Salon at the Triton 2016

April 23, 2016

The Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California, hosts an annual Salon, a statewide competition and exhibition of 2-D work, this year guest juried by Charlotte Eyerman, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Monterey Museum of Art! Out of the 1450 submissions, 124 pieces by 114 artists were selected for the show, my painting Wildflower among them.

The reception for the salon is always packed and is hard to get a good look at all the work while visiting with artists and friends but it always make for a memorable evening! (This is my third year in a row exhibiting – knock on wood).

This year was very special, I was honored to have Aušra, the daughter of Antanas Štarka (the man whose portrait I painted in Wildflower) and partner Ilan attend the reception with Aušra’s niece Laura, straight from her flight from Europe! Aušra is an amazing photographer whose photograph had inspired the painting. It was Aušra too that had made the wreath of Lithuanian wildflowers that he’s wearing in the painting and I was so touched when she brought me a matching bouquet of flowers! One day soon this painting will travel on to Lithuania!

Sometimes I have fun dressing like my paintings – this time my friend, artist Tom Yacoe, unknowingly did… I understand he is even half Lithuanian!

There was just too many people to enjoy talking with to do a comprehensive award report – I’m not even sure who won all the prizes and will have to go back for a quiet, studious look later. But I’ll share a few photos of artists I was able to catch:

Lauren Herzog Schwartz – Exuberance III – charcoal

Denise Howard – Tenuous – graphite on paper, Belinda Lima – On the Edge – collage, Deepali Kapatkar Race Against Time and Juxtaposed – pastel on paper.

Vanessa Callanta – One Breath – charcoal on paper

Peter Carey – Pienza – watercolor on board

Monica Valdez – First Place Painting – Phyllotopsis I, Trametes, T. Versicolor – gouache and graphtie over watercolor, acrylic and monotype

Elizabeth Barlow – Pas de Deux – oil on linen

Nabeela Sajaad – Heavenly Refuge – acrylic on canvas

Also a special year because I got to meet up with my girlfriends and hit a Thai restaurant after!

If you’d like to see the full list of exhibiting artists, please click here for the link.

The Salon

December 14, 2014

I’m always impressed by the great quality and diversity of work that goes into this annual statewide competition and exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art, work that is made even stronger by the context of how it is paired with other pieces which reinforces aesthetics or meanings by drawing on similarities or emphasizing contrasts.

Amazing color and movement on this wall, topped off by a mixed media piece, Having Fun, by Jeanette Turkus.

Incredibly strong portrait it an interesting color to grey-tone ombre effect.

I think these red shoes (apart from Shards) might have been my personal favorite in the exhibit!

I love the way these prints were hung next to Shards, both works were ocean themed made up of swirling strokes.

Sequins, shells and Shards-Point Alones at the Salon!

Of course the big news of the night is who won the coveted solo shows that the Triton was offering …. this time the honor went to a painter and a photographer.

Stephanie Lam not only won Best in Show for her oil, African Child 3, but also an Honorable Mention for her oil, African Child 1!

Similarly, Yao-pi Hsu (who I know from the Los Gatos Museums Gallery) also won Best in Show for her photograph, Splash and Flow and took a third in photography for a second of three pieces she had juried into the show, Beyond the Surface!

Mei-Ying Dell’Aquila was awarded Third Place for her oil Her Muses.

Ron Dell’Aquila took First Place in photography with Toy Maker, one of two photographs he had int he show.

Kim Newell was awarded an Honorable Mention for her oil, After the Storm.

Cherryl Pape was awarded an Honorable Mention for her charcoal drawing, James.

Jeff Owen was awarded an Honorable Mention for his digital photo, Squeezer.

I see a David Lippenberger painting in the corner.

Great glasses combo on the right!

Belinda Lima with her mixed media piece, Perceived Realites.

Julia Watson with her oil, Nocturne 2.

Lynette R. Cook with her acrylic, All Lined Up (up top).

Vanessa Callanta with her acrylic, Bryan’s Hands.

In the end, there are just so many people to talk with – it was hard to catch everyone I wanted to! There were plenty of artist shots that I missed, and I definitely need to go back for a closer look at all the great work!

Thanks to all my friends who dropped by to say hello- It always means so much to me!