Visual Arts Archives - CreativeSonoma.org

Karen Pierce Gonzalez Artisan, Fiber Art, Fiction, Literature, Mixed, Non-Fiction, Other, Poetry I have been writing since I discovered paper and pen. My love of words led me to write fiction, non-fiction, and poetry which appears in many publications including Big Blend Magazine, Lagom Journal, Postcard Poems and Prose, Potato Soup Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Tiny Thimble Magazine, Twist in Time, Voice of Eve and other publications. My work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has received several state and local awards. I have facilitated creative writing workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area (Napa Community College, Santa Rosa Junior College Extension, local community centers, etc.). I am also a mixed-media artist. I work intuitively with tree bark, chalk/oil pastels, fibers, fabrics and, when lucky, salmon leather. I am also folklorist and am publisher of FolkHeart Press which has produced Write Your Own Family Folktales, Love Potions, Lotions, and Lore, Spanish Cuisine: One Region at a Time, and more. Literary Projects includes development of Mystery Writers in the Mausoleum, and memberships include California Association of Storytellers, North Bay Poetics, Santa Rosa Art Center, Sonoma County Folk Society, and Western Folklore Society.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez Fiction, Folk Art, Media, Mixed, Multi-Media, Other, Other, Other, Photography, Poetry, Sculpture, Video, Visual Arts

My literary credits include 4 published poetry collections: Coyote in the Basket of My Ribs (Kelsay Books), True North and Sightings From a Star Wheel (Origami Poems Project), Down River with Li Po (Black Cat Poetry Press. Numerous stories, essays, and poems in several anthologies, podcasts, and publications including Eat the Storms III, Four Feathers Press, Golden Walkman Magazine, IceFloe Press, Nightingale and Sparrow, San Francisco Magazine, Supernatural Park, Tiny Thimble Magazine, Twist in Time, Voice of Eve.

Several plays have been staged through Fringe of Marin Short Play Festivals (2022, 2023).

I am also a former journalist (San Francisco Chronicle, Marin Independent Journal, etc.) and folklore columnist. I have written family folktale e-guides and publish quarterly 'Get Ekphrastic with Folk Art' blogs . I also create the hybrid folklore/art video series "as the story goes' and have also facilitated a range of creative writing and folktale writing workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area.

As a visual artist, I work intuitively with found and recycled element. More than 30 images have appeared in literary arts journals, including 3 cover images (Chestnut Review, Feral Journal of Poetry and Art, Nightingale and Sparrow). My art has been exhibited at Santa Rosa Arts Center, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Truckenbrod Gallery (Oregon), and Virtual Art in the Park (Petaluma).

Julia Pozsgai Artisan, Fiber Art, Jewelry, Mixed, Painting, Visual Arts I have autism and express myself in shapes and colors. Through art I am able to connect to the world. Art is a core part of who I am. I create acrylic paintings, fiber arts, and precious metal clay jewelry. Art for sale includes: paintings, prints, greeting cards, metal sculptures, jewelry, and purses made from upholstery samples. This year I have created some new art products which include Eco-friendly Utensil Packets sewn with hand-dyed fabrics and multi-metal jewelry. I also make Fiber Arts Wabi-Sabi dolls (perfectly imperfect) and wishing ukulele pillows. Over the last 7 years, I have grown my own company called “Pansy Creations”. I present my work at multiple venues throughout Sonoma County including the Arts Guild of Sonoma and Fine Line Art Supplies in Sonoma, MadeLocal Marketplace, Museums of Sonoma County Gift Shop, and Rileystreet Art Supply in Santa Rosa, Hopscotch Gifts and Gallery in Healdsburg, Sebastopol Center for the Arts in Sebastopol, Stones Throw in Cotati, and the Petaluma Art Center in Petaluma. In addition I sell my work directly and online. I also do commissioned paintings or prints for customers. I have been juried into multiple Call-to-Artists shows. Most recent shows include: the Arts Guild “The Place I Live”, the Art Ambassador’s “Love is a Rebellious Bird” exhibit at Mantra Winery in Novato, Arts Guild of Sonoma’s National Juried Competition entitled “Alchemy” in which two of my art works were chosen, and Sonoma Community Center’s “Valley of Talent” show. Over the past several years I have been accepted into Holiday shows including: the Sonoma Community Center’s Holiday Art and Craft Sale in which I was one of the top selling artists for the weekend, and the Healdsburg Center for the Arts Holiday Gift Gallery. My Trashion Fashion “Geyser Gown” tied for third place in 2018, and my “Planetarium” gown won the “Out of this World” award in 2019 at the Sonoma Community Center’s annual event. I was invited to model and display the gowns this year at the Daily Acts Climate Concert/SOMO event center, Rohnert Park, CA and at the Petaluma Village Network talk about Recycling. I do a one-woman show every year. This year was called “Nature’s Magic takes Wing” held in August of 2019 at the Petaluma Arts Center. I did record sales in just 3 weeks with a $1000 painting selling before we had barely opened the show. I presented a two month Geyser show at Old Faithful of California in Calistoga in 2018. I have participated in many first Thursday ArtWalks in the town of Sonoma over the last two years exhibiting at Sotheby’s on the Plaza of Sonoma, Jeff Cohn Cellars for a two month exhibit, a one night presentation at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, and this year at HomeBridge Mortgage. These opportunities to meet more of my community and new fans has been great. I love to participate every year at the Wine County Nature and Optics Festival and also at the G3 Marketplace in Sonoma. I annually have painted a wooden wine box award which is given to an award- winning filmmaker at the Sonoma International Film Festival. I have a new series of paintings in the works, new ways to create with fabric, a new Trashion Fashion design (temporarily on hold) and am busily sewing masks. I have lots of enthusiasm and energy to create! I hope to inspire others. If you are thinking about creating, I would say…“How about now?!”

Mario Quijas Mixed, Muralist, Visual Arts

Aerosol Muralist with National and International public artwork

Steven Radice Composition, Illustration, Instrumental, Music, Other, Painting, Technical, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal Are you smiling? Is it fun? That's what I look for in my art, in my life. I want to play. I want to share. In music or visual art, I offer the joy of my heart. And yes, I've won the awards, endorsements, audiences and whatever. That's nice, but Love is what matters. Smile, dance, live the life. Balance. Enjoy.

Jessica Yoshiko Rasmussen Arts Administration, Mixed, Visual Arts I'm an interdisciplinary artist. My work ranges from assemblage to interactive installation art, from conceptual work to jewelry making. My perennial interest in discarded materials often drives me to incorporate objects that have a history and which carry meaning into my work both symbolically and energetically. I run a small art business, Va Va Vortex - a monthly art subscription service. I mail subscribers one work of art each month, usually accompanied by a mini-art history lesson that relates to the piece. Monthly installments are also posted on instagram: @VaVaVortex

Erick Redcloud Graphic Design, Photography, Visual Arts Hi, my name is Erick, I am an award winning Designer and Photographer. I have traveled the world to some amazing places and meet some amazing people. Each place, person and business have amazing stories behind them. The best way I know how to tell these stories is through photography. They say that an image speaks a thousand words, and that is what I want to do. I want to tell those stories, replacing words with amazing photography that just grabs the viewer and brings them in. My Goal is to tell your story, whether it is to your customers or your loved ones or to the whole world. I want to help you communicate a thousand words with a photo. Let us tell your story together, of your personality, your mission, or your destination.

Aatika Rehman Visual Arts My name is Aatika Rehman and I am a modern abstract painter exploring the relationship between art and healing. My work is currently motivated by the energy I feel in vibrant and luscious pigments. I am exploring the dynamics of the effect that colors have on us on a daily basis. I believe that every color radiates energy which can be felt by the observer. I also think that how one views art depends on where they are on the journey of life. My goal is to create an emotional stimulation which is calming, healing and joyful. To bring it all together, I want my art to bring excitement and curiosity in your life.

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.

James Reynolds Painting, Sculpture, Visual Arts

I work in oil and pastel.

My main subject is the local landscape, but I also paint birds, animals, portraits and nudes. I also do sculpture occasionally. I've been an artist as far back as I can remember, but started painting full time almost 20 years ago. I have studied with many local artists, including Richard McDaniel, Clark Mitchell and Marsha Connell. My work has been honored with numerous awards.

My job as an artist is to paint with passion and sensitivity, to bring all the experience and skill that I can muster to try to create works of lasting quality. I hope the viewer will resonate with the work, perhaps even finding solace and healing. We are not on this earth for very long, so we might as well try to be of use. And we really ought to enjoy ourselves, don't you think?

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.

Nick Robles Artisan, Ceramics, Functional Art, Other, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Visual Arts Originally from Southern California, I first found myself in Sonoma Country to attend Sonoma State University and am excited to have recently relocated to Petaluma. Taking inspiration from my Hispanic roots, playful spirit, and a modern aesthetic I use bold colors, organic forms, and an appreciation for imperfection to create a cohesive body while creating both functional and fine art. With the addition of functional ceramics and textiles I founded, Technicolor Dino. After years of dedicating both time and effort to starting a small business, I plan to use the funds from Sonoma Creative to have a space dedicated to fine art. A place devoted to drawing and painting so I can leave the worries and to-do lists of running a small business at the door to focus on creating.

Beverly Todd Rose Photography, Visual Arts When I was a young woman, I found the semi-wild beauty of the James River Park in Richmond, Virginia so magnificent, that I decided to take up photography in the hopes of capturing and sharing what I saw. Since then, I have continued my efforts to reflect back to others the beauty, the grandeur, and the wonder that I encounter. My photographs originate from the San Francisco Bay area and Northern California Wine Country, from the East and West coasts, from Yosemite, and from anywhere and everywhere else that I have visited. I offer these photographs to you, in an effort to share the calmness, beauty, humor, and joy that I see.

RONNIE ROSENBACH Photography, Visual Arts I am a Sonoma County photographer, living and loving life in Santa Rosa. Originally from New Jersey, I moved to Sonoma County in 1991. Art has always been an important part of my life. My mother was an artist and my father was an art collector. Although I have taken photography classes, I am primarily self-taught. The catalog from the1955 seminal exhibit, Edward Steichen’s “The Family of Man,” was a major reason why I became interested in photography. Flowers are my special love, as you can tell. I’d like to think Georgia O’Keefe would be proud. Landscapes and other genres interest me as well. The San Francisco Bay Area, with its temperate climate and spectacular views, offers me a seemingly endless list of subjects. And don’t get me started about sunsets. As Imogen Cunningham said when asked which of her photographs was her favorite, she replied, “The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” Please email me at ronnie.rosenbach@icloud.com if you have questions about my work. I welcome commissions. Thank you for looking.

Michele Rosett Painting, Visual Arts Michele Rosett Fine Art

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

Liz Russell Artisan, Ceramics I am a functional potter and beekeeper in Forestville. When I'm not out capturing swarms or extracting hives from unwanted locations, I make tiles, mugs, bowls, platters, light fixtures and more. I use the sgraffito technique of carving through black slip to make a wood block-like effect. Themes I explore in my work include pollinators, marine life (in particular the deep sea), mushrooms and local, endangered and bizarre creatures of every sort. I live and work to explore curiosity. I am a Sonoma County native, but I have spent an educational exchange in Ghana, studied beekeeping with Peace Corps in Paraguay, taught English in Chile and love to travel and examine the unknown.

Mary Lee Rybar Mixed, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Visual Arts Biography Mary Lee Rybar is a painter, printmaker and lifelong artist of creating things in many different mediums. Sparked with an appreciation of all things handcrafted and unique, her work ranges from abstract and representational, working in many disciplines. She attended Kent State University and the American School of Paris as well workshops, fellowships and residency experiences. She is a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and a fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center. Her work has been featured in museums and exhibits as well as Williams-Sonoma, Gump’s of San Francisco, Hall's of Kansas City and H Frank on the Historic Sonoma Plaza. After spending many years in the travel industry, she is now grounded and devoted to making art from her studios in Sonoma, California. Artist Statement My concern as an artist has been in the observation of line, light, color and movement in the routines of daily life and then to translate that moment into a visual statement. Daily common iconography holds enduring interest for my inspiration. By elevating the ordinary, heralding the common place, I attempt to explore and chronicle the extraordinary beauty within the routine boundaries of life. My art practice is rooted in doing the work and allowing it to lead me.

ANna RybaT Mixed, Painting, Visual Arts Studied aRt in Vienna, Austria after high school (1971 - 1974). I learned about Secessionism, Dada, Jugendstil, Abstract Expressionism and Impressionism in music, aRt and German/Austrian literature at Modeschule Hetzendorf and Linzer Akademie fur Kunst. I studied with Austrian artist Josef Schützenhöfer. After returning to USA, I earned B.S. degree (SUNY -Regents) while on active duty U.S. Navy (1976-2000) and M.A. ed, (Geo. Washington U.). After leaving the service I earned second undergraduate degree (B.F.A., Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA) using G.I. Bill benefits. By using color and textures, shadows to represent things other than things I took a “leap of faith” to loosen from the discipline and rigors of military conformity. My "Fields of Color", body of work includes 2D and sculpted 3D paintings using mixed media.

Takao Saito Other, Sculpture Takao Saito is an abstract artist specialized in large-scale metal sculptures for outdoor display. He has devoted years of study to create unique art forms that incorporate a three-dimensional structure with a wide variety of media including metal, wood, ceramics, canvas, and oil paints.

Brooklyn, New York

After receiving an M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Takao moved to New York to focus on developing his innovative style and techniques. He had numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and worldwide, and his work was featured in several world-renowned publications. An art critic once described Takao's artwork as “a powerful sense of the physical experience of man’s encounter with nature”.

Bodega Bay, California

In 2015, Takao and his wife visited Bodega Bay, California, for the first time and were captivated by the beauty of its nature and wildlife. A couple of months later, they departed from their residence in New York of over 40 years and moved to Bodega Bay, which inspired and conceived Takao's latest work "The Bodega Bay Series". While dedicating his life to exploring and conveying his sentiments for nature through his artwork, he and his wife continue being active members of the community in Sonoma County.

Janeane Rose Sanborn Photography, Visual Arts Janeane Rose Sanborn As an artist, I am fascinated by the emotions explored in transformation and my work follows along general themes of journey, awakening, healing, and acceptance. Images I create are usually set in nature, utilizing the elements of the landscape to illuminate the subject. It is my intention to capture mood through natural lighting, movement, or props that symbolize the story I am telling. In the editing room, I can take an image and add elements to strengthen a concept, with the use of color toning, texture, and image compositing. When I am creating a particular composition, I am exploring the emotion that I feel as I envision the possibility of relating to my audience. Connection to my audience is what inspires me to create; to tell a story that compels the viewer to be curious about the deeper meaning and to participate in a fluid way. I want the viewer to find a bit of themselves that perhaps they hadn’t known. I am passionate about being an artist that nurtures and invites others to join the journey to a place of openness, with strengthened resolve toward compassion for ourselves and others. I recently became an exhibiting member of the Arts Guild of Sonoma and was chosen to exhibit my image "Awakening" in a juried exhibition for "she", with Juror Joyce Tenneson.

Francesca Scalpi Photography, Visual Arts I capture emotional memories in nature. My goal is transport the viewer deeper into the scene, exposing their relationship to the natural world and to rediscover our sacred connection. Whether it's through the magnificence of the night sky, the vibrant colors of a sunset or the soulful twinkle in the eye of an owl.

Abraham Schroeder Children's, Design, Graphic Design, Literature, Mixed, Photography, Sculpture, Visual Arts I am an artist, designer, and author living in Petaluma. My art includes digital, mixed media, and sculpture, electronics, metal, clay, collage. I also do freelance graphic and web design. My children's picture books are The Gentleman Bat (http://www.TheGentlemanBat.com) and Too Many Tables (http://www.TooManyTables.com). Before moving to CA, I worked for 7 years in the Asian Art Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. During that time I managed a massive 5-year project to catalog, digitize, and rehouse the MFA's spectacular collection of 50,000+ Japanese prints. An 1880’s woodblock print of bats by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi in the MFA collection was the seed of inspiration for The Gentleman Bat. Read more about the hidden art historical references and book production process at http://www.TheGentlemanBat.com. My second book, Too Many Tables, features fun, colorful illustrations and a comically entertaining story, with a subtle message of generosity and community woven throughout. I do school, library, bookstore, and children's museum visits with large and small audiences. Depending on age and interest, I adjust the presentation to the group, often including interactive drawing activities, amazing bat facts and science, and introductions to Japanese woodblock prints. As an artist who worked closely with the illustrators of my books, I am always happy discuss the book making and illustration process, as well as writing, rhyming, and editing, and I do Skype/FaceTime for schools and groups around the country.

Linda Schroeter Painting, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts Artist Bio: Linda J Schroeter (b. 1963, Australia) is a representational oil painter based out of Geyserville, Sonoma County. Linda has always had a passion for drawing and painting and has been drawn towards realism through inspiring Dutch masters of light such as Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer. Her most current body of work continues her exploration into important visual vocabulary in Western art, working in traditional methods inspired by nature and natural light. Her paintings all have a significant symbolic meaning and together form an allegorical visual treat for the viewer’s intellect to decipher making her paintings interact with both the artist’s intention and the viewer’s analysis. Notable Accomplishments: Art Renewal Center Associate Living Master American Woman Artist Associate with Distinction Australian Governor Generals Award for Art Excellence

CREATIVES

Brooklyn, New York

Bodega Bay, California