Thursday, February 11, 2021

Meet Artist Connie Bowen

 Connie Bowen

T-018  Do-Daffodils-Party-at-Night by-Connie-Bowen wc 7.5x7.5 $500

I have always loved art and photography and have tried hard to hone my skills with both over the past decade.  I have been taking weekly watercolor classes from Popi Tyler for ten years.  She is an excellent and patient teacher. She continues to teach me how to see,  I have also taken three workshops from Christopher Schink and he has pushed me to find my own unique direction with my art work.  I love the process of creating with watercolor.  I feel everything else slip away except being in the moment of that creation, which keeps me coming back to this beautiful medium.  I won first prize in the Ironstone Vineyards Theme Division in 2020.  I live in Forestville, CA with my two dogs and a cat, who sometimes become my muses.


O-048 In-The-Beginning-There-Was-An-Orange-Kitty by Connie Bowen wc 22.5x22.5 $900

Saturday, February 6, 2021

Meet Artist Courtney Wise

 

Courtney Wise

Artist Statement

 

T-007 Billy by Courtney Wise mm 8x8 $200

For as long as I can remember I have loved to create art, take photos and figure out how things work. My hands are rarely idle. I listen best when I can sit and draw. While attending professional development or sitting in church my notes are covered with little doodles of things I see or things I make up. Art is an outlet for me, it is time when I get to sit and think, express things that are going on in my life or just a way to unwind from a busy day,

 

One of my fondest memories in kindergarten was when my teacher allowed me to stay at the paint easel and create artwork past the time when everyone else was finished. From the time I was five I was encouraged to pursue a career in art. With that encouragement and support from my family I continued to draw, paint and sculpt my way into college. I earned a Bachelors of Art in Art Studio from Sonoma State University in 2001. Planning on becoming an art teacher I moved to Sacramento to earn my teaching credential and worked part time but plans to teach started to change with my desire to own a business.

T-006 Working Man's Bouquet by Courtney Wise wc 11x15 $300

 


Scrapbooking has always been a huge passion of mine. I am my family’s photographer. I love capturing moments in time, people’s expressions along with being able to look back at all of the memories. In 2002 I opened Scrapbook Dreams in Stockton, CA which I designed and built from the ground up. I ran and operated my business for three years. It was a dream come true to be able to create my own schedule, create scrapbook pages all day and help others design their memories in an artful way.

 

I am a person who likes change and a challenge, so after three years of hard work, I sold my business to become a teacher. Teaching has always been a passion, my original plan was to become an art teacher, but I again changed paths because I wanted more job security. I earned my multiple subject teaching credential and have been teaching for eleven years. I also have earned by Master in Education and I am highly qualified in History. I love to bring art and creativity into the classroom and inspire my students imaginations.

 

Art is a passion, a past time, an outlet, an expression and a part of who I am. For me creativity can be found in an old broken-down barn, or my daughter’s face, from a photograph, from a comment, from a cloud in the sky or simply from a thought. I look forward to bringing color to a blank slate that will make a statement, make someone think or question, or bring a smile to someone’s face. Art is and always will be a part of who I was created to be.

Meet Artist Popi Tyler

 

Sonoma County Artist

Popi Tyler

T-019 Party-Girls by -Popi-Tyler mm 22x15 $980

 Popi Tyler is honored to be the recipient of

The 18th Annual Ironstone Vineyards Family Choice Award, 2015

 

You can find her poster of yellow daffodils titled Garden District, here in the Ironstone Vineyards Gift Shop.

 

O-061 Always Send The Big Guy for the Money No.2 by Popi Tyler mm 24x18 $870

Popi recalls, “The Family Choice Award is one of my all-time favorite awards because my painting was personaolly selected by Gail, John, Joan and Stephen Kautz”.

O-060 Luther Burbank's Bean Pod Tree by Popi Tyler mm 22x15 $870

 

“Aquamedia paints & pencils are thrilling to use … But the happiest part of my artist life is a 10-year tradition of getting together with my group of 8 treasured artist friends of Fridays for art support & laughter.”

O-059 Whistler's Mother No. 1 by Popi Tyler mm 15x22 $870

 

“I am currently continuing my studies under two great friends and master watercolorists:

Dale Laitinen of Pioneer, California,

And

Christophen Schink of Santa Rosa, California

 

Happy Trails!

Popi Tyler

808.220.7452

Popi@popityler.com

Meet Artist Neila Stewart

 

Neila Stewart



 
T-013  transparent-daffodils by Neila Stewart wc 15x15 $400


I’ve been an  amateur artist since I was 4, initially working with Crayola and branching out at 9 to incorporate Prismacolor pencils, collage, and Mod Podge into my pieces.

 

Watercolor and pen & ink illustration have been my preferred vices for the past 30 years. After spending a month in Yosemite in 2009, I developed a fondness for painting big rocks using an east-west style, akin to Chiura Obata. But I’m willing to paint and draw anything and do so daily.

 

During the day, I am a mild-mannered graphic designer for a high-tech firm in Santa Rosa, California. At night, I put on my Salvador Dali beret and mustache and engage in art.

T-014 1920 by Neila Stewart wc 15x15 $400

 

I have mostly lived in Santa Rosa but was born in Hawaii and spent significant time in Chicago Illinois where I obtained a masters in Urban Planning. I also have an Environmental Science degree from UC Berkeley, I’ve taken many college-level art classes but my greatest art influences came from my high school art teacher, Mr. Gadberry, from whom I learned discipline and drawing skills, from artist Popi Tyler who taught me painting skills, and from my mother who taught me how to draw a little girl.

 

Contact information:

Neila.stewart53@yahoo.com

 

Robin Roberts’ (of Good Morning America) mother said:

 

Find your gift and share it with the world.

 

I thought that was good advice from her mother and I plan on following through.