Illustration Archives - CreativeSonoma.org

Nicole Rose Gelormino Arts Administration, Illustration, Mixed, Other, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Visual Arts Nicole Rose Gelormino is a teaching artist and painter. A SF Bay Area native, Gelormino has maintained a studio practice alongside her career in teaching art and leading professional development in arts education for over a decade. In her studio practice, Gelormino is committed to the continued exploration of the nuances of personal memory, the body and internalized cultural paradigms. She employs the paint and painting methods in the process of reflection and discovery within the pscyho-visceral landscape. Gelormino holds a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Visual Art and recently served on the advisory panel to the California Department of Credentialing. She worked for a few years on the Teachers Advisory Group to the SF Museum of Modern Art, writing curriculum for their collection and special exhibitions. She has also worked in arts administration in schools and other non-profit and public agencies. Some additional settings she has taught in include: professional development for teachers in schools and museums, youth and families before and after school and at special events, summer arts programs run by the city of San Francisco. At Gateway High School, Gelormino also served as the Arts Department Coordinator and Teaching Coach for other teaching artists.

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.

Julie Gieseke Acting, Directing, Illustration, Improvisation, Literature, Non-Fiction, Performance Art, Theatre, Visual Arts I am a speaker/emcee writer/performer consultant/facilitator coach/teacher that unfurls potential

People, groups, things reach a state of readiness to open. The timing of unfurling can be a mystery. I was furled for most of my life. I longed to be open but did not know how to get there.

My work in all these realms is about unfurling — groups, conversations, individuals, myself. Life can furl us, we can furl ourselves, intentionally or otherwise. Furling is part of the process. Unfurling is inevitable. Expression, liberation, breakthrough … is all part of the furling and unfurling.

Deborah Gray Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Visual Arts I'm a graphic designer, web designer, and artist with 20 years of experience. I specialize in UX. I love minimalism and clean design. My illustration work is mostly pen and ink with watercolor.

Christine Hourscht Children's, Illustration, Mixed, Painting, Visual Arts

Living in a small town in California, Christine Renee Hourscht is surrounded by nature’s beauty.

She likes to hike among the trees, admiring flowers, birds, and other animals. She is also enchanted by the ocean, lakes, insects, sky, and fresh air. It fills her with colorful inspiration.

As an artist, Christine is passionate about the beauty of life and lives in gratitude. Her artwork portrays this with whimsical movements, shapes and colors. Her philosophy is to “Live to love” and “Every breath we take is precious.” Her artwork is a way to share moments in time.

Aim Hover Illustration, Mixed, Other, Painting, Visual Arts Artist Statement My works are a representation of my ever persistent dream states and my desire for connection. My aim is to allow viewers to confront their own emotions, while discovering the emotional layers of my work. I desire to alleviate, even a little bit, the existential loneliness in the world and fuel personal connection through my unique artistic expression. Biography My name is Aim Hover. I was born in Greenbrae, California, in 2001. I am based in Sonoma County and I typically work in Northern California. I am an expressionist and I mostly paint. I work in acrylic, oil, and spray paint. One of my first experiences as an artist was when I was 2 years old, left alone for only a few seconds with finger paint nearby. It wasn't long before I covered the walls and myself in green paint. It's safe to say I have always had a curiosity for color and artistic expression. My art is currently influenced by Pabo Piccaso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bud Snow and several music artists; including Aaron May, Ron Obasi, J Cole, and Freddie Gibbs. I am also influenced by the East Bay, taking as many trips as I can up there to gather influence spilled all over city walls and faces. My work contains lots of faces, most non-intentionally looking like my partner Izrael Brown, a clothing designer and graffiti artist who I am constantly inspired by. While I did go to an arts-centered k-8 school and attend two art classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, I am mostly self-taught.

Makayla Hunziker Artisan, Illustration, Jewelry, Literature, Music, Other, Painting, Photography, Poetry, Visual Arts, Vocal "I wish I could do whatever I liked behind the curtain of "madness". Then: I'd arrange flowers, all day long, I'd paint; pain, love, and tenderness, I would laugh as much as I feel like at the stupidity of others, and they would say: "poor thing, she's crazy!" (Above all I would laugh at my own stupidity.) I would build my own world which while I lived, would be an agreement with all worlds. The day, or the hour, or the minute that I lived would be mine and everyone else's- my madness would not be an escape from "reality". - Frida Kahlo

Leslie Ihrig Functional Art, Furniture, Illustration, Painting, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Youth, Visual Arts I am an artist living in Petaluma, CA. I taught in Petaluma schools for 23 years. I am, currently, on the Board at the Petaluma Arts Center. My passion is painting and finding ways to connect arts to education. Years ago, I was a furniture design coordinator and a visual merchandising manager for Macy's California. I have a BA in Art from San Jose State University and a teaching credential from Dominican University (San Rafael). I always worked art into the curriculum, using integrated strategies in my classroom in all subject areas - ELA, math, science, history, and, of course, fine art. I incorporated VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) throughout my curriculum, as well. My work has been sold at Studio Gallery in San Francisco and at the Petaluma Arts Center. I have also shown my work at the Cabrillo College Gallery, Aqus Cafe, and I have greeting cards available at Vibe Gallery in Petaluma. I painted a piano for the Friends of Petaluma River Project (Petaluma Pete) and participated in the Black Lives Matter street mural in Petaluma. My work includes portraits of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alexandria Ocasio Cortes, Greta Thunberg, and other important figures as well as commissioned portraits. Please visit my website to view my work.

Nicole Jones Illustration, Mixed, Painting, Visual Arts www.nicolejonesillustration.com

Jacqueline Kramer Illustration, Music, Painting, Visual Arts, Vocal Jacqueline Kramer graduated from Bennington College with a degree in painting and sculpture where she focused on large color field stain paintings and sculpture made from found objects. Her first one- woman show, which exhibited her rendition of the Zen series, the “The 10 Bulls”, was in 1979 in Napa, California. Her watercolors and mixed media paintings, of eucalyptus and local flowers, are in personal collections. Jacqueline taught art at the Julie Nation Fashion Institute and color line and design through the Santa Rosa Junior College. She lives and paints in Sonoma, California. I am interested in making art that sheds light on the beauty and interconnectedness of life, especially in places where beauty and interconnectedness is hard to find. My work is informed by my Zen Buddhist practice, by a response to what is happening in the world and by expressionist and color field painters such as Monet, Van Gogh, Rothko and Chagall. Using color, line and design, experimentation and a determination to bring about work that has depth and significance, I am interested in inspiring others to look at life around them with fresh eyes.

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.

Gianna Marino Children's, Illustration, Literature, Visual Arts Gianna Marino was born in San Francisco and spent her early years galloping horses through Golden Gate Park. Her explorations expanded after graduating from high school and in order to afford her many journeys, Gianna had several jobs at once: apprenticing a muralist, a jewelry designer, a product designer and driving horse carriages through the park. She explored many corners of the world, from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to the South Pacific, Europe, and as crew on sailboats in the high seas. Gianna finally landed a full-time freelance gig designing toys for children, but after several years in a corporate box with no windows, she left for good and began painting, illustrating and writing books for children. Gianna has written over a dozen award-winning books, including Meet Me at the Moon, Too Tall Houses, Following Papa's Song, Night Animals, Night Animals Need Sleep Too, If I Had a Horse and she is the New York Times best-selling illustrator of Don’t Let Them Disappear, written by Chelsea Clinton. Though she still wanders the world, Gianna now lives in Northern California and works full-time writing and illustrating.

Tim McGee Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Visual Arts Over 20 years experience in design and illustration; both traditional and digital techniques for commercial, web and publishing projects.

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

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.

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.

Rik Olson Illustration, Visual Arts A California native, Rik received his B.F.A. from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. He has studied under such masters as Barry Moser, John DePol, Richard McLean, and Ralph Borge. He has lived, studied and exhibited in Italy, Germany and the U.S. His influences include the years he lived in Europe and currently the beautiful countryside of Sonoma County, California. He enjoys pushing the envelope in printmaking and has recently been working on editions of multi-color linoleum cut prints. He recently took part in a fund raising event where the works of ten artists, whose over-size prints were printed by an actual steamroller, were featured.

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.

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.

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.

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