Berkeley Arts Center has to be one of my favorite gallery. It's a beautiful space tucked away in the Berkeley Hills just walking distance from Saul's Deli. The space is just the right size and I was completely amazed by the amount of people who attended the opening.  It was an amazingly active community.

I love to photograph people looking at my sculptures.  I love to attend events to lurk near my piece and watch people engaging as a result of my work.  I wish I were able to hear what they are actually saying but I'm not always able to and that's ok too. That my work gets their attention simply thrills me.

Berkeley Art Center (BAC) serves the diverse and creative citizens of Berkeley, through the presentation of visual art exhibitions, musical performances and literary programs relevant to its unique community.  This salon-style exhibition features small works in a variety of media and is a celebration of the deep and broad art community that makes Berkeley Art Center such a unique organization.

The exhibition is presented in two parts: a non-juried presentation, "HERE, Part 1" followed by a juried show, "HERE, Part 2". This year the juror will be Renny Pritikin, Chief Curator of the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

Come see 84B and Me in the "HERE, Part 1" exhibition and who knows, it may get selected for the juried "HERE, Part 2" show as well!

HERE, Part 1
Berkeley Art Center
1275 Walnut Street Berkeley, CA 94709
December 3 - January 8
Please come to the reception!
Saturday, December 3, 2016,  5:00-7:00pm

I began designing a 3D Mosaic Mural for my backyard more than a year ago. It's hard to explain here but it promises to be spectacular.... just trust me.  During the design process, my boss gave me a small ceramic butterfly with the engraved quote, "Do what makes your heart smile." I had immediately thought to use it in my mural but the more I thought about it, this butterfly inspired me to want to incorporate many life quotes that resonated with both my husband and I and that were guiding principles for our lives.  Since I didn't own a kiln, I reached out to many artists on Etsy to contract an artist to create mosaic tiles to spec for me to incorporate in this piece, but that proved to be quote expensive.

So... I decided to look into getting my own kiln.  I reviewed models and manufacturers and ultimately decided on the Skutt KM-818. I configured a Craigslist email notification and in less than 24 hours, I was driving to Elk Grove, CA to buy my kiln (which normally retails for $1100) for $175.

Next up... how to power it and where to put it! 

I contacted an electrician to install a subpanel in the desired location with a NEMA 6-250 receptacle.  Next my husband built a surface for this and last on the list is building a suitable enclosure to protect the kiln for when it is not in use. Soon... I will be able to not only realize the 3D mosaic mural I'm looking to install on the back of my house, but also I'll be able to realize another project I've been designing for several years: a totem pole project that marries symbols from both my husband's and my own heritage: a blend of both of us.

I had always wanted to make a memory quilt from my fathers clothes to keep as a keepsake but... it never happened.

When my husband's stepmom Josephine passed in June, I decided to make a memory quilt from her clothes for each of her surviving siblings. Ultimately I made 7 quilts. The name "The Sentimental Seven" was given to them.

I'm including this story here for a couple of reasons.  Life has a way of impacting the creative process.  I have not been in the studio because I have been caring for a family member who was dying. This is more important than making art. Also... sometimes my art isn't intended for the gallery wall... sometimes I make things simply because they need to be made.... like these quilts... read more about their story here.

The Story Behind These Memory Quilts

“Families are like quilts, stitched together one piece at a time,
and the quilt tells a story, one piece at a time.” ~ Unknown

When we were packing up Josephine’s belongings, there were many moments of reflection, sometimes tearful and sometimes we found ourselves laughing. Items reminded us of her: drawers of buttons from clothing she had purchased – reminding us of her sense of fashion, drawers of travel brochures and trinkets collected from her various trips – reminding us of her desire to explore the world, and drawers containing cards that she had received from her friends and family – reminding us of all the people who loved her. 

We donated the bulk of her clothes and personal items to the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) so once sold, the proceeds would fund care for uninsured children who come to the Emergency Room needing treatment.  However, not all of Josephine’s clothes made it to the LPCH Children’s Auxiliary. A handful of blouses were pulled out of the lot – many that she wore in her final months – to make a quilt, this quilt that tells her story and keeps the memory of her alive in the homes of those people who loved her.

The pinwheel is an icon representing childhood innocence and happy memories of youthful experiences. The pinwheel also represents movement, so this is meant to symbolize Josephine’s movement from here to there. For this reason, the center blocks in this quilt are made using the pinwheel pattern from the clothes of Josephine G. Harris. A white background was used as the offset color to symbolize her pinwheels spinning in the clouds or in heaven.

There are seven of these quilts. Each was made using a different backing fabric. The border surrounding the pinwheel area contains pieces of fabric from each of the seven quilts. The various patterns represent each of the families who received them – who are colorful in their own special ways and who together, represent the tapestry of Josephine’s life. The border being stitched together by me is not unlike how we were stitched in to the Buitrago family by Josephine.

Finally, on the back of the quilt, you’ll find a heart. This heart is made from the shirt Josephine was wearing when all of you gathered in her home prior to her passing.

Apothecary  was selected for exhibition in the "Membership medley" show at Blue Line Arts. An artists’ reception will be held Saturday, July 16, from 6-9 p.m. This is an exciting opportunity for all members and supporters of the Blue Line Arts Center to come together and exhibit together.

Blue Line Arts
405 Vernon Street, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95678
July 15 - August 20
Please come to the reception!
Saturday, June 16, 2016,  6:00-9:00pm

Juror Brian Blood selects "84B and Me" for exhibition in the 59th Stockton Art League Juried Exhibition which will feature 100 new works by long-standing local artists and newcomers from around the country.

More than 400 works from nearly 200 artists were submitted and more than $5,000 will be awarded across five categories: acrylics & oils, water media, mixed media & graphics, sculpture and pastel.

This was a bucket list item for me as this will be my first exhibition in a museum.  Come join me at the artist's reception!

59th Stockton Art League Juried Exhibition
Haggin Museum
Victory Park -  1201 N. Pershing Ave - Stockton, CA 95203
July 7- September 11
Please come to the reception!
Thursday, July 7, 2016,  6:30-9:00pm

A beautiful facility run by fantastic people, the Blue Line Arts Center has again selected one of my pieces for an exhibition called "Light Play" that will run June 6th to July 9th in their Westpark Gallery. Come to the reception if you're in the area and check out my work and the work of other artists who incorporate illumination and light in their art.

Light Play
Blue Line Arts
405 Vernon Street, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95678
June 6 - July 9
Please come to the reception!
Saturday, June 18, 2016,  7:00-9:00pm

Silent Song, the third piece in the series called "Melody of Light", was selected by jurors Gerald Boyd, Cara Weston, and William F. Wilson II, for the Carnegie Arts Center's 2016 Arts Showcase. I'm thrilled to be participating in this event for the second year in a row. This is an amazing venue that showcases new work by artists working in a variety of media in the central California region which includes the Central Valley, Foothills, Yosemite, Bay Area, Napa Valley and the Central Coast.

An artists’ reception, including the announcement and presentation of awards, will be held on Friday, April 1, from 5-9 p.m. concurrently at both galleries.

Central California Arts Showcase
Carnegie Arts Center
250 N. Broadway, Turlock, California
April 1 - May 27
Please come to the reception!
Friday, April 1, 2016,  5:00-9:00pm

Unknowingly challenged by my neon professor Christian Schiess, I have begun a series called "Melody of Light" which couples vintage radio/music equipment with neon.  At present, I have completed three pieces in this series.  Pictured is a vintage Philco 84B cathedral tube radio backed by mirror with a whimsical neon filled tube mounted inside its chassis. Titled "84B and Me", I am beyond excited to work on the next pieces.

I work at Stanford University and every year over the Christmas Break, the university shuts down for it's Winter closure. What this means is that I have a couple of weeks to do the things I love most in life... spend time with my family and make art.  This year my Winter Break project was a large stained glass installation for my home.

My husband is my number one and is often found helping me execute my vision whether it be with a sculpture intended for the gallery wall, or something I'm creating to beautify our living space.  He is an amazing wood worker but is perhaps the most capable handyman I've ever met. As he says, "I'm not afraid to screw it up." The project did complete, here Dave is installing the first of four windows and below is the finished window quadriptych.