Anne and Mark’s Art Party 2014

Let me just start by saying wow!  WOW!

I hear that Anne and Mark have been hosting their Art Party for a number of years now but this is the first time they’ve held it at the Santa Clara Fair Grounds – because they’re just that big and fabulous!

Artist Holly Van Hart and I got dolled up for the Opening Gala to check it all out and we were so impressed with the quality and variety of the work which was not limited to just visual art but there was spoken word, poetry, music and dancing! Just when you began to think you saw everything there was another maze to follow and more talent to be amazed by! I hope we can wrangle an invite to participate next year!

Where possible I have linked the artist’s names to their websites so you can find out more about them and their work, just click on them!

Oh – and the party is still going on until September 25th artpartysj.com. Go!Art Party 2014 - Holly Van Hart and art car-photo by Marie Cameron

Art Party 2014 - fish lips -photo by Marie Cameron

Art Party 2014 - fish car -photo by Marie Cameron

Art Party  SJ 2014 - Me with Li Ma's 633 Hours to Intergalactica! -photo by Holly Van Hart

Me with Li Ma‘s 633 Hours to Intergalactica! installation.

Joe Miller exhibited a great street inspired installation.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Seven - c photographic digital print by Michelle Longosz - photo by Marie Cameron

Turns out photographer Michelle Longosz and I have a lot of friends in common – which is always really fun to find out! I was blown away by her serene yet emotionally charged photographs, Seven (above) and White ( below). They are very still and full of movement at the same time ?! To me, they are like photographs of the human spirit!

Art Party SJ 2014 - White - c photographic digital print by Michelle Longosz - photo by Marie Cameron

Art Party SJ 2014 Dotti Cichon explaing her process for photographic process for printing her silk scarves - photo Marie Cameron

Dotti Cichon explaining her photographic process for printing silk scarves. They make a great backdrop for the the couple on their date below. (Can you guess which one is based on graffiti from Florence that I picked out for myself?)

Art Party SJ 2014 - art date - photo Marie Cameron

Art Party SJ 2014 - Art Gaze - photo Marie Cameron

Art gaze  – Thorn of Plenty by David Middlebrook of Los Gatos.

Art Party SJ -Kebe Konte's rings of Fire- photo Marie Cameron

Kebe Konte‘s Rings of Fire – nails on wood.

Art Party 2014 - Marie Cameron in front of Kebe Konte's rings of Fire -photo by Holly Van Hart

Art Party SJ 2014 - impromptu dance - Cie -photo by Marie Cameron

Cie doing an impromptu dance for me in front of Jen Jenning‘s untitled work made from wood, nails and human hair (they reminded me of wool carders).

Art Party  SJ 2014 - CT-86 Big Iron - RIchard Starks -photo by Marie Cameron

CT-86 Big Iron by Richard Starks was a showstopper!

Art Party SJ 2014 - Roberta Aherns and her acrlic and watercolor florals on cracked linen - photo by Marie Cameron

Roberta Aherns paints her florals on cracked linen which gives them a soft textured age look like a fresco.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Holly Van Hart's back, shapie tattoo compliments of yours truly - photo by Marie Cameron

Did I forget to mention that I did have some artwork on exhibit after all? It was on Holly’s back, a shapie tattoo compliments of yours truly! A little something I dashed off (to match the one she’d done on her leg) before we dashed off in her car.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Rose - digital photographs by Jay Ruland- photo by Marie Cameron

And while my little feather was lovely and all that, what was really breathtaking was this Rose series by photographer Jay Ruland! Thump – thump…Thump – thump…Thump – thump!

Art Party SJ 2014- Stan Welsh Ceramic, epoxy resin - photo Marie Cameron Art Party SJ 2014- Stan Welsh - Pilgrim, - photo Marie Cameron Art Party SJ 2014- Stan Welsh ceramic Figure, epoxy resin - photo Marie Cameron

A quiet moment of reflection with Stan Welsh‘s Void and Pilgrim –  ceramic figure and  epoxy resin.

Art Party SJ 2014 - White Queen by Michael Garlington - silver gelatin photographyy, mixed media frame - photo Marie Cameron

White Queen by Michael Garlington – silver gelatin photography, mixed media frame was full of fabulous, dark details as was his other shrine like piece.

Art Party SJ 2014 - White Queen by Michael Garlington - frame details antler - photo Marie Cameron             Art Party SJ 2014 - White Queen by Michael Garlington - frame detail frog - photo Marie Cameron            Art Party SJ 2014 - shrine by Michael Garlington bird detail - photo Marie Cameron

Art Party SJ 2014 - Michael Garlington's shrine - photo Marie Cameron

Party goers discussing the ecstasy of the nun in Michael Garlington’s shrine like sculpture.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Foot and Ass by Tracey Snelling - photo Marie Cameron

And while on naughty and nice – this mixed media piece, Foot & Ass by Tracey Snelling also took a look at secret pleasures.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Fields of Gold by Yvonne Escalante - photo by Marie Cameron

Fields of Gold by Yvonne Escalante, speaks to the aggressive nature of modern agriculture, with these bullet or even missile like forms. They are striking as handsome, sleekly crafted objects, loaded with symbolism and complex implications!

Art Party SJ 2014 - Part of the Whole, encaustic, by Linda Steenkamp - photo Marie Cameron

Another favorite piece was this encaustic work, Part of the Whole, by Linda Steenkamp. These cell-like shapes could be read in a lot of ways but they reminded me of little boats made up of maps and bits of writing on a crowded sea where everyone had a journey but no one was getting anywhere. Perhaps I’m too imaginative with my interpretations. Viewer’s prerogative!

Art Party SJ 2014 - mixed media paintings by D. Hooker - photo Marie Cameron

Mixed media paintings by D. Hooker, whimsical and perhaps a little menacing.

Art Party SJ 2014- Monika Vanderdool Blue Rabbit's Foot, Canary- mixed media ceramic - photo Marie Cameron

Monica Van den Dool‘s Blue Rabbit’s Foot and Canary mixed media ceramic pieces  combined pop (over-scaled, familiar objects in bright colors) with something tender and dark (the real rabbit’s foot and wishbone) leaving me with a feeling of soft melancholy.

Art Party 2014 - photographic portraits  David Pace - photography -photo by Marie Cameron

David Pace exhibited riveting portraits, that pin you with their stare piercing through the kaleidoscope of pattern.

Art Party SJ 2014 - mixed media painting by George Rivera (center) - photo Marie Cameron

A George Rivera mixed media painting looms central in the photo above.

Art Party SJ 2014 - detail of Hope, mixed media painting by George Rivera - photo Marie Cameron

A dramatic detail from George Rivera’s mixed media piece, Hope, with its deeply wrought darks and its burnished highlights.

Art Party SJ 2014 - with exhibing artist Lorraine Lawson and Holly Van Hart - photo Marie Cameron

Artist Phyllis Jenkins, Lorraine Lawson (yet another Los Gatos Museums Gallery artist – along with me and Holly), Gallery 85’s Sandy Burkhart and Holly Van Hart!

Art Party SJ 2014 -Melissa Kreisa and her metallic abstract paintings - photo Marie Cameron

Melissa Kreisa and her rich metallic Abstract paintings.

Art Party 2014 - Susan Kraft and her acrylics-photo by Marie Cameron

Susan Kraft and her textured abstract acrylics.

Art Party 2014 - pair o' Aussies- Burning Man regulars -photo by Marie Cameron             Art Party SJ 2014 - all dressed up - red and black -photo by Marie Cameron            Art Party SJ 2014 - all dressed up -photo by Marie Cameron

Great people watching!

Art Party SJ 2014 - Art Goers - photo Marie Cameron

Art Partty SJ 2014 - Gail Ragains acrylic Swimmers - photo Marie Cameron

I’ve been a fan of Gail Ragains bold and bright abstracted figures for some time now and it was great to see an entire alcove full of these swimmers in acrylic!

Art Party 2014 - Dissent anf Off with Their Heads mixed media by Christopher Elliman -photo by Marie CameronArt Party 2014 - Voices of Dissent and Off with Their Heads mixed media by Christopher Elliman -photo by Marie Cameron

I would have liked to walk home with these!  Voices of Dissent and Off with Their Heads, mixed media paintings by Christopher Elliman. He uses elements of stencil and poster bombing, street art and fairytale. I find them both whimsical and politically charged! LOVE!

Art Party SJ 2014 - lines of art and art appreciators blurring - photo Marie Cameron             Art Party SJ 2014 - Music!- photo Marie Cameron             Art Party SJ 2014 - photographer Stephanie Guerrero- photo by Marie Cameron

Art Party SJ 2014 - a rose by any other name...- photo Marie Cameron

A rose by any other name…

Art Party SJ 2014- VHS tape knitting by  Cristina Velazquez - photo Marie Cameron

VHS tape knitting by Cristina Velazquez – I’ll take a sweater dress please!

Art Party SJ 2014 - Patrick Hofmeister installation - photo Marie Cameron

Patrick Hofmeister‘s installation above and below (I hear he’s on his honeymoon – congratulations!)

Art Party SJ 2014 - Patrick Hofmeister installation - photo Holly Van Hart

Art Party 2014 - guys playing with fire -photo by Marie Cameron

Dancing dudes with stilts and blow torches.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Fire Dance r- photo Marie Cameron

Fire Dancer performed to one of my all time favorite musicians, Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn  and his qawwali piece, Dum Must Qalandar.  I believe this was the remixed version with Massive Attack.

Art Party SJ 2014 - Anne and Mark sighting? - photo Marie Cameron

A possible Anne and Mark sighting – Thanks for the party!

Art Party SJ 2014 - deep sea fish car - photo Marie Cameron

Deep sea fish car.

Art Party 2014 - CD installation -photo by Marie Cameron

I watched early on as artists were stringing up the CDs among the lights, and by the end of the evening they looked like twinkling stars!

Art Party 2014 - wrapping up the gala -photo by Marie Cameron

When your photos start getting blurry like this you know it’s time to go home – too dark for my hand held camera or too many Art Dog martinis?

Art Party 2014 - Snail Car -photo by Marie Cameron

But not before one last blast from Jon Sarriugarte‘s snail car, The Golden Mean!