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Jingletown Open Studios 2021
I started out my day at the
Jingletown Art Studios then wandered across the street to
the 2934 Ford Street Studios.
The
Jingletown Art Studios house quite a variety of very interesting work being done. First I visited painter
Jill McLennan who also works on community and public arts projects.
Then
I met a new to me artist, Patricia Guthrie, who not only creates
beautiful quilt pieces but is a delight to spend time with and talk
about her work. She has shown at the
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and is
Professor Emerita and former Chair of the Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies at
California State University. Her quilts have been exhibited in various museums and galleries throughout the United States.
From the JA studios I crossed over to the 2934 Ford Street Studios where I passed time with
Anastasia Schipani.
It was a delight to see her work again. Something new, though, she is
making unique key fobs that would be impossible to lose.
She
had just finished one of her tapestries which was amazing! As with most
of her work it is an intricate melding of various items, buttons, tiny
figures, who knows what?
I met another new to me artist,
Meghan Shimek.
What an amazing discovery she was! She is a fiber artist and her
sculptures and hanging are beautiful! She says, "I love working with
roving, I love that the word rove means to wander, I think that is the
best way to think about my work. "
Almost next door to Meghan, I visited
Peter Dreyfuss
and discovered he was not showing his metal sculptures but rather
concentrating on his paintings which are remarkable. His brother and a
friend was playing for the guests beside a stand set up by
Drawbridge Cellars.
I found Wayne and Roland of
Drawbridge Cellars, "A family affaire", where they were serving their fine wines in the parking lot; they had done a pour for a reception at the
Gray Loft Gallery (also in the Open Studios) down the street a few weeks earlier.
Wayne & Roland
Next to them, playing sax for the people in attendance was Tom the brother of sculptor/painter
Peter Dreyfuss, see above.
Tom Dreyfuss on sax with a friend
Just off the parking lot is the studio of
Fernando Reyes,
who has been there for years. He told me he has had some great things
happening for the last couple of years and things are going swimmingly
for him. That was certainly good news to hear.
Around the corner of the complex from Fernando's studio I took a look in the studio of photographer,
Lisa Levine,She was not in but I got a chance to see what she was up to.
Just up the "alley" from Lisa I made another discovery! Silkscreen printer
Randy Rocchi and his partner Arleen. The work is a bit eerie, but with vibrant color that creates a superb effect!
interpretations of celestial figures
He
is starting a new line with images of musical instruments over imposed
on images of people; this is the first one with that theme.
Last,
but certainly not least, I popped in to visit with Vida Pavesich, a
jewelry designer par excellence I've known for years. She had some
clients while I was there, one of them bought a necklace but wanted
earrings to go with it. Vida cheerfully arranged to make a pair to match
the necklace; one of the many perks of dealing direct with an artist
that makes an item you're buying.
What a fun day it was. Tomorrow it is on to the
Gray Loft Gallery which is the next block up and the studio of artist Susan Matthews.
