IYKYK at Helvella
Busy, busy this December!
I have two pieces available at the forthcoming Helvella winter show, IYKYK (if you know you know). “Blue Flower” and “Orange Flower” are separate but complementary pieces, both 8″ x 8″ and priced at $275.
The show is centered around affordable art from local artists, showcasing unique and special pieces to holiday shoppers for the gifting season. If you’re looking for interesting and creative options, perhaps for that hard-to-shop-for person, this show offers a range or styles with everything priced at $300 or less.
Show Dates and Details:
- Helvella Art: 850 42nd Ave, Oakland CA 94601
- Exhibiton Dates: December 10, 2022 – January 7, 2023
- Opening Reception: Saturday, December 10, 6–9 pm
510 All Stars at Nielsen Arts
Things are getting busy this fall, just in time for the holidays. First up is the 510 All Stars show at Nielsen Arts on Solano Avenue in Berkeley, opening on December 3rd.
My latest piece, Butterfly II, is one of 70 pieces by an array of wonderful East Bay artists. John Casey and I both have works in this show. All pieces are 10″ x 10″ on panel, in a wide range of styles. I am looking forward to seeing lots of friends in attendance.
Though this show is a gallery tradition, it hasn’t occurred since before the pandemic began, so it’s nice to have it back in action. In addition to a wealth of art and camaraderie at the opening, there will also be delicious gumbo!
And if crowds and events still feel uncomfortable, the gallery shop is open daily Monday–Saturday from 10–6, as well.
Show Dates and Details:
- Nielsen Arts
- Exhibiton Dates: December 3, 2022–February 10, 2023
- Opening Reception: Saturday, December 3, 6–9 pm
Fairyland Event Night
I had a blast last night with John Casey and other fellow artists at the Drawn Together event to benefit Children’s Fairyland storybook park in Oakland.
We got set up before the crowds gathered and had about two hours to draw, paint or otherwise make art to be sold at the night’s auction. Not a typical auction where bids keep rising, the works were set at a fixed price of $50 each, and competition for any individual piece was settled by drawing from a giant deck of playing cards. There were a few high-demand items that gathered more aspiring buyers than available cards, but the fans were mostly well-behaved in the scrum. A feeling of wise-cracking good humor ruled the night, thanks to our stellar host, Shannon Taylor, Director of Art and Restoration at Fairyland.
It’s always tough to document the drawings when they’re finished after dark. We all had our own lightning, but the best I could do was photograph my pieces on the wall before the auction began. These images have shadows and glare, especially on the rabbit, but at least it’s something.
This was my first time participating in a nighttime live-art event, and my first at Children’s Fairyland. I’d attended as a guest in the past, but not as one of the attractions. I hope to be invited again next year, and have already begun plotting pieces for 2023!
Fairyland Photos
Drawn Together 9/30
As a kid-lit and fairytale fan, I am delighted to participate in this year’s Drawn Together live-drawing event to benefit Children’s Fairyland storybook park in Oakland.
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 30, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Adult art lovers (21+) are invited to enjoy a magical evening at the park as 50 local artists create Fairyland-inspired artwork. At the end of the evening, guests will have a chance to buy the artwork for $50 at a live art sale in Aesop’s Theater. It’s a raucous and competitive good time.
Fairyland opened in 1950, five years before Disneyland, and it’s been a regional favorite ever since. Walt Disney himself visited the park and found inspiration there for his own famed family attraction. Children’s Fairyland has been non-profit since 1994. Proceeds from Drawn Together will support the people, programs, and spaces that make Children’s Fairyland magic possible all year long. For more on its history check out the Fairyland website.
Tickets: General Admission tickets are $30.
Buy tickets online here.
Buying tickets in advance is recommended; same day tickets may not be available if the event sells out.
Pigeon, Pigeon
My gouache piece “Martha” is on display at the Bench Gallery “Pigeon Show” at Fayes in San Francisco through September 10th.
I was excited to participate in this group exhibition because I’ve been a long time birdwatcher (waterfowl, mostly) but had never worked on any bird-related artworks. This gave me the opportunity to focus on something new in terms of painting subjects, but also something I am personally interested and invested in.
This work was inspired by the extinction of the passenger pigeon species. Martha was the last known passenger pigeon, who died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo. Her remains were preserved and are on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. For more information and a 3D visualization, see:
Game of Shrooms 2022
Today’s international Game of Shrooms event was really fun. I left the two mushrooms above in the Jack London areas of Oakland, and both were found within 15 minutes each. I didn’t have time to go foraging myself, but it was fun to watch a whole crew of East Bay artists posting to the IG event, and all of the scavengers around Oakland, Berkeley, and the surrounding areas follow the clues to mushroom art.
Anyone can particiapte in this event as an artist, anywhere in the world. If it’s something that sounds interesting and fun, bookmark you calendar for next year and what will, I believe, be the 5th anniversary of Game of Shrooms. If you’d like to go hunting for mushroom art, check out the worldwide map to see if people are leaving mushrooms in your area. For more information and the interactive, see GoS founder Attaboy’s website.
