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Spencer Brewer & Esther Siegel

Multi Arts; Performing Arts: Music; Visual Arts: Constructions/Collage, Mixed Media, Sculpture

Spencer Brewer & Esther Siegel Overview Transforming the everyday cast-off into something extraordinary… Spencer Brewer & Esther Siegel have a passion for creating quirky and fantastical pieces of art out of re-purposed, or ‘found art’ materials. From the whimsical and humorous to the punk and dark, each piece is one of a kind. Creating “new compositions” from vintage or unusual objects, they inspire viewers with a sense of delight, surprise and sometimes awe. Working both separately and as a team, Spencer & Esther confer regularly on their artwork. “We don’t always have the same vision, but we always listen and that feedback can open new doors.” Their studio is a wonderland of eccentric odds and ends and then some. Nicknamed the “Barn of Curiosities, Oddities and Light”, one discovers a much venerated collection of eccentric obsolete ephemera & vintage electromechanical obscura giving these artists endless options for their transformative art. Esther Siegel Esther’s “late in life artist” emerged from the scrapbooking world. From there she expanded to unique one of a kind greeting cards and then moved into ‘found art’ sculptures. Her pieces are a mixture of the whimsical and dark humor. They range from Barbie Doll parts (Altered Barbies) to old neck ties (Awards), to horse and doll parts (Horse People) and antique toasters (Twisted Toasters). She describes her creative process as sometimes very slow and frustrating and goes through many variations on a theme before settling on the finished piece. Spencer Brewer Spencer Brewer has been creating art and music since he could walk. For much of his life his focus was on pianos, composing, creating, recording and producing music. He also worked on over 20,000 pianos, crank phonographs and pump organs which gave him the opportunity to collect unique and obscure vintage mechanical objects along the way. In 2006 he began to focus his creative energy on ‘re-purposed or found-art’, using parts he had amassed over the years to create unusual sculptures. “I love vintage 60-150 year-old beautifully designed parts and objects. The graphic design and engineering of the industrial to the science fiction eras inspire me.”

Laura Diamondstone

Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Painting, Works on paper

SF Bay area native with many hairpin turns and destinations, currently rooting as a small homesteader in Anderson Valley. Inspired from a lifelong absorption of a spectrum of visual, writing and performing arts by extraordinary and ordinary creatives. My art making is expression, giving tangible form to what sustains inner to environment exchange and dialogue as well as how materials/color/creative process/experience informs and shapes the process. It is an act of indulgence, necessity, and evolution. Abstraction is challenging, experimenting with materials is research, representational and figurative work exercises neurotransmission. I believe in all of it and nature and giving back.

Laura Fogg

Visual Arts: Textiles, Visual Arts Instructor

I have lived and worked in Mendocino County my entire adult life. After raising my three children I finally found the time to do art seriously. Since then I have won numerous awards in quilt and museum shows across the country and have been published in national quilt magazines and several books on art quilting. My work was also featured in the HBO documentary, “Until the Violence Stops,” which dealt with exposing and preventing violence against women around the world. I was also honored to win the Art Champion award in Mendocino County. I currently teach art quilting classes and retreats across the western US. I am open to any quilt guild, fabric store or group of individuals who want to put a class together. My current work has primarily moved from landscapes and “pretty pictures” to social, environmental and political commentary. I have discovered that through my art I have a voice, which is of primary importance to me at this time.

Sunny Franson

Literary Arts; Visual Arts: Painting; author, publisher, formatting including photos

Sunny Franson Currently I live on a small walnut acreage where you feel connected to earth and surroundings. With degrees in wildlife biology and cultural anthropology, minors in language and music, and graduate work in ethnomusicology, I tend to see ecosystems, because that’s how nature works with everything. This planet has so much beauty and intelligence, the scale is infinite and inspiration is a given. Adaptation, oil, 24x18x0.5, ©sfranson, $1300 Like everyone I continue to evolve as a person, for me in ecology, art, and writing. Time is a precious commodity as it is for everyone, and sometimes life and its pitfalls overtake you. Then you have to choose priorities carefully. It’s vital to remain committed because after all it’s your lifetime. Chicken society is part of The Secret Lives of Chickens or Tales from the Chickenyard and Beyond. My dad called the book he wrote when in his late 80’s Second Age. He had hoped to see it formatted and published, and it was an honor to do that for him. Dark Water is about healing from posttraumatic stress by Opal Rose. Reflections: A Modest Collection of Short Stories includes stories that are complete fiction although some include ecology. Every experience becomes a teacher and every painting, book, or woodland pool adds to that, but most of all, they underscore the importance of humility. Best not to put your moments off. Once they’re past, they’re gone forever. Never forget to be grateful and to share. sunny@pacific.net www.rootlets.com Web Gallery Representation: Personal http://www.rootlets.com Artists for Conservation Foundation http://gallery.artistsforconservation.org/artists/1334 Fine Art America https://pixels.com/artists/sunny+franson Professional Affiliations, Art Current member: Artists for Conservation http://www.artistsforconservation.org Current member: Oil Painters of America http://oilpaintersofamerica.com Current member: Lake County Arts Council http://lakearts.org/default.htm Current member: Gualala Arts Council http://gualalaarts.org Art Exhibits, Galleries Main Street Gallery, 325 Main St, Lakeport, CA 707.263.6658, www.lakearts.org Dolphin, 39225 Hwy 1, Gualala, CA 95445 707.884.3896, http://gualalaarts.org/dolphin-gallery Gualala Arts, 46501 Old State Highway, Gualala, CA 95445 707.884.1138, http://www.gualalaarts.org Art Center, Corner Gallery, 201 South State St, Ukiah, CA 95482 707.462.1400, http://www.artcenterukiah.org Author, Publisher Books and ebooks are available online and at brick and mortar stores. More information and links are at http://www.rootlets.com The Secret Lives of Chickens by Sunny Franson www.rootlets.com/chickens/chickens.html Second Age, by Carl Franson www.rootlets.com/secondage/secondage.html Dark Water: Healing from Stress after Trauma, by Opal Rose www.darkwaterrippling.com Reflections, by Sunny Franson www.rootlets.com/reflections/reflections.html

Keena Good

Visual Arts: Sculpture

Diza Hope

Visual Arts: Murals, Painting, Works on paper

Diza Hope is a Northern California painter working in oil, acrylic and pencil. She studied at California College of the Arts and draws inspiration mostly from natural forms. Lately she has been interested in investigating the architecture, rigidity and beauty of animal skulls juxtaposed against the delicate, undulating and graceful shapes found in flower petals. Besides the formal interest; the distillation of the skull becomes a symbol of our universality and basic oneness, being that we are all made of the same carbon, calcium and stardust and the flower, a symbol of our impermanence, but also the beauty we all have the capacity to create and share. Color plays an important role in her painting process as well and she enjoys pushing the boundaries between harmony and discord through her use of it.

Happy/L.A. Hyder

Performing Arts: Spoken Word; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Photography

I am celebrating 48 years of making images. My desire to photograph began in the 1950s as I became aware of the power of photographic imagery (although I wouldn’t have been able to articulate it at the time) through the Life magazines that came through our door weekly. A self-taught photographer, I count Margaret Bourke-White, W. Eugene Smith, and the myriad other pictorialists in Life’s pages, as my mentors. Shortly after moving to San Francisco in 1969 and two days after using a friend’s 35mm camera, I had my own Nikkormat with a 105mm (portrait) lens. At a camera store, I learned about film and how to load the camera. I joined the SF Photo Center, and, following their two-hour fundamentals in developing and printing class, was let loose in a darkroom. Within two years, I began working with a Hasselblad medium format camera (the negative is 2 ¼” square and there are 12 shots to a roll of film) with a 150mm lens (equivalent to the 105mm) and had my own darkroom. I grew to love the square format and credit the twelve shots per roll of film with the honing of my style of shooting – I spend much time setting up my shot, using my negative as a painter would her canvas, in order to print full frame. I walk away without shooting if my framing cannot achieve what first attracted me to look through the lens. I still credit those Life photographers for helping me hone my visual perspective. While the Hasselblad remains my most cherished tool, in 2009 I was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age. I find the lightweight digital cameras I’ve been using feed my creativity. Able to carry one at all times, I am able to capture those images that earlier would only be captured in my mind since the heft of the Hasselblad meant I would only carry my camera when I was focused on photographing. With digital, I am also enjoying, and getting very interesting results, working with movement to produce abstract images. I also work with mixed-media assemblage, most often using my own images within the piece. Although taking more images using a digital format, I retain the habit of setting up shots with precision and printing my images full frame, and continue to retain a strict sensibility when choosing what to print. I also use an Epson 1400 printer and the immediacy of these digital tools is truly a wonder to my years of working in film, first in a darkroom during my 22 years working in b&w, and, with a switch to color exclusively in 1997, in having film developed and working with a professional printer.

Gene Avery North

Visual Arts: Illustration, Painting

Leopard Woman and the Teachers ©2013, 30 x 48 Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Gene Avery North studied painting and photography with Burton Callicott and William Eggleston, respectively. She currently resides in the hill country of Northern California. Strongly influenced by the realism of the fifteenth century Flemish and Italian masters, Gene uses her technical capability, combined with spiritual symbolism, to create a very realistic dreamtime world. For Gene, the creative process begins with an impression, a fully developed image which is the inspiration itself. Little or nothing is done to change or interpret these original “ideas” or lucid dreams. The meaning of these symbols is up to the viewer. “One reason I paint is because I was unable to go to veterinary school, and the art school let me go there for free. Then I mostly painted for rich Texans, which left me indelibly outraged. Now that I am on some hard-won social security, I no longer have to do commissions of things that I would not do otherwise. Painting is the best way I know how to express myself, without using language. I talk way too much. I have always wanted to be a cartoonist, who could paint like Bronzino. Back in those days, if the powers that be did not like what you painted, you would be drawn and quartered by four laughing horsemen. I do not like to talk about art, because the personal reasons I have for painting, are completely irrelevant to the viewer. When I say my words about the paintings, they influence the people who read these placards. Sometimes when I go to a museum, I realize that I just spent more time reading the message than actually looking at the picture. And while it may be true that the meaning is what fascinates, I would wish that the paintings could just speak for themselves. For this reason, there are no cards for you to read about these paintings. Sometimes when you dream, or “see” something interesting, you would never dare to put it into words. There’s something very libelous about words in America, but happily, it’s still safe to be a “crazy artist”. There is no explanation for spending about 500-1,000 hours on each picture. Doing something with my hands, and focusing my attention on that, makes me stop thinking. Which is very quiet, and peaceful. I like to paint heroes and goddesses, with plenty of horses. I like to make graven images and pray to them while I paint them! I want the world to be happy. I am an artist because it prevents me from exploding.”

Lillian Rubie

Visual Arts: Illustration, Mixed Media, Painting, Performers and Writers, Photography

Owner/Artist at Lillian Rubie Photography & Illustration and co-founder of Deep Valley Arts Collective. Lillian is a photographer and illustrator. She has a love of children’s books, costuming, Old Hollywood photography, and all things Halloween.

Micah Sanger

Visual Arts: Painting

FREE BOOK DOWNLOAD of “TOBE and the RIVER IS” In celebration of our courage and compassion during these times, and because, for many, it is also financially challenging, I would like to offer everyone a free download of my award-winning book https://www.perception4u.com/bookgift ____________________________________________________________ If You Feel Inspired to, please make a donation to the Arts Council of Mendocino County Explore with Tobe the power and wonder of the great River Is. Go on an adventure which is the discovery of yourself. Reviews: “Sanger has succeeded in writing the modern-day Siddhartha: an intricate tale of a deep spiritual journey, within and without. His artistic use of words and illustrations gently opens the door to truth and carries you to the living River; you will be hooked.” Joe Kittel, author of Spiritual Principles in Strategic Alliances and founder of SPiBR.org LLC. “Gorgeous phrasing, fully entrancing and sparkling with freshness. The author has a fine instinct for wowing the reader at the start, and throughout, with beautifully crafted sentences. Even better, the effect hides the effort. Nothing about this book seems forced which is what elevates it. And the wow factor of this book is masterfully-written. Beautiful visuals…engage our senses and place us in the scene. Well done. Stays with the reader.” Writer’s Digest Judge, 24th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards ____________________________________________________________ MICAH SANGER The best way to get an idea about my art and who I am is to go to my YouTube video: Tour of Micah Sanger’s Studio Biography I have been an active artist producing paintings since 1970 when I changed my major at Clemson University from engineering to art studio. That was when I discovered my true passion for art. I have been diligent and dedicated to my calling as an artist ever since. I continued my development as an artist when I apprenticed under the nationally known artist Richard Goetz in the early seventies for a brief time, followed by attending the University of Santa Barbara and Chico State University, CA, from 1980 to 1985. Plums – Unified Field, 7″ x 15″ mixed media In 1996 I pulled away from the gallery art scene to go deep into a contemplative life—a life of open-eyed meditation, studying the world 8 to 12 hours a day and often more for many days of the week while taking notes, making sketches, and developing paintings about what I was observing. Out of this exploration into perception and awareness, a rich new way of looking at my world and a new approach to painting arose. Besides objects becoming more alive and energetic in my perception, a sense of this world existing in a dimension, and what I call a “unified field” arose. These perceptions, I found, do not subtract from this physical experience but only add to its mystery and wonder. They also parallel, in many ways, the ideas of theoretical physics. Beyond Form to the Light, 56.5″ x 106″ mixed media I started working on an educational website, (www.perception4u.com) to pass on to others through the text and exercises the experiences and insights I was having. I used my paintings to give visual expression to the ideas I was relaying. Through the exercises on the website, I was attempting to open up to others their own revelations of deeper levels of perception. Over time a substantial number of paintings were created. I knew that one day they would be the source of future exhibits. Barn Jackson Hole, 54.5″ x 61″ mixed media As I watched people interfacing with the exercises of the website, I realized that some individuals needed a more emotional approach to exploring perception. So, in 2013 I began writing and illustrating my book, “Tō•bē and the River Is,” with the idea that through the life of the protagonist, people could experience new ways of looking at their world. The Dream of a World in a Holy Mind It is a whimsical fairytale full of living metaphor. The “River Is” is itself a metaphor for the matrix of the unified field that surrounds us. It was published in 2016 and has already won two Global eBook Awards, one for illustrations, The New Apple Book Award, followed by the prestigious Ben Franklin Award and the Nautilus Book Award. (The book website is www.4riveris.com ) Turtle Rock and Back View of Artist-Dimension, 28″ x 34″ In September of 2017, I started to exhibit my work publicly for the first time since 1996. It started with the Sausalito Art Festival, then the HarmonyUs Festival followed eventually in 2018 by the HarmonyUs Festival again and the Edgewater Gallery in Fort Bragg, California. Now my focus is on displaying my art as a cohesive whole in a traveling museum exhibit with the same purpose it shares with my website, my book, as well as my public speaking engagements—to inspire people to explore the life-enhancing nature of deeper levels of perception. It really is an exciting project of combining my paintings with the words of theoretical physicists to create a very powerful effect. I also mention in my museum proposal that I will give a presentation at a couple of the local high schools. Clear perception opens up a new and exciting world, creating a new enthusiasm towards living, something many of the students can use nowadays. If you would like to know more about this traveling museum exhibit there is a brief two-minute video and a typed description on my GoFundMe site: https://www.gofundme.com/traveling-exhibition FlatRock – Dimension III, 63″ x 82″ mixed media

Fred Sternkopf

Visual Arts: Film, Graphic Arts, Illustration, Painting, Sculpture, Visual Arts Instructor

Welcome to my world of art! Being born into a family with generations of German artists, I was almost destined to become an artist. At age 5, I had my first solo exhibition of paintings in Michigan . . . and Art continued thereafter as my central focus of life. I completed studies at Michigan State University, the University of Wisconsin, the Art Institute of Chicago and the San Francisco Art Institute. I live and work between the Northcoast of California and New Mexico. My work can be found in private, corporate, and museum collections throughout America and in Western Europe. Many forms of art have played a part in my world of expression. My sculpture ranges from figurative realism to minimalist abstract . . . monumental to minimal in size. Materials used include corten steel, stainless steel, wood, stone and more. Each new commissioned project dictates the range of expression. The rules come from the heart. Ravens have often been my muse. They’ve long played a role in the spiritual beliefs of many cultures worldwide, since the beginning of mankind. They’re considered the wisest of all birds, and often seem to express a special wisdom beyond the human realm. Since early museum exposure to the works of Alexander Calder, I’ve sought to expand in that direction with my own personal mobiles. Now often personal and corporate collections include my mobiles in addition to their Calders. Cartooning has played an important role in my life since the time I could hold a pencil as a small child. Over a thousand of my cartoons have been published to date in newspapers, magazines and books. For over 20 years my “Dr. Doo” political/social commentary cartoon strip has appeared in the Anderson Valley Advertiser, one of the last truly progressive independent publications. A weekly newspaper with distribution across the country and abroad, especially featured in college and university bookstores. “Dennis Rodman”Private CollectionChicago, ILAcrylic on Board Other graphic art has included portraiture of several well known sports and entertainment figures for their collections. Also I’ve worked with social activists, such as the Black Panthers. In addition to fine art paintings, I’ve done book illustrations …and several logo designs. My love of sports has taken me into commercial graphics for several professional sports teams, including Giants, A’s, Niners, Raiders and the Golden State Warriors. Film, video and photography have also played an important part in my creative life. My short documentary and docudrama films have won awards in several international film festivals, including the San Francisco, New York and Chicago festivals. I’ve also taught Film and Video Production with the assistance of a “California Arts Council” grant. In the commercial world of advertising, I’ve produced several TV commercials and corporate films for national distribution. “Women In Black”Sculpture CommissionStainless Steel & StoneCarolyn M. Owen CollectionMendocino Coast, CA Much of my work is political or spiritual in content. I strongly believe fine art should speak directly to the soul. With each encounter with a work of art, something new should be seen and realized…over and over. True art shouldn’t just be decorative, but add to the expansion of the inner self…the soul, and bring about personal reflection and insight. Every time one looks at the same piece of real fine art it should be a new experience…a revelation…helping to discover oneself. Frederick Sternkopf P.O.Box 743 Mendocino, CA 95460 (707) 962-0410 Frederick Sternkopf

Catherine Vibert

Visual Arts: Photography

I’m an artist with a camera and a commercial photography business. I specialize in working with people to reveal their stories and capture imagery that promotes them and their work. While I’ve been a picture taker since I was 8, when I began using a digital camera in 2008 I excelled in skill and technical ability at a rapid rate due to an unstoppable addiction to learning my craft. That’s when I became a picture maker. I mentored with master photographers and took classes online and pretty much lived and breathed photography 24/7 in order to gain the technical skill and control to be able to pretty much realize any vision I wanted using my camera, lighting gear and sometimes Photoshop. Once I got past the technical stuff, it was time to figure out what I wanted to shoot. My love of working with people and of learning who they are leant me to choosing lifestyle and portraiture as a focus for my work. I specialize in telling people’s stories through dynamic and vivid imagery. Whether winemakers, artisans, executives or the lone wolf running a business from their cabin on the coast, everyone has a story. I reveal those stories through lifestyle photography and portraiture. My work is all about visualizing together with my subjects and playing together to make the images they need to promote themselves, their work and their brand. People use these images for websites, brochures, magazine and jury submissions, social media, and anywhere someone would need to be represented professionally and artfully. My college degree via Sonoma State University is in music and vocal performance. I have worked in the arts throughout my career as a performer, audio technician and through self expression in various artistic media. I chose to pursue photography after working many years as a sound designer and audio editor. My ears were not able to hear intricate tones anymore and I needed a different career path and had always been passionate as a photography hobbiest, so it was a natural choice. I worked as a journalist for a local newspaper near Asheville, NC, writing exposés and in depth articles with accompanying photos about local community members. I went freelance as a photographer in 2011 and after trying and failing to maintain interest in many genres, I found that commercial photography specializing in people, portraits, and what people do (lifestyle) was my passion — and I am very passionate about what I do and how it can help others reach their goals. I also enjoy and pursue landscape and still life photography when I don’t have my lens pointed at a person. As an educator, I teach Photoshop and Digital Photography, most recently at the Miami Ad School in San Francisco. I offer occasional workshops in basic photography and simple art captures and am available for one on one lessons.

Richard Weiss

Media; Multi Arts; Visual Arts: Media and Visual Communications, Painting

I’m proud to make an announcement. My 3-D painting “Tintin & l’Affaire de l’Orbe Pourpre” (Tintin & The Case of The Purple Orb) won, at the 57th Annual Art in the Redwoods Fine Arts Exhibit, both Best of Show and Most Popular (voted by viewers), a first in Gualala Art history. I also would like to announce 2 upcoming solo exhibitions in 2019: Tim Carmody gallery in May, and Gualala Art Center in June. The common thread present in all of my work is a joyful playfulness. My work puts the viewer, whatever their age, back in touch with some childhood feelings. I have seen individuals entering my exhibit with family members, obviously not wanting to be there, and within seconds, their attitude changes. Their eyes lighten up and their facial expression is transformed. They are obviously enjoying themselves. My paintings are interactive, and require a participation from the viewer. There is a playful inter-action taking place. I place cultural icons and other elements of contemporary popular culture into a new context to illustrate thought provoking social, political or cultural issues. _________________________________________________________________________________ PDFs TO VIEW: Mona Series + Kinetic Mona Kinetic Paintings + 3 D Paintings Acrylic & Oil Lightbox Water Soluble Color Pencil + Pencil Work Pen & Ink + Whimsical Sculptures Glass Painting ______________________________________________ LINKS TO VIDEOS Tintin & The Case of The Purple Orb (00:49) The King & The Duke (00:48) Nuns With Guns (00:46) Mona Blue Sky (00:35) Mona Purple Sky (00:39) Pandemonium Fairyland 2 (01:37) ________________________________________________ Below: – The King & The Duke – acrylic on wood panel – 22 x 37 inches (3 views of the same painting) In my kinetic art, the image changes depending on your relative position to the painting. The gallery visitors are seen playfully walking back and forth in front of the painting to witness the transformations of the image. In other paintings, the viewer can physically transform the overall image into a myriad of possibilities. My work is extremely detailed, packed with hidden whimsical information that can only reveal itself upon scrutiny. Using a bright palette, I paint in acrylic on multi-faceted wood structures. Below: Nuns with Guns – acrylic on wood panel – 37 x 37 inches – (3 sides on 1 photo) My goal is to provoke an element of surprise, and transmit playfulness and whimsy to the viewer. _________________________________________________________________________________ Watch the video presentation of my work: https://www.facebook.com/richard.weiss.942 – Animated slide show of pen work: Watch the trailer and selected scenes from my film The Book: https://www.youtube.com/user/thebookthemovie/featured – Short morphing video created for The Book – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcVQAFSc8wM&spfreload=10 *- The Book website: http://www.thebook-themovie.com/ * – Alejandro Jodorowsky: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0423524/ My work encompasses painting, sculpting, pencil work, music, film and animation. Here is a sample of my work in these different disciplines. Music: I created Dédicace, a conceptual album reuniting internationally known musicians from four continents. Cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky used Dédicace extensively in his film Tusk. As a singer/song writer, I performed in Europe and Africa. I worked as music producer and wrote jingles and film scores in Europe and America. I played guitar in the Sausalito-based improv. band These Are Not My Hands. Film: I wrote, directed and produced The Book, a kitsch science fiction feature film (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers meets Flash Gordon) that pays homage to the sci-fi classics of the 70s and 80s. Official Selection of festivals in America, Australia and Asia, The Book won 13 awards in 2011, and was hailed as “cult material” by critics and festival audiences. Fine Art: I freelanced as a graphic artist in Paris and San Francisco, and created whimsical window paintings for businesses and corporations. Living on the Mendocino coast since 2002, I have been exhibiting my pointillist drawings in local galleries. In 2015, I began working in acrylic and mixed media. My Pop art Surrealism style is playful. The subjects are illogical and irrational. I worked on a series of thematic subjects, such as Mona Lisa, and a whimsical series of lit painted boxes. I’ve developed interactive paintings that invite the viewer to transform the overall image into a myriad of possibilities.

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