Previous Art Demonstrations
2024
April
Natalia Aandewiel studied art in Ukraine since she was 10 years old in a special art school for gifted children in Kyiv. While earning her bachelors on Art she spent extensive amount of time studying art in Italy in Florence Classical Arts Academy. She earned her Masters degree in Art and focused her research on the topic of Synesthesia. Her artistic approach goes back to traditional roots, but has evolved into more modern style. She is excited to share her thoughts on composition, exploration of light, and color, and connection between senses. After the full scale Russian invasion in Ukraine she was able to escape her country, and come to Santa Cruz. Painting here, admiring and feeding of the beauty of the coast helps her stay grounded despite the chaos and tragedy in her homeland, going through cancer and building a new life here in the US. She calles her technique from Chaos to Beauty- a very freeing and exciting way to explore possibilities of oil paint, and bring more excitement in the painting process.
March
Radhikas vision as an artist is quite simple. She aspires to create delicately vibrant and expressive nature-inspired art, in its very essence, that not only brings a sense of calm but also imparts ample warmth and positive vibes. Flowers and nature inspire her and she strives to capture their simplicity and elegance. She works with watercolors and likes to keep her compositions simple, loose and delightful. Radhika graduated as Master of Science in Information Systems from Singapore in 2010 and worked as a software professional for over a decade. Art has always been a great source of relaxation and creative exploration for her. Growing up, she used to fancy being an artist someday, spreading the myriad shades of joyous colors. She is now a full-time artist exhibiting at various art shows, galleries and cafes across Bay Area, California and believes in sharing her skills and passion for art by teaching art workshops and classes. Personally, she loves living in the moment, a simple life and a piping hot Chai. See more of her Radhikas work here: Website: myriadshadesart.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myriad.shades.art
February
She studied at San Jose State and graduated with a BA in Graphic Design with a concentration in Illustration. A few years later, was able to take some classes at the S. F. Academy of Art. But the illustration aspect never fully materialized. Her career concentrated in graphic design. She worked as a graphic designer for many years. In 2014 the call to draw and paint came back with a vengeance so she picked up fine arts where she had left off. Or so she thought. It was shocking to her to realize how much ability you lose after not drawing consistently. Diligent practice at rediscovering the basics like drawing, color, composition before attempting to paint. Reacquainting herself with media and materials she hadn't used in years. Watercolors provided yet another huge learning curve. She asked herself...did I really know how to do this before? While working on mastering watercolors again, she discovered Alcohol Inks. She was captivated by the vividness of the colors and the movement of the paints. They became an obsession, discovering different materials and techniques, all which ended up unlocking a looser style for her watercolors as well. She now goes back and forth between the two mediums which she feels fuels her growth and complements her painting style. She is a member of the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, The Pacific Art League and, as a member, her work can be seen regularly at Gallery 9, a co-op gallery in Los Altos, CA. and on www.gallery9.com.
January
Expectations, reputation, Pros & Cons for entering art competitions, are art competitions worth the costs of entry fees? How to maximize the opportunity when you do get accepted. The kind of issues and points of discussion that come up when artists get together and talk about the pros & cons. Are all art judges the same, or extremely opposite of one another? What are art judges looking for? Why are so many art competition exhibitions so inconsistent looking? Tips on selecting the artwork for a compitition and many such topics will be discussed by George Rivera.
He is former Executive Director and Senior Curator at the Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, Ca. (1985-2013) - former Director and Curator at the San Jose Art League Center & Galleries, San Jose, Ca. (1982-1985) - associate/adjunct Art Professor/faculty at numerous colleges and universities throughout the Greater Bay Area. San Jose State University, De Anza College, Mission College, Ohlone College, UC Berkeley extension, Pacific Art League Palo Alto.
Currently on the Art Faculty at Mission College in Santa Clara, and Ohlone College in Fremont, Ca. Instructor of Painting, Drawing, Airbrush painting, Art Appreciation, Art History, 2-D Design, Color. - Art Juror for over 400 local, regional, statewide, national and international art competitions (1979 to the present). He is also an Artist working in various mediums in painting and drawing, including oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed media. His works have been included in nearly 200 exhibitions locally, nationally and internationally (1974-present). Over this period of time his works have been represented in various art galleries throughout Northern California. Selections of his works are in four Northern California Art Museum Permanent Collections. - Recent major highlights for his art have included being included in the first and second de Young Museum Open art competition and exhibitions in 2020 and 2023.
George received his AA in Art from Monterey Peninsula College, then he earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Art from San Jose State University.
December
Please join us for our most enjoyable yearly event! It has been a FALC tradition for many years to come together and paint Holiday posters which will be donated to the Cupertino Healthcare & wellness Center in Cupertino. If you are shy about painting with a group, please join us anyway. You can also bring pre made Holiday cards or poster. We would appreciate the opportunity to talk and get to know one another.
Please join us in celebrating the Holidays! Get ready with your watercolor or quick drying acrylic paint, or color pencils and brushes and palette. No oil paints. You could choose to paint a simple secular holiday picture of your choice. Theme required : card or Posters on Christmas theme or Holiday theme or any generic theme of flowers or birds.
Please bring a small wrapped gift (approx. $10-15) for the patients at the Wellness center who may not have relatives visiting them during the holidays. Please mark if it is for a male or female. No liquids, lotions or perishable goods or food or candles please. Suggested gifts are gloves, scarves, socks, Blanket etc.
Optional: Please get your choice of snack or food to share or drink along with the online paint in party.. Please do not bring in big quantity.
November
Artist Statement - My Beads are small abstract landscapes. Distilling the landscape down to the essential components allow me to get to the heart of a scene. A simple wave evokes the feeling of being on the beach, an ocean scene suggests the joy of snorkeling, nature scenes in silhouette are reminders of a quiet evening walk.
Awards 2020 East Valley Artists Annual Show 3D - First Place The Moon and Venus Glass and Metal 3D - Third Place Wildflowers Glass and Wood People’s Choice 3D Moon and Venus and a Collaboration with Sloane Perroots Coastal Collaboration Ceramic and Glass 2019 East Valley Artists Annual Show 3D Assembled - Third place Poppy and Quail Honorable Mention - Falling for Fall 2018 East Valley Artists Annual Show 3D Molded/Carved - Second Place Fallen - Publications Moon Beads a tutorial, Glass Bead Evolution, 2022 Issue 10.4, www.isgb.org Tide Pool Bead Tutorial a tutorial, Glass Line, December/January 2022/23, v36n4, www.glassline.net Tide Pool The Flow Magazine 2022 Women In Glass, Purple The Flow Magazine 2021 Women In Glass, Falling for Fall and Spots Dots and Polka Dots The Flow Magazine 2020 Women in Glass, Classes 2022 Glass Art Symposium Lampwork Reef Beads 2021 Glass Art Symposium Lampwork Moon Beads 2020 Glass Art Symposium Lampwork Wave Beads https://www.curiousmondo.com/course-category/glass/ Affiliations ISGB, Fireflies, Glass Dragons, ACGA, and East Valley Artists
Contact Phone: 805-501-9575 Email: shelly@perledivetro.com Website: www.perledivetro.com
October
I try to create art that adds something new to the arena-something that is interesting and unique. I choose subjects that interest me and techniques that try to advance my skills. I appreciate all forms of art and have chosen not to be tied to any given medium or style. I like variety in the art I view as well as the art I create.
Therefore, you will see my work in charcoal, pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, pastel and mixed media. Prior to beginning a new piece, I give considerable time in choosing a subject, medium and technique. I work unrushed and stay committed to the final pen or brush stroke. My goal is to engage the viewer and stimulate an interesting and enjoyable experience.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, served 30 years in the Navy coincident with a 30 year career with a blue-chip company in the private sector. I am currently a member of the East Valley Artists (EVA) and the Los Gatos Art Association (LGAA). I was Artist of the Year in 2005 and 2006 with the Santa Clara Art Association and had a painting chosen as Painting of the Year by the LGAA in 2007. I was also Artist of the Year with EVA in 2021. I have won many awards in juried shows including several Best of Show awards.
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/wendell-fiock
August
Shone Chacko is an accomplished Scratchboard artist based in San Jose, California. With an artistic journey spanning more than a decade, he discovered the captivating world of scratchboards and has been captivated by its unique medium ever since. Renowned for his meticulous attention to detail, Shone Chacko specializes in creating realistic artworks that breathe life into his subjects.
His preferred subjects revolve around the mesmerizing beauty of felines, canines, and birds, which he skillfully captures through his scratchboard creations. What sets Shone apart is his innovative approach to coloring scratchboards. Utilizing a diverse range of inks, he fearlessly experiments with an array of scratching tools, such as surgical scalpels, hobby knives, fiber glass brushes, airbrushes, sandpaper, steel wool, tattoo needles, and other carefully selected abrasive tools. This adventurous spirit allows him to push the boundaries of his craft, resulting in stunning and dynamic compositions.
Recognized for his remarkable talent, Shone actively participates in prestigious art exhibitions organized by the esteemed International Scratchboard Society. Additionally, he showcases his works in numerous regional and national shows across the country, continuously sharing his artistic vision with a wider audience. To immerse yourself in Shone Chacko's captivating world of scratchboard art, you can explore his remarkable portfolio http://shonechacko.deviantart.com/gallery/
July
Tejal Shah is a mixed media artist from San Francisco, CA. She paints from her soul and dances like no one is watching. Dancing is her hobby. She is an art educator & artist. She enjoys using various mediums and colors in her artwork. Nature’s colors are her source of inspiration. Her paintings are a collection of realism, impressionism, and abstract art. Her passion for art originated from her grandmother, who was her first art teacher.
Tejal enjoys painting on small and large surfaces. Her favorite subjects are flowers and fruits using acrylic paints. The details on mother nature’s creations are breathtaking and she enjoys bringing it on canvas. She has always been passionate about art, creativity, painting, etc.
She finds art to be meditative, divine, inspiring, peaceful, and a happy place for her to be in. Art is a lifestyle for her, and it has consistently preserved calmness and a certain fulfilling feeling in her soul.
June
Self taught artist, Momoko, is known for her signature abstract art in which she named, LineScaping. The works made of repetitive lines appear mindbogglingly three dimensional when they are actually flat. All lines are drawn freehand one by one, unlike one may suspect it computer assisted. In 2005, her LineScaping quest begun in a simple format with pen drawing on small papers, and over the years it had evolved not only to a larger scale but also in different colors as well as other design innovations that added different feels to the series.
Currently in a flexible hiatus as an artist, Momoko has been creating abstract art made of lines since 2005, as well as other styles of abstract art, such as mixed media collage. Originally born in Japan, she moved to the States in 1992, and has been in the Bay Area since 2009. In these strange out-of-pandemic days, she extends her hobby skills to sewing and wood works whenever the time allows her.
May
Todd is a mostly self-taught artist residing in Highland, California, southeast of Los Angeles. His portfolio consists of over 400 works in a wide variety of media and styles. Typical subjects include portraits, abstract, science fiction, and historical events, in oil paint on canvas. A common approach in Todd’s art is to recreate old black and white photos as paintings. The intent is to bring attention to the original photos and to the interesting stories of the subjects. The subject of this demo will be the techniques to achieve accuracy and also some ideas in creatively merging two related images. Todd’s work has appeared in a show at the Salmagundi Club in Greenwich, New York, auctioned in Belgium to support a VanGogh sculpture, contracted for jigsaw puzzles, and is on permanent display at the Vicksburg Civil War Museum. His paintings have also been the used as the cover of a book by the Catholic Health Association, and on the cover of the James Caird Society Journal. Todd has exhibited art in gallery shows including Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, New York, and the Netherlands.
Website: www.toddkruseart.com
March
Jemal is a Bay Area-based artist, native Californian, and graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He exhibits at KALEID Gallery, and works from his studio at Visual Philosophy, both in San Jose, California.
February
Peggy has been drawing and painting as soon as she could hold a pencil. She studied fine art at De Anza Community College in Cupertino, and at San Jose State University, as well as Biology. In her work Peggy strives to build a relationship with her subject and her goal is to bring the viewer into her world and experience the unique personality and spirit of a subject. Peggy works with colored pencil, graphite, pastels, and ink allowing her to marry detail typical of scientific illustration with the intimacy of fine art, leaving the viewer feeling they somehow know and understand the subject. She is a realist, but the subject’s personality drives her work. Peggy teaches adult beginning, intermediate and advanced group and private classes in most drawing mediums e.g., graphite, charcoal, conte, colored pencil, pen & ink)
2023
January
ABOUT RANJINI
Ranjini is a fine artist working primarily in the medium of colored pencils for more than 18 years and draws inspiration from her rich cultural heritage. She works out of her home studio in San Ramon, California. She has completed her Still-life Atelier Training at Gage Academy of Art in WA and works out of her home studio in San Ramon, CA. She also teaches colored pencil classes locally and all across the US.
Her colored pencil art has been juried into several National and International shows across the US and UK, like the Salmagundi Annual non-member exhibition, Leading masters of Contemporary Realism (International guild of Realism), California State Fair, Women Painters of Washington and Colored Pencil Society of America’s International shows and UK color pencil society international show. Ranjini’s works have also been published in the Strokes of Genius 4 and 5, American Artist, International Artist, American Art Collector, Southwest arts magazine, Ann Kullberg’s COLOR Magazine and Art Guide Northwest.
Ranjini is a five-year merit signature and a Lifetime member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (www.cpsa.org). Ranjini is the brand ambassador and featured artist for Koh-I-Noor USA colored pencils. She also is a juried member of American Women Artists and NAWA (National Association of Women Artists). Ranjini is part of the San Ramon City Arts Commission as an alternate and runs three schools in the tri-valley where she enjoys educating young minds with various art forms.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Inspired by the finer nuances of simple everyday subjects, I embody my work with a variety of moods by using expressive color and dramatic lighting. Although I prefer to work in a realistic style, I like my art to be a passionate interpretation, rather than a replication of what I see. My drawings are thoughtfully composed, and I love telling stories through them. Although I work on a variety of subject matter, I enjoy working on the Still-life genre the most using Origami models and reflective surfaces in trompe-l œil style.
November
Denise Howard earned a BA in Art and a BS in Math/Computer Science from Truman State University, and an MS in Computer Science from Ohio State University. She worked for several Silicon Valley companies, was one of the developers of iPhoto at Apple, and earned movie credits on Antz and Shrek at PDI/DreamWorks. Once she committed to pursuing art as a second career in 2010, she quickly earned regional, national and international recognition and awards for her realist colored pencil and graphite work, including 3rd Place in Strokes of Genius 13: The Best of Drawing. She is the author of 101 Textures in Colored Pencil from Walter Foster Publishing. She has been featured in Colored Pencil Magazine and COLOR magazine, has work published in several books, and is popular as a workshop presenter. She is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and the UK Coloured Pencil Society, and is the national president of CPSA.
September
Come and experience the art of Caroline Mustard whose work spans both traditional and digital media. Her seminal iPad painting Google Bikes hangs in a Google building, while her oil paintings record her dreams and memories. Author of The Joy of Drawing books and founder of The Joy of Drawing Inc, a charitable foundation dedicated to empowering others to draw, Caroline will show the important relationship between drawing and painting in her demonstration.
August
Judy Gittelsohn has been living, loving and painting in Northern California since 1977. Gittelsohn approaches painting as an enthusiastic exploration of color and form. She employs playful creativity to pursue a path of meaning. Her works are poems of tone and intensity that evolve into graceful and dynamic shapes. Painted spaces and patterns are symbolic rather than strictly representational. She loves to paint people, animals, fruit, landscapes, symbols, and, well, anything that holds promise and mystery. Her work is in collections around the world. Gittelsohn enjoys teaching art, especially to artists with special needs through her project Art for Well Beings. She also works with Golden Paints as a Certified Working Artist, teaching the properties and uses of the companys outstanding products. Gittelsohn is developing a secluded artists retreat, The Git Gat G�te in Monterey County, California, that will allow other artists to experience this special place as part of their artistic journey.
July
I was born and raised in India, worked in Bangalore in the 90s and moved to California in 2001. I developed keen interest in art during my high school years. However it was not until I secured my first job in 1988 after university graduation, that I could devote time and resources to undergo some formal academic training in art. In the year 1990 I attended one year art course taught by MTV Acharya, a well known watercolor artist in Bangalore, Karnataka. The following year, I joined an art course run by Ken school of Art in Bangalore for working individuals on weekends. The course was taught by RM Hadpad, another well known artist of the time. Since then I developed keen interest in watercolor medium and have been painting in that medium for more than two decades. I am self-taught for the most part, picking up techniques and approach of various accomplished watercolor artists through books and analyzing paintings. Photography, theatre are my two other passions, besides watercolor painting.
June
Born in North Carolina with a biology teacher for a mother and a father who loved to wander the woods on the weekends, Julia Cline is a writer who happens to paint. All of Julias work, both as a writer and a visual artist, is fueled by her love of the out of doors and the beings that enrich her life, be they feline, canine, human, domesticated or completely wild. Previously, Julia earned a doctoral degree in Social Psychology and she remains deeply interested in the social development of children and adults. This interest now manifests itself in the longer books and stories she writes. Mrs. Wilkers Class and Superheroes (currently unpublished) follow a trio friends as they navigate the world of fifth grade and beyond. On occasion, Julias visual and written art unite in the form of a picture book. These include Come Walk With Me, a poem about all the things to be discovered while walking along in the natural world, Kotobuki, the story of a tiny kitten and the human family he exhausts, Bubble, another poem, and Where Is Portulacca Sleeping, a second book featuring cat behaviors. You can find Julias books and samples of her visual art at her website juliaclinebooks.com
May
Pragati was born in India and was lucky to grow up in a culturally rich environment. This piqued her interest very early on to draw inspiration from the myriad heritage and traditions. She was tagged as exceptionally creative since childhood, and went on to study Architecture and Industrial Design, striking the right balance between raw talent and rigorous training.
She is a globetrotter and a curious explorer by nature. After finishing her formal education she worked in Europe to further explore the synergy between Art, Design & Architecture..
so similar and yet so different!It was after all these enriching experiences in life that she got really addicted to painting as her preferred language of expression. She creates a unique character in her paintings that seems enchanted and surreal. The elements are familiar but the style of composition is uniquely rare.
Her being a passionate artist as well as an intelligent innovator is a catalyst in creating exotic works where transparent layers of paint, come alive with intricate details to make aesthetic and strong bodies of work. Design principles, color interaction, and visual balance are important elements as the rich story her art is telling.
She lives with her family in the Bay Area, California, and in her studio she blends various forms of fine arts, performing arts & design to create multi-sensory experiences. Estate sale hopping, folk music, research, and teaching are her other interests. She is a compulsive creative and loves to add value to things, real or virtual. Her surfaces invariably evolve and so do her materials & tools, the only constant however is a strong urge to create beautiful narratives.
April
In 1963 a group of local artists founded the Fine Arts League of Cupertino (FALC) to promote and encourage the practice and appreciation of the visual arts. The membership for FALC is drawn from the cities of Cupertino, Los Altos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and the other local communities surrounding it.
FALC is not only promoting art in the society but giving a huge platform to budding talents and spreading art education and supporting artists. To support and run this huge platform we have team of volunteering members including the president. Steering commitee has formed a guideline with the help of members voting which is known as By laws. Membership and steering members review the By-laws time to time to make sure we keep them up to date. In this meeting we will be sharing our latest works to get to know each other better as well as we will be reviewing the By laws and the Jurying in and Exhibiting rules for the members and Newbies. All the members are requested to be present (Members with health issues and who are staying far can join online) at Quinlan for this meeting since we all need to vote on Bylaws. (Participation Mandetory)
March
California Bay Area artist Annie Haines strives to emotionally connect people to the natural environment through her work. Painting outdoors and spending time deeply looking at her subjects helps ground her to the random and tenacious energy of the landscape. She composes and simplifies what she experiences, expressing it through value, shape and color in paint. She finds ample subjects in the boundless variety of habitats and historic sites of the Bay Area. Annie paints with several local plein air groups including the Los Gatos Art Association, the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society and the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters. She has participated in several of the area�s plein air competitions including Capitola Plein Air and the Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout. Annies award winning work has been exhibited nationally and abroad and is held in private collections in many areas of the world. She is currently represented by two Bay Area galleries like Gallery 24 in Los Gatos and Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos.
February
Born and bred in Monterey, California, USA Warren Chang is an acclaimed realist artist who is recognized for his realist paintings of biographical interiors and field-workers of the Monterey, California area. Influenced by Masters such as 17th century artist Johannes Vermeer 1632-1675, and 19th century artists Jean Francois Millet 1814-1875, among others, Warren Chang creates subtle narratives that celebrate the human spirit. His work is in the permanent collections of the Monterey Museum and the Hilbert Museum of Art in Orange, California. He was honored with solo exhibitions of his art at the Monterey Museum of Art, the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio, and most recently a solo exhibition at the New Museum Los Gatos in 2019. He is the subject of a 112 monograph book on his paintings published by Flesk Publications in 2012. He is a Signature member of the California Art Club and a Master Signature member of the Oil Painters of America.
Website: www.warrenchang.com
2022
January
Lucy Ghelfi was born in Salinas, California and currently lives and works in San Jose. She has an art studio and gallery at The Alameda ArtWorks. Her training as an artist began soon after retiring as an educator in 2006. Always testing her skills in anything creative, she began taking studio art classes at San Jose City College and West Valley Community College. This training served as a catalyst to launch her into a full-time career as a visual artist. Although Lucy tends to be multi-passionate, painting has held her interest and passion, with ceramics being a close second. Lucy continues to develop her painting skills by attending workshops in person and online. Her major influences and mentors have been, internationally known artist, Stella Zhang and most recently, Louise Fletcher from the UK. Lucy divides her time between giving art lessons to adults, creating her own body of work and spending time with family and friends. Since 2009, she has shown her work in several group exhibitions and private art shows. Most recently, Lucy will exhibit in the Linked INNYC Women of the World, venue and dates TBD. In 2020, she exhibited work at the Las Laguna Beach Art Gallery, and in 2019 she won an Honorable Mention for her Below the Surface entry, Coastal Art League Members Exhibit, Half Moon Bay. In 2014 she won 2nd place in the ceramics category at the 2nd Annual SJCC Student Art Competition, and in 2013, she was a regional semi-finalist, Bombay Artisan Series in partnership with Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation Art Competition, Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA. Several of her works are held in private collections in the US and Internationally.
December
Paint-In Pot-Luck
Please join us for our most enjoyable yearly event! It has been a FALC tradition for several years to come together and paint Holiday posters which will be donated to the Pleasant View Convalescent home in Cupertino. If you are shy about painting with a group, please join us anyway. We would appreciate the opportunity to talk and get to know one another.
Please join us in celebrating the Holidays! Get ready with your watercolor or quick drying acrylic paint, or color pencils and brushes and palette. No oil paints. You could choose to paint a simple secular holiday picture of your choice. Theme required : card or Posters on Christmas theme or on Spring or general Holiday theme.
Optional: Please bring a small wrapped gift (approx. $10) for the patients at the Convalescent Home who may not have relatives visiting them during the holidays. Please mark if it is for a male or female. No liquids, lotions or perishable goods please. Suggested gifts are gloves, scarves, socks, Blanket etc.
Optional: Pleaseget your snack or food to eat or drink along with the online paint in party..
November
After a career as a pension actuary, Maura had the opportunity to study art in Dresden, Germany. She studied for three years at the Hochschule f�r Bildende K�nste under Siegfried Klotz, and lived and painted in Germany for 15 years. She returned to the Bay Area in 2012 and has been spending her time painting plein air cityscapes, still lifes, interiors and portraits. Working in oils, and exclusively from life, Maura continues to experiment and interpret the world around her. Working within the classical techniques of grisailles and layering, Mauras paintings have a subtle glow to them. Her tromp loeils pop out, her portraits quietly gaze at you, and her landscapes are vibrant depictions of nature. She says, Turning a blank canvas into my interpretation of the world around me continues to hold my attention. I redesign the cityscapes into purple, green and sunlit orange. I love the texture of paint, the feel of applying it to canvas, and the exercise of seeing the world around me in terms of shapes, values and colors. Maura teaches painting at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto. Her works can be found in public and private collection in Europe and the US. She exhibits at Studio Gallery in San Francisco, with the California Art Club and at the Triton Museum. Among her many awards, Maura won third place at the Triton statewide salon exhibition and First Place at the Pacific Art League Grand Opening exhibit. For more information about the artist, please visit her website at www.mauracarta.com or on Instagram at mauracarta.
October
Sriharsha Annadore is a fine arts photographer having passion to tell visual stories. His story subjects often include intricate human relationships, wildlife conservation, natural history, fragile ecosystems, urban human life, national parks and anything local to california. Sriharshas passion in photography started when he was volunteering as a porter for wildlife research scientists in India where he picked up the technical aspects of film/slide development, later on transitioning to digital.
He publishes his work mainly through online forums and websites where he sells custom prints. He also enjoys teaching photography as an art to varied interest groups. Regular photo field trips for kids to national wildlife refuges, targeted workshops like night landscapes, astrophotography, street candid life, national parks in different seasons etc., He also teaches photoshop for other artist colleagues in areas of image compositing for reference photos.
Sriharsha has been active as a member in FALC since 2018 where he volunteers for publicity chair.
September
Bay Area artist Deborah Shea paints joyful personality and effervescence into her stunning pastel florals. She transforms pure pigments of pastel powder into beautiful, vivid floral portraits. Her large-scale florals create spectacular focal points in any setting. I love to capture all the beauty in flowers, exploring the abstract shapes, finding the path of light, creating transparency and building the luminous color of the flower centers and petals. Deborah Shea was born into a family of artists and grew up in San Francisco. She received a B.A in Studio Art & Design at the UC Davis where she studied with Wayne Thiebaud. She had a career for over 20 years as a creative director, & illustrator before becoming a full-time fine artist in 2017. She has won numerous awards in juried group and solo exhibitions and teaches pastel workshops at Filoli and Pacific Art League.
August
A California native raised in the greater Sacramento area, I create landscapes, still lifes and portraits in acrylic, watercolor and pastel. Living near so much natural beauty has fostered my great appreciation for colors both intense and delicate. I have explored other vocations including animal nursing and theater, but keep returning to fine art. My work has been exhibited in a number of juried events, including the Sacramento Arts Festival. While not possessing a degree in art, I have studied with multiple teachers, including Fred Dalkey, whose work I greatly admire. Formerly a muralist, my commissioned projects have frequently drawn repeat clients.
July
Heather Lara is an internationally award winning wildlife artist and has achieved Master status in the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. Her painstaking attention to detail in the medium of scratchboard has created a portfolio rich in the diversity of life. Heathers work is best known for the addition of vibrant color to a traditionally black and white medium and the large sized boards she works with. She hopes to be on the forefront of bringing this art form into the mainstream art world.
June
Ranjini is a fine artist working primarily in the medium of colored pencil for more than15 years. She works out of her home studio in San Ramon, California. She also teaches colored pencil classes locally and across the US. Ranjinis work is largely influenced by geometric & modular Origami shapes along with explorations in color and narrative. Her colored pencil art has been juried into several National and International shows across the US & UK, like the Salmagundi Annual non-member exhibition, Leading masters of Contemporary Realism (International guild of Realism IGOR), California State Fair, Women Painters of Washington and Colored Pencil Society of America�s International shows and UK color pencil society International show.
Ranjinis works have also been published in the Strokes of Genius, American Artist, International Artist, American Art Collector & Southwest arts magazine. She is lifetime Signature member of CPSA, juried member of IGOR, American Women Artist & NAWA(National Association of Women Artists)
May
Michael was born in West Texas and grew up in the rural Umpqua Valley in Oregon. He enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam. A graduate from Brigham Young University, Michael has had a career as an illustrator & graphic designer.
He has worked with magazines, corporations and major art agencies in Seattle, Salt Lake, San Francisco and the Bay Area. Michael has recently worked on a post-graduate degree with the Academy of Art, San Francisco. He shows his work at Gallery 24, Los Gatos Ca. His studio is in San Jose at the Alameda Artworks.
His work has received regional and national awards. Michael has studied figurative, and portrait art with Jim Smith, George Rivera, Ted Nuttall, Ray Mendota, Warren Chang, Oliver Sin, Adrien Gottlieb, Zhaoming Wu.
April
Soon Y. Warren is a full-time artist, teacher, and workshop instructor, nationally and internationally. She has an Associate degree in commercial art. Soon Y. had numerous exhibitions and earned numerous awards. Soon Y. is a signature member of National Watercolor Society (NWS), American Watercolor Society (AWS), Southern Watercolor Artist (SW), Texas Watercolor Society, Purple Sage Brush (TWS), Transparent Watercolor Society (TWSA) and more.
Her paintings and articles have been published in many times in Artists Magazine, Watercolor Magic Magazine, North Light Book, Southwest Art Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, International Artist Magazine, The Art of Watercolour, and Pratique des Arts.
Also, her paintings were included in Splash: The Best of Watercolor 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,19, 21, and 22, and published in Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing of 3 and 4. She published in two watercolor instructional books; Vibrant Flowers in Watercolor with F&W Publication, (North Light Book); Painting Vibrant Watercolor: Discover the Magic of Light, Color and Contrast (North Light Book); Participated in the book, Watercolor Secret, with one chapter, Create Drama with Bold Composition. She also created 7 DVDs; Top Vibrant Watercolor Techniques; Vibrant Watercolor Techniques Painting Glass; Vibrant Watercolor Techniques Painting Water; Painting Silver; Painting Flowers; Color Effects; Marbles and Reflections.
Her paintings are in permanent collections of private, corporate and educational institution in national and internationally. She is represented by Your Private Collection Art Gallery Granbury, Texas Southwest Gallery in Dallas, Texas Prudencia Gallery, San Antonio Texas
March
Sriharsha Annadore is a fine arts photographer having passion to tell visual stories. His story subjects often include intricate human relationships, wildlife conservation, natural history, fragile ecosystems, urban human life, national parks and anything local to california. Sriharshas passion in photography started when he was volunteering as a porter for wildlife research scientists in India where he picked up the technical aspects of film/slide development, later on transitioning to digital. He publishes his work mainly through online forums and website where he sells custom prints. He also enjoys teaching photography as an art to varied interest groups. Regular photo field trips for kids to national wildlife refuges, targeted workshops like night landscapes, astrophotography, street candid life, national parks in different seasons etc., He also teaches photoshop for other artist colleagues in areas of image compositing for reference photos. Sriharsha is active as a member in FALC since 2018 where he volunteers for publicity chair.
February
Julia paints in oils in an impressionistic style, capturing the landscapes of the American West. She studied at RISD, UC and San Jose State, majoring in Illustration. After a career in retail design Julia switched to painting full time. Julia participates in the wests most prestigious plein air events; Carmel Art Festival, Sonoma, Laguna Plein Air Invitational, Sedona, Telluride, Zion, and five times in the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art.
Her award winning paintings have been selected for nine AIS shows earning her Signature status, and numerous CAC shows. Her works are regularly juried into the LPAPA shows. Among her many awards she has received Best of Show in the LPAPA Best of Plein Air, Awarded First Place for oils in the Santa Cruz Statewide Landscape Show, First Place in the Carmel Valley Plein Air, Artists Choice in the Big Blue, an Artist Vision and the Island Award for the Alameda Plein Air and will be featured on their 2021 advertising.
Memberships: American Impressionist Society, Signature Member Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association, Signature Member California Art Club Laguna Plein Air Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos
Solo Exhibitions: Galeria Tontantzin, Portola Art Gallery, Baywood Gallery, Saratoga Art Gallery, Viewpoints Gallery and Thos.Moser Gallery
Publications: Southwest Art Magazine Artist to Watch Jan. 2013 Southwest Art Magazine Landscape Feature, February 2014 Western Art Collector, Artist Focus Editorial Nov 2016 Western Art Collector, State of Art California Editorial Feb 2017 Plein Air Magazine, Spirit of Trees editorial, October 2017 Artist to Watch, Western Art Collector, March 2019
2021
January
Raja GuhaThakurta specializes in detailed, realistic pencil and oil portraits of people and animals. He also works in other media including wood carving, glass/ceramic painting, etc. He has been fortunate enough to receive recognition for his art, most notably the Best of Show award at the Fine Arts League of Cupertino 2007 annual show, an Award of Excellence at 2007 AVArtFest, and 2nd place in the Triton Museum purchase award at 2007 AVArtFest. His art has been in the Triton Museum Statewide Competition a few times in recent years. Over the years, he has done several commissioned pieces. His love of art can be traced back to a family of artists: mother, sister, and especially his maternal grandmother whose charcoal portraits served as a tremendous source of inspiration. He was born in Calcutta, India and moved to the US in 1985, and is currently a Professor and Department Chair of Astronomy and Astrophysics at University of California Santa Cruz and UC Observatories. He has been at UCSC since 1994 where astronomy is his day and night job.
2020
December
Peggy Milovina Meyer is a San Francisco Bay Area artist working primarily in colored pencil, graphite and pen and ink. Her work focuses on the natural world. Peggy specializes in drawing out a subject's emotions and personality traits in her portraits. Through use of colored pencil on Dura-lar, a polyester film, Peggy is able to bring a luminosity and intensity to her work using a limited number of layers and colors to create vibrant, realistic art. Peggy studied art at De Anza College and San Jose State University. She teaches drawing in multiple mediums. In her teaching, Peggy strives to introduce newcomers to the enjoyment of drawing and self-expression, build confidence, and the importance of balance between creativity and logic.
November
Debbie Bakker's Vibrant watercolor captures the glow of the summer sun in this collection of florals and succulents, just in time to sweep away the winter chill. Debbie's intense close-ups and realism invites the viewer to revel in nature's gorgeous details. Artist says "I strive to capture the tiniest nuances that make the natural world so fascinating and beautiful - the shadows that create the curl of a petal, the pattern of a succulent's thorns, the symmetry of a blooming rose." Debbie's mastery of transparent watercolor enables her paintings to glow with luminous colors and detail. Debbie has a degree in Illustration from the Academy of Art University, SF. She is a member of local, state, and national watercolor associations. For more information about Debbie, please visit her website at www.debbiebakker.com.
October
Jan Fagan lives and works as a full time artist in the Pacific Northwest but has lived all over the United States, from Hawaii to the east coast. Her heart and her art are happiest creating in her imaginative and illustrative style. She often enjoys mixing colored pencil with other mediums or trying them on unusual surfaces like copper and wood. Jan sells her work via commissions, at local galleries and in her Etsy shop. Teaching is as rewarding as creating her art and she has led workshops in beginner colored pencil, character design and creativity. Her work has been featured in the Ann Kullberg magazine Color as well as other publications.
September
Jeff Bramschreiber has been drawing and painting for over forty years, and while
he is primarily a pastelist, he also frequently works in acrylic, watercolor, silverpoint most dry media,
and even airbrush. His artworks hang in private collections throughout the United States and Europe and
have received many awards. A local art advocate, he has served as an art club president, (East Valley
Artists and Santa Clara Art Association), as a juror with nearly fifty shows to his credit, as treasurer
and lecturer for Silicon Valley Open Studios, as a demonstrator and lecturer for many of the Bay Areas
art clubs, colleges, and museums.
Jeff also worked at University Art San Jose for 21 years before its closing in 2018 as an assistant
Manager, Frame Designer, and Community Art Liaison. Mr. Bramschreiber has also helped coordinate,
organize, and participate in numerous local art shows, group shows, and events throughout his career.
Currently, he is President of the Board of Trustees for the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, a
resident and live paint artist at Kaleid Gallery in Downtown San Jose; and an art instructor for the
Triton Museum of Art, The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, The Pacific Art League and The Villages Arts
and Crafts Association.
August
Jaya King is a professional artist and California native based out of Sacramento
who has been showing, teaching, and demonstrating her work since 2003. Her dynamic paintings marry both
balance of technique and personal connection to the viewer.
Jaya’s lectures across the Bay Area have an emphasis on technique, personal growth and exploration
through painting. Her popular painting workshops give students the opportunity to grow as artists and
express their individuality. Currently, Jaya is working on developing her online classroom and she is
finalizing her in-depth e-course on color mixing called Color Mix Masterclass.
She has been featured in Sacramento’s Inside Publications magazine. Her work has been published in
Splash 11: New Directions, Incite 3: The Best of Mixed Media, and in Art Journey Animals: A Collection
of Inspiring Contemporary Masterworks. In 2018 Jaya painted a mural on the Guild Theatre as part of
the 2018 Wide Open Walls mural festival. In 2016 Jaya developed a scholarship program, which gives high
school students the opportunity to explore the art and process of encaustic painting. At age 24 she was
invited to do a solo show at Stanford University and is in the permanent collection at the Triton Museum
of Art in Santa Clara.
July
Behnaz was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Since she was a little girl, she has
had a great passion for art. While attending high school she studied sketching, painting, graphic design,
and literature for two years in the private Institute of Art and Literature In Iran. Then she received
her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design at the Art University and worked as a designer for many years.
While she was working as a designer she got several painting courses and workshops with amazing painters.
She is working with different materials like watercolor, oil, Acrylic, and Pastel. She believes her emotions
define which materials She should use. She also has some experience at Textile, painting on porcelain,
pottery, and mixed media painting. After moving to the United States, She studied Fine art in college,
and opened her own business called Behnazart studio and runs several art classes for kids and adults.
She is a member of art societies, and participated in many art exhibitions and got awards. She has
over 16 years of experience teaching and working with children and adults, and organized many exhibitions
for her students.
February
After years of international travel and activism, journey of Sonya turned inward when she sat her first 10 day meditation retreat in 2013. Soon after, she found her way back to her long lost love of art. But this time, she gained a new understanding of the power of creativity to foster self realization and discovery. She went from years of creative drought and denial that she was an artist at all to being a prolific painter motivated by the intrinsic joy of creating. Now she wishes to share the gift that creativity has brought her with the world.
January
Kai is a professional artist and the Director and Founder of CalColor Atelier in Cupertino. He graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Arts, as well as having studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. In 2018, He was one of twenty-six recipients chosen out of nearly 3000 entries to be awarded a Certificate of Excellence for his painting Ashton in the 20th Annual International Portrait Society of America Competition. He has recently been featured in Southwest Art Magazine's 21 under 31 Article, where he was one of 21 artists under the age of 31 being celebrated as rising art stars from across the West and around the country. His work has also been included and published by the likes of Poets Artist Magazine and Plein Air Magazine.
2019
November
Linda was born in the coal regions of Pennsylvania, and her surroundings were coal dust grey. In her painting, she sees her world in terms of vibrant color. She is fascinated by contrasts: light and dark, lost and found, wash in juxtaposition to hard edges. Painting for her has become an expression of her inner serenity and clarity. she is a BFA in Painting from the Philadelphia College of Art. She takes workshops in both Acrylic & Watercolor and is held throughout the year at her mountain home.
October
Sharon was born in Oakland, Ca and has spent most of her life in Santa Cruz, Ca. Her career began with studying watercolor, color & design, interior design and architectural drawing. She started acrylics on canvas more than 20+ years ago. She has participated in hundreds of juried Art & Wine Festivals and winning many local art competitions for advertising posters. After many years being with a New York/Australian art publisher, her original paintings are now self published into Giclee prints. Sharons paintings are created in her brightly lit art studio that faces her lovely garden. Her colorful florals, peaceful beach scenes and series of fun rooster paintings have been inspired by Van Gogh. Shes filled her life with the love of painting, gardening, travel and a devoted supportive husband. Sharing her art with others have been enormously rewarding. Her next chapter of life she'll be teaching on the Cunard Queen Mary 2 starting this fall 2019.
September
Joshua James Ryan is an eccentric self-taught, award-winning Bay Area artist specializing in several forms of art including photorealism in oils, pencil, and airbrush, abstract and surrealist acrylic and mixed media, as well as music and singing. Currently he teaches photorealistic pencil drawing at various venues throughout the Bay Area.
August
A lifelong resident of Northern California and a visual person by nature, I have always found inspiration in the beauty of my surroundings. It is a blessing to be in such close proximity to rivers, mountains, and the ocean. Having been an art lover since early childhood, painting has always been a great love but something that I rarely had time to do. With a degree in design, I have worked in freelance graphics for 25 years, which helped to satisfy my compulsion to make things pretty while keeping busy with my children and husband and dogs and endless projects. With the loss of my husband a few years ago I suddenly found myself a void to fill and watercolor called my name. Painting saved me and has become an addiction and a joy. I am obsessed with value and color and light, and the beautiful movement of water and pigment, and hope to share the joy it brings me in my art.
July
Whether he is painting a landscape, a still life, a portrait, a paper- batik, or a wildlife piece, the love for what Jeff Bramschreiber is painting is clearly evident. While he specializes in pastel painting, he has command of several other mediums including watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, most other dry media, and silverpoint! Whatever the medium, Jeff communicates with rich mixtures of believable colors and thorough knowledge of his subject to create a realistic third dimension and an emotional atmosphere in his artwork. You are not an idle spectator when you look at his work, you are there seeing and feeling the things the artist felt.
As George Rivera, former Executive Director of the Triton Museum of Art puts it, When you look at Jeffs art you are drawn in from across the room, and when you arrive you see that there is more to discover, more going on than what the subject matter betrays. Mr. Bramschreiber has been painting for more than forty years, has won numerous awards for his work, and his paintings hang in several private collections throughout the United States. Jeff has also donated his work and his time to various private organizations, arts organizations, schools, museums and galleries, in support of their educational programs and fundraisers; he is deeply involved in his local art community. He currently is Board President for the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, Resident Artist/Exhibitor at Kaleid Gallery in Downtown San Jose and Art Instructor at The Villages in San Jose. In June 2007, Jeff received the prestigious Jean Bock Spirit of Art Award from the Alliance of Visual Artists, for his work in bringing art to the lives of Silicon Valley residents and in helping artists to achieve their potential; then in 2013 he received a United States Congressional Commendation Award from Congressman Mike Honda for Jeffs services to the Annual Congressional Art Contest. Jeff currently lives in San Jose with his wife Stephanie and can be reached at (408) 629-7883 or via e-mail jeffrey@bramschreiberstudios.com. Check out Jeffs work on his website www.bramschreiberstudios.smugmug.com ( you can also see Jeffs work in person at Kaleid Gallery #88 Fourth Street , San Jose CA. 95112 or follow him both Facebook and Instagram
June
I was raised in Seattle Washington, spent my college years in Colorado and have lived in Sunnyvale since 1979. I am married with grown children and wonderful grandchildren. My BFA was in metalwork but a cramped apartment and stint in jewelry manufacturing changed my mind about metalwork, so I have worked in other media for most of my career. I did traditional transparent watercolor on paper until an encounter with silk in 2008 captivated me. I love the vibrancy of the dyes, the sheen of the silk and the many possibilities of this medium from clothing to wall art.
April
Debbie Bakker's Vibrant watercolor captures the glow of the summer sun in this collection of florals and succulents, just in time to sweep away the winter chill. Debbie's intense close-ups and realism invites the viewer to revel in nature's gorgeous details. Artist says "I strive to capture the tiniest nuances that make the natural world so fascinating and beautiful - the shadows that create the curl of a petal, the pattern of a succulent's thorns, the symmetry of a blooming rose." Debbie's mastery of transparent watercolor enables her paintings to glow with luminous colors and detail. Debbie has a degree in Illustration from the Academy of Art University, SF. She is a member of local, state, and national watercolor associations. For more information about Debbie, please visit her website at www.debbiebakker.com.
March
Artfulnoons is an independent arts and crafts company located in Fremont. We custom design paper and home décor products curated with finesse. In addition, we also conduct arts and crafts workshops in and around Bay Area for local communities, social gatherings and businesses - big and small. One of our popular workshops is Tanjore Art. This art is a classical South Indian painting style. Embellished with rich flat colors, simple compositions, and glittering gold foils (bought from India), this art will elevate your home décor scene to the next level! Learn the intricate art with us.
February
Shone Chacko is a Scratchboard artist who lives in San Jose, California. About six years ago he tried a new (to him) medium scratchboards and has been hooked on to it ever since. He is a realistic and detail oriented artist and his favorite subjects are wild cats and wolves. He colors his scratchboards with inks and experiments with different scratching tools. His tools include surgical scalpel, hobby knifes, fiber glass brush, air brush, sandpaper, steel wool, tattoo needles and any other abrasive tools that he finds suitable. He participates in the art exhibitions organized by the International Scratchboard Society as well as many regional and national shows others across the country. In the year 2016 he made a resolution to draw something new every day and made 366 new art pieces that year. His artwork can be seen here http://shonechacko.deviantart.com/gallery/
January
2018
November
Jan Grady has been painting for the last 20 years, since she retired from a career as an Information Technology Manager. She loves the luminosity of transparent watercolors. Her paintings may include reflections in glass, landscapes with water, brightly-colored flowers and leaves, or still-life subjects with a close focus. She is particularly drawn to warmer colors and vivid hues. Jan is a Signature Member of Watercolor West, and she is active in the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, where she was a past president. Her art can be seen at Viewpoints Gallery, 315 State St., Los Altos, as well as in local exhibits. Her web site is www.jangrady.com.
October
Julia is an award-winning oil painter known for her lush contemporary florals. She was trained in traditional techniques, but her paintings veer into new territories such as flower mandalas and modern still life scenes. Julia is active in the California art community and shows her work at Gallery 24 in Los Gatos, where she is also the gallery manager.
My job as an artist is to take the beauty I see around me and distill it into a new image. To say that my work is about beauty may sound simple and trite, but making a beautiful painting is not. I have painted long enough to know my preferred subject, style and medium. Things I see in nature get edited and colored in my own imagination. In my flower paintings I like to build up colors in thin layers of oil paint, so that the viewer can see subtle nuances.
Julia is a member of the California Art Club, Oil Painters of America, American Impressionists Society and Allied Artist West. Her work has been juried into numerous shows at galleries and venues including Las Laguna Gallery, Filoli, NuMu, the Triton Museum of Art and Scottsdale Artists School.
September
The freedom, spontaneity and speed – the “wet and loose”- of watercolor suits my temperament. My approach is “juicy” incorporating bright colors, broad strokes, and strong shapes to depict my feelings and impressions of the natural landscape, flowers and trees, buildings, foreign lands and exotic places.
Kay's recent, more experimental work utilizes an original technique of texturing oriental papers with watercolor pigments. These papers are torn, arranged and collaged to create interesting abstract images. Metallic foil, pastel and opaque media are also utilized to enhance the image.
Kay has been painting for over 45 years and has studied locally with Jane Hofstetter, Charlotte Britton, Jane Burnham and Marie MacDonnell Roberts. Always endeavoring to learn and grow, she has painted in workshops with nationally know artists such as Brommer, Nechis, Szabo, Betts, Simandle, Webb, Cheng Khee Chee and many others. An active member of the Allied Artists West, Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, Los Gatos Art Association, Saratoga Contemporary Artists, The National League of American Pen Women and a signature member of the Society of Western Artists, Kay shows regularly with these groups throughout the Bay Area. The City of Saratoga honored this local artist by presenting one of her paintings to Saratoga’s Sister City of Muko-shi in Japan. In 2005 the County of Santa Clara purchased a local vineyard painting to present to their Sister County of Florence, Italy.
August
May Shei graduated from the Arts and Craft program at Tainan University of Technology and the department of Art at Chinese Culture University with a major in commercial design and a minor on Oil and Chinese painting. May is an art teacher and professional artist focusing on abstract, linear style, and contemporary art. May’s work blends eastern and Western styles in a contemporary fashion and has received multiple awards in a number of San Francisco Bay Area art competitions, she is an invited and featured artist in many galleries and Museum exhibits. She has held solo art shows in Taiwan, China, and the US. She gets the jury in for 2016 and 2017 Salon d’Automne Paris. She was awarded as Distinguished Artist Last year from the City of Cupertino. May current is Vice president and Secretary of CAASF.
June
Oscar is a visual artist born and raised in Mexico City, where he first came into contact of the art world in the Graffiti urban art scene. After immigrating to the USA to San Francisco, Bay area, he studied at Foothill College where his teachers, Jose Arenas and Joe Ragey, introduced him to the fine art world and encouraged him to go on to study more. Doing a French academic atelier system, and now currently at the San Francisco Art Institute, he is working on choosing the right images to communicate his thoughts and ideas to the viewer. He had the fortune to study with a big group of fantastic people and artists such as Carl Dobsky, David Chaifetz, David Kassan, Sadie Valery, Coung Nguyen, Bryan Blood, Terry Ford, Fong Wei, Daniel keys and many others, and for that he will be always grateful. He enjoys working in oil, pastel, charcoal and airbrush and other mediums. He is currently concentrating on portraits and micro emotions, in preparation for making multifigure paintings. Culture has a huge impact on the way each of us perceives the world, and Oscar hopes to share his perspective with others through his artwork.
May
Peggy grew up in Saratoga, attending San Jose State University where she earned a BFA in pictorial Arts. In 2015, Peggy spent three-months painting the rugged beauty of Scotland. In 2017, Peggy earned a merit scholarship to Sam Levi’s workshops in Telluride Colorado. A member of the Santa Cruz Art League and the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Peggy shows her work regularly in both group and solo exhibitions. Her, Moon Over Santa Cruz, was in the Santa Cruz 2017 statewide-juried landscape exhibition. When she’s not in her studio, Peggy teaches art to adults with disabilities at Claraty Arts in Santa Cruz.
April
Bhavna is a full-time painter, illustrator, graphic artist, and art educator. She illustrates nature, landscapes, portraiture, and still life as an emotional response to what she observes. Through her art, she attempts to present the subjects in its basic shapes and defining forms maintaining a careful balance of accuracy and expressionism.
Since her childhood, she never doubted her decision of becoming a painter one day. She studied Science but slowly made a transition towards artmaking. Misra specializes in creating custom portraits, sun-lit landscapes, food art, and animal illustrations for private and corporate collections.
She uses different media including graphite, watercolor, oil, and pastels. She does not practice layering, instead she uses large amounts of thick paint for each stroke. She paints everyday, while listening to NPR.
Misra works as an art contractor for Alameda County Library System. She owns and operates Bhavna Misra Art Studio in Fremont. She is professionally affiliated to Fremont Art Association. Her email is: bhavna.misra@gmail.com and phone 510-862-4169. She lives in Fremont and online at www.bhavnamisra.com.
March
My inspiration comes from my observation to the nature, animals, and specially birds. The colors of them always inspire me to create something unique and special. I was being familiar with painting and embroidery when I was so young, 9 years old. After 7 years working and learning in my mom’s classes, who was designer and artist in our town, at age 17 I had my own students and helping her in classes. After participating in several art galleries with my mom, I started to work beside of embroidery on watercolor painting and found my second interest. I was amazed to decorate inside of home with tone of color which I created and matching it with all of furniture and pictures.. My art help me having more patient and persistence in my life specially embroidered pieces which take more than 6 weeks to be completed.
February
Shannon Amidon is an award winning artist from San Jose, CA. She creates mixed media artwork primarily concentrating on the ancient medium of encaustic painting. She incorporates natural, upcycled and repurposed materials into her artwork, breathing new life into objects that would otherwise be destined for a landfill. Using environmentally safe and sustainable practices is very important to her. In addition to upcycling discarded objects and materials she also makes her own paints using natural earth pigments and binders.
Shannon’s artwork has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions worldwide. Shannon was selected for the 2017 stARTup Art Fair in San Francisco. In 2015 she received the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award and was identified by the curators of the Triton Museum of Art as an artist they feel are worthy of attention in the coming years. In 2011 she was named the SV Creates Artist Laureate, receiving a Fellowship Grant. She was also the recipient of an Eco Art Grant and studio make-over from the Art Inspector part of the Zero One Art and Technology Network.
Shannon has been an artist in residence at The Ayatana Artistic Research Program in Quebec Canada, TechShop San Jose, Herhusid House Artist Residency in Iceland as well as the David and Julia White Artist Colony in Costa Rica. In 2016, 2015 and 2013 she was selected to create large, 400lb, 5ft x 6ft public art hearts for San Francisco General Hospital Foundation; two of the hearts were purchased by Genentech and one by Wells Fargo Bank.
Shannon is active in her local arts community contributing her time, knowledge and art. She is the co-founder of My Art Resources; an online comprehensive source of business tools and professional practices for artists living in Santa Clara County and nearby cities.
January
Bobbi Baldwin is a versatile painter who works in all mediums but mostly in oil, soft pastel, charcoal, and bronze. Her plein air paintings are both figurative and expressive, while her portrait and still life work are completely lifelike in a romantic realism. There is an ability to capture the true nature of her subjects.
Drawing upon her 35 years of experience in commission portraits as well as 32 years of teaching, Bobbi is capable of teaching the techniques of art in ways that will reach your need to understand on a deeper level. Her strengths are in her masterful knowledge of drawing, technique, color theory, & composition. Her lecture on facial features is so well founded that she has taught plastic surgeons to draw the human face with this lecture. She has been making her living as a professional artist since 1982.