Meet Artist John Turnbeaugh

 

My name is John Turnbeaugh and I am a painter. 

My favorite medium to work in is acrylics but I also enjoy drawing and illustration. I have lived in Calaveras County my whole life and currently live in Valley Springs with my wife Katie and our five children where we own and operate our own preschool. In my free time I love to paint and illustrate my own stories. Ever since I was a child it has been a dream of mine to be an artist. I have never been formally trained in  art but feel that I have been influenced in many styles and techniques over the years from my admiration of some of my favorite artists, whether those are masters in fine art, or prolific illustrators in the comic book genre. However, I believe my biggest influences have been my parents, my mother is a watercolorist and muralist and my father is amazing with pencils and charcoal, Growing up and seeing their art whether that was in drawings my father did for me, or paintings left out on my moms desk,  I was always inspired by them and feel a great deal in whatever art education I have is owed to them and their eagerness to give me a pencil and paper and let me create what I want and how I want.

            In 2009 I was awarded a high school scholarship through the Calaveras County Arts Council. In the years since I have painted murals at Jenny Lind Elementary and  several large scale murals including a series of murals for  The Resource Connection at their Children's Advocacy center in San Andreas I have also painted dozens of commissioned pieces of art and illustrated multiple graphic novels. Along with that I have also created and painted sets for numerous theatrical productions at Calaveras Sings Theater Arts Reparatory for Kids (CSTARS). I have also won several awards including 1st place in the Professional art division for Portrait Painting at The Calaveras County Frog Jump in 2019. 

            Art is such a crucial part of who I am and something I hope in some way I can pass to my children. I know in being a parent and a teacher that Art is absolutely essential and how important and even therapeutic it can be in life. I have always strived to communicate emotion through my art and try to convey a sense of drama or meaning in what the viewer sees. I believe the greatest achievement that an artist can have is to make someone believe in something they didn't before, whether that is the presentation of a scene that could never exist in real life or an idea or a feeling they have never had. In all, I believe art is a way to share beauty, and it is the duty of every artist to leave the world a little more beautiful than it was when you found it.

O-076 Native American Chief by John Turnbeaugh acr 24x36 $500

Meet Artist Barbara Wells

 

BARBARA WELLS, MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST

JACKSON, CA

wellsbr@comcast.net

O-087 Posey 1 by Barbara Wells encaustic 3.5x8 $150

Retired from healthcare and education, and having lived in Amador County for 50 years, I have a deep appreciation for the beauty and caring community of our foothill communities. I strive to represent that appreciation in my art.

As a mixed media artist, I am fascinated by texture, color and flow. When I paint, every painting is an experiment, often with surprising outcomes.  Encaustics allow me to push the limits of my artistic expression with strong bold colors and forms. My encaustic journey, supported by luminous waxes, inks and mixed medium products, offers me an endless creative license, that hopefully will evoke an emotional response from the onlooker while enjoying the beauty of the piece.

O-084 Energy for Two by Barbara Wells encaustic 12x12 $400

JURIED ART SHOWS:

Crocker Art Museum: Wonderous Wax Exhibit 2020 – featured on Crocker video presentation.

Sacramento Fine Arts Center: 54 National Obsession Art Competition, 2020, award winner.

The Gallery 48 at Natomas:  Movement, Mastery and Medium, Sierra Wax Artist Exhibit, 2021

Sacramento SMUD Art Gallery Show Exhibit: 2018

Amador County Fair: Prize winning art for 10 years

Lodi Crane Festival: 2017, 2018, 2019. Award winner and sale of art.

O-085 Meadow Bloom by Barbara Wells encaustic 6x6 $150

GIVING BACK: Donated art for fund-raising auctions.

Sutter Amador Hospital: Yearly event to support hospital needs

Amador County School:  Art sales to support education

Mexico Orphanages:  Yearly fund-raising auctions to support orphans and widow

 

O-086 Sunflower Dance by Barbara Wells encaustic 12x12 $250

Meet Artist Stephen Testa

 

            
             Stephen Testa

is a geologist whose interests are in painting landscapes of geological interest, black and white images of iconic geological figures and landscapes from the great surveys of the 19th Century, and wildlife (including domestic pets).  For Stephen, the media of choice is watercolor and the transformation from an historic dark black and white photo to watercolor brings out a fresh perspective on such iconic individuals and images.  Stephen's other interests are in the painting of animal portraits and wildlife.  His initial inspiration for watercolors began in the early 1980s when he was working in the North Cascades.  It was there that he met Dr. Peter Misch, an iconic pioneering geologist of the North Cascades and professor at the University of Washington.  Dr. Misch also an accomplished mountain climber and during his many geological excursions would take his watercolor set with him as he explored the Cascades.  It was at his home where Peter showed Stephen his watercolors and encouraged him to pick up the brush along with a rock hammer.  Some of Stephen's earliest paintings were displayed at The Prince and Pauper Gallery in Seattle.  During this time, he also became a member of the Northwest Watercolor Society.  After a hiatus from painting in the late 1980s until 2017, Stephen resumed his desire to paint in watercolor.  Stephen is self-taught, and has developed his style from books on technique, observation of other artists' works, especially that of John Hunt and Robert Bateman, and workshops, albeit his geologic training is an advantage in sketching and 3-D visualization.  He prefers watercolor for the spontaneity and many challenges this media presents.  His works have been shown at several exhibitions throughout California.  Stephen lives in Mokelumne Hill and is a member of the California Watercolor Association and Mother Lode Art Association.

O-045 Bella-by Stephen Testa wc 26x21 $450

O-044 Big-Baby-Girl-by Stephen Testa wc 16x12 $450

O-043 The-Great-Hornbill-by Stephen Testa wc 22x18 $500

O-046 Ravens-at-Joshua-Tree-by Stephen Testa wc 24x30 $650

Meet Artist George Dillon

 

GEORGE DILLON

 

O-011 The Flutists by George Dillon acrylic 18x24 $200.

Website: www.georgedillonstudio.com

Studio:  2857 Oak Court, Valley Springs, CA 95252                 

Email:     george.dillon1@comcast.net

Phone:  (209) 772-2892

Cell:       (209) 608-0859

 

 

George has had an interest and a connection to art all his life but only in the last twenty years has 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.

 

O-012 In My Dreams by George Dillon acrylic 16x20 $200.

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.  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 recently was the subject of his 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. 

 

O-013 A Good Poker Hand by George Dillon wc 16x18 $155.

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.”  

 

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 as well as the Lodi Community Art Center.

 

 

Meet Artist Tabitha Kremesec

 

Tabitha Kremesec, Artist

O-005 venice by Tabitha Kremesec oil 16x20 $485

Tabitha Kremesec's preferred mediums are both oils and watercolors. 

Tabitha loves to create a variety of art such as animals, landscapes and portraits. Animals, landscapes and portraits are her passion. 

O-006 eveningrain by Tabitha Kremesec oil 16x20 $435

Painting is therapeutic in dealing with several disabilities and encouraging that she can overcome limitations. 

O-003 Qing Yuan deep water by Tabitha Kremesec oil 12x16 $285

Tabitha has a unique perspective and loves to focus on capturing the realism of a scene and she loves to paint impressionism art as well. 

O-004 New Wave by Tabitha Kremesec oil 16x20 $435

She is very creative and experimental with both mediums together  

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

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 18^th 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