CREATIVES

Judy Pagnusat Artisan, Glass, Jewelry, Teacher/Instructor I am an artist who has always loved making jewelry. I make jewelry out of every medium I have ever worked in, be it crochet, paper, glass or metal. In recent years my favored materials have been glass and metal clay. My new passion is metal fabrication, enameling and up-cycled jewelry made from vintage flatware. I am available to teach fused glass, metal clay or metal fabrication at your location or my studio in Cotati, CA. My work is featured and for sale at "The Artisans Co-op Gallery" in Bodega, CA

Brenda Phillips Sculpture, Visual Arts ReBirth Living Sculpture pulls together passed on decorative art pieces and plants — typically succulents — to create upcycled living sculptures for homes, establishments, and gardens. Imagine everything from a small, multi-colored glass arrangement with succulents to 4 feet tall fountains made of stacked ceramic pieces to a 9-foot tall art sculpture with a central spinning ornate frame to take selfies in — perfect for a winery or city sculpture garden — to welded, galvanized metal pots on rods to grow tomatoes inside to a tranquil and harmonious succulent composition on drift wood hung with dangling windchimes to hanging light fixtures overflowing with plants. Each of our pieces utilizes repurposed items combined in new ways along with plants. The resulting sculptures are unexpected living creations that change with time and conditions. Each is unique, designed by hand, often multi-purpose, and harmonious. Some inspire joy, others whimsy, and others are peaceful. The vast range of styles, colors, materials, and shapes dare to challenge the viewer to find that one piece that speaks to them most.

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.  

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?!”

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

Kusuma Sparks Artisan, Design, Fashion Design, Fiber Art Kusuma Sparks is an environmentalist who fought the urge to create beautiful things with textiles (and lost).

Despite her youthful ambition to land a Fulbright Grant and ‘save the world’, she finally (and begrudgingly) had to admit she had a gift and passion for textiles and, in the end, she became an artisan of fine garments for women who share her vision of a better world. Maybe it was because she couldn’t stand seeing her for-a-cause friends suffer bad aesthetics. Maybe it was a rebellious act against the industry.

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!

Luann Udell Artisan, Fiber Art, Jewelry, Literature, Mixed, Non-Fiction, Other, Other, Printmaking, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts, Woodworking Ancient Stories Retold in Modern Artifacts Luann Udell is a double-juried of the prestigious League of New Hampshire Craftsmen in stitchery and non-metal jewelry.  She handcrafts wall hangings, assemblages, sculptures, and jewelry inspired by prehistoric, tribal, and world art.  She tells stories about ancient cultures through art, using a colorful and distinctive combination of fiber, polymer and mixed media.  Running horses, fossil fish, bears, birds, bulls, otters and shaman figures are common elements in her work.  By exploring our connection to those artists of the distant past, she illuminates her thoughts on what it means to be human in our modern times. “I believe we all have a place and a purpose in this world.  I found mine through my art.  And through my art, I encourage others to find inspiration to make their own place in the world. So much of our ancient human history sheds light on how we can make better choices today.” Luann’s interest in world art began while studying art history in college at the University of Michigan.  “I particularly enjoyed seeing exhibits about ancient artifacts—pottery shards, bone tools, textile fragments too tattered and worn to indentify.  Tenderly mounted under temples of glass, carefully labeled for display, they seem to speak in whispers of a time forgotten, of a people lost to us in antiquity.”  When she focused her energy on becoming an artist, her first—and current--source of inspiration was the very same prehistoric cave paintings she’d studied in college so many years before. Luann’s work has appeared in national juried craft exhibitions and publications.  Her work has been carried by fine art and craft galleries across the country. She teaches professional development skills for artists and craftspeople.  She is also a published writer, with a book, ebooks, published articles, and two regular columns in craft magazines to her credit. In addition to her own blog about a life making art, she now writes a regular column for Fine Art Views, an online art marketing magazine. After living in New Hampshire for 27 years, she moved to Santa Rosa, California in 2014, because, she says, you’re never too old to make a major reboot in your life.

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.

Charles Versaggi Literature, Non-Fiction, Photography, Visual Arts Like an insatiable moth, I've been a light chaser for many years. I love photography for its science, craft, art, and power to expand our vision. But most of all as a tool that enables us to see and share novel perspectives, informing stories that evoke feelings of awe, empathy, and community with the world around us. Charles Versaggi is a native San Franciscan of Italian heritage, who now lives in Petaluma. Earning a doctorate in marine biology, he learned to appreciate the wonders of nature both under and above the water — often with camera in tow. A mass-media science fellowship writing for the Milwaukee Journal paved the way to science writing, life science communications, and photojournalism. He has participated in juried group photo exhibitions and has published numerous articles and photoessays. He is currently working on North Beach Light (© 2018), a collection of photoessays that reflect on his early years of living in North Beach when it was the City’s “Italianita” and the center of Beat lifestyle, topless bars, and jazz clubs, leading to flower power and the Summer of Love.

Amy A. Whitcomb Artisan, Fiction, Functional Art, Holidays Shop Local, Literature, Non-Fiction, Other, Other, Poetry I create fine art, functional art, and opportunities for myself and others to observe, reflect, discover, and build community through the written word. Please consider supporting my paper and book arts by purchasing blank journals for yourself and your loved ones. Each journal is unique -- made from repurposed, locally sourced materials -- to encourage reflection and creative expression. Please visit www.amyawhitcomb.com/artist to learn more about me.

Carolyn Wilson Mixed, Visual Arts Carolyn Wilson is a British mixed media artist living in Sebastopol. A lover of texture, she specializes in creating collage that has a rich tactile surface, with partially hidden layers that create a sense of mystery and history. In her art studio you will find her surrounded by a mountain of hand-colored papers, with glue and brush in hand. She creates using water media such as watercolor and acrylic ink, rice papers and found elements. “Communicating more than what is often visible on the surface, my collages usually begin life in an abstract way then grow into something more recognizable. Using ephemera, such as maps, printed words, letters and postage stamps that I have collected on my travels, my art is literally embedded with fragments of my life story. You often need to step up and take a close look to discover these hidden surprises.”” – says Carolyn. Carolyn has participated in Sonoma County Art Trails Open Studios since 2014, and her work is available year-round at Upstairs Art Gallery in Healdsburg. Paintings by Carolyn have been published in 2 books: The Encyclopedia of Watercolour Techniques by Hazel Harrison (UK, 2018) and The New Encyclopedia of Watercolor Techniques by Hazel Harrison (USA, 2010).

Richard Wizardsky Audio, Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Media, Mixed, Painting, Photography, Visual Arts

I have been illustrating and painting all my life and have been painting on glass for about 20 years.

I graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania USA. I graduated with a triple majors in Graphic design, Illustration, and 3 dimensional design. With that education I embarked on a carrier as a graphic designer for Mellon Bank, Bd&E, A.Magazine, In Pittsburgh newsweekly, and produced and Edited Further Magazine,and then short stint into movie graphics for Disney and Lions GateFilms. I have been showing in galleries since 1989 from One Taste Gallery in San Francisco, a group show at the Buddha"s Palm Gallery, Coffee Bizarre, Frame of Mind Gallery, Main Street Coffee,Coffee Bazaar and Slice of Life, Peace in Medicine Gallery, The Pine Cone, Aubergine Emporium, Tiny Town, Hardcore, Guyaki to name a few in West County.. Then in Pittsburgh At Lascquax Gallery, The Beehive, City Books the Zenith Gallery, the Pittsburgh regional history museum as well as the Bloomfield Gallery, my works also adorn Theresa Heinze's foundation for fine arts, More recently showing at Tiny Town, hardcore, Guyaki,Fat heads Gallery , Polk street Gallery, Aubergine after Dark Emporium, Live painting at Festivals and local concert venues such as hop Monk and Lupin Lodge. I focus my artistic sights on the Images and objects of nature, using vivid color to convey their most exuberant form. Through my art I hope to bring people closer to the spiritual relm of the natural world they are immersed in.

Artist Highlights

• ArtWanted.com Gallery:    Fine Art
• Represented By:    FurtherImages
• Past Clients:    Mellon Bank, Disney, Inn Pittsburgh Magazine, Further Images and words, Film Joey coyle, Heinz Foundation, DDf&m etc