Tag Archives: Albinism

Fade – Reception

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I had such a wonderful time at my Fade reception at Vargas Gallery last night!  I was told that it was the best attended solo show in the history of Vargas Gallery (since 1986)! A BIG THANKS to everyone who came out – artists, friends, curators, students, collectors and faculty! I feel very honored to show in this space and to have such a great community come out and support me! A special thanks to Lynne Todaro for inviting me to exhibit this work which spans a decade, to my collectors who lent back some key pieces for this show and to Ashley for her help with the install and staffing the show! All the albino deer cookies were snapped up and three more paintings were sold!

An albino deer cookie and it’s inspiration, Bed of Ghosts.

With George Rivera (Artist, Instructor, Curator),  Kristin Lindseth-Rivera (Sculptor, Instructor), Marianne McGrath ( NUMU Curator) and Lynn Todaro (Sculptor, Instructor, Director)

With Tamera Avery (Painter), Kathryn Arnold (Painter), Rozanne Hermelyn Di Silvestro (Painter, Graphic Designer), Karen Gutfreund (Artist, Curator) Susan Kraft (Painter) and Hadi Aghaee (Painter) to mention a few.

I love it when people take a pic with a painting, it is such a compliment! This student had an interesting take on the deer in the nest feelings like birds eggs – such a great fragility association!

Tamera Avery & Kathryn Arnold at the Fade Reception – Vargas Gallery.
I know both of these wonderful artists through the Triton Museum of Art. Tammy has two fabulous figurative paintings in the Salon currently, one (which I’m personally in love with) took first in painting! Kathryn had a stunning solo show, monumental assemblages of abstract painting on sheaves of paper inspired by specific selections of poetry and prose as I remember….how great to see and gab with you both!

Loved seeing my collectors David and Carol Ann!

My dear friend (and collector) Judy who has to be one of my biggest supporters!

Hadi was sweet to help me carry in my albino deer cookies!

Suki Ma has one of my Bird and Teacup paintings and kindly shared the reception with her Art Experience group!

Show continues at Vargas Gallery in the Gillmor Center of Mission College through to the 14th!

 

 

 

Fade Reception Date

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Yay!

Director Lynne Todaro and I settled on a date for my Fade reception at Vargas Gallery, Wednesday, December 6 from 4-7 pm. Perfect timing for students, between classes and between holidays. I’m delighted to hear that the show, which began Nov 8, has been getting a great response and I am looking forward to entertaining visitors at the reception! I hope you can join me if you are in the area!!!

These are some of the “artist with her work” shots taken at the exhibit to come up with a show promotion…

Such a lovely space! Vargas Gallery is located in the Gillmor Center in the middle of the Mission College Campus. Gallery hours are Monday  & Wednesday 11 am – 2 pm and Thursday 3:30 -6:30 pm.

 

Installing Fade my Solo Show at Vargas Gallery

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I was so delighted to throw together a last minute solo show for Vargas Gallery at Mission College! I’m calling it Fade – it’s a collection of my Fade to White work, exploring albinism and leucism in our flora and fauna, laced with larger pieces I’ve done over the years that touch on themes of vulnerability and tenacity, beauty and mystery.

The show will run November 9 – December 14 (Reception TBA) Thanks to Director Lynne Todaro for the opportunity and to Ashley at the gallery for her help setting up!

Fade to White – Artist Statement

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I’ve been fooling around with some square business cards for Sanchez 50 I 50, you know the kind with a new image on each one…this will be the back with my contact info and painting care instructions.

I often live in my head about what I’m doing, and it was pointed out that by an artist friend (thank you Andy Ballantyne) that I should share the meaning behind my Fade to White series since they are more than purely decorative.

Here’s the Artist Statement I’ve prepared for the show:

It’s so magical to see a ghostly white apparition in the forrest!
I was overwhelmed the first time I saw an albino deer years ago at Pine Mountain Lake in Groveland and thrilled to witness a leucistic hummingbird at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum a year ago! I am intrigued by the increasingly frequent reports of albinism and leucism in our native flora and fauna.

Very rare in the wild, these white creatures stand out from their surroundings making it hard for them to be a predator and harder still to be prey. These genetic conditions carry other risks as well, including sensitivity to sunlight with a higher risk of skin cancer and weakened feathers in birds. Finding mates can also be more challenging. Plants without the chlorophyl fail to thrive and need to be associated with a green parent plant to grow. Interestingly, the case of albino redwoods, there is evidence that the albino shoots are actually processing toxins in the soil.

With the expansion of human development, real wild spaces are shrinking and becoming disconnected, creating isolated gene pools which heighten the opportunities for recessive albinism and leucism to express where it might not in a more diverse gene pool. Animals like deer, squirrels and raccoons that can live close to humans benefit from increased predator protection and entire communities of leucistic and albino populations are popping up. Of course there are more people and cameras on the look out for these unique and beautiful creatures.

In this series I have laid an encaustic veil over the oil painitng of flora and fauna, at times inscribing lines of pigment, colors which has been lost. I see this veil as one that we are unintentionally drawing over our wildlife.