The Art Stand Gallery

IT'S BLOSSOM TRAIL TIME!

2012-02-05T10:28:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, 5 February 2012, we re-opened our gallery door again for the 2012 Blossom Trail season. We gathered at the gallery at 9 a.m. and got to work right away, dusting, sweeping, scrubbing, vacuuming, spraying, readjusting some shelves (mine!) for a fresher look... until the place looked good enough to host our art work again and welcome our guests. It was then time for our first meeting of the year. We had a good winter workshop season, thanks to all who taught and learned! The results were nice, and everyone learned some new things to add to their bags of artistic tricks.

After cleaning, we weren't quite ready yet with our art work display because we had to have our first meeting of the year, but guests were dropping by already! They saw our cars in the parking lot and decided to come in. That's how popular our little place is. We greeted everyone and apologized for our unreadiness, but they were welcomed to peruse what was stacked in this and that corner waiting for hanging. We also told them to come back in the afternoon for a spectacular Blossom Trail display. In the meantime, why not visit the School House Restaurant and Tavern across the street (YES! It is now finally open!) and enjoy some nosh before coming back to our place in the afternoon? Here's the website, where you can check out the menus. http://www.schoolhousesanger.com/

After the meeting, we brought all of our new pieces in and set up our beloved little gallery. Painter Sandy Kowallis was in charge of finalizing the display so that everything would look good, from the largest space to the tiniest corner addressed, all of the pieces complementing each other, and cohesion achieved in every spot. Thanks, Sandy, for lending the gallery your good, artist/designer eye!

After the meeting, as Sandy was beginning to organize our art work in the different display walls, baskets, and racks, four of our hard working members decided to reward themselves and go across the street to the restaurant. They were impressed with the restaurant! But because I wasn't done with my own display by lunch time, I placed my order to-go, which was the Steak Cobb Salad (see the salad menu ). I was not disappointed! The salad was really fresh and a protein packed meal in itself! The generous amount of grilled steak was cooked to perfection --tender, juicy, pink slices of tasty beef-- and among the greens and tomatoes were sliced egg, crumbled bacon, and blue cheese. The vinaigrette dressing was oh-so delightfully refreshing. I was very happy with my salad, which gave me quite a boost to continue my work in the afternoon. Needless to say, I highly recommend this restaurant. Look at that menu, and enjoy your meal there when you come to our gallery this Blossom Trail season.

The weather has been gorgeous, although the orchards aren't quite ready yet with their pink and white vestments. But the drive in this sunny and cool weather was quite invigorating. Mark your calendar for our Blossom Trail Reception on 3 March. In the meanwhile, to tease your appetite for the upcoming orchard extravaganzas, here are some pink beauties from the canvas of Chieko Delgado, one of our own members.

Happy Blossom Trailing, everyone. May our orchards bloom profusely!

Always "mud"dled,
T.S. Wood, potter

WE ARE REOPENING THIS WEEKEND

2012-02-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends:

We are happy to announce that we had a wonderful winter hiatus during which time we held six different art workshops. Now that Spring is around the corner we will be opening the Gallery on Saturday, February 4th, 2012 for our Blossom Trail Season. We will be open 7 days a week from 11:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. through mid-April. We will also be hosting an Open House Reception on Saturday, March 3rd when most of the artists will be present to meet and greet you.

Across the road from us, the School House Restaurant and Tavern is now officially open and will be serving food Wednesday through Sunday between 11:00 A.M. and 11:00 P.M. Why not combine your trip and do a little shopping at the Gallery before stopping for a delicious meal at the restaurant. You can find out more about them on their website www.SchoolHouseSanger.com or call for a reservation at 559-787-3271.

Hope we'll see you soon.

Kay Gaston

for the artists of the Art Stand Gallery

FIRST WORKSHOP THIS SATURDAY: CLAY!

2012-01-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

2012 is here at last! Let's start the year with a couple of neat art projects. This coming Saturday, 7 January 2012, between 10 am and 2 pm, yours truly will be teaching at the gallery. The main project is a rainstick. I have taught this in the past, but many people liked the rainstick so much and were curious about how to make one that I decided to teach it again.

But that's not all. There will be a secondary project so that by the end of the workshop, you will also have made a handbuilt bowl the same way I made the three shown in the picture below.

If you haven't registered yet, do so soon because class space is limited. The information and registration form can be found here. Hot beverages will be provided during all workshops, along with some nice munchies. But dress warmly and/or bring a lap blanket. I hope to see you there.

Always "mud"dled,

T.S. Wood

JANUARY 2012 WINTER WORKSHOPS

2011-12-04T14:05:00.001-08:00

As we have been doing for the past few years, we ring in the new year with a series of exciting art workshops at the gallery. Click here Download the flyer to read the descriptions in detail and to download the registration form. And mail in your form and payment early to secure your seat. Our space is limited, so the early birds get the seat. We are looking forward to sharing our art with you.

One More Week

2011-12-04T12:08:00.001-08:00

Dear friends of the gallery,

I'd just like to remind you that the gallery will be open for only one more week this year. Our last day will be Sunday, 11 December 2011. If you haven't been to visit us this season, please do (we're closed on Tuesday and Wednesday). There are plenty of wonderful gifts to take home for the very special people in your life. Here are some pictures to give you an idea.

Glass bead jewelry by Elaine Towne Lane

Pastel by Kay Owens

Beaded brooches by Kay Gaston (there's a 20% discount on Kay's work until the 11th)

Elaine's Three Wisemen

T.S.Wood's oribe glazed serving platters with leaf imprints

There are also lovely prints, photography, and greeting cards as well as Christmas tree ornaments that surely would brighten up any tree. We hope to see you this week!

2011-11-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

Photos from Day One (Sat, 19 Nov) of Reception Weekend.

One of the trees right outside our door is sporting golden vestments.

Chieko set up her tent on the east side, under the mulberry trees.

The yummy punch that Elaine made.

Crane origami Christmas tree ornament by Chieko.

Hand-painted ornament by Judy.

RECEPTION WEEKEND!

2011-11-19T09:38:00.001-08:00

Enjoy the beauty of the season! When you're on your way to our gallery for the reception this weekend, if you're coming from Fresno/Clovis, when Hwy 180 turns left (at Reed Ave, where the Minkler fruit stand is), about a mile from the gallery, on your right hand side (south side of the road), you'll see this vibrantly flaming orchard. I happened to have my camera yesterday, so I had to pull over, hop out, and snap a couple of pictures.

See you at the reception.

RECEPTION for our HOLIDAY SEASON

2011-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

It's RECEPTION time! Thanksgiving is next week. Then Christmas will be here before you know it. We are ready to help you with your gift giving ideas and we are awaiting your cheery presence in our gallery this weekend.

Our reception is on Saturday and Sunday, 19-20 November 2011, from 11am until 5pm.

Come in from the cold and join us for a cup of hot cocoa while enjoying local art. Our gift tree is replete with wonderful little treasures. Take a look!

2011-11-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Art Lovers & Friends:

It is that time of the year again when we bring out the holiday decorations and get into the holiday spirit.

We would like to invite you all to come to the Art Stand Gallery to join the artists for an "Art for the Holidays" Open House Party to be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 19th and 20th from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

There will be refreshments, good cheer, a chance to meet the artists and lots of art pieces to fill your Christmas stockings.

Kay Gaston

for the artists of

The Art Stand Gallery

(Planning For Winter, watercolor by Jodi Seaman-Tonai)

END OF OCTOBER AT THE GALLERY

2011-10-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, 22 October 2011, we entered into the gallery's last season of the year, the Holidays Season. We had our meeting in the morning, after which new works were brought in and put on display. Many pieces bearing the beautiful colors of autumn still grace the gallery and are waiting for your visit. Naturally, quite a few pieces caught my attention and I lingered at each one, admiring the details. Take a look at Judy Lotspeich's rather lovely watercolor titled Autumn Leaves.

Last summer, clay artist Elaine Towne Lane took a lot of time in the painstaking process of glazing her detailed red-clay pots, which she'd handbuilt. The years she spent living in different countries and continents greatly influence the work she does today. The colors of the deserts, the trade beads prized by many African cultures, not to mention the textures and shapes found in the flora and fauna of exotic places, all contribute to what you see today in her corner at our gallery. Take a look at one of the results of her summer work (below): detailed glazing was done on each spot so that the deep red of the clay --purposefully left unglazed in many areas-- and the glossy glazed surfaces provide a contrast to each other. The whole piece seems to be teeming with life!

In case you haven't heard, we're hosting our Holidays Season 2011 reception on Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 November. Our hours are 11am-5pm. We look forward to showing you our new works. See you soon!

Last Saturday's AUTUMN COLORS TENT EVENT

2011-10-19T12:43:00.001-07:00

We had a nice day at the gallery during our event on 15 October 2011, even though the morning was so slow that we started joking that there were actually more of us than all visitors combined since opening hour. The tasty food was ready, the lovely punch was cold and fizzy, the painters were en garde to enchant guests with their weapons: the brush! And I myself had spent quite a bit of energy wedging the clay to be used for the demo on my reliable potter's wheel. I must admit, I was perhaps the first one to put a dent on the food tables. Clay wedging requires A LOT of re-energizing! But where were the visitors?

Chieko, Lucretia, and Martin set up their booths on the east side, under the shady mulberry trees. Judy was on the south side of the parking lot, near the gallery sign. Carole and Kay O. were on the east side. Elaine was inside with Deanna waiting to greet guests. I, clay spattered mud-pie maker, set up shop, as usual, under the awning and tree right outside the gallery door. When some visitors started to trickle in, I decided to "look" busy and made teabowls, my usual warm-up pieces. But visitors or no, we had to mark the day with a group photo, so Martin got us all together and snapped a really nice pic by the metal gallery sign that Lyell Metcalf had made for us a while back (thank you again, Lyell! We miss you!).

(Back: Deanna Sue Bristow / L-R: Judy Lotspeich, Kay Owens, Martin Nunez, Lucretia Fillmore, Elaine Towne Lane, Carole Johnson, Chieko Delgado / Front: Tiwi S. Wood)

Aside from the day being the last weekend for the Big Fresno Fair --which might explain why we were somewhat lonesome-- perhaps people were just out and about later than usual, because in the afternoon we had more guests! YAY! And there were lots of children (YAY! again), most (if not all) of whom are children of my friends, the Corlew and the Johnson clans. And those who came had a good time watching different demos. A couple of the older kids even got to paint with Chieko! Thanks, Chieko, for being a gracious hostess! And some people went home with delightful treasures from our gallery! Thank you, friends of the gallery, for loving our work enough to take it home with you! You honored us with your presence and purchase.

This coming Saturday, 22 October 2011, the gallery will switch gear to the Holidays Season. Waiting for your approval will be plenty of beautiful art reflecting the joyful holidays. And the reception for this end-of-year season will be on Saturday-Sunday, 19-20 November 2011, 11am-5pm. Mark your calendar. See you then!

AUTUMN COLORS TENT EVENT ... coming in 3 days!

2011-10-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

(Photo: "Aspen Trees -- City of Aspendale, CA," by Martin Nunez)

Friends of the Art Stand Gallery,

we are looking forward to seeing you this Saturday, 15 October 2011 from 11 to 5 during our Autumn Colors Tent Event. There will be art demonstrations --painting, clay work on the potter's wheel-- by gallery members and guest artists (pottery demo until 3pm). And if you've been to our gallery, you know you'll find plenty of wonderful art works there. If you haven't, come for a lovely treat!

Drop in and share art talk and refreshments with us. If you'd like, bring your own canvas and easel and paint away! If you feel like playing with "dirt," there will be plenty of clay to remind you of those lovely childhood mud pies! Bring your friends and feast your eyes on AUTUMN COLORS at our place.

See you Saturday!

2011-10-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ready For Autumn?

2011-09-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Our gallery is now open again to welcome the fall season. We are preparing for our Tent Event, which is going to be on Saturday, October 15, 2011. Expect to see a riot of the festive colors of autumn... the glorious yellows, oranges, and reds! There will be plenty of wonderful art to choose from, as there is already now. But mark your calendar and spend the 15th of October with us, for it is going to be a wonderfully artistic day at the Art Stand Gallery!

Summer Newsletter from Sally Delap-John, former Art Stand Gallery member

2011-07-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

(And here is Sally's Summer Newsletter)

2011 Summer Newsletter
Sally Delap-John

        It’s May 24, 2011 and snowing in Truchas, New Mexico. There has been at least one snow day per week since our move here at the end of April. The stormy days are providing dramatic scenery and light effects, however, and also making it possible to paint a snow scene at this time of year. Maybe that’s not so unusual - I’ll be finding that out in the years to come.
          I haven’t seen much wild life, except in town!!, but last Friday on the way home from Taos, we saw a small herd of deer, and later, an elk. Thankfully all were safely off the road. My dog Freckles, is an unending source of story material. Cattle guards freak her out and the drive to Santa Fe has five of them before you get to the junction at Pojoaque. After cattle guard #4, Freckles jumped up and suddenly we were stopping with the horn blowing. I pulled off and saw that she had pushed the gear shift(on the tree) to reverse. I put it in "park" and we surveyed the situation. All was fine, but it was startling.
          I’ve been out painting recently, but am still trying to sort through all that we moved.. The gallery is open most days. I’m planning a workshop for August 10 and 11. This workshop is open to all media, though I’ll be demonstrating oil. The date is close to Indian Market, as always, so that visitors may enjoy that event too.
          I’ll be updating my website to reflect gallery changes. I have completely left the Door Gallery in Fresno - missing all my gallery-mates and especially missing the class that I’ve enjoyed teaching these past several years. I still have a very few paintings at the Art Stand until the middle of July. Again, a separation from friends and fellow artists that all worked so hard to make our co-op a success, and it continues to go on. I remain the gallery artist for Cedar View Winery, where I’m showing watercolors reflecting the Central Valley of California and grapes and vineyards.
          I’ll be participating in the High Road Art Tour here at my gallery/studio the last two weekends of September - 17,18, and 24,25. I continue to have work at the High Road Market Place, here in Truchas.
          Biggest news is having work accepted at Manitou Galleries new site on Canyon Road in Santa Fe. The Grand Opening is June 24 if any of you are in the area, come and say hello.

From Truchas:

Sally

Early Spring 2011 Newsletter from Sally Delap John

2011-07-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

(I'm running behind on many things--here is Sally Delap-John's first newsletter to post, written just before she moved to New Mexico)

2011 Early Spring Newsletter
Sally Delap-John                                                                                                                                                                                                                                My yard is filling with all the beautiful flowers I have planted over the years. So far we have poppies, lupine, calendula, scarlet flax and all the lavender. Sweet peas are filling in and will be blooming soon. What a great send-off it will be when I move to New Mexico at the end of April.

          As the official move is nearing, we made a week over and back at the end of March - just missing the last big storm, and close enough to dodge snow over Tehachapi and around Flagstaff. Past that, it was lovely weather for the overnight in Truchas.

          I’m nearing the last of teaching watercolors to a wonderful group at the Door Gallery. Seeing the growth in them makes it bittersweet. Also have one more demo to do for Alliance of California Artists. I was a charter board member when this group split to have it’s own identity. As a watercolorist I’ve been before this group several times, this will be a first in oil. I’ll also be leaving the Art Stand, a co-op where I was a primary founder. What a joy to see it continuing and broadening in scope. I will remain the tasting room artist for Cedar View Winery.

          I am looking forward to a new, even more art-centric life in New Mexico. Look for me in the Essential Guide, a far-reaching publication. The June issue of Southwest Art Magazine will have a spread on Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and I’ll be included.

Summer Classes 2011

2011-07-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

This flyer should have been posted weeks ago and there is no good excuse why it wasn't. We are 3/5 of the way through our summer workshops with only 2 classes left to go. Better late than never--here is the summer workshop flyer, front and back. There are still openings in both classes but call Elaine right away to reserve a space if you are reading this between July 31 and August 6.

Open Studio Tour event this coming Saturday and Sunday!

2011-04-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

Double click on each image to view it in its entirety, then save it and print it if desired.

Save the Dates, Please!

2011-03-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

The old Sherwood Inn Restaurant Building--right across the street

The Art Stand Gallery will be holding our annual Open Studio event on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May lst. We have 2 new locations this year and some new things happening! Watch for the flyer and details within the next few days!

One other announcement is that the old Sherwood Inn Restaurant will be reopening in a few months as the School House, Restaurant and Tavern. Can't you just hardly wait? You'll be able to come out and have a nice lunch or dinner and visit the gallery, too!

New Art Stand Gallery Member

2011-03-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

Last month, we welcomed Carole Johnson of Clovis as a new member of the Art Stand Gallery.
She started out as an oil painter but now primarily paints in watercolors. She has studied with Sharon Bortugno of Oakhurst and Carlene Kostiw of Fresno. We are so happy to have Carole as a member of the Art Stand Gallery.

Blossom Trail Poster Contest Winner!

2011-03-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

This year, the winner of the Blossom Trail Poster Contest
(at the Big Fresno Fair in October) was

Art Stand Gallery artist, Chieko Delgado!

Congratulations, Chieko!

You can buy copies of her beautiful poster at the Art Stand--

they are $20 each (unframed) or

$25 each for a poster signed by the artist.

They are really beautiful!

Chieko will be at the Art Stand Gallery on Sunday, March 6th!

Come by and meet her then!

Blossom Trail Celebration March 5-6

2011-03-03T20:21:00.000-08:00

Take a drive to the Art Stand Gallery this Saturday or Sunday to view the blossoms, meet the artists, and purchase beautiful art! We'll be open from 11 am till 5 pm both days. Hope to see you Saturday or Sunday!

Book/Journal Class by Kim Elia of Woodlake

2011-01-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

Today we experienced a new class at the Art Stand Gallery. Kim Elia, Woodlake artist and member of the gallery, taught us how to use printmaking techniques to make our own accordian books. When completed, they can hold recipes, photographs, quotations, diary entries or anything else we wish to put on cards/tags that are stored in the pockets of the book. Here are some photos of the books we made today!

News from Sally Delap-John, January 8th Oil Painting Class teacher

2010-12-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Sally is one of our founding members, now spending time in Sanger and Trucas, New Mexico.
She writes:

We are wintering over in California before the big move next spring. Meanwhile, my imagination runs the gamut of the beauties and perils of Truchas living.

Watercolor class continues at the Door Gallery in Fresno, CA. We continue to explore the depths of warm/cool, dark/light like a mantra.

January 8, I’m offering an oil workshop during the winter recess at the Art Stand. We’ll be indoors for a still-life study conveying warm/cool, dark/light through creamy application of oil paint. It is open to all levels.

Wishing you the best NewYear,
Sally

Winter Workshop Flyer and Schedule of Classes 2011

2010-11-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the workshop schedule.

There are new classes and new

teachers this winter. Double

click on either of the 2 pages

for a full size copy that you

can read and/or print.

If you need a hard copy,

please email me at

kathleenmattox@gmail.com

and I will send you one or

call one of the 2 phone

numbers in the left sidebar

and we will mail you one.

The Holidays are Approaching!

2010-11-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

And Art makes wonderful gifts for your loved ones this holiday season! Whether it's a large painting or sculpture to grace someone's home or a small set of greeting cards to brighten their correspondence, the Art Stand Gallery has lots of unique items for the holidays--for gifts and for your home.

Thanks to those of you who came out to the holiday event on November 20-21. We saw some old friends and made some new ones.

The Art Stand Gallery will be open 5 days a week (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) through December 12th. Then the gallery closes until February 5th, 2011. During the time that we're closed, we have our Winter Workshops which we hope you will be able to attend. Scheduling is somewhat different this year, with not all the classes on Saturday or Sunday.

A registration flyer will be in the next post. Watch for it and send in your registrations to Elaine Towne Lane to hold your places in one or more of our excellent classes. Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night. . . . .

Holiday Celebration this Weekend!

2010-11-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Hope you have saved time on this busy weekend to visit the Art Stand Gallery for our holiday event.

Meet the artists, have refreshments, and shop for holiday items this Saturday and Sunday, November 20 and 21 and continue until December 12th when we close for a few weeks during which time Winter Workshops will be happening.

This Saturday and Sunday, our hours are from 11 AM till 5 PM both days. You will find ornaments, seasonal items, and gift items in addition to our usual artistic offerings.

Come out and visit and buy ART for the holidays!

Tent Event on October 16th

2010-10-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 16th, The Art Stand Gallery will be holding our annual "Tent Event" from 11 AM till 5 PM. The reason it's called a "Tent Event" is that artists set up tents around the perimeter of the parking lot, set up tables and displays, and bring a lot of new and different work from what is inside the gallery.

It's a great opportunity to meet and talk with the artists, see a wider variety of work, and see the countryside at a different time of year. Artists are usually painting and demonstrating their work during the day. Refreshments are served and fun is had by all!

Guest artists are welcome to bring their painting supplies, easels etc. and make a "plein air" event of the day. Encourage your friends to paint with us and/or come to visit and get a head start on shopping for art for holiday gifts.

Hope to see you at the Tent Event on October 16th!

The Madera Ag Show "Winners" from the Art Stand Gallery

2010-09-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday evening was the Opening Reception and Awards for the Madera Ag Show.
The Art Stand Gallery was well-represented!

Kathleen Mattox     Second Place in the Poultry Category with "Fowl Weather Friends" (Mixed Media)

Chieko Delgado      Second Place in the Vines Category with "Blessing From the Sun" (Watercolor)

Suzie Stach (Former Member) First Place in the Farm Machinery and Structure Category with "As the Fog Rolls In" (Pastel) and Third Place in the Fruits and Nuts Category with "Still Life in Red and Green" (Pastel)

Deanna Bristow       Best in Show with "Lemon Cove III" (Watercolor)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Welcome! And Art Hop!

2010-09-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome 2 new artists to the Art Stand Gallery--they are Martin Nunez from Clovis and Kim Elia from Woodlake.

Martin is a photographer and he does stunning photographs of local "vistas" in a unique way. He has his photographs on display, some framed and some matted and shrink-wrapped. He also has gorgeous greeting cards and a professional book of his photographs. You will enjoy his work and you can meet him at Art Hop at the Art Stand Gallery this Thursday evening, September 16th, from 5 PM till 8 PM.

Kim, the second new artist, is from Woodlake and she has a unique display of very beautiful handmade books, cards, and journals in a variety of sizes. She also is sharing some mini-windchimes and large windchimes made from different metals. They are very much "one of a kind" and would make wonderful additions to a porch or yard. Come by and see them in our front window at the gallery!

Martin will be at Art Hop this Thursday. He will also be part of Sierra Art Trails in the mountain region north of Fresno the weekend of October 2-3. He is not the only Art Stand Gallery artist who will be taking part in this very large Open Studio event which is very popular. Kathleen Mattox and Sandy Kowallis will be participating as well. Their locations will be posted here soon but if you'd like to attend this very exciting weekend, purchase a catalog for $18 from one of these locations, gather a carload of art-loving friends, and "hit the trail" the first weekend in October. You can purchase them at many locations around Fresno and in Oakhurst and all pertinent information can be found on the Sierra Art Trails website.

Reopened on Saturday, August 21st

2010-08-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

We cleaned, reorganized, and reopened at the Art Stand Gallery on Saturday, August 21st. The first local airing of Huell Howser's "California Gold/Sanger" was on Thursday evening, August 19th. It appears to have had a huge viewing audience because the Art Stand was VERY busy on opening day and on the days to follow. In addition to the excellent show about Sanger which featured the Art Stand Gallery as one of Huell's "stops", we also now have the ability to take credit card transactions which we did not have in the past. So, it seems that the TV show and the credit card machine have helped our opening days to be excellent!

For local viewers who missed the first showing of "California Gold, Sanger", KVPT (Fresno/Central Valley) will re-air the episode tonight, Sunday, August 29th at 7 PM. So, turn to Channel 18 tonight at 7 PM and you'll see why you need to drive out to the Sanger area to visit the Art Stand Gallery, the local fruit stands, the Sanger Museum, and other local sights. The artists at the Art Stand Gallery look forward to having you visit very soon! We are currently open from Thursday through Monday each week, from 11 AM till 5 PM.

3 Reminders on August 19th

2010-08-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

1. Art Hop tonight, August 19th, at the Art Stand Gallery from 5-8 PM. Chieko Delgado and Kathleen Mattox will be painting/demonstrating and refreshments will be served.

2. At 8 PM on Channel 18, KVPT TV/Fresno: "Road Trip with Huell Howser/Sanger". See the Fruit Trail, the Art Stand, a Bed and Breakfast, the Sanger Depot Museum etc. on Huell's show tonight.

3. On Saturday, August 21st, the Art Stand Gallery re-opens for "Autumn Colors".

Summer 2010/Sally Delap-John/Newsletter from New Mexico

2010-07-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

For the past three years, I've returned to Truchas, New Mexico to live, breathe, and create art. My work there is in oils, on location. The intriguing hill towns between Santa Fe and Taos offer haunting images for the intrepid painter. Accompanied by my faithful dog, Freckles, we roam the hills scouting for the perfect painting scene. Come and stay in the "land of enchantment", check out my gallery in Truchas, and feel the indescribable mystique.

If you paint, bring your stuff and join me or sign up for my annual August Workshop. The workshop is August 14 & 15. Contact me for information on where to stay, eat, etc.

June ended without the "usual" monsoonal daily showers. July began with several nights of fireworks over the high llanos and clear night skies. Now the rain is coming in strong. Truchas received so much snow in winter, that the irrigation acequias are flowing full and fast. One of the older churches that served as a gallery was flooded and the artists had to relocate.

Most of my painting in June has been of Truchas. During two sessions in Taos we went to original Taos Artist Colony painters dwellings: Blumenshein and Couse. Both locations are open to the public and have lovely gardens adjacent to them. Last week we went to Dixon. Apricots were ripening and small irrigation ditches were flowing everywhere.

Happy painting!
Sally

Summer Workshops

2010-07-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Summer Workshops continue and this weekend we will have Sandy Kowallis teaching an oil/acrylic class from 9 to 1. Even if you haven't signed up yet, it's definitely not too late. Call Elaine Towne Lane at 787-3921 to register and get details. Comment after this post and I'll send you a copy of the workshop flyer which is posted here on the blog a few posts back.

Here are a couple of inspiring photos from Deanna Bristow's watercolor class a couple of weekends ago.

Huell Howser and "California Gold" show

2010-07-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

The emails were flying back and forth on

several days last month when we heard that

Huell Howser wanted to visit the Art Stand

Gallery as part of his trip to Minkler, and

other nearby famous spots--such as the

Chuckwagon Drive In, in Sanger!

The visit did take place and Suzie Stach was "sitting"on the big day. Here are some shots

of his visit and his interview with Suzie.

The first airing of the show will be in LA on KCET TV, Sunday, July 25th at 7 PM. This station's market goes from San Luis Obispo south through the greater Los Angeles area.

The episode will air on KVPT (Fresno) and KVIE (Sacramento) and KVCR (San Bernadino) on Thursday, August 19th at 8 PM. For locals who miss the first showings, KVPT (Fresno/Central Valley) will re-air the episode on Sunday, August 29th at 7 PM.

Maybe the Art Stand's popularity and audience will continue to grow with this experience. Sally Delap John was interviewed by another southern California writer a few months ago and we have had a lot of visitors from the Los Angeles area after that article. We are becoming more visible each year!

Art Hop on Thursday Evening

2010-07-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

Please join us for Third Thursday Art Hop at the Art Stand Gallery on Thursday evening, July 15th!

It's an opportunity to meet and visit with Kathleen Mattox and Elaine Towne Lane, to watch them work, to get a preview of Elaine's ceramics class taking place on Saturday, and to share some refreshments. We'll have fun and we know YOU will, too! We hope to have some of the other artists drop by as well as new guests and repeat customers between 5 and 8 PM this Thursday!

Art Hops in July and August

2010-06-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Though we had originally planned to NOT have Art Hops at the Art Stand Gallery during the summer months of July and August, we have changed our plans and will be open the third Thursday evenings of both months.

July 15th: Elaine Towne Lane and Kathleen Mattox will be at the gallery from 5-8 PM

August 19th: Chieko Delgado and Kathleen Mattox will be at the gallery from 5-8 PM

With workshops each following Saturday, the artists will be available to answer questions about the gallery and the workshops and may also be doing demonstrations of their own work as well. Stop by to visit and enjoy refreshments with the artists!

The Summer Workshop flyer

2010-06-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the Summer Workshop flyer, front and back. You should be able to double click on it, zoom in, and get a larger, printable version of both sides. Contact information is on side 2 (the back) and details about all our summer workshops are on side 1 (the front).

If you are unable to view and/or print or need more information, please do not hesitate to comment here or email me at kathleenmattox@gmail.com and I will respond personally to you as soon as I read your message.

We are looking forward to a great summer session of new learning and new Art Stand friends and fellow artists!

The Art Stand Gallery Summer Workshps

2010-06-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

It is time again for our summer workshops which will be held on weekends in July and August. The workshop flyer is done and in the mail (hard copies) and via email to those of you we have email addresses for. It will be posted here on the blogsite within the next few days.

If you would like a copy mailed to you (snail mail or, preferably email!) please respond in a comment here or email me at kathleenmattox@gmail.com and I will see that you get one right away.

Open Studio Event

2010-05-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Open Studio Event last weekend was a resounding success! The weather was absolutely perfect, the overall sales topped last year's by a lot, the guest artists were great, and the visitors were appreciative of the opportunity to visit local artist studios in addition to the Art Stand Gallery itself. And the ART was wonderful--perhaps the best kept artistic secret in the San Joaquin valley!?

We are considering the possibility of making the event a two day event next year. We'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter. Would you like it to be a Saturday/Sunday event in the future? Or do you think we should keep it at Saturday only? Please comment. . . . .

TOMORROW is our Open Studio Event!

2010-04-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? Tomorrow is our annual Open Studio Event for the Fruit Trail season at the Art Stand Gallery. Hours are from 11 to 5, Saturday only and there are 3 home studios to visit in addition to The Art Stand Gallery itself. Weather should be beautiful and you can visit with artists at each location and see where 3 of our artists work on a daily basis.

The flyer (pictured) gives details for the event but if you cannot read it or view it, please call (559) 905-3517 or email kathleenmattox@gmail.com for more information. Hope to see you tomorrow!

April 17, 2010

2010-04-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today was our "change out" day, as we move from the Blossom Trail season to the Fruit Trail Season. We "interviewed" some prospective new members and will be announcing some additions very soon. We hate to see our members move on to something else, but it is always exciting to be bolstered by the enthusiastic attitudes of new "Artstanders"!

On Saturday, May lst, we will be having our annual "Open Studio" event. We hope you will save the date so that you can attend. Flyers and email notifications have gone out and if you didn't receive one and want one, please comment here and we'll make sure to send you one. You can also pick up a flyer with a map at the Art Stand Gallery or get one from any of the gallery members.

The 2010 Blossom Trail Event and Reception

2010-02-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

Nature’s Artwork: The Blossom Trail

The annual Blossom Trail comes alive every February, when motorists and bikers begin to see nature’s palette change dramatically. The trail comes alive with brilliant colors from blossoming peach, nectarine, plum, orange, and almond trees in full bloom. The almond, orange, and plum trees display white petals, apricot trees delight us with pink petals, and peach and nectarine trees are aglow with pink to red petals. I recommend stopping many times if you are driving so that you don’t miss the show ….

The trail runs through the towns of Sanger, Reedley, Orange Cove, Selma, Kingsburg and Fowler, some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. The trail is 67 miles, with much to see and do, from Sanger’s “longest flume in the world, Reedley’s Mennonite quilting center, Old town Clovis’s old west architecture, and Selma’s raisins. Orange Cove is a fragrant city and Kingsburg is unique with its Swedish look and architecture. Wineries, antique shops, and fruit stands may pique your interest, as may many of the unique downtown areas.

February 5 was the official opening of the trail, and the blossoms have started to appear. Saturday, March 6 the festivities begin with a car show, festival, and 10K Blossom Trail Run in Sanger. The Art Stand Gallery, once an historic fruit stand and now an artist gallery, is in the heart of the Blossom Trail, and hosts its annual Blossom Trail show and Open House that day. The Gallery is located on Highway 180 and Frankwood Avenue near Sanger, and features a variety of fine art and crafts from 14 local artists.

The local artists include Sally Delap-John from Sanger who works in watercolor, Kathleen Mattox, who specializes in watercolor and whimsical mixed media paintings, and Elaine Towne Lane, whose colorful ceramic pieces are most popular. Deanna Bristow is an award winning watercolor artist who has twice won the Blossom Trail Poster Contest. Chieko Delgado, Kay Owens, Sandy Kowalis, Doris Runyon, Suzie Stach, and Jody Tonai, are more of the wonderful painters who work with watercolor, oils, and pastels, and paint much of the local scenery you may recognize. Kay Gaston creates unusual fiber-art dolls and fused dichroic jewelry; Toni Best does amazing work decorating gourds with feathers, beads, paint, and more. Tiwi Wood works with clay and creates beautiful ceramic items, and I am the lone photographer who captures scenes from Tulare and Fresno counties, the National Parks, Central Coast, Southwest, and more.

Drive, hike, or bike the Blossom Trail to experience all it has to offer. Browse the Art Stand Gallery which is open daily during the Blossom Trail from 11:00 AM to 5:00 pm. Join the artists at the Art Stand Gallery Open House, Saturday, March 6. Take home inspiration, a reminder of the beauty of the season, and perhaps a desire to create your own work of art as well…..

(Article written by Art Stand Gallery Artist, Jeri Burzin )

Art Hop, Thursday February 18, 2010

2010-02-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

Stop by and meet two local artists at the reception at The Art Stand Gallery. Judy Lotspeich retired from teaching 11 years ago. Since then, she has pursued her love for painting, particularly in watercolor. Her favorite subjects are the local landscape and produce of the valley.

Tiwi Wood enjoys creating functional and
decorative ceramic pieces that uplift the spirit,

inspired by the suburban garden that she tends
and the creatures who live there and visit it.

Drop by for refreshments, to meet the artists, and to view the work of our 14 local artists in a unique cooperative gallery setting. Art Hop will be from 5-8 PM on Thursday, February 18th.

January 16th and 17th Classes

2010-01-15T00:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 16th, Sandy Kowallis will teach a much-anticipated and long-awaited ABSTRACT watercolor class! I can hardly wait to be a participant myself. Sandy's work is admired by many and she is sought-after as a teacher.

And what can I tell you about Sunday's teacher, Kathleen Mattox?

Anything you want to know. . . . . IF you come out and take the class! It's hard to write about myself, but I can guarantee we will have a fun day of Mixed Media Exploration on Sunday.

Come out to play, learn, have fun and try some things you haven't even considered before. :)

Art Stand Participants LOVED the Gourd Class Last Weekend!

2010-01-15T00:06:00.000-08:00

Toni Best of Visalia taught a wonderful class on dying

and embellishing natural gourds with a hand-sewn band

of pine needles around the top opening last Sunday

at the Art Stand Gallery.

Participants loved it!

They each designed and completed or almost completed a beautiful, one of a kind project in the one day class.

Change in Instructor for the Pastel Class

2010-01-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

The pastel class coming up this weekend and originally to be taught by Doris Runyon will now be taught by Kay Owens. As far as I know, there are still openings.

Remember to:

1. Dress in layers.

2. Bring what you have in the way of supplies to any of the classes, knowing that instructors bring supplies and participants are usually wonderful about sharing, too. Do NOT invest a fortune in supplies you may not use again after the class.

3. Bring a lunch for the 6 hour classes. Bring what you need in the way of snacks for any of the classes. Snack bars, water, and hot beverages will be provided for all classes.

4. Look forward to great classes, as always!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2009-12-31T00:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Art Stand Gallery artists and Friends:

Hope you all had a very Happy Holiday season and will have a wonderful new year in 2010.

Our Winter Workshops begin in a little over a week on January 9th. If you haven't signed up yet, please do as soon as possible. Either download/print the flyer and send it in or bring it with you on the day of the class with the class fee. If you want to come on the day, do call Elaine Lane (or respond to this post via a comment) to make sure there is still room in the session that you want to take.

If you aren't a "friend" or "follower" of The Art Stand Gallery blog, we'd love to have you join us!

Scroll back to the post of October 28, 2009 to find out "How to Become a Follower of the Art Stand Gallery Blog". Hope to see you soon as a follower and as a participant at one of our winter workshop classes!

The Winter Workshop Registration Flyer

2009-11-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Tiwi Wood and her husband Christopher are again responsible for the fabulous flyer. Thank you both!

I will post the front and back side of the flyer here. You should be able to just double click on either image to enlarge them, and then you can print them out and register as described on the flyer.

Looking forward to seeing you at one or more of the Winter Workshops. We have new offerings this time and many of the classes are filling up quickly. So, if you are interested, send in your registration and check to reserve your spot(s).

Winter Workshops coming up!

2009-11-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Signups are being taken for our Winter Workshops and flyers will soon be available. If you've attended before or signed up as being interested in attending, you will receive one via email or as a hard copy in the mail. As soon as the flyers are ready, one will also be posted here on the blog.

Some classes are already beginning to fill up so if you are interested please send me an email and I'll see that you get on the class list or come out to the Art Stand and sign up there.

Classes and dates are as follows:

Jan. 9 (Sat.)     Pastel/Doris Runyan 10-2, $30.00
Jan. 9 (Sat.)     Ceramics/Tiwi S. Wood 2-6 PM, $30.00
Jan. 10 (Sun.) Gourds/Toni Best 10-4, $45.00
Jan. 16 (Sat.)   Abstract Watercolors/Sandy Kowallis, 10-2, $30.00
Jan. 17 (Sun.) Mixed Media Art/Kathleen Mattox, 10-4, $45.00
Jan. 23 (Sat.)    Oils/Acrylics/Sally DeLap John, 10-4, $45.00
Jan. 24 (Sun.)   Digital Photography/Jeri Burzin, 10-2, $30.00
Jan. 30 (Sat.)    Dichroic Glass Jewelry/ Kay Gaston, 10-4, $45.00
Jan. 31 (Sun.)   Dichroic Glass Jewelry/Kay Gaston, 10-4, $45.00

If you take 2 or more workshops, you may take $5.00 off the cost of each workshop you will attend.

Art Hop: Thursday, November 19th from 5-8 PM

2009-11-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Art Hop at the Art Stand Gallery,
Thursday, November 19th from 5-8 PM.

The featured artists this month are Kay Gaston and Elaine Towne Lane.

Kay Gaston's cloth art dolls are each unique and portray characters
from life or fantasy.She has merged her fused dichroic glass,
cloth doll making and silversmith skills to create a
unique style of glass enhanced silver jewelry.

Elaine Towne Lane's 20+ years in Southeast Asia, Africa

and Central Americahave inspired her creativity.

Her love of pre-Columbian art is a dominating influence

for her works in ceramics, glass, and jewelry.

"Art For The Holidays" Event November 21st and 22nd

2009-11-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday and Sunday, November 21st and 22nd, the Art Stand Galery will be holding their annual "Art for the Holidays" event. Hours will be from 11 AM till 5 PM both days and artists will be in attendance both days. Refreshments will be served and there will be many Christmas ornaments, small gift items, and seasonal pieces available for sale.

Please come out and join us for "Art for the Holidays"--we look forward to seeing you next weekend at the Art Stand Gallery at Frankwood and Hwy. 180, east of Sanger and north of Reedley.

How to Become a Follower of The Art Stand Gallery

2009-10-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

We need more "followers", people who read our blog consistently and receive email notifications when the blog has been updated with a new post. These are the steps to follow to become a follower:

1. Go to theartstandgallery.blogspot.com (but you are obviously already here!)

2. Go to the left hand sidebar and scroll down through the sections entitled "The Artists", "Blog Archive", "Topics", "Links", and then you'll see a section called "Friends, Fans, and Supporters of The Art Stand Gallery."

3. Right under that header, you'll see a small button to click that says "Follow". Click on it and a window will open that gives you several choices of an "identity" to use as a follower. The choices are Google, AIM (AOL), Yahoo, NetLog, or Open ID. If you have a Google, AOL, or Yahoo account, log in with that information on this screen. If you have none of them, there is an option at the bottom of the window that says "Create a New G-mail Account". If you choose that option, you'll need to enter a user name and a password and then you'll be assigned a Google account (free) which also entitles you to a G-mail account (also free).

4. Once you are a follower, your picture will appear in the box beside your user name in the follower area and also whenever you post a comment on the blog. If you have an account with a profile photo, it uses that one. Otherwise you'll have a generic "profile" photo until you choose one and upload one. The photo is not essential. You can be a follower without a photo.

5. Let me know if you are unsuccessful and tell me what's happening and I'll see if I can help you out.

Good luck! I anticipate more followers very soon!

And Join Us, You Did!

2009-10-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

To those of you who came out last Saturdayto the Art Stand Gallery "Tent Event", THANK YOU!

We had a lot of visitors throughout the day and it was nice to see many stay for quite some time, visiting with the artists and enjoying refreshmentsand the beautiful fall day. It is beginning to feel like we have a loyal group of "fans" who faithfully attend our events and often bring friends. Perhaps we can attribute the growing size of the group to our email efforts, the blog, Facebook, and the diligence of individual artists in informing their own contact lists. In any case, it's great to see it happening!

Artist Sally Delap John did gestural sketches

and watercolor portraits of guestsand Deanna Bristow and Chieko Delgado were painting watercolors under their tents.

Tiwi Wood had her wheel set up and made use of the time outside with friends to have a productive day.

All in all, sales were moderate but the

weather, the food, and the company

were fabulous!

We went home tired, but happy.

We hope you will join us at our next event--"Art for Christmas!"--on November 21-22.

"Tent Event"/Saturday, October 17th

2009-10-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

You are cordially invited to join us at The Art Stand Gallery for our "Tent Event."

Saturday, October 17th between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Come to the gallery to browse, enjoy refreshments,
and meet the artists.

See our Autumn Colors exhibit that includes oil, watercolor,
pastel paintings, ceramics,

jewelry, and fine art photography
from 14 local artists, and get an early start

on your Christmas Shopping and Holiday Wish List!

The gallery is open THURSDAYS – MONDAYS, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM,
and located on

Highway 180 and Frankwood Ave. in Minkler, CA,
across from the Sherwood Inn.

Welcome to the October 15th Arthop at The Art Stand Galley from 5-8 PM

2009-10-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Featured artists next Thursday evening will be

Tiwi Wood and Judy (Joan) Lotspeich.

Tiwi enjoys creating functional and decorative ceramic pieces that uplift the spirit.

They are inpired by her suburban garden and the creatures who live there and visit it.

After retiring from teaching, Judy pursued her love for painting,

particularly in watercolor. Her favorite subjects are

the local landscape and produce of the valley.

Art Hop on Thursday evening, October 15th, is from 5-8 PM.

Regular Gallery Hours: Thursday thru Monday, 11 AM - 5 PM

The Madera Ag Show Reception last night, September 17th

2009-09-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Not only was last night Art Hop at the Art Stand Gallery, it was also the reception for the 2009 Madera Ag Show. At the Ag Show, the Art Stand Gallery was very well represented. Artists Kay Owens (featured artist at the Art Hop in Minkler last night), Chieko Delgado, Kathleen Mattox, Suzie Stach, Sally Delap-John, and Deanna Bristow had work accepted and awarded.

Congratulations to Suzie Stach for a first place in the Vines category with a beautiful pastel of grapes on the vine and to Kathleen Mattox for a second in the same category with a 3D mannequin named "Sherry". Kathleen also received a 3rd place in the citrus category with another mannequin named "Clementine". Hopefully, I haven't forgotten to mention an artist or an award. I'll check the catalogue later and update this post. In any case, the Art Stand Gallery members are a busy group of actively involved artists!

If you haven't attended the show, be sure that you do. The Circle Gallery is in Madera on Schnoor Avenue. If you are traveling from Fresno, take the Cleveland Avenue exit at the north end of Madera. Go over the freeway (west) to the 3rd stoplight. Turn left onto Schnoor and then take the second left you can make into the parking area for the gallery and other shops. Park, browse, and enjoy!

ART HOP: Thursday, September 17th, 2009 from 5-8 PM

2009-09-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to ArtHop at The Art Stand Gallery

Featured artists are Kay Owens and Elaine Towne Lane.

Kay Owens has taught for Clovis Adult Education for many years. She serves in many art organizations. Kay is a demonstrator and a juror, proficient in many media with varied techniques and subject matter.

Elaine Towne Lane's 20+ years in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central America have inspired her creativity. Her love of pre-Columbian art is a dominating influence for her works in ceramics, glass, and jewelry.

Exhibition Dates: September 17th-October 14th, 2009.

Reception: Art Hop Thursday, September 17th from 5-8 PM.

Gallery Hours: Thursday thru Monday from 11 AM till 5 PM.

Location: Highway 180 and Frankwood Avenue in Minkler, CA, 14 miles east of Clovis Ave., along the Blossom Trail.

A Date for Your Calendars!

2009-08-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Be sure to add Saturday, October 17th to your calendars. That Saturday will be our annual "Tent Event" at The Art Stand Gallery. More details will follow as the date gets closer but mark your calendars for that day--between 11 AM and 5 PM--to come out to the gallery to browse, meet the artists, see our new Autumn Colors exhibit and get an early start on your Christmas Shopping List AND your own personal Holiday Wish List!

Autumn Colors Show begins August 22, 2009

2009-08-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Art Stand reopens with its Autumn Colors show Saturday, August 22.

Fourteen local artists from Fresno, Sanger and Visalia, will display their work including oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolors, ceramics, jewelry, and fine art photography.

Located at Highway 180 and Frankwood Avenue, Minkler;

Open Thursdays – Mondays, from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

(Seasonal update and beautiful photograph by Jeri Burzin--photo taken at the Chaffee Zoo, Fresno CA. Thank you, Jeri!)

Our Recent Summer Workshops

2009-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Signups for the summer workshops at The Art Stand Gallery got off to a slow start in May, June, and early July. But then, things "picked up" and the class sizes grew slowly but steadily, ultimately providing nice-sized groups for all classes. Things have a way of working out, as in most aspects of life!

We had several new classes and teachers this summer--Sandy Kowallis taught a very inspiring watercolor class and Chieko Delgado taught a childrens' class focused on portraits and origami. Suzie Stach (pastel), Kay Owens (teaching an Oil/Acrylic class this time), Elaine Towne Lane (with a 2 session ceramics class), and Kathleen Mattox (Mixed Media) completed the staff for Summer 2009.

Some students had been with us before but many were new attendees this summer. Everyone seemed to enjoy their classes and some returned for multiple classes, saying that they "loved learning new techniques and ideas" etc. We encourage teachers and students to begin thinking about the Winter Workshops to come. Some ideas are already brewing for new class ideas. If you would like to suggest a class that you'd like to take or teach, please let us know. If you are not an Art Stand artist, but would be interested in teaching a class at the gallery, we would love to have that happen, also! Stay in touch and watch for Tiwi and Toff's beautiful flyer to announce the winter classes in the not too distant future!

Thank you, teachers, for teaching classes at the Art Stand and for your generous gift of time and talent. And thank you, students, for enrolling and attending classes at the Art Stand!

(Photos to follow very soon!)

A post in late June from Sally in New Mexico

2009-08-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

"May was a wet month, rain almost daily and now we are in the "monsoon season" - more rain. We even had snow on the near by Truchas Peaks (13,000+ ft) in June. Lilacs were blooming all over Truchas and up to Taos for entire month of May. There are pink, fragrant wild roses and yellow climbing roses scattered along the hand-dug waterways - acequias. Now white daisies are covering all the surrounding hills and particularly line the acequia edges."

(Post and photo of beautiful New Mexico painting both submitted by Sally Delap-John. Thank you, Sally!)

Art Hop Opportunity in Reedley this Thursday evening

2009-07-13T22:41:00.001-07:00

The ArtHop this Thursday on Reedley's G Street will have the aire of an Art in the Park. There will be artists with their art, Chalk the Walk, face painting, a bounce house, interactive art area for the kids, performances, and tons of great fun!

The City of Reedley is doing a phone blitz to all residents about ArtHop! Reedley has historically always had extremely good attendance to their events, so I expect this ArtHop to be well attended. Pleaseconsider showing your work and/or performing at this event. There are no fees or commissions, all it requires is a little of your time. Two businesses have already approached me to orgainize rotating art by local artists (meaning Fresno County) throughout their locations. They have offered their walls to support art in the community. I expect more businesses to follow suit. Those business owners/CEOs will be in attendance Thursday night along with a host of others. This will be a great opportunity for exposure and possible revenue.

Setup begins at 4:00. Let me know if you will be there. I hope so! (from Melanie Fountain)

Reedley is only 25 minutes from downtown Fresno...not that far and well worth the drive.

To reply to this message, click here: http://my.fresnoarts.net/profiles/message/listInbox

A Welcome and a Goodbye

2009-07-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Janet Bray of Sanger, one of our photographers, is leaving the Art Stand for the moment. Hopefully, she will return at a later date but for now, Janet's work will no longer be shown at the gallery. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage, Janet, and we all wish you the best and happy traveling in the upcoming months!

As Janet leaves us, Doris Runyon, a well-known and well-respected artist from Fresno is joining us. She has been a member of the gallery before and we welcome her back with open arms. Doris paints in oils and acrylics and sometimes in watercolor. She specializes in realistic local scenes and wonderful still lifes of produce, flowers etc. You will enjoy seeing her work at the Art Stand when we reopen in August. Welcome, Doris!

July Challenge

2009-07-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

All Art Stand artists, friends, neighbors, and supporters are being encouraged to become a follower of this blog. All you have to do is this:

1. Scroll down the left hand column of the blog.

2. Find the heading that says: Friends, Fans, and Supporters of the Art Stand Gallery

3. Select "Join" to become a friend/follower of the blog.

Continue down the left hand side to the bottom of the blog where you will see "Subscribe To The Blog". Under "Posts" and "All Comments" you can select a service to let you know when either the posts or the comments to the posts (or both) are updated. You will get an automatic notice in your email that there is an update. If you have a Google account, choose Google and if you have a Yahoo account, choose Yahoo. If you have neither, try any one of the other providers.

My personal goal is to have 20 followers by the end of August. Can we do it? YES! IF you each will do your part and become a friend/follower of The Art Stand Gallery blog.

Thank you so much!

Summer Workshops

2009-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sign up for Summer Workshops by calling Elaine Towne Lane at 787-3921 or replying by email or comment through the blog. It is fine to pay when you come to the class and there is room for more participants in all sessions at this time. They do usually fill up so don't wait too long to make your decision. . . . because. . . the first class is next Saturday, July 18th.

Sandy Kowallis will be teaching a watercolor class on Saturday, July 18th. It will be from 9 AM till 1 PM. Dress for the heat and know that water and snacks will be provided. The class costs $30 and in the class Sandy will specifically address composition, lighting and values. Her materials are listed below on the copy of the class flyer which you can enlarge by clicking on it.

Students of all levels from beginner to advanced are welcome and will benefit from her instruction. Hope to see you there!

On Sunday, July 19th, Elaine Towne Lane will teach session 1 of a 2 session Ceramics class for adults and children. Different techniques will be taught and experimented with. The second session will follow on Sunday, August 2nd and the 2 sessions together will cost $45.

Come play and have fun this summer--expand your skills and indulge your creative side!

SUMMER WORKSHOPS at The Art Stand Gallery

2009-06-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we offer a series of classes in the summer. Some are for children, most are for adults. Attached above is a flyer for the upcoming classes and a registration form. Sign ups are currently taking place. You may call Elaine Towne Lane at 787-3921 or email tswood to register.

Looking at the small version of the workshop flyer that is shown above, you can double click on it to bring up a much larger, printable version. Try it! And you'll see that it works! The magic of technology, right?

Print it out, fill it out, and send it in with your choices of classes and your check for the required amount. The classes will enhance your skills, allow you to meet some wonderful people, and are all tremendously FUN!

June 18th Art Hop

2009-06-12T18:40:00.001-07:00

You are invited to The Art Stand Gallery for Art Hop!

Thursday, June 18^th, 2009

5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Featured artists are Jeri Burzin and Chieko Delgado.

Jeri’s desire to bring back memories of a Caribbean sailing trip sparked her interest in photography and she began to enlarge and display images she liked. Photography workshops have inspired her to learn about the camera and to see and photograph what is special about “ordinary” things.

Chieko is from Japan. She began to paint while attending college. Coming to the United States in 1999, she took up watercolor. She enjoys painting florals and landscapes in a realistic style.

Exhibition Dates: June 18 – July 11, 2009

Reception: ArtHop Thursday, June 18 from 5-8 P.M.

Gallery Hours: Thursday thru Monday 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Location: Highway 180 and Frankwood Avenue in Minkler, CA,

14 miles east of Clovis Avenue, along the Blossom Trail.

May 21st Art Hop did happen!

2009-06-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Our first art hop (in April ) was lightly attended but a few people did drop by! It's nice to know that people are beginning to know that we have "evening hours" once each month.

In mid-May, Kay Gaston wrote:

Welcome to ArtHop at The Art Stand Gallery Thursday, May 21st from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Featured artists are Elaine Towne Lane and Kay Gaston.

Elaine Towne Lane’s 20+ years in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central America have inspired her creativity. Her love of pre-Columbian art is a dominating influence for her works in ceramics, glass and jewelry .

Kay Gaston’s cloth art dolls are each unique and portray characters from life or fantasy. She has merged her fused dichroic glass, cloth doll making and silversmith skills to create a unique style of glass enhanced silver jewelry.

The Open Studio Tour Flyer--May 2, 2009 Event

2009-04-15T00:52:00.001-07:00

Hopefully, you have the Open Studio Event on your calendars and plan to attend. Here is a copy of the flyer with the locations and details. If you double click on the small image, it will become a larger one that is more easily read and can be printed out for your use!

Don't Forget! Art Hop (our first one!) this Thursday evening!

2009-04-15T00:48:00.000-07:00

Drop by on Thursday, April 16th, for the Art Stand Gallery's FIRST Art Hop event! Refreshments with the featured artists from 5-8 PM. Hope to see you there!

The Art Stand Gallery's New Ventures

2009-03-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Art Stand Gallery is now a member of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce and the Fresno Art Hop. Thanks to the persistence and hard work of some Art Stand Gallery members, these 2 dreams have become realities! Congratulations!

Here is some information about the first Art Hop event.

Fresno ArtHop at The Art Stand Gallery

Beginning, Thursday, April 16th and on the third Thursday of each month, The Art Stand Gallery will be participating in the Fresno ArtHop. We will remain open on those Thursday evenings until 8:00 P.M. during the months that we have regular gallery shows exhibiting.

For this first ArtHop evening, our featured artists will be Sally Delap-John and Suzie Stach. They will also host the reception.

Sally Delap-John is a watercolorist working most recently with fragmented forms depicting light and shadow. Her landscapes are often painted en plein aire.

Suzie Stach works with skill in pastel, oil and watercolor. Her paintings of fire fighters have brought her national recognition. She strives to put the viewer into her paintings by evoking a memory or experience.

So, please come by and visit us on April 16th, as we join the Fresno Art Hop scene!

Welcome! Melanie, Kay, Chieko are new followers!

2009-03-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

I have been encouraging the Art Stand Gallery artists to become followers of this blog. We now have 4 followers, including myself. I'd like to welcome Melanie Fountain, our very first follower, and NOT one of our artists plus Kay Gaston and Chieko Delgado as our second and third followers. I think that we should offer Melanie an Art Stand poster as a special "Thank You!" for being our very first follower. (Melanie, if you drop by the Art Stand and identify yourself as the first follower, the artist sitting will give you a complimentary Art Stand poster! Artists: take note and greet Melanie with an enthusiastic welcome and a poster when she comes in next.) :)

I had an email today from another "fan" and she asked to be on our email list and wants to join as a follower also. I'll officially welcome her once she successfully joins.

New, beautiful business cards!

2009-03-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

Thanks to one of our ceramicists, Tiwi S. Wood, and her husband, Christopher Wood, we have new and beautiful business cards. They are VERY attractive and reflective of the "new and improved" Art Stand Gallery. Thank you, Toff and Tiwi! From all of us at the Art Stand Gallery.

Blossom Trail Event last Saturday, March 7th

2009-03-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was a gorgeous spring day--warm, clear, sunny, and perfect for all the events planned along the Blossom Trail for the day. There was a bike ride/tour throughout the countryside, multiple events in Sanger and Reedley including an arts/crafts show in downtown Sanger, and the Blossom Trail Celebration at The Art Stand Gallery. Most of our artists were in attendance during the day, some painting, some displaying their latest works either inside the stand or outside in the parking lot under a tent, some waiting on customers inside, some taking care of the refreshments, and some visiting with guests. It was a very busy and fun-filled day with periods of time during the day when the Art Stand had many, many customers browsing the wares at the same time. There were times when cars were pulling into the lot in groups of 3 and 4. It was really amazing to see! And it was also amazing to see the joy on peoples' faces at the whole experience of seeing beauty in the countryside and in the art at the Art Stand.

If you didn't visit on the weekend, try to come out this week or next weekend. There are still plenty of blossoms on the fruit trees and the art just promises to get better and better as the season goes on!

The sign and some inside views of The Art Stand Gallery at Blossom Trail time

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Some views inside (and outside) the gallery--photos taken by artist Suzie Stach.

"Art Imitates Life at Art Stand Gallery"

2009-02-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

By Ed Boling

Panorama Editor

Article published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 6:45 AM PST in the Reedley Exponent (For the full article and photographs of paintings by Chieko Delgado and Suzie Stach, click on this link.)

As the Blossom Trail comes alive once again with wonderful colors from the almond, nectarine, and plum trees in our valley, The Art Stand Gallery is also showing the colors of various artists.

Located on the Blossom Trail, at Frankwood Ave and Highway 180 near Sanger, The show opened last Saturday and will run through April 18.

Fourteen local artists are displaying their work. Media includes pastels, oils, photographs, ceramics, and jewelry.

Chieko Delgado, who was born in Japan, paints florals and landscapes in watercolor. “I love to paint local themes and the Blossom Trail is one of my favorite,” she said. She has primarily painted almond and nectarine blossoms, but loves to paint landscapes as well. “After a rain storm, I like to go out and take photos of the beautiful clouds and use them in my landscapes,” she added.

She moved to Sanger in 1999 and began taking water color and English classes. Comparing the cherry blossom season to the blossom trail season, she said cherry and almond blossoms are very similar. She said that blossom time is shorter in Japan, so people go out and have picnics under the cherry trees.

Blossom Trail activities will continue through mid-April in our area. The gallery is open daily from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, for more information call 967-8635.

(The paintings accompanying this post are "Almond Blossom and Dove", a watercolor by Chieko Delgado and "Morning Dew", a pastel by Suzie Stach.)

Blossom Trail Article by Jeri Burzin featured in the Visalia Delta Times on February 11, 2009

2009-02-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

(Click here to go straight to the actual article in the Visalia Times Delta that is copied here in today's post)

"Take the Blossom Trail to see Central Valley's best sights, artists"

BY JERI BURZIN • FOR CHOICES (IN THE VISALIA TIMES DELTA) • FEBRUARY 11, 2009

The annual Blossom Trail comes alive each February when motorists and hikers can come upon displays of blossoming peach, nectarine, plum, orange and almond trees. Almond, orange, and plum trees boast white petals, apricot trees delight us with pink petals, and peach and nectarine trees are aglow with pink to red petals.

The trail runs through some of the most productive agricultural land in the world, and includes the towns of Sanger, Reedley, Orange Cove, Selma, Kingsburg and Fowler. There is much to see and do on the 67-mile Blossom Trail:

Sanger once boasted "the longest flume in the world"
Reedley has a Mennonite quilting center
Old town Clovis features Old West architecture
Selma is known as the raisin capital of the world
Orange Cove is one of the most fragrant cities
Kingsburg is unique with its Swedish look and architecture.

There are wineries, antique shops and fruit stands to visit, and all the towns offer shopping opportunities in their downtown areas.

Last week, the trail officially opened in Orange Cove. On March 7, the festivities will begin with the Kings River Blossom Bike Ride, Annual Blossom Days Festival, the 11th Annual Blossom Trail Run and a reception at the Art Stand Gallery.

The Art Stand, once a historic fruit stand and now an artists' coop gallery with 14 local artists, is in the middle of the Trail, on Highway 180 and Frankwood Avenue near Sanger.

The local artists include:

Sally Delap-John from Sanger, one of the co-founders of the gallery. She works in watercolor, emphasizes the contrast of light versus dark, and punctuates with vibrant color. See www.doorartgallery.com for examples.

Suzie Stach is a pastel artist nationally known for her "fire art," depicting scenes of firefighters in action. See fire-art.com for examples.

Kathleen Mattox specializes in watercolor and mixed media paintings and describes her work as "wet, wild, witty and whimsical." See mixedmedia.kathleenmattox.blogspot.com for examples.

Elaine Towne Lane's wonderful ceramic pieces appear to be influenced by the more than 20 years she spent in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central America.

Kay Gaston works with fused dichroic glass which she says is full of surprises: "It's like quilting a patchwork but with glass. See www.plainNfancybykay for examples.

Deanna Bristow is a watercolor artist who has twice won the Blossom Trail Poster Contest.

Finally, you can see my photographs — scenes from "ordinary" life in Tulare and Fresno counties, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, the Central Coast, the Southwest and more. See www.yessy. com/jeriburzin for examples.

The Blossom Trail is now open.

INFORMATION
Come meet the artists and enjoy refreshments at the Art Stand Gallery Open House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, March 7. For more information, go to theartstandgallery.blogspot.com. To learn more about the Blossom Trail go to www.gofresnocounty.com.

The Art Stand Gallery has reopened!

2009-02-08T00:44:00.000-08:00

We are now open again for our Blossom Trail Season. We have been closed since mid-December because it is really cold in the uninsulated building and we also need a time to close for business so that we can run our Winter Workshops. We do the same in the hottest part of the summer, also for about six weeks.

Details about the reopening schedule are as follows:

Blossom Trail Season runs from

February 7-April 18, 2009

Hours: 11 AM till 5 PM, Daily (Sunday through Saturday)

Blossom Trail Reception will be on Saturday, March 7, 2009

Take a beautiful drive, meet the artists,

enjoy refreshments and Blossom Trail art!

Guest Post by Art Stand artist, Sally Delap-John

2009-01-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

Truchas Tales: Pilar

Sally Delap-John has been writing of her painting adventures in New Mexico, where she has bought a home to also serve as studio and gallery.

To paint the church at Pilar requires parking up a little, bitty non-road and then hiking with gear farther uphill. There was supposed to be a group going. The skies looked threatening, but I didn't want to be the light-weight, so off I went. When I arrived, I missed the little road/path to the sight. Took many tries backing up to get about ten feet. I took the even smaller, steeper track up the hill, backed in and parked. I was just getting things out when Freckles stealthily got out and disappeared over a ridge. I called and whistled, but no sign of her. I carried stuff up to the spot, kept looking for her, set up and started painting. I had upset a nest of very large ants, ones that you could see all of the parts of their bodies while standing. Slight adjustment in location. Later as I was into the painting I saw her on a road below, called and whistled and she kept going. I saw other dogs, so was just waiting for the snarling sound of a meeting. Later, she came quietly up and I took her to the van. It was then I saw that I was parked in part of a rock wall and cactus. The van sliding door would not close all the way. I tried and tried, but it wouldn't budge either forward or backward. I went back up and completed my painting - three hours total. Packed up and got out of there. I stopped at the Rio Grande, just a little way on. Tried the door again - no luck. Where the road meets the road to Taos, I got out and gave it one last heave and finally, it moved so I could close it. Did I mention I was the only one there to paint? That night at dinner I reached down to pet her and pulled out an inch and an half cactus thorn from her side.

Guest Post by Art Stand artist, T.S. Wood

2009-01-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday, 18 January 2009

Phew! What a winter break! Two trips to Arizona to visit my beloved sister and her family (11 hours each way, times 4!), an evening trip to the Phoenix Zoo http://www.phoenixzoo.org/ for the bright and glorious Zoo Lights experience (what I'd give for flirtatiously velvety caresses at Stingray Bay!), a visit to Phoenix's Desert Botanical Garden to see the fantastical Chihuly glass installation exhibit (like walking into a fairy tale... you turn a corner and lo! a forest of exquisite, hand-blown glass reeds writhing skyward amid the prickly pear cacti; then you come close to a bridge and notice on the riverbed the most fascinatingly large glass baubles/bubbles spilling out of a wooden boat!) http://www.dbg.org/index.php/chihuly , and a delectable 3-fondue dinner on New Year's Eve (oy! oy! Such richness! A truly sumptuous feast!) What a grand Christmas season I had!

Last December I made a collection of luminarias for a special exhibit at the Williams Gallery West http://www.galwest.com/ in Oakhurst. And two days ago I happened to be in the area with a friend, and found out that only two of these luminarias were left. Ack! I have to get busy making new ones. I'd been too involved with my Christmas break and trips that I'd been neglecting clay work. So yesterday afternoon I cleaned out my studio, which for about a month had been a catch-all location with Christmas stuff and weird odds 'n ends I couldn't find any place for (read: junk I couldn't let go of) towards the end of last year. My word! Cleaning is exhausting work! Definitely not my favorite activity. But by the time I was done, or I should say, by the time the work table had a bit more than a square foot of work space and the potter's wheel was emptied of most of the old and dry clay bits, I only had enough gumption to throw two luminarias. My plan was to throw a couple three more today first, and then carve the two I made yesterday. We'll see how it goes today.

So to the studio I go! --t.s.wood

Update on Winter Workshop Classes

2009-01-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Winter Workshops are coming to a close this coming weekend. They have been well-attended and well-received and the levels of enthusiasm of the participants and the instructors have been high. This weekend is the dichroic glass class (both Saturday and Sunday) which should be very exciting.

Both Sally Delap-John and Tiwi S. Wood have volunteered to write a post for The Art Stand Gallery blog so those 2 articles will be appearing in the very near future. Other artists will be posting articles in upcoming posts as well.

January 30th and 31st/Dichroic Glass Classes by Kay Gaston

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More information to follow soon about glass artist, Kay Gaston, instructor for next weekend's classes!

About Kay Gaston and her class on January 31st and February 1st

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On Saturday, January 31st and Sunday February 1st Kay Gaston will be teaching a fused glass workshop, a new offering on the roster of classes given at The Art Stand Gallery. The class is open to all comers.

Kay grew up in a world of textiles. She was taught to sew, knit and crochet at an early age and found her first artistic muse in the textile medium. She is a physical therapist and that calling allowed her to discover the wonders of the human body which she adorned when she was creating wearable art. She melded the two worlds when she began making cloth dolls in 1993 and started ' plain & FANCY by kay' a small textile art business. She hastens to thank elinor peace bailey for her whimsical patterns of Monique and Amethyst. Making those dolls started her love for this art form.

One of the beauties of making cloth dolls is that she learned so many skills to embellish them. This led to beading and jewelry making that ultimately led to fusing glass into jewelry. "If I'm not creating a cloth body, I'm embellishing it," Kay says.

In July of 2005 she began working with fused glass and immediately became enthralled with the possibilities. The dichroic coating has a luminescent glow and every time the kiln opens it is full of surprises. "It's like quilting a patchwork but with glass". Kay has subsequently added silversmithing to her art forms to enhance her jewelry.

You are encouraged to visit Kay's website for more about the artist and her work. www.plainNfancybykay.com

Watercolor Class on Sunday, January 25th. by Sally Delap-John

2009-01-19T22:21:00.000-08:00

Sally Delap-John works in her studio at the base of the Sierra Nevada. Her work reflects her years of studying various forms of art, her joy in creating it, and love of the world around her. She enjoys representing the local landscape in her work and often works en plein air. Sally Delap-John finds excitement in pure pigments and the endless, beautiful combinations they create. She enjoys the immediacy of watercolor to capture a scene, a mood, or the light at a particular moment as it illuminates a subject.

Her work is displayed year round in her studio, which is open to the public by appointment. She regularly displays with Door Art Gallery, the Alliance of California Artists and the Art Stand. She is a co-founder of the Art Stand, a cooperative of a dozen or so artists who have converted a former fruit stand to accommodate their art. For many years, she has shown in the Reedley Fiesta, Fresno District Fair, and Madera Art Council Celebrate Agriculture with Art. Her work can also be found in the Sequoia View Bed and Breakfast/Winery.

You can view her website here for more information and images.

Just a reminder--Artist Journals and Books class this coming Saturday!

2009-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

There is to be Mixed Media class in "Artist Journals and Books" this Saturday, January 24th. The instructor is Kathleen Mattox and she and the class have been written about in previous posts. Participants should bring mixed media supplies, any collage papers they have, drink coasters (if they have any), and perhaps a small purchased notebook or journal to embellish.

Suzie Stach, Pastel Class, Sunday January 18th

2009-01-13T22:15:00.000-08:00

Suzie Stach is an outstanding local pastel artist, nationally-known for her "fire art", depicting scenes of firefighters in action. She also does wonderful watercolors and oils. She planned, designed, and executed the "new look" on the doors and the signs at The Art Stand Gallery.

She strives to put the viewer into her paintings by evoking a memory or experience. Her paintings are consistent award winners at juried shows and she has been recognized in national magazines as well. For more information and to see photos of her work, go to her website at fire-art.com

For Sunday's pastel class, Suzie will teach how to create strong pastel paintings through underpaintings and the use of rich color. She will demonstrate each stage of a painting and provide individual help to students. Come out and be prepared to learn a lot about painting a pastel painting if you are new to the medium or gaining additional knowledge if you are already a pastelist.

Kay Owens, Pastel Class on Saturday January 17th

2009-01-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

Kay Owens is a well-known artist in the Fresno area. She paints in watercolor, pastels, oils and makes jewelry. She will be teaching a class in pastels this Saturday. In her class, she will be having students work with hard and soft pastels on a variety of supports. She will demonstrate and give information on the medium and equipment and then students will paint and have fun!

Kay has taught for Clovis Adult Education for many years and many artists have studied with her. She serves in key positions in many art organizations. She is a demonstrator and a juror, proficient in many media and skillful in executing various techniques and subjects.

Go to her website for more information about this well-known local artist.

The classes this weekend

2009-01-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

This weekend, The Art Stand Gallery had the first 2 Winter classes of 2009. Yesterday was Jeri Burzin's photography class and today was Elaine Towne Lane's glazing class. Both were well-received and productive. Today's photos were taken with an iPhone and the glare of the sun--once it came out!--was very strong. This morning's fog was terrible, most likely because yesterday was such a gorgeous sunny day. Next weekend, Kay Owen's and Suzie Stach's pastel classes! More biographies and photos to follow in the next few days.

Elaine Towne Lane, Instructor on Sunday, January 11th

2009-01-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 11, 2009, Elaine Towne Lane will offer a class called "Tile Glazing for Potters and Painters", a new offering on the roster of classes given at The Art Stand Gallery. In the class, participants will experiment with different glazes and techniques to produce a variety of colorful, interesting, decorative, and painterly designs on different clay items. A sense of imagination and adventure will be helpful to the participants in this exciting new class.

During the past year, Elaine has produced several new "series": teapots and teacups, tiny lidded pinch pots, "beaded" pots, new nativity sets, and many animals and figures--all are very creatively executed and beautifully finished. Elaine's work and Tiwi Wood's work add a much needed 3D element to the work at the Art Stand.

It is very obvious in Elaine Towne Lane's pieces that the 20+ years she and her husband spent in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central America have had a great influence on her work, inspiring her creativity and the frequent use of certain cultural icons, textures, patterns, and colors. Her love of pre-Columbian art is admittedly a dominating influence for her works in ceramics, glass, and jewelry. Her work is very popular at The Art Stand Gallery, at local art shows, and at the Kingsburg Art Gallery. You will enjoy seeing Elaine's work and adding it to your collections as well as meeting her at upcoming Art Stand events.

Jeri Burzin, Photographer

2009-01-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

Today, Chieko, Elaine, Tiwi, myself, and my husband convened at The Art Stand Gallery to set up the space for our winter classes which begin this weekend. If you haven't taken a class at the gallery, you really should try it. Classes are small and well-planned and presented, with a lot of personal attention and interaction between students and teachers--they are also a LOT of fun! It's not too late to sign up and you can find details below in an earlier post.

The first class, to be held on Saturday, January 10th, is a photography class taught by Jeri Burzin. Jeri lives in Visalia and is one of the newer members of The Art Stand Gallery. She takes wonderful photographs of different areas of California, focusing particularly on Yosemite and the mountain areas, ocean scenes (often with birds and animals), and local area scenes. Natives of Visalia area will certainly appreciate her personal views of the area, as will Sanger and Reedley natives love her Blossom Trail photographs. In addition to photographs of California, on her website you will view wonderful panoramas of Italian vistas and the American southwest. Please go explore what she has available online and at The Art Stand Gallery in Minkler and the Wooden Indian Gallery in Visalia.

On her website, she tells about her past and current artistic accomplishments, and explains how valuable a communication tool photography has been in her work as an educational therapist with children.

In this weekend's class, "Photography: The Basics and Beyond", Jeri will focus on the basics of light, composition and the camera. It is open to beginners and anyone else who wants to learn more about taking a "good" picture consistently, using either film or a digital camera. Hands on activities will be provided and we hope you can join us for an enjoyable, productive Saturday!

Kathleen Mattox, Mixed Media Artist

2009-01-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Kathleen Mattox is a native of the San Joaquin Valley who specializes in watercolor and mixed media paintings. At the end of college, at Fresno State, she took a few exciting painting classes and then didn't paint again until 2000. She was apparently "mentally painting" during the whole 30+year hiatus, because since 2000, she has been prolific! A lover of color, line and texture, she applies the basic elements of design in everything she creates. Thriving on exploring alternative subjects and approaches, she describes her work as "wet, wild, witty, and whimsical" and expects that all her pieces be interesting and fun for both the artist and the viewer. Each venture is looked upon as "just a piece of paper", but she loves the challenge of trying to rescue paintings that she doesn't feel are her best works. Each new painting is a thrill in itself as well as a jumping off point for the next step in the creative process.

Recently retired, Kathleen now has time to paint more frequently, go to workshops, and gather inspiration for new paintings. She is greatly enjoying having time to pursue her passion with energy and enthusiasm. Her creative life used to begin at 5 PM; now it can happen at any hour of the day or night.

Kathleen currently belongs to the Alliance of California Artists, the San Diego Watercolor Society, and the California Watercolor Association. She currently shows her work at The Art Stand Gallery, the Madera Arts Council Circle Gallery in Madera, and at Timberline Gallery in Oakhurst. She teaches a limited number of classes in mixed media and collage, both to groups and individuals. Her home studio gallery may be viewed by appointment.

Her blog is mixedmedia.kathleenmattox.blogspot.com and on her blog are links to gallery and club associations.

A New Beginning

2008-12-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

Well, it's almost 2009--a new year, and a new beginning for a lot of things and a lot of people. The new beginning for The Art Stand Gallery's new blog will be an introduction of all the artists, each one in a daily post. Since I know myself best, obviously, I will start with my own in the next entry. For now, hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year's Eve, New Year's Day--and new year in 2009!

Today's image is a quickly taken photo, in bad light, of our Art Stand Gallery poster, done for the Blossom Trail celebration 2 years ago. Copies of the poster are available year round at the Art Stand for $7.50. Many of our artists have been participants in the Blossom Trail poster contest many times, but Deanna Bristow has won the contest more than once! We are very proud of the accomplishments of all of our artists--they have won many placements (including Best of Show!) at Alliance of California Artists shows, the Big Fresno Fair, the Madera Arts Council Ag Show, Society of Western Artists shows, Clovis Art Guild events and many other shows and competitions around the valley, the state, and the nation! We congratulate them all and encourage them to keep creating and showing their art.

'Tis the Season

2008-12-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

. . . . for any kind of weather and today we had cold, wind, rain, hail, (maybe) snow! We seldom have a white Christmas here in the valley, but the mountains around us (to the east and the northeast) often do. The Art Stand building is tin-roofed and not well-insulated and a thunderstorm sounds monumental from inside the building. We will only be open 1 more day before we close for our winter break. There were quite a few visitors today and others will be surprised to see us closed for the coldest, wettest weeks of winter except for our upcoming classes. See below for information that will allow you to sign up before they are full.

MAP to The Art Stand Gallery

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Follow this map to get to the Art Stand Gallery.

It is east of Sanger and north of Reedley,

across the street from the old Sherwood Inn Restaurant

at the intersection of Highway 180 and Frankwood Avenue.

2008-12-05T09:40:00.001-08:00

Winter Classes

When we are closed for a little over a month in the winter and the summer, we offer a series of adult classes in a variety of mediums. They are usually one day classes, either 4 or 6 hours and the cost is $30-45 per session. In the summer, we usually offer childrens' classes as well. For more information about classes or to register, please contact Elaine Towne Lane at 787-3921 or email Tiwi Wood at tswood@thegardenandthezoo.org

A brief schedule of our January 2009 classes is as follows:

Sat. Jan. 10 "Photography: The Basics and Beyond"/Jeri Burzin (10-2)

Sun. Jan. 11 "Tile Glazing for Potters and Painters"/Elaine T. Lane (10-4)

Sat. Jan. 17 "Pastel"/Kay Owens (10-2)

Sun. Jan. 18 "Pastel"/Suzie Stach (10-4)

Sat. Jan. 24 "Mixed Media: Artist Journals and Books"/K. Mattox (10-4)

Sun. Jan. 25 "Watercolor"/Sally Delap John (10-2)

Sat. Jan. 31 "Fused Dichroic Glass Jewelry"/Kay Gaston (10-4)

Click here to download the flyer about our Winter Workshops.

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SCHEDULE 2009

Throughout the year, we are generally open Thursday through Monday. But more specifically, this is our schedule for December 2008 through December 2009:

Holiday Season

Until December 16, 2008

Hours: 11 AM till 5 PM, Daily

Winter Vacation (Closed except for classes)

December 17, 2008 - February 6, 2009

(See Class Schedules for classes, instructors, dates, and times)

Blossom Trail

February 7-April 18, 2009

Hours: 11 AM till 5 PM, Daily

Reception Saturday, March 7, 2009

Fruit Trail

April 18 - July 11, 2009

Hours: 11 AM till 5 PM, Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)

Open Studio Tour, Saturday, May 2, 2009

Summer Workshops

Between July 12 - August 21

Classes, instructors, dates, and times to be announced

Autumn Colors

August 22 - October 24, 2009

Hours: 11 AM till 5 PM, Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)

Tent Event, Saturday, October 17, 2009

Holiday Show

October 24- December 13, 2009

Hours: 11 AM till 5 PM, Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)

Holiday Event, Saturday/Sunday, November 21-22, 2009 (Tentative date!)

Winter Vacation and Winter Workshops

December 14, 2009 - February 2010

Classes, instructors, dates, and times to be announced