Jackson-Hein, who always has a drawing pad and pencil nearby, has worked in watercolors and oils. Tocher’s strengths are in ceramics and jewelry.

Early on, Cynthia Jackson-Hein applied her love of nature to watercolors of wildlife and dogs, and studied under Adele Earnshaw and Joe Garcia. She soon found, however, that the greater sensuality and range of expression possible in working with oils drove her to that medium. She has since done graduate-level study at Art Academy University in San Francisco, and also studied under such internationally known artists as Michael Del Priore, Craig Nelson, Kathleen Dunphy, Everett Raymond Kinstler, Burton Silverman, Chris Newhard, and Brent Jensen. At the Academy, her work has been selected for special display, and both her portrait and landscape work has been juried into their annual shows.

Jackson-Hein has had one woman shows in the USA and Canada, and her works and portrait commissions hang in private collections around Canada, Europe, the USA, and Mexico. She accepts private commissions for portraits, particular landscapes, and pictures of favorite animals.

Barbara Tocher’s story began when she was in high school with a mishap on the potters wheel. Her learning to use the potters wheel didn’t come until years later. When she finally learned the wheel, she found that she loved the simplicity of the shape of a bowl. Tocher soon found herself doing things to the outside of those bowls. “The outside is my canvas. I am drawn to carve or add clay. And I love the light catching characteristics of the interior of a glazed bowl.” While her work with clay continues, she also loves making jewelry.

Tocher visited Egypt in 2004 and Jordan in 2005. Each trip was a teacher seminar through UCSB, learning about people, culture, antiquities, education and political concerns in the Middle East. She found herself drawn to beads from all over the Middle East and Africa. She bought, saved and collected them because of her love for them.

Tocher makes her own stoneware beads and jewelry which she describes as irregular, large, chunky, often asymmetric, with characteristics of African and Middle Eastern jewelry. Much of her work is not delicate, and many of her necklaces are statement pieces. She’s drawn to Pre-Columbian art and to the art of Africa and Jordan, and much of her inspiration comes from this art. Petra, in Jordan, has beautiful stone walls built with natural and carved stone and her Petra pieces reflect those walls. Pre-Columbian masks, vessels and architecture give Tocher ideas for her own ceramics.