Putting the ART in the heART of Orange County!

The heART of Orange County All Media 2017
Artist Reception & Awards Ceremony
PLUS Broadway in the Park Reveal!
April 22, 2017 5:30 – 8pm
Show continues through May 6th
Jurors: Nick Capaci and Jonde Northcutt
Artists and Educators

Congratulations to the selected artists displaying their work for The heART of Orange County All Media 2017 show at Chemers Gallery! Our 10th annual juried exhibition in partnership with Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts (TACFA) was juried by Nick Capaci and Jonde Northcutt, talented artists and educators. Works showcase the rich variety of arts in our very own artful environs. This unique show depicts visions of dance, music, culinary and visual arts through a variety of media including oil, pastel, photography and watercolor.

On April 22nd meet the artists, gaze at the wonder of their creations, enjoy libations and appetizers and support the local arts scene through your purchases. And, don’t forget TACFA’s big Broadway in the Park reveal! Be the first to know what this year’s summer production is…no hints here…come on April 22nd for this much anticipated announcement!

But wait, there’s more…

Get into the heARTful groove on Saturday, April 29th with a special dance performance by the Tustin Dance Center! Plus, join us Saturday, May 6th for artist demonstrations and the 1st place winners from TACFA’s Student Art Invitational as you take one last look at your favorite artworks from the show. Maybe you’ll even take one home with you! More details coming soon!

Presenting the participants of The heART of Orange County All Media 2017:
Gary Blackwell Dana Cooper Toni Danchik Suzanne DeCuir Dori Dewberry
Amanda Fish Dennie Hahn Deborah Harold Lore Hold Elaine Hughes Wendy Johnson
Steve Kell Prerana Kulkarni Marsha Lindsey Carolyn Lopez Paige Oden Max Ollendorff
Rita Pacheco Kathleen Robison Sharyn Sakimoto Janine Salzman Karl Tani Kim VanDerHoek

From Russia, with Love

Chemers Gallery was thrilled to see our friend and treasured artist, John Sawyer, and his lovely wife, Olga, who were recently visiting from Russia! The couple makes the journey from their current home in Tolyatti, Russia about once a year for a dose of California sunshine, artistic inspiration, and cherished time with friends and family.

John’s passion for oil painting hasn’t waned in the harsh, Russian winters! He spends his days creating scenes from his California home, experimenting with different colors and compositions. Most canvases depict familiar Orange County vistas of Peters Canyon, Irvine Park and Cedar Grove Canyon. His signature style of impressionistic scenery edged in black is reminiscent of Gustave Baumann. Expressive foliage and cloud formations draw John’s audience into his array of canvases and speak to the quintessential Orange County landscape experience.

John regularly updates Chemers Gallery through emails and photographs. His pictures of snow start much earlier than you’d imagine, usually while we’re still in the midst of the autumn heat! During the warmer summer months, John and Olga spend time at Olga’s family’s dacha in the local countryside, tending the fruit trees and vegetables that grow on the property.

When he’s ready to leave Russia with his newest creations, John travels hours to the appropriate Russian government offices with his artwork so they can verify he’s not removing national treasures from the country. With official documentation in hand, John is free to transport his paintings to California, to the delight of his loyal following. John has been a busy guy, because right now Chemers Gallery has nearly TWENTY new paintings!

Seeing is believing, and we think you simply must see John’s paintings in person.
Preview online, or come in to view the newest works from OUR national treasure!

Enjoying the snowy Russian winter!

Chemers Gallery New Art – March 2017

Click the artist’s names or images below to see more work!

New ART

Jennie Milner

Robin Preiss Glasser

New CRAFT

Michael Evans

New JEWELRY

Michelene Berkey	Harlow
Kozakh	Laurette O’Neil

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait… Like the New Season of Ayala Bar!

Even though some may say that patience is a virtue, we think you’ve been patient enough! At long last, the Spring/Summer 2017 line of Ayala Bar jewelry is here, and it’s stunning! With brilliant aquas, gorgeous greens, scrumptious raspberries, versatile neutrals and more, these new pieces are magnificent.

Bold statement pieces pair with soft, feminine style for a look that is unforgettable, or choose a small delicate piece to accent your outfit. Intricate beadwork, fiber, faceted glass and decorative papers are the hallmark of this talented jewelry designer. Many of this season’s color ways are titled to echo exotic flora, like Alchemilla, Dianella and Hellebore and feature vibrant hues and fresh combinations. The ecclectic Essentia Collection ranges from earthy rust and olive fabric, thread and yes, even zipper components to vivid turquoise and strawberry. New this season is the addition of fiber-covered chains on select necklaces and bracelets. You just have to see these beauties in person!

Ayala Bar’s keen eye for detail was honed while working as a costume designer in Israel. A self-confessed bead collector, she is equally excited by the possibilities presented through her chosen materials as she is by everyday occurrences like a walk to her studio through a fruit market. Influences of color, smell, sound and memory all combine to spark this prolific artist’s limited edition creations.

Try one or try them all, but you won’t want to wait to see these gorgeous new jewelry designs as they are already flying out the door! And, once this season is finished in a few short months, they won’t be available any longer. You can preview a selection of Ayala Bar’s work on our website, but there are soooo more and they are soooo much prettier in person! So, don’t delay and plan your visit to Chemers Gallery today!

Exploring Cultural Heritage with Lorraine Bubar

Viewing one of Lorraine Bubar‘s intricate papercut compositions is an inherently intimate experience – each piece compels the audience to step closer and closer still until the art is merely inches away. Suddenly, Lorraine’s choice of color, pattern and texture explode into compelling beauty that confirms what was noted at first glance: this work is spectacular!

A native of Los Angeles, Lorraine received her BA from UCLA. She studied animation at Yale University, winning numerous awards as an independent short film animator. Her love of travel developed into a passion for papercutting once she saw how many of the world’s cultures employed the art form as a means of expression, from Eastern Europe to China and Mexico. Today, Lorraine honors the transcendence of humanity throughout the world with her practice of papercut techniques. Her choice of papers highlight the utter fragility and ultimate strength of life itself. Lorraine uses only handmade and colored papers and her trusty X-acto knife to develop her intricate artistry.

Crossing the boundary between craft and art, Lorraine’s exacting precision bring her imagery of koi ponds, mountainscapes and desert scenes to life. She was recently selected as one of the 2016 Artists in Residence at Zion National Park and spent a month hiking, creating and educating in the impressive landscape. Lorraine’s bold creations have been exhibited worldwide and have garnered awards including a recent first place win at Yosemite Renaissance XXXI. This talented artist continues to travel to further her inspiration and experience of the world.

Encounter Lorraine’s stunning artwork up-close and personal at Chemers Gallery! While you’re here, we can show you examples of how we’ve framed these detailed creations using linen or silk fabric and handsome, hand-carved closed-corner frames.

Exchanging “PleasanTrees” with artist, Melissa Graves Brown

New paintings by Melissa Graves Brown invite you to wander into enchanted groves and rest in the shade of multi-hued foliage. Vibrant jewel-toned colors mingle on canvas for a look that is pure wow! Melissa has sent Chemers Gallery seven of her most recent pieces, each one more gorgeous than the last.

A Florida native, Melissa earned her Bachelors of Fine Art from Auburn University and her Masters of Fine Art from the University of Pennsylvania. Her inspiration comes from the natural landscape of Idaho, where she currently resides with her husband, daughter and son. Together, the foursome are a hive of creativity in their home studio. Memories of the swirling leaves that welcomed her to the Wood River Valley are imprinted in Melissa’s mind which she captures again and again in her art.

Melissa’s talents are expressed in layers of color that eventually take the shape of vivid vistas. It’s no surprise that this talented artist has been largely influenced by color theory and the color field paintings of the Abstract Expressionist movement! She approaches painting with intuition and intention, carefully choosing her pigments and letting the composition evolve naturally.

Viewed as a whole, Melissa’s “PleasanTrees” form a magical, mystical world of wonder. Don’t be shy, get up close to the canvas and see where the magic truly happens! You’ll be amazed at the complex layers of color that dance and swirl to form a shimmering, multi-dimensional painting. Leaves that appear to be mostly gold, yellow and orange also contains red, green and purple! Melissa’s underpainting peeks out from the top layers of acrylic paint to introduce unexpected tonal content within her canvases.

Of course, words and pictures can only convey so much…
The best way to experience the atmosphere of Melissa’s paintings is in person at Chemers Gallery!

Chemers Gallery New Art – January / February 2017

Click the artist’s names or images below to see more work!

New ART

Amanda Fish	Kay Flierl	Melissa Graves Brown
Pete Roberts	John Sawyer	Susan Weinstein

New CRAFT

New JEWELRY

Call to Artists: The heART of Orange County All Media 2017 Juried Exhibition

Chemers Gallery and TACFA
Call to Artists
The heART of Orange County All Media 2017
April 22 – May 6, 2017
Juried Exhibition
Jurors: Nick Capaci and Jonde Northcutt
Artists and Educators

Deadline for entry is March 4, 2017
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Calling All Artists
Chemers Gallery and Tustin Area Council for Fine Art (TACFA) are seeking submissions for our 10th annual juried community exhibit! We are inviting local & semi-local artists who work in virtually any media to enter their depictions of the ARTS in Orange County. Past entries ranged from artist studios, ballet and folk dancers and musicians to artists at work, museum viewers and buildings, but that doesn’t mean those are the only acceptable subjects. The possibilities are endless – the more creative and innovative the better! (You just might win one of the cash prizes!)

Amateur artists are welcome to enter. All artwork will be judged equally regardless of professional status.

Entries will all be pre-juried online at OnlineJuriedShows.com.

For a full prospectus and links to enter, click HERE. All media will be considered for acceptance. We want your oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, mixed media, photographs, etchings, monoprints, beadwork, glass, ceramics, wood, encaustic, sewing…we mean it when we say ALL MEDIA!

We are honored to announce that Nick Capaci and Jonde Northcutt, artists and educators, will be this year’s jurors.

The deadline to enter is MARCH 4, so get your creative juices going!

Your Inspiration Starts Here!

For examples of past entries, click HERE. But remember, it’s just a guide to help get you started.

If you need a few more suggestions, consider making any of the listed venues or organizations your subject:
Sherman Library & Gardens Laguna Playhouse Chance Theater South Coast Rep
Segerstrom Center Pacific Chorale Pacific Symphony Orchestra Noguchi Garden
Bowers Museum Tangata Restaurant “First Saturdays” art walk in Santa Ana

A full prospectus is available at OnlineJuriedShows.com. Please be sure to read fully and carefully as there are sizing and framing specifications listed as well! Please call us if you need any guidance.

Good luck!

Get your artistic juices going for The heART of Orange County!

Attention all creatives! Our 10th annual all-media juried exhibition is just around the corner! Are you interested in entering The heART of Orange County but wondering what to do? Well, look no further for inspiration, Chemers Gallery is here to help!

Entries to The heART of Orange County must depict the vast variety of arts to be found in Orange County. Examples of work may be, but are not limited to musicians at work, actors in a play, a performing arts building, a dancer practicing in a studio, on-lookers in a museum, an artist’s studio, chefs in a kitchen…the possibilities are endless! Entries may be created in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, collage, ink, photography, glass, ceramic, mixed media, encaustic, fiber and more – all media are welcome.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

In case you need to get your creative juices flowing, here are some examples of past entries. This is just a guide to jump start your imagination, You have until March 4, 2017 to enter your masterpiece!

Artists at Work

Artists of all ages in all stages! Creating at home, overlooking the ocean, observing in a garden at our local mission, participating in paint outs throughout Orange County.

Musicians

Playing an instrument or performing onstage, challenge yourself to translate the audio to the visual!

Dancers

Studio dance classes, ballerinas and folk dancers, tappers, waltzers and tango-ers – let the movement of Orange County jump and jive.

Artist Studios

Look around your studio and the chaos of creativity or the order of originality. Sometimes the most interesting subjects are right in front of you!

Viewing Art & Arts Buildings

Patrons of the arts from the young to the young at heart. Don’t forget the arts buildings themselves, even the ones transitioning from abandoned warehouse to upscale art gallery. (Psst – Chemers Gallery counts as an arts building within Orange County, too. Just sayin’!)

Culinary Arts or Art in Situ

What about the art of FOOD?! Talented chefs and sous chefs are artists of their own right, so why not show them a little love, too? Or feature a favorite painting hanging in someone’s home?

For more information or to enter the show, visit OnlineJuriedShows.com.