Drawing Media Archives - CreativeSonoma.org

Gayle Manfre Mixed, Other, Painting, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts Gayle Manfre is a teaching artist, painter and art advocate. She one of the founders of Art Escape Sonoma, Sonoma Treasure Artist of 2010 and was awarded The Youth Mural Award from Precita Eyes Muralist in San Francisco. Gayle has been a teaching artist in Sonoma Valley since the 80s. She retired in 2017 and has been happily paintings since then Gayle is a member of the Arts Guild of Sonoma. My paintings are joyful and colorful and range from a wide variety of subjects. I am inspired by my travels and living in beautiful Sonoma.

Christopher Mckee Artisan, Ceramics, Functional Art, Furniture, Illustration, Mixed, Other, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts, Woodworking more to come

TumbleWeed Expressions Meryl Juniper Artisan, Ceramics, Holidays Shop Local, Mixed, Muralist, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Visual Arts While following the seasons within her Expressive Arts Inspirations, Meryl intertwines over 4 decades of Multimedia Arts Educational Experiences and Community Arts Activism. Meryl ignites and delicately encourages artistic expression and a sense of humility and humanity, while inspiring hands-on, process based learning, along with a curriculum integrated focus. In this we weave a healthy approach, revealing and enlivening the naturally creative self. Simultaneously, Meryl thrives within her close to 5 decades of experience engaging a life within: Multimedia Visual Arts and the Performative realms of Nature Based and Street Performance Ritual, Improvisational Movement, Dance Theater, Improvisational Vocal Play, Song Writing, Movement Infused Personal Storytelling and Somatic Movement Practices. Moreover, Meryl commits, inspires and dedicates her artistic being to Community Arts Production, Process and Presentation. Lastly, Meryl’s instinctive devotion to the natural world and the offerings of Eco Somatic Engagement, allows her to share the wisdom gleaned and harvested from all her experiences living close and being inspired by the earth, while continuously extending a steadfast faithfulness to the practices of Expressive Arts, Natural Medicine Making, Farming, Holistic Nutrition and Parenting, while moving within a Heart Centered Living Folks Arts Tradition.

Taryn Moller Nicoll Arts Administration, Illustration, Mixed, Painting, Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Visual Arts

Taryn Möller Nicoll (MFA'17, Louisiana State University) is a visual artist and instructor with ten years of experience in art education, curatorial practice and public program development.

In her studio practice, Taryn explores the intersection of fine art, medical science and the human body. She seeks refreshed investigations into notions of the good and the beautiful and, for her, that entry point is the human body; that ‘envelope’ rendering us equal: equally fragile, equally resilient. Her works have been exhibited at venues such as Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Johns Hopkins Welch Medical Library, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, and the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge.

Taryn has taught foundations, studio art and art history courses at Nova Southeastern University and Louisiana State University. Additionally, she has delivered artist lectures at academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Maryland; the University of Dresden, Germany, and the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Prior to relocating to the North Bay in 2022, Taryn was the Chief Curator for the City of Pembroke Pines in Florida. In this role, she directed exhibitions, cultural events and art education initiatives at Pembroke Pines' cultural institutions, including the Frank C. Ortis Art Gallery, Studio 18 Art Complex and the Charles F. Dodge City Center.

Zyssa Morales Artisan, Ceramics, Fiber Art, Illustration, Jewelry, Mixed, Other, Painting, Visual Arts, Woodworking My name is Zyssa Morales and I am a craft artist. I was born in Ecuador but have been raised in the United States. I’m passionate about art and would love to use it to bring awareness to social and environmental issues.

Kalia Mussetter Artisan, Children's, Fiber Art, Literature, Mixed, Non-Fiction, Other, Other, Painting, Performance Art, Poetry, Teacher/Instructor, Theatre, Visual Arts

Evelyn Nitzberg Illustration, Other, Painting, Visual Arts I'm a Sonoma County, California Artist. I grew up on a chicken ranch through the 1950s. My NYC parents came by train to Petaluma in 1949 on their honeymoon. They tell me that I started drawing when I was only two years old...and I never stopped making art. Aside from working in the family business, growing up in the country was a mecca for exploration and discovery. I spent many happy hours alone, drawing and constructing things, or with my siblings running through the fields, thrilling over pollywogs, climbing trees, digging through the owl pile in the barn looking for mouse bones to glue to my grandfather's thrown away cigar box tops. In college I majored in Painting and Drawing at San Francisco State University; toward the end of my undergrad days I learned as much as I could about Printing Technology. I spent ten years working as a Photolithographer in Bay Area Print Shops. I also wound up painting a 4'x16' mural depicting the history of printing technology in the U.S. It was presented at the St. Francis Hotel in SF during the 125th anniversary convention and was published across the U.S. and Canada. In the 1980s I worked as part of a team of field biologists censusing Gray Whales in Bajia Magdalena in the Lagunas in Baja. As a result of these incredible adventures with Ron Patterson and Ron LaValley I wound up working as a freelance Biological Illustrator for the local community college. My artistic bent has taken me in many directions: muralist for the ITU in SF, illustrator of CD covers for NY Sticktet player, Steve Adelson, logo designer for the band Signia (2004), flyer design for Norman Greenbaum of Spirit in the Sky, T-shirt and fabric design, many commissioned paintings for clients in L.A., Chicago, SF, NYC, Marin County. I currently continue to oil paint and teach in my rural studio. I love to paint very special biographical personal pieces for clients. I still love the creative process! In 2015 I earned the esteemed status of Signature Artist with Society of Western Artists for having earned 150 points over a three year period for having been juried into shows at 5 points each for bi-monthly shows and 30 points each for the annual exhibits. I have exhibited and won awards for my paintings since I was 17 years old. And I won the Petaluma Art Association annual scholarship when I graduated from Petaluma High School in 1970. My exhibit resume is extensive and includes Award of Merit at the State Fair in Sacramento, all First Place Awards, Best of Show Overall and monetary award at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, numerous First Place Awards with San Francisco Women Artists and Society of Western Artists whose annual juried in exhibits honored me as an artist in print in the annual catalogs in '13,'14,'16. I continue to teacher Drawing and Printmaking with Petaluma Adult Education, at the Petaluma Art Center and in my studio. I taught for Sonoma County Schools for more than 20 years.

Erin Rose Opperman Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Mixed, Other, Painting, Photography, Visual Arts

Here’s the important stuff: I have a strong, varied background in visual arts with a photography degree from Sonoma State University as well as a degree in graphic design + branding from San Francisco’s FIDM. For nearly three years I had the pleasure of working in-house, as Art Director at an award winning advertising agency, The Engine is Red. I focused on brand strategy, marketing concepts, and fully custom digital experiences. I collaborated within a team to create concepts, strategies, and results. And I led a team to ensure ideas were upheld, best practices were met, and expectations were always surpassed. I now work freelance to serve my own clients as Erin Rose Creative. I offer agency-quailty creative services without the agency price or hassle.

Here’s the fun stuff: I’m an inexplicable mix of a wildly punctual, reliable, detail-oriented, deadline driven professional AND terrible adult person who can’t make a bed or cook a meal to save her life. I’m quirky and fun, but smart, focused and I get things done. I’m obsessed with Palm Springs, anything ‘70’s, and if I could create my own version of Mt. Rushmore it would include Bowie, Warhol, Kahlo, and Frances McDormand. I've formally studied photography, painting, and design. Which leads me to be a multidisciplinary artist with a wide body of works, across a multitude of media types. I highly suggest following me on Instagram. I'm fun.

Brooks Palmer Acting, Children's, Composition, Directing, Fiction, Film Office, Folk Art, Illustration, Improvisation, Instrumental, Literature, Media, Music, Non-Fiction, Painting, Performance Art, Puppetry, Storytelling, Talent, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Theatre, Video, Visual Arts, Vocal I'm a creative artist who loves to work in many fields. I write short humorous stories. I paint surrealistic art. I perform quirky improvisational songs and short stories on stage. I draw funny words-of-wisdom cartoons. I write books of surreal fantasy humor. I perform my As You Are show for eager audiences. I don't question my creativity. When it shows up, which is often, I put it on paper, or record it, or perform it. I love to put what I do out into the world, whether it's on stage, or online, or published as a book, or on a gallery wall. I love to uplift people with my creations. I hope my art makes people feel good about being alive, and inspires them to be creative in their own way.

Eileen Parent Mixed, Other, Painting, Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts Eileen Parent is an abstract printmaker living in Sonoma County, C.A. She was born in upstate New York and grew up surrounded by nature. Her artwork is influenced by her surroundings and her curiosity to explore the organic shapes and patterns she finds in nature and urban environments. She uses line and mark making to create a response to these patterns. She is interested in time, repetition, intuition, and the documentation of our physical presence. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in painting and drawing from UC Berkeley. While experimenting with different artistic mediums she was drawn to the process of printmaking. She fell in love with printmaking’s traditional techniques and historical background and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking from Sonoma State University. She has exhibited her work in Sonoma County and the greater San Francisco Bay area. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the California College of the Arts and is currently a lecturer in Art Studio at Sonoma State University.

Mario Quijas Mixed, Muralist, Visual Arts

Aerosol Muralist with National and International public artwork

Eva-Lena Rehnmark Illustration, Visual Arts

Eva-Lena Rehnmark has been working as an illustrator and designer for over 15 years.

She is the author and illustrator of a nonfiction book about wolves (Neither God Nor Devil : Rethinking our Perceptions of Wolves, Pomegranate, 2000.) Eva-Lena also creates commercial work such as wine labels, brochures, promotional material, and patterns. This Sonoma based artist also creates hand painted marriage certificates and paintings that are collected internationally

Christopher Reiger Illustration, Literature, Mixed, Non-Fiction, Painting, Printmaking, Visual Arts

Originally from the rural Delmarva Peninsula on the mid-Atlantic coast, Christopher attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, before moving to New York City, where he lived and worked for a decade. He graduated from the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts (NYC) in 2002.

Whether exploring an abandoned city lot or a tract of forest far from an urban center, he still feels the same excitement he felt as a boy, when he found many of his experiences in the "natural" world similar to those of Lewis Carroll’s Alice. Carroll’s premise that "things get curiouser and curiouser" guided Christopher through many an outdoor adventure. As an adult, his love of the outdoors has evolved into a fascination with natural history, conservation, and ecology, and his visual art, illustration, design, and writing projects wrestle with contemporary constructions of nature, and the human relationship to nonhuman animal species.

Christopher lives in Northern California with his wife and two young sons.

Rachel Brooks Richardson Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Other, Painting, Photography, Visual Arts Rachel Brooks is a seasoned illustrator, painter, and muralist. She has worked in the art and design field for over 14 years. She obtained her BFA in Design at The Art Institute of San Francisco and immediately entered the fashion industry, where she started her career in apparel design and illustration. She has worked as a successful Art Director for various Bay Area companies while pursuing her passions in painting and public art. Her work has been showcased in San Francisco, throughout the Bay Area and Yekaterinburg, Russia. Rachel is currently a Resident Artist at Fulton Street Crossing in Santa Rosa, CA.

Alex Ross Artisan, Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Mixed, Other, Other, Painting, Visual Arts I was born with a passion to be creative. Drawing, painting with a variety of mediums just makes me feel alive. I've been a graphic designer for a big chunk of my working life. Advertising, publication design, illustration; pet portraits, (lots of cats, humorous & realistic) still life, floral, landscape, product design, some photography and collage. I've found that experimenting with all these different forms of creating art is not only challenging to me, but extremely satisfying. Due to several surgeries and broken wrist on my left hand (being left handed) has left me with the opportunity to express myself in new ways. It's been a slow & painful road, although being an artist is just who I am. So I'm on a new path of adventure. My website is www.alexrossdesigns.net. I have original artwork and prints for sale. Also I have 2 shops on www.Zazzle.com/aleecatcreations & www.Zazzle.com/alexrossdesigns. My artwork is on a variety of products. Please visit these stores to view my work & purchase some products. It gives me great pleasure to put a smile on people's faces when they enjoy my art. It is absolutely nourishing & healing to my soul. Thank you for your interest. Alex

Adam Sharron Architecture, Artisan, Design, Functional Art, Visual Arts, Woodworking I am a designer who seeks to create spaces and objects that add interest and serendipity to our built and lived environments. Spolia Design/Build is a landscape architecture practice, based in Santa Rosa, that focuses on cultivating, planning, and building beautiful spaces and objects.

Larry Sheradon Artisan, Design, Functional Art, Furniture, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Jewelry, Multi-Media, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Visual Arts, Woodworking Larry has recently been manifesting a long dream of creating whimsical CNC light sculptures and functional festival deco. With experience in 3D algorithmic design, illustration, woodwork, programming, electronics and altar creation, he draws on inspiring plant forms and the radiant spirit of nature in his designs. He currently lives in the redwoods of Northern California.

Jewel Shield Artisan, Ceramics, Composition, Instrumental, Music, Other, Other, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts, Vocal Music is the Universal language of all people and creation. I am a lifelong Artisan with a deep love and appreciation for harmony and beauty. The creative spark that leads me from within feels natural and familiar. It perhaps comes from an experience of many lifetimes being emerged in the arts and my ancestral lineage that includes many artists, musicians and teachers. I have been a professional harpist, musician, artist, teacher and mentor since the early 1980’s. I have a passion for creating and contributing more love, beauty and peace in the world through music, arts and compassionate teaching. I have a BFA in Studio Arts/ Ceramics with a background in Creative Arts Therapies and also Certifications in Sound, Voice and Music Healing, and Yoga of the Voice and Transformational Life Mastery Coaching. Although I have played and performed a variety of genres and styles mostly rooted in world and ethnic traditions, I am currently focused on my own creative compositions and contemplative improvisations on Harp, my primary instrument, as well as exploring and creating new music, instruments and sounds for healing. I am a holistic and compassionate teacher and creative mentor. Primarily being a self taught musician, I love to empower my students and assist them in discovery of their inner guide and teacher. Music is natural to everything, it is what connect us and has powerful transforming and healing benefits. I currently perform ambient background for special events, receptions, featured performances, Sacred occasions and meditations, healing and magical SoundScapes. I also perform music as accompaniment for yoga, dance, chi gong and tai chi classes, poetry readings and other various events and collaborations. As a multi instrumentalist I play a variety of instruments, especially in my Sound Healing work, including Crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, Native American flutes, and zithers. I am now combining my experience and artistry, and working on designing instruments that anyone can enjoy playing and experience the powerful and therapeuticbenefits of making music.

Dylan Smith Ballet, Choreography, Dance, Illustration, Literature, Modern, Non-Fiction, Other, Other, Poetry, Professional Performance, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts Dylan Smith is a Bay Area dancer, choreographer, instructor and visual artist. He holds a BA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College and is on staff at Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Mr. Smith has performed and choreographed with Transcendence Theatre Company in Sonoma, California the past few years earning him Broadway World San Francisco's Best Choreography Award for 2015. Other performing credits include the Japan and North American Tours of 42nd Street, JUBILEE! at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and Principal Dancer on Holland America Line. As a choreographer and instructor his experience ranges from the Alvin Ailey Children's Program, Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University just to name a few. In addition to the performing arts, Dylan has rediscovered his joy and passion for visual art, creating new works based on childhood pieces. He has had three, well attended, successful exhibitions here in California and plans to keep moving forward with developing a brand entitled "Hair Pop Out Mania". He is available for private dance and theatre instruction, group classes, choreography as well as visual art commissions.

William Smith Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts

William Smith (b.1970) received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with an emphasis in printmaking from Sonoma State University, CA. in 1996.

As an undergraduate student at SSU, he collaborated with many artists as a printer and technician at Aurobora Press, in San Francisco and independently around the Bay Area. In 1998, he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from West Virginia University.

After completing his graduate studies, he returned to California where he continued to work at Aurobora Press and teach part-time at Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College. He has taught all levels of drawing (including figure drawing), foundations courses in design as well as printmaking. He still teaches part time at Santa Rosa Junior College while making and showing his art.

In addition to art, he is a music enthusiast and has played drums in various punk and hard rock bands since the 90’s. William Smith lives and works in Santa Rosa, CA. Passersby may hear anything from classic jazz to hardcore punk and metal bellowing from his studio.

Alice Sutro Performance Art, Visual Arts

Alice Warnecke Sutro creates large-scale figurative installations that fully depend on audience interaction.

Her live drawing sessions are humorous and lively, but they also reveal a philosophical approach to the nature of art. After many years of experimental drawing, Alice’s practice prioritizes art’s ancient purpose as a community-forming activity for ritual gatherings.

The format for her projects is recurring: she invites participants from a crowd and draws them live, in the moment and with no erasing. The figures are rendered with a sensitive line that demonstrates her love of people, often strangers, with whom she converses the entire time.

In keeping with ritual experiences and inspired by contemporary artists like Marina Abramovich and Matthew Barney, Alice always designs her projects to explore the edge of her physical capacity. Past projects have included tracing figures on a 3-story façade by means of a scissor lift and extension paintbrushes, and drawing visitors at an art fair for 2 days straight in record heat to create a 120-foot continuous column of portraits.

Cathleen Swanson Ceramics, Dance, Folk Art, Improvisation, Media, Mixed, Painting, Photography, Recovery Fund Grantee, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Video, Visual Arts I am not limited to one medium nor style. My art is an exploration, an adventure and a spiritual journey. I love to share art-making with others. The Spirit Houses are made by hand from clay.

Dawn Thomas Artisan, Audio, Ceramics, Dance, Design, Fiction, Film, Folk Art, Functional Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Literature, Media, Mixed, Other, Other, Other, Other, Other, Other, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Visual Arts Dawn A. Thomas 707.245.4735 cloudsdriftingby@gmail.com Objective: To help build a vital Sonoma County Arts community as an experienced artist, and a teacher who provides a competitive and comprehensive Arts/Maker education for my students. Education and Credentials: Single Subject Art Credential - Sonoma State University - NCLB 1/2007 CLAD Multiple Subject Teaching Credential - Sonoma State University 5/2004 Medialink Web Design/Technology Certificate - Bay Area Video Coalition 6/2000 5th-year Graduate Certificate in Art, U.C. at Santa Cruz 6/1990 Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art, U.C. at Santa Cruz 6/1989 Kinetic Artist Event Awards: SFMOMA's soapbox derby, Best Pun trophy, 2022 Best Theme Cart Design, the Cotatitarod, Cotati, 2019 1st Place Engineering for Team Pineapple, Kinetic Grand Championship, Eureka, CA 2018 Grand Champion for Team Pineapple, Obtainium Cup, Vallejo, 2019 1st place speed for the Pineapple Handcar, Willits Kinetic Carnivale, Willits, 2015 Best Engineering for the Whittaker Paddlewheel, Rivertown Revival, Petaluma, 2014 2nd Place for Red Couch Pedal-powered railcar, Wunderkammer Handcar Races, Santa Rosa, CA 2013 Teaching Experience: Santa Rosa City Schools, 2006 - current Art/Maker/Teen Living/Digital Media, Santa Rosa Middle School, 2007-2022 Students explore the foundations of Art and Making, and develop a personal portfolio. Teen living/culinary involves cooking, career exploration, interior design, sewing, and communication and conflict resolution skills. Digital Media explores digital storytelling and culminates in movies, webpages and other digital fulfillment. From 2007-2015 we produced a weekly cable news broadcast for the school. Art 1, Montgomery High School, 2014-2015 Our beginning Art curriculum asks students to develop their drawing skills, and to utilize the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Exercises lead to projects which offer student-selected content, but hold students accountable to develop technical skills. Art / Project Make Teacher, Hilliard Comstock Middle School, 2007-2013 In 2013, we launched our district’s first middle school Project MAKE! elective, which is an award-winning (2014 Jack London Award) interdisciplinary, exploratory STE(A)M class (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.) Art Teacher, Piner High School, 2007-2008 Art Teacher, Summer School, Montgomery site, 2007 Art Teacher, Elsie Allen High School, 2006-2007 Educational Awards: Jack London Award for Educational Innovation (Project Make!) 2014 Other Experience: A practicing Artist, I have shown with Art Trails, and at various Sonoma County venues. I have been an exhibitor at Maker Faires for 4 years.

Kathleen Truax Illustration, Painting, Visual Arts How many times did I choose a career path? The first time: My major. Art was my preference, but disliking the attitude of the art department I abandoned it for psychology. It turned out the professors were behaviorists, and that didn't suit me either. I settled on history, a good place to start when you are only 18! But art wasn't forgotten. I married at 21 and while my children were young I took 10 years of studio art classes, enough to constitute a minor, if anyone was counting. The second time: An advanced degree: Again I looked at an art degree. Still no. Psychology won and this time it was a better fit. I became a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and practiced for 29 years. Possibly the all of this was necessary to mature as an artist. The third time? 5 years ago when I retired. I was itching to paint more than ever before! Now I have the time--and perhaps not the worry about starvation! I have not settled on a style nor narrowed my subjects of interest. Portraiture, Figure & Landscape still predominate in my work. Since retirement I have embraced abstraction and surrealism as well. Because of my background as a therapist, both are far more interesting to me than they might have been earlier. I have a lifetime storehouse of sights, ideas and feelings: shapes, colors, lines, concepts, symbols, images, dreams, & fears that may emerge on a canvas— sometimes surprising me--when I play with paint and then develop whatever shows up, almost unbidden. While it is true that we don't get to return to an early choice and re-do it, I feel as if I have had the opportunity to do the next best thing--return to an early love, painting, and go at it with even greater enthusiasm than before!

Barbie Watts Artisan, Creative Sonoma Grantee, Functional Art, Illustration, Mixed, Multi-Media, Other, Other, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Youth, Visual Arts Living through some iconoclastic times, I feel like the truth seeker and the magician, asking viewers to see what I see in my drawings, paintings, sculpture, video’s and writing about it all. I grew up in a family of exceptional people. Trained in painting and ballet from a young age, I would move on to different mediums and styles of art for the the rest of my life. I would pour myself into every style, medium and philosophy I could afford. Having to find alternative sources for the necessities of, say, painting, I scoured alleys and dumpsters at businesses, looking for and finding paper for drawing or mat board, wood for stretching canvas, sometimes the canvas. I also found canvas and more, not at the art store, but discount fabric stores or hardware store. I still reuse today, making paper mache containers, boxes and pencil cups, using plastic clamshells, soup cans, as molds. Old aluminum foil makes great armatures for my smaller pieces, the mermaid candlestick holders or boxes and such. Water is my current interest and being able to make air to water collectors in a way it would catch the public s attention. I think there power in having some control over those things that are normally out of our control, like the drought in California. Water from Air collectors on’t depend on anyone or any company, to work. They can be made from the simplest materials. WHY aren’t there more?

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