CREATIVES

Jesse Fichman Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal "While AJ Lee is only 19 years old, she’s been the new face of bluegrass for more than a decade.” -The San Francisco Chronicle Blue Summit combines accomplished instrumental work with powerful vocals and a lose interpretation of traditional bluegrass. Taking in elements from western swing, soul, folk, rock, and old time music, this band of friends puts their heart into their music, and has honorably been recognized as 2018 NCBS Band of the Year. At the head of the group is AJ Lee, eight-time winning NCBS Female Vocalist of the Year, and 2018 Mandolin Player of the Year. The rest of Blue Summit’s accomplishments can be accredited to the dedication, persistence, and passion of founding member Isaac Cornelius (bass), Jesse Fichman (guitar), and two-time Guitar Player of the Year, Sullivan Tuttle. Blue Summit has played at festivals all around California, including the CBA Father’s Day Festival, the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, and the Kate Wolf Music Festival. They have recently released their first album, “Sweet Company”.  

Brian Fies Recovery Fund Grantee, Visual Arts Brian is the creator of "Mom's Cancer" and "Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow," both published by Abrams. Also the web comics "The Last Mechanical Monster" and "A Fire Story." His work has won numerous awards, including an Eisner and a Harvey award.

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

Sierra Fontana Design, Graphic Design I'm a freelance web designer specializing in Squarespace and Shopify websites, branding, and general graphic design for creatives, online retail, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.

Rachel Forbis Recovery Fund Grantee, Visual Arts Rachel Forbis is a conceptual artist from Northern California who focuses on engaging her viewers with each piece she completes. She thrives on creative interpretation while widening her range of artistic abilities. She is a UC Davis Graduate with a degree in Interior Architecture and an emphasis on Fine Art. She lived in Taiwan and has traveled to various surrounding Countries, exploring and expanding her creative world. With a passion for numerous medias and styles, she has found her expertise doing custom artwork for her clients and is always looking for new explorations of subject matter. She has a love for fine detail that is evoked in all her projects. Rachel sells both original artwork and prints from her own inspirations, as well as welcomes commissions that are purely customized. If you live in Sonoma County, you can book a free consultation where she will go to you and discuss your interests.

Lauren Forcella Painting, Visual Arts

Shop my website for museum-quality fine art originals and giclee prints by Lauren Forcella. Oil paintings in contemporary impressionism. Thank you for signing up for my newsletter and being the first to see new work and hear about seasonal sales and giveaways. I love adding beauty to your world! email: lauren@laurenforcella.com website: https://laurenforcella.com/ (707) 622-6821

ARTIST'S STATEMENT I strive to translate onto canvas the essence and wildness of this beautiful planet. I am a contemporary impressionistic oil painter using generous paint and vivid brushwork in a style called “first coup” (from the French, “au premier coup”). This is a one-layer painting technique where the painting (or each section of a large painting) is completed in one sitting while the paint is still wet – in other words, after the first pass. For me, this is the best way to impart the aliveness and emotional intensity of Nature. BIOGRAPHY I have been painting for 25 years. In a life-changing event, with no warning whatsoever, painting dropped into my life while I was in the flow of raising four fantastic kids. Though my technique has improved with use, this gift arrived as an already-developed skill that continues to astonish. I grew up extremely close to Nature and have been a tree hugger since my earliest memories, climbing them barefooted at every opportunity. Trees are incredibly special to me and I give them credit for keeping me healthy and connected. To give back, I first became a hydrogeologist. I was going to save the planet. This proved rotten with politics, so I retooled in the human potential movement, eventually writing a critically-acclaimed syndicated advice column, Straight Talk Advice, with contributions from youth panelists around the nation [2004-2016] [including the Santa Rosa Press Democrat]. It was important work, but I wasn’t happy. In 2017, I thought why not take this gift of painting – which I love most of all -- and contribute by sharing the beauty of Earth? Best decision EVER. Painting every day is like being in love and my paintings are essentially love letters to this amazing planet. The vivid contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings of my current period are a return to my painting roots which were dominated by this style. The generous paint, vivid brushstrokes and loose compositional style reflects the heart opening I feel out-of-doors. While hiking and backpacking, I drink in the scenery, take multiple reference photos, and often walk barefooted and sleep on the earth to further soak in the energy. Returning to the studio, I strive to translate onto canvas the peace, aliveness, and utter beauty I experienced. My paintings are in private collections throughout the United States and abroad. From my website, you can purchase originals as well as artist-quality giclee prints on canvas that arrive ready to hang. Please contact me for sales, commissions, and showings. —Lauren Forcella email: lauren@laurenforcella.com website: https://laurenforcella.com/ (707) 622-6821  

EXHIBITIONS Solo shows throughout 2022! See website at https://laurenforcella.com/ for dates and locations. Sonoma County: Fulton Crossroads Gallery, premier featured artist: Nov 1, 2022 - Jan 31, 2023 PRESS Vogue, GQ, World of Interiors, House of Coco, Conde Nast Traveler, London Life, English Garden, and many more. See website at https://laurenforcella.com/ for media list and interviews. A few past shows: 2022: March: 2nd place, juried exhibition, Carter House Gallery, Redding, CA 2020: April-June JCO's Art Haus, Los Gatos, CA 2020: July: Mosiac, solo art show, Sundial Bridge, Redding, CA 2019:  Solo art show, Elle Lui, Santa Rosa CA, April 4 - March 4, 2019 2017:  Solo art show, Elle Lui, Santa Rosa CA, Dec-March 18, 2017 2012:  Solo art show, Gold River, CA 2011:  Solo art show, Bukovina, Auburn, CA 2004:  Selected Artist, Art in Print Calendar 2004:  Featured Artist, Auburn Printers & No Cal Artists, Auburn, CA 2009:  Solo art show, Bella Fiore, Fair Oaks, CA 2008:  Solo art show, Sacramento Art Complex, Sacramento, CA 2007:  Group art show, Art de Soul opening, Irvine, CA 2004:  Group art show, Auburn Center for the Arts, Auburn, CA 2001:  Solo art show, Latitudes, Auburn, CA 2000:  Solo art show, Renaissance Room, Peterborough, NH 1999:  Solo art show, Expressions Gallery, Milford, NH  

Cathleen Francisco Children's, Literature, Photography, Visual Arts What I love about photography is the wide range of expression it allows. I enjoy the power of Photoshop to create my own visions, altered cameras for a change in perspective and alternative processes to explore and push past boundaries. Beyond the imagery I create, photography is a mediation for me, a quiet, restorative place that is as much about creativity as it is mindfulness.

Luke Fraser Design, Fashion Design, Recovery Fund Grantee Here at Bart Bridge, we know that different fans have different styles so we are dedicated to promoting local makers who put creative twists on their favorite teams. We have been promoting these local makers since 2010. By using hyper-local allusions, creative word-play, imaginative illustrations, and repurposed merchandise, we aim to promote apparel for the fans, by the fans. Our hats, t-shirts, pants and jackets make great gifts and are a creative way to support your favorite team and local makers! Except in the case of repurposed material, such as patches and shirts, none of these products are made by the teams.  These are not licensed products.

Ross Friedman Composition, Instrumental, Music, Other, Vocal Ross Friedman is a songwriter, recording engineer and music instructor based in Petaluma, California. Ross' songwriting covers many genres including: singer/songwriter, jazzy ballads, blues, rock and country rock. Instrumentals of various styles (acoustic, jazzy, blues and rock are also part of Ross' repertoire. Ross has a ProTools recording setup and can help songwriters and other musicians record their music. Ross provides individualized instruction on guitar and bass, taking into account the students taste in music. Instruction is provided for all levels - beginning, intermediate and advanced. Ross has many years of experience in music instruction and has been teaching in California since 1979. Ross has performed in bands and as a solo act since the age of 12. Although a professional for many years, he says "I remember what it's like to be a beginner and know that people starting out appreciate patience and encouragement." With this in mind, he has developed teaching techniques to simplify and explain the workings of music to all ages and levels of ability.

Anna Friesen Mixed, Painting, Photography, Visual Arts I imagine observe photograph collect then follow intuitive leads to usual and unique materials to express my feeling responses to the natural world

Christopher Frost Recovery Fund Grantee, Visual Arts I like physics, philosophy, abstraction, talk about the universe, art about these subjects, art about art, random conversation with strangers, puzzles, pattern. I'd like to open a "student studio" some day.

Margo Gallagher Other, Visual Arts I am a life-long creative, artist, and part owner of Vibe Gallery in downtown Petaluma. My latest artistic endeavor, KaleidaStars, involves taking photos, printing them out, and cutting them up into hundreds of pieces and putting them back together again to ultimately create a personally designed large scale kaleidoscope. My focus is photographing street art, flowers, memorial pieces, or anything that moves me. I love bright colors! Most of my work is commission based, but I also have prints and cards at the gallery.  

Ernesto Garay Literature, Poetry, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth Ernesto Garay is a poet, performer, teacher, and social justice activist. Ernesto is a bilingual teaching artist, offering residencies to students in grade 4-12.  Mr. Garay holds two Masters Degrees: one in Comparative Literature and the other in Ethnic Studies.  He is a poet in Residence at Creative Sonoma, California Poets in the Schools, and Azures Acres, teaching poetry as a form of healing to children, teens and adults living with intersectional vulnerability in schools and organizations in Sonoma County. Currently Mr. Garay is finishing his book of poetry: Reverberating Voices. It speaks about the experience of immigration, racism, healing the spirit, displacement and love while living in San Francisco, California, Mexico, Nicaragua and El Salvador during Central American Civil Wars of the 1970s and 1980s.  His poetry has been published in the DI-VȇrRSέ-City Anthology of the Austin International Poetry Festival, Pterodáctilo, La Revista, The Ethnic Studies Journal and Desde el Epicentro.   Mr. Garay has also performed and read his poetry in the Bay Area for venues such as MAPP (Mission Arts and Performance Project), Mama’s Art Café, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He’s also read his poetry in North Bay venues like the Salon for the Arts, the Arlene Francis Center, the De Turk Round Barn, the Finely Center, the Sonoma County Museum, and in Southern California, at the Pitzer College at Claremont University.  He is passionate about justice and advocating for the Latino immigrant community.  Immensely creative and accomplished, he inspires us and moves among us with unfailing humility, generosity and grace.

Melissa Geissinger Design, Graphic Design I've been building websites for twenty years. I'm the author of the book, 1 Day Web Designer: How To Be A More Productive Freelancer. In 2011 I co-founded a community of web and digital media industry professionals called WIMP and organized a charity hackathon called WIMPgives which brought teams of volunteers together to build websites for nonprofits. The program ran for three years and was responsible for donating $200,000 worth of services to Sonoma County nonprofits.

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.  

Lisa Damico And Gena Richman Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Youth, Visual Arts Lisa Damico* and Gena Richman**, are excited to offer you professional development integrating Social Emotional Learning and the Arts. We offer a staff development "special" condensed workshop or an expanded two session workshop either via Zoom or in person. Either will provide you with lessons you can do with your students the following day. The Arts and SEL pair perfectly together helping students gain and/or maintain a sense of well being in the classroom. The Arts provide students a way to learn, know and communicate aspects of themselves and others. Our PD is a make and take that will walk you through lessons to use at the beginning of the year which can be repeated as check-ins throughout the year. We recommend this workshop for early to upper elementary. Professional development fees on a sliding scale. Contact us for more information. Gena Richman genarichman@att.net and/or Lisa Damico ldamicoart@gmail.com  *Lisa received her BA in Child Development, a Minor in Fine Arts and went on to receive a K-12 teaching credential with a supplemental credential in Art. She provided professional development to California teachers and presented in state and national conferences through her association with the California Literature Project, integrating Visual and Performing Arts into teaching and assessing in Language Arts. Lisa retired after 32 years in the classroom and has now become a happy gardener and shamelessly spoils her Labrador Retriever. **Gena received her B.S. in Arts, followed by a K-12 teaching credential from SSU. She provided professional development to teachers on how to integrate the Arts into Mathematics during many sessions at the California Mathematics Conference at Asilomar. Gena retired after 20 years in the classroom and works out 5 days a week in order to keep up with her young grandson! Thank you for checking out Creative Sonoma! Look for grants and other workshops on their site! 

Diane George Film Office, General Services

I am a Hair Stylist. I have extensive experience with "production styling" as well as cutting and barbering.

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.

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.

Bill Gittins Painting, Recovery Fund Grantee, Visual Arts Widely recognized for his vibrant “Colorist” oil paintings, Bill Gittins has logged many hours capturing the beauty of his surroundings in colorful, textural excellence. Painting both en plein air and in studio, his paintings are a visual delight; filled with robust, clean hues and distinctive dynamic brush and palette knife work. With a Colorist style that blends traditional with impressionism, and an impasto-like application, his superior handling of the medium results in paintings that convey complexity and movement. As the viewer, you will experience each new discovery for yourself, and be immersed in the moments that captured Bill’s attention. Taking his cues primarily from the elements of Land, Water and Sky, Bill challenges himself to transform his subjects from vistas remote and unaccustomed, to enticing scenes, immanent and familiar. Offering an invitation to enjoy and to feel at-home, each painting beckons you to linger and find welcomed repose. As a metaphor, pathways, and waterways, often leading you into Bill’s work are an artistic element of his process, rich in symbolism and intrigue. Embarking on each piece, he sees his palette as the trailhead for the adventure that awaits the viewer. As he departs and places those first applications of paint, the journey to another wonderful destination begins.

Joelle Gonçalves Dance, Performance Art Joelle Gonçalves is the principle dancer with Sol Flamenco and also works as the company's Artistic Director. Her formal dance training began in 2003 when she traveled to Sevilla, Spain, to study with Jose Galvan and has returned to Spain several times since then to study with world famous artists such as Manuel Betanzos, Leonor Leal, and Pilar Ortega. She has also studied at The Institute for Spanish Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with visiting Spanish artists. In addition to managing shows with some of the Bay Area’s finest artists, she has performed as a soloist with local dance companies, including Mi Alma Flamenca, Mark Taylor Flamenco, and the "Flamenco Room" at Thirsty Bear. She has received awards from the Sonoma Arts Council, The Alliance for California Traditional Arts. and received a personal letter from Cirque du Soleil talent scout, Guilio Scatola, requesting her audition (after seeing her perform at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts) for the production of Ka. Most recently she was hired for the winter 2022 season of Cirque de Bobeme's "Gypsy" as a flamenco soloist.

Kevin Gonyo Audio, Composition, Design, Film, Graphic Design, Media, Music My name is Kevin Gonyo, and I love to create. Currently, I work as a designer at a non-profit in Santa Rosa. I received my BA in music from UCLA, and still compose and perform. Always looking to work with new people!

Annette Goodfriend Sculpture, Visual Arts I am fascinated by the perversity of nature.  My current work casts a critical, scientific, and humorous eye on the mutagenesis of form, from the cellular level to the limb. It examines and celebrates that moment of translation from cerebral to visceral. Recently I have been exploring the hand of man and the role of science in the natural world. While we develop investigative tools in biology, chemistry, and physics to research and understand our world, those same tools give us the capability of controlling and morphing the environment and ourselves. The catastrophic change that man’s actions have caused to our climate could be remedied if our vast scientific knowledge was matched by political will and implemented towards a remedy. And what about the politics of the body? Our knowledge of genetics and the molecular tools we have created could allow us to eradicate disease, but where is the ethical line? And who gets to draw that line? Who decides what traits are desirable, which to be eliminated? And who gets to utilize these tools of selection? These questions and concepts weave their way through my work, and hopefully open a pathway to necessary conversations.