Vegar Abelsnes Film, Film Office, Media, Multimedia, Photography, Video, Visual Arts Vegar Abelsnes is a global lifestyle, location, portrait, and food photographer & director, who is currently based in Sonoma County. For many years he worked out of New York, then San Francisco, and now Petaluma, CA. At the age of 19, he left Norway to go traveling around the world in search of a greater purpose. After nearly two years of exploring – during which he experienced, saw, and tasted much of what the world had to offer – Vegar discovered the irrepressible desire in him to photograph. For Vegar photography developed beyond an avocation, into both a profession and a lifelong passion. Vegar strongly believes in creating a collaborative environment on his shoots and is known in the industry for the subtle, yet effective ways in which he directs his talent and crew. His ability to capture spontaneous and authentic moments – without sacrificing technical or aesthetic perfection – is a testament not only to Vegar’s professionalism but also to that of his team. His personable approach makes for a fun and relaxed atmosphere, regardless of the size and complexity of a production.

Diana Corvelle Illustration, Mixed, Other, Painting, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts EDUCATION MFA cum laude, Drawing, Anatomy Concentration, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY BFA, Illustration, Art History Concentration, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI TEACHING EXPERIENCE 2011 - 2015     Instructor, Long Island Academy of Fine Art, Glen Cove, NY 2011 - 2013     Adjunct Professor, New York Institute of Technology, New York, NY 2010 - 2011     Teaching Assistant to Steven Assael, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE 2015 - 2016     Painting Assistant, Jeff Koons LLC, New York, New York 2012 - 2015     Studio Assistant, Steven Assael, Drawing and Painting workshops, New York, NY 2014                Painting Assistant, Liu Bolin, Hiding in the City series, New York, NY 2012                Painting Assistant, Liu Bolin, What About Now Jon Bon Jovi album cover project PRESENTATIONS Artist Lecture, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY, March 1, 2016. Curator Talk, Island Weiss Gallery, New York, NY, January 18, 2015. Artist Lecture, Demonstration and Studio Tutorial, Guttman Community College, New York, NY, January 29 & 30, February 3, 2015. Presentation and Graduate Critiques, NYIT, New York, NY, January 30, 2013. SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2017 Palette, Abend Gallery Fine Art, Denver, CO Argentum: Contemporary Silverpoint, Marbury NYC, New York, NY Petaluma Arts Association Spring Art Show, Petaluma Public Library, Petaluma, CA Sight Unseen, Abend Gallery Fine Art, Denver, CO The Figure Contemporary, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA Nasty Women, Helmuth Projects, San Diego, CA Nasty Women, The Knockdown Center, Queens, NY 2016 Point of Origin, The Lodge Gallery, New York, NY Pictores Aestas, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY Summer Exhibition 2016, Flowers Gallery, New York, NY Bounding Main, CW Gallery, Brooklyn, NY Multiplicity, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY Mementos, Panepinto Galleries @ the Penthouses 70 Columbus, Jersey City, NJ 2015 Drawing Exhibition, Annual Holiday Celebration, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY My Favorite Things, Panepinto Galleries @ W Hotel Hoboken, Hoboken, NJ Deck the Walls, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Twice Born, Steele Gallery, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle, WA Five-Year Anniversary Group Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY Representational Art in the 21^st Century, University of Hawaii Summer Art Institute, Hilo, HI (Juror: James Lancel McElhinney) (catalogue) Fables, The Record Company, Boston, MA Blue Drawings: Figure, Form & The New Narrative, Portraits, Inc., New York, NY AANYAA Group Exhibition, Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery, Bernardsville, NJ Showcase of Small Works at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, NMWA Shop, Washington, D.C. It’s ok to be a Realist, Ann Street Gallery, Newburgh, NY Hot Dry Men, Cold Wet Women, Mark Miller Gallery, New York, NY 2014 Deck the Walls, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Love It, Locket, Leave It, Island Weiss Gallery, New York, NY Self Portrait, Museum of Realist Art, Online Exhibition Come Closer, Galeria San Patricio, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico Human Brevity, The Collective Art Tank, Asbury Park, NJ Works on Paper, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA Splash, 313 Gallery, Jersey City, NJ Loved and Observed, Hersh Fine Art, Glen Cove, NY Voyeur, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York, NY 27^th Annual McNeese Works on Paper Exhibition, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA TriBeca Ball Alumni Pop-Up Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY The New Romantics, Mark Miller Gallery, New York, NY Flawed Beings – A 5 Person Group Show, Gallery 58, Jersey City, NJ 2013 Deck the Walls, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Wrap It Up, Hersh Fine Art, Glen Cove, NY 3 Year Anniversary Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY Compulsion, Mark Miller Gallery, New York, NY TriBeca Ball Alumni Pop-Up Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Fine Arts Faculty Show 2013, NYIT Gallery 61, New York, NY Single Fare 3, RH Gallery, New York, NY 2012 Fine Arts Faculty Show 2012, NYIT Gallery 61, New York, NY Solo Exhibition, The Delicacy of Memory: Studies on Paper, Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barths 2011                Lights of Color, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Brooklyn, NY Uncharted: 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Single Fare: Please Swipe Again, Sloan Fine Art, New York, NY College Art Association NY Area MFA Exhibition, Hunter College/ Times Square Gallery, New York, NY EXHIBITIONS CURATED 2015 Showcase of Small Works at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, NMWA Shop, Washington, D.C., co-curated with Island Weiss Gallery 2014 Love It, Locket, Leave It, Island Weiss Gallery, New York, NY Lucid Visions, Panepinto Galleries, Jersey City, NJ, co-curated with Cara DeAngelis and Tun Myaing Loved and Observed, Hersh Fine Art, Glen Cove, NY, co-curated with Manu Saluja The New Romantics, Mark Miller Gallery, New York, NY, co-curated with Cara DeAngelis

Johny Dechemin Acting, Composition, Crew, Dance, Design, Directing, Fashion Design, Film Office, Folk Art, Functional Art, Hip-Hop & Funk, Illustration, Instrumental, Mixed, Multimedia, Music, Other, Other, Other, Other, Painting, Performance Art, Photography, Printmaking, Professional Performance, Sculpture, Storytelling, Talent, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal DJ JOHNY MIX, has a natural charisma, a passion for music, and the ability to connect with people. A top-notch DJ who’s connect with listeners through engaging talk content and social interaction. He plays musical recordings on radio shows, nightclubs, corporates, private and public events. He works for radio stations, presenting programs, talk shows, and chart shows. He ensures musical recordings and advertisements are played on time and also interact with listeners through social media. As a DJ, he is responsible for engaging with listeners, queueing up playlists, presenting commercials, performing interviews, taking music requests, and generating interest in the show. He is a MC at public events and perform meet and greets.

Joy Dellas Artisan, Folk Art, Illustration, Jewelry, Mixed, Other, Other, Painting, Visual Arts

Joy Dellas

paints her iconic animals and angels wherever her brush lands - whether it is recycled boards or tin flashing, fine art materials, or house paint - the sorts of things that end up in the colorful studio/garden of her well-lived-in Santa Rosa home.

  My work is characterized by expressionist figurative imagery and brushwork, as well as a high key palette, bold composition and strong contrast. The mixed media paintings and drawings are made on a range of surfaces including recycled printing plates, door skin, aluminum flashing, building paper, mat board, canvas and paper. I work large or small scale, with fine artist's materials or recycled materials and house paint, and with classical or contemporary themes. I use real life, dreams, mythology, folklore and religious traditions. Pattern, symbolism and metaphor express the humor and pathos of the human condition Subjects include commonplace angels, rural blight, dogs and cats (frequently as symbols for male and female), and food. My art is about the connection between the sacred and the mundane. The basic necessities of life - food, clothing and shelter are always connected, on a deeper level to the primal and the sacred. My mother taught me from an early age to see the mystical and spiritual qualities in nature.

Jerry Dodrill Photography, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts "Jerry Dodrill is an adventurer and award-winning photographer who has traveled to remote corners of the world in search of unique perspectives and experiences. His immense talent and creative eye have been well recognized through international awards and exhibition in fine galleries, such as the Ansel Adams in Yosemite, Mountain Light, Mumm Napa Valley, and the Banff Center for Mountain Culture. As a workshop facilitator for Mountain Light Photography, Visionary Wild, and Sierra Nevada College, he has proven himself as a highly engaging and effective photographic educator. An expert mountain climber with degrees in Fine Art and Photography (Pacific Union College 1997), Jerry is passionate about preservation and was a protégé of legendary Galen Rowell in the late 1990's. Today he resides in the Sonoma Coast village of Bodega, California, focusing on assignment photography, writing, exhibitions, and sharing his vision and expertise with others through destination-based photo workshops and tours. Jerry's work has been widely published in ad campaigns, books, and publications and is represented by the stock agency Aurora Photos. He is a writer and senior contributor to California Climber Magazine, has been published in Sierra, Orion, Vanity Fair, World of Fine Wine, Wine Spectator, Men's Journal, Smithsonian, Outside, Alpinist, Rock & Ice, Climbing, and many other magazines. He was fundamental in product development and creation of the exciting new camera backpack company MindShift Gear, serves as Vice President of the Rock Ice & Mountain Club and sits on the board of directors of the B-Rad Foundation."

Kerstin Fletcher Children's, Illustration, Instrumental, Literature, Mixed, Music, Other, Painting, Photography, Recovery Fund Grantee, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts I LOVE drawing and painting with all mediums. From pencil to watercolor, acrylic, or oil, I thrive on capturing light and life. Always looking for new challenges and beauty to capture, I can be found outside at sunrise painting in “plein air” or combining illustrations for a new story for my children. My faith fuels me to seek to paint light and life. I want to truly see, and communicate what I see to others. Raised in a bilingual household with strong ties to Europe, I am mostly self-taught.  My life has brought me to delight in traveling, be an avid reader, mother of four, pastor's wife, violist, gardener, and extremely motivated to squeeze every moment out of every day.

Kate Foley-Beining Improvisation, Instrumental, Mixed, Music, Painting, Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal I am a musician, artist, and professor of German Language and Literature. Music: I am a singer, performing the works of Joni Mitchell, backed by a jazz trio. I have developed music enrichment programs for elementary schools in Healdsburg and Geyserville where I have taught vocal music for over 10 years. Working with children in music is its own reward and I am aware of the rare good fortune I have to also be paid to do it.  I am a classically-trained pianist, currently pursuing challenging selections from the repertoire of Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, and Bach. Art: Sight-size realism is the method I use in painting my oil still lives.  I would call my work domestic realism since my favorite subject matter is my 1940s era chrome coffeepot in which my domestic surroundings are reflected around me as I paint.  Decay, in the form of rusted objects and old leather books, is set against the sharp convex images reflected in the chrome globe, offering a visual irony that I find endlessly intriguing.  I have shown and sold my pieces in juried shows. Language and Literature: I am an adjunct professor of German with an emphasis on women writers in German literary history.  My doctoral research, using a feminist literary perspective, was published in my book The Body and Eucharistic Devotion in Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg's Meditations.  Teaching German brings me joy and of course my college students are constantly engaged in music, art, and theater as they become speakers of German

Philip Thomas George Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Visual Arts   I am moved by life around me, daily, in almost any place. Watching a young boy climb a tree or an elderly woman slowly cross the street with her patient dog — either scenario has the power to pull feelings out of me. My goal as an artist is to recreate what moves me, in the way that I see it or imagine it, in order to stir up the same emotions in my viewers and make a connection through something shared visually. Sonoma county provides a plethora of opportunities for observing people, animals, and nature which all aid in inspiring me to take action and create. My background is in UI design, but last year I took the leap into what I feel is my true calling and passion — creating artwork. If you'd like to work with me or hire me, please feel free to contact me.

Scott Gibson Media, Photography, Teacher/Instructor, Video, Visual Arts Landscape/Nature/Wildlife. Ground-based and aerial/drone. Stills and Motion. Assignments, Commissions, Prints, Licensing, Photo Products. Award-winning photographer Scott Gibson creates the images for Gibson Outdoor Photography from his picturesque base in Northern California's Wine Country. From there, he travels the region, the western United States, and the world to capture images to educate, entertain, and inspire viewers. A serious hobby photographer for decades, Scott has spent recent years carefully refining his craft. His artistic eye helps him see and feel what others miss and his deep technical training helps him capture and share these experiences in his photographs. Scott's search for the next great image often provides opportunity for adventure. He is particularly proud of the acclaim for his images from an ascent of 14,505 foot Mount Whitney in California's Sierra Nevada mountains – camera in hand the entire 22 miles. Willing to go 'all in' to get the shot, Scott camped for days in the Oregon wilderness to capture the August 2017 total solar eclipse. His FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate supports capturing fresh aerial points of view. His award-winning images are featured in private collections, winery publications, popular photo products, and stock photo services.

Linda Goodman Painting, Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Visual Arts A painter, printmaker and educator, Linda remembers how good she felt as an 8-year-old artist wearing the lanyard keychain she made on her favorite ladybug-buttons dress. The impish girl grew up to be an award-winning artist, earning an M.F.A. in Printmaking, at Mills College and a B.A. in Fine Art from Stanford. Her prints and paintings are in numerous museum and private collections. Ms. Goodman shares her passion for making art with her students, encouraging expressive freedom and fearlessness while honing perceptive and hands-on skills. She has been a studio art teacher for over 20 years in the U.S. and abroad. She worked with physically and mentally challenged students at Creative Growth and East Bay Recovery art centers through the Oakland Unified School District, and with clients with disabilities at a Chalk Hill Artist Residency in Healdsburg. Linda also worked as Vespa-riding cafe photographer in Florence, editor, graphic designer, and publisher of books on alternative energy.

Melinda Hughes-Berland Photography I've been a photographer for 46 years! I love my job. I feel very fortunate. I started photographing Grand Prix and smaller horse shows plus the world famous Tevis Cup Race, shooting Cougar Rock for 36 years with my husband Paul Hughes. In 1988 I started to photograph weddings and portraits. In 2003 I recieved my PPA Master degree and certification though Professional Photographers of America. I also often painted over photographs with oils. I about 2008 I changed to the digital format. I started compositing horses with ladies in my digital art. In 2012 I achieved the Diamond status through PPA, getting all four images into the Photographic Excellence category. Very exciting.... Mostly, I have a passion for what I do and pre-invision my art. I truly love working with horses and people. Over the years I have photographed horses, wildlife, newborns, boudoir, Brides, families, maternity and individual portraits. Currently, I am focused on family portraits, newborns, maternity, wildlife and horses. I'm told I am very easy to work with and I try to always make our sessions fun! Feel free to contact me for a session. Best wishes to you!  

Carolyn Jarvis Painting, Visual Arts Carolyn Jarvis is Sonoma County, California oil painter known for her seascapes and landscapes. Her website is https://www.carolynjarvispaintings.com.  Her paintings are for sale at Hand Goods, Occidental and Artisans' Co-Op in Bodega, CA and on-line on her website. Her paintings have been exhibited in Balletto, St. Francis and Chateau Diana wineries in Sonoma County. She also has shown her paintings in the Graton Gallery, Sebastopol Center for the Arts and Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA.

MJ Lindo-Lawyer Illustration, Mixed, Muralist, Painting, Visual Arts Painting from her bay area home studio filled with cactus, ferns and philodendrons, MJ Lindo-Lawyer explores alternative universes and whimsical, dark fantastical worlds using different mediums. Being self-taught, it was tough for MJ to settle on a medium until she fell in love with oil paint and wooden canvases. Known for her use of creamy pastels and rich skin tones, MJ creates a world of whimsy in which a giantess woman can befriend a tiny bear cub or a group of miniature elephants’ campfire around a forest goddess for warmth. Since 2003, MJ has been telling versions of her life story and other women’s stories through her multi-cultural woman and their interactions with these alternative universes and unique furry friends. MJ Lindo-Lawyer lives and works in the Bay area with her husband and studio mates her kitten Garbage and her 160 lb Neapolitan Mastiff Mellow.

Adrian Litman Ceramics, Furniture, Illustration, Painting, Sculpture For the past 30 years, I have been working on a variety of projects for Civic, Corporate, Business and Residential clients, integrating art into architecture as well as designing free standing two and three dimensional pieces that create a sense of encounter and engagement through visual distinction or interaction. As an artist, I find inspiration and fuel for creative expression by contemplating the world around me. My inspiration is enhanced by concepts introduced by contemporary science, social issues, politics and cultural diversities. I use abstract and figurative interpretations to convey messages and emotions with sensibility, combining control and passion. Depending on the scope of design, volumes, shapes and vibrant luminous colors, are crafted to converge in an elegant harmony, stimulating the mind and emotions of the viewer. Having an eclectic approach to design, I feel comfortable flowing from dramatic subjects to whimsical and humorous themes. I have a broad range of diverse artistic skills and experience of working with a variety of durable materials like stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, porcelain and glass as appropriate for harmonious integration with the site's architectural style and environment. For most of my large size public art designs, I cooperate with architects, structural engineers and licensed public art fabricators. As a basic principle, I create public art designs with flexibility in order to allow the project stakeholders and community input and participation.

Mother Magica Artisan, Audio, Choreography, Composition, Dance, Design, Fashion Design, Instrumental, Jewelry, Media, Music, Other, Photography, Video, Visual Arts, Vocal

Artist , Muse, CRAZY

I am a creative designer and maker of music, videos, jewelery, clothing, wigs, dance and short storys..... I am a constant comic in all ways of life. Being able to laugh at everything is my true gift. I practice gratitude... I am sooooo greatfull to be alive and able to inspire you to create and love!

Colton Measles Design, Functional Art, Interior Design, Other, Sculpture, Visual Arts, Woodworking   Colton Measles is a 30 year old artist and wood carver from Colorado and recently moved to Sonoma County in mid December of 2017 to pursue and further his work as a professional decorative woodworker. Coltons work has developed through the creation of stand alone visual art pieces crafted from wood such as scroll carvings, high and low bas-relief, engravings and fully relieved sculpture. Colton has studied extensively and has a close relationship with Craig Hone of Provo Utah, the only professional wood carver and artist to win both first and second place prizes in the Northern Nationals Carving Competition and also a two time winner of the Dixie Invitational as well as winner of the Carvers Cup Competition in Park City UT. (Craig's work can be seen at craighonestudio.com) Colton has also been instructed in the creation and application of custom wood stain glazing techniques for bas-relief and sculptural wood carving and fine wood finishing by Robin Coalson, another friend and teacher. (Robins work can be seen at robincoalsonstudio.com and some of her work is on display at the D'Artagnan Vineyards in Sacramento California.) Colton was born and raised in Durango Colorado, where he developed skills in wood carving and sculpture over the course of four years, having been a student of art and artists of other mediums since his youth. Immediately before moving to the Sonoma County area from Colorado he had been working as an artist and woodcarver full time for three years in a wood shop and studio attached to his former residence. Colton has a background in construction and loves applying his craft to interior, and, although less often, exterior architectural carving. He was at one time commissioned to create four separate stand-alone art pieces for the Durango Dharma Center; A nonprofit meditation community closely linked with the Spirit Rock Meditation and Retreat Center in Woodacre California, just north of San Rafael. One of these pieces was a high relief carving including highly relieved birds and lotus flowers in a wonderfully harmonious and flowing design layout and two were functional and decoratively carved wooden boxes for the collection of donations. The fourth was a decoratively carved stand for a Tibetan singing bowl. (These pieces are on constant display in their current location and can be seen on Colton's Instagram page @truenaturecarving) Colton's art is influenced by many traditional mediums. He has studied acanthus scroll and the systems of its design as well as Celtic knot work and depicting all ranges of natural vegetation with a focus on realism. Colton enjoys utilizing design themes from traditional oriental carpentry, in furniture as well as architecture, in his work and has dedicated much time to the study and creation of anatomically correct creatures of all sorts, including fish, birds, animals and insects. Colton is inspired by ideas of cooperative pursuits with other artists and crafters, and by benefit work and his door is open to all inquiries of the kind. His contact info is included in his profile here on creativesonoma.org

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.

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.

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.  

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

Tom Swearingen Painting, Visual Arts Personal Tom was born in Oakland, CA, and lived in Richmond, CA, until moving to Petaluma in 1978 to take a job as a police officer. He married Margaret (Peggy) in 1980, and they have two sons: William, 28, and James, 24. Tom and Margaret live in in Santa Rosa, not far from where Margaret grew up. He paints in a studio they had constructed behind their home in 2011.  Education Tom graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1981, and later earned a Masters Degree in Organization Development from Sonoma State University.  He took nine months of instruction from master painter Charles Becker in 2011.  Professional – Pre-2007 Tom retired as a lieutenant from the Santa Rosa Police Department in 2007. His last assignment was commanding the Investigations Bureau, comprising 40 personnel who were responsible for investigating major crimes in Santa Rosa. He also worked as a consultant to private businesses and local non-profits, facilitating meetings, coaching managers, and conducting team building workshops.   Professional – 2007 to date In 1967, Tom received an HO Scale model train for Christmas. Ever since, he has been a model railroader. His favorite part of the hobby is creating models that closely resemble the prototypes. In 2006, while building a new model railroad, he attempted to paint a realistic backdrop on the layout. It was a disaster. In response, he went to Village Art in Santa Rosa and bought the book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,” by Betty Edwards. Using the accompanying workbook, Tom began sketching for the first time.  He was hooked. Since then, he has sketched or painted daily. Model railroading is still his hobby; painting is his full-time occupation.   In 2009, Tom entered his first juried show and all three pieces he entered were selected for the show (“All Aboard,” Petaluma Art Center). Since then, he has been selected to show in numerous juried shows in California. In 2010, the Press Democrat posted a video of Tom and his art, shot by one of their staff photographers, on the web edition of the newspaper, titled, “Cop to Painter.” In 2012, Tom was invited to show work at the Hub Gallery, Penn State University, which featured 30 invited railroad artists from around the country. In April 2013, he was invited to be a gallery artist at Healdsburg Center for the Arts. In June of 2013, Tom participated in Art at the Source, and in 2014 and 2016, Sonoma County Art Trails. His art has appeared in several publications, most recently in the December, 2016 issue of Southwest Art.

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!

Therese Van Wiele Painting, Visual Arts I've been painting for 45 years with just a bit of formal art instruction. I paint representational  "landscapes with a twist." Every painting I do has a story within it or something unusual about it that viewers can find if they are inclined to look for it. I describe my paintings as not merely "pretty pictures," although at first glance they might be considered pretty.  Yet they always have a deeper story, or personal meaning, or something hidden within the painting that viewers can interpret or discover for themselves. I like to create art that leaves people wondering and curious about what is really going on within the pretty picture. Each painting I do has a reason to exist. I frequently don't find the reason myself until I'm almost done painting it. Then it tells its me its story. I'm always glad to provide an explanation of why it exists or the meaning behind it, or, of course, a viewer can interpret it for him or herself. Over the years I've had my work accepted into several juried art shows. I've displayed and sold much of my artwork in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in Minnesota where I used to live. I moved to Petaluma 7 years ago and am now trying to re-establish myself as a known artist in Sonoma County. I currently have 2 paintings on for sale at Gallery One on Western Ave. in old downtown Petaluma.

Arthur Waligora Illustration, Literature, Painting, Poetry, Visual Arts

Hi there!

  I moved to the Bay area from LA working as a Digital Art Director for a major enthusiast publishing company. Since relocating I have been eager to start working with paint and other mediums to express myself. Very grateful to have been invited by Petaluma Arts Center to speak at one of their Idea Lounge events.