa’s paintings were accepted into the Spring Show and will be available for viewing along with over 100 other original accepted paintings.

Alyssa Casey will also join other artists with an art booth featuring more of her paintings, prints and finished handmade papers available for sale.

***

Meet Artist Vaughn Lew, Spring Obsession accepted Artist

W. Vaughn Lew

Murphys, CA.

T-014  New Spring  pastel  17x25  $700

    I have been drawing since I can remember, and that lead me eventually to major in commercial art at Sacramento State. Our instructor was DeWitt Whistler Jayne, a prominent commercial artist, illustrator, and portrait painter.  He was a huge influence.

O-116  Lewis Ranch Road  oil  18x24  $700

    After graduation I went on to get a teaching credential and was fortunate to get an art teaching job at Elk Grove High School. I taught art for several years, but decided to get into construction.

    I eventually became a contractor and worked at that profession until my wife Glenda, daughter Melissa and I moved to Murphys in 2008, and built a home. That's when I started painting again. My mediums are oil, pastels and prismcolor pencils.

    One thing is certain, art requires a commitment. I fell that I now have a bit more time and space to concentrate on my painting. landscapes, townscapes, wildlife, portraits, old cars and machinery, and any other "good stuff" I like are my subjects. My goal is to create images that are well composed, spacial, and form-full, and that bring the viewer an opportunity to pause and reflect.