The Cypress Gallery tradition of the fall show is back! We’re happy about it! A call for entries to the general public was distributed in August, artists from every make and media brought in their works at the end of September, and a fine exhibition was hung at the beginning of October. A group showing without theme or context is always full of surprises, and this one is no exception. The variety of artist materials and approaches alone is worth a visit, but the galleries hold treasures that you just may want to own.
In a break with convention the public is invited to vote for up to three of their favorite works of art. The voting will end on October 22, and ribbons will be attached to the winning artworks on October 23. Cash awards will be distributed at a reception on Sunday, October 24th, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. at the gallery.
Both innovative and classic techniques are well-represented. Traditional painting media include oils, acrylics, watercolor, and gouache; each one used according to an artist’s style and personality. Like fingerprints, an artist’s work speaks of oneself as well as the image portrayed. “Nojoqui Falls” by Linda Gooch is a portrait of the artist gazing up at the familiar waterfall cascading along the rock face, rendered with delicate, realistic details and lustrous texture. “Squares and Rectangles” by Ayanna Weighill is equally delightful and delicate, but uses ink and watercolor in an abstract, playful manner reminiscent of Paul Klee. In Julia Nash’s “Lady Smoking” and Douglas Clark’s “One Angel,” the oil paint surface is thick, broadly-stroked and shiny, in alignment with their bold and unusual subjects. Steven Scolari blocks in his brush-dominant landscape “Untitled” with similar, purposeful strokes, but with a matte surface of water-based acrylic and gouache, creating a more somber mood.
The camera in the hands of the creative photographer also takes on vastly different modes of expression. Lynda Schiff’s dazzling photograph “Spectacular Sunday,” of a young girl in the shimmering seashore tide, is traditionally composed but generates a chain reaction of emotion in the viewer’s mind. For her photograph “Maple Mandala,” Beverly Messenger-Harte arranged collected leaves into a mandala shape against a textile-like background, gifting the viewer with a quiet, ever-present meditation.
Chris Jeszeck takes her embellished acrylic “pour” technique to the next level. Her “Sayonara” and “Tangerine Trio” glow like jewels on the wall. Jeszeck’s attention to color and surface minutiae creates intricate works evocative of time and place, but leave much to the viewer’s imagination.
Discovering the variety of ingenious media in the show is like walking through an Aladdin cave of wonders. “Llama Cats” by Julie Simons is a three-dimensional trio of chubby cats made of llama hair, and her charming piece “Cats in Action” is made of cat hair. Tammy Evans creates spectacular gourd sculptures, in which she carves, etches, slices, laces and embellishes gourds to create totemic works of art. “Horse Gourd” is both playful and talismanic. Lee Hill used vintage wood from Camp Cook, c. 1950, to construct a window frame, complete with sill, for his painting “Barn Owls.” Kathy Badrak pursues the concept of art as play, with her whimsical book,“A Cottage to Play In.” Within each page is a surprise. “Summer Reflections” by Kristine Kelley is a lovely birch tree forest in layered glass. Monica Miehle has contributed fabulous hand-crafted body ornaments of agate, copper, green kyanite, and hand-crocheted silk to the show.
So few pencil drawings are exhibited these days that a fine drawing by Tania Navarrete, “A Student’s Point of View,” seems exotic, with its deep values and surreal take on a still-life subject.
Our front rooms are replete with affordable gift items and works of art, so get a jump start on your holiday shopping, while you vote for your favorite pieces. It’s a great show. You be the judge!
The Cypress Gallery is located at 119 E. Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. We are open Friday through Sunday, 11:00 – 4:00 pm, or by appointment: (805) 737-1129. The Cypress Gallery is a 501-3 C non-profit organization operated by the Lompoc Valley Art Associations. We observe current state-mandated Covid-19 requirements.