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Hand Embroidered Greeting Cards Little World Community Organization (LWCO) began by listening to the problems and needs of a small village in Pakistan, and then offering to help by buying books and paying the rent for a school. The students would pay the teachers. Village women took up the challenge and became the first students. They went home and taught their husbands and children what they studied in school. In time they were able to sell embroideries they learned to make and use the money to open more schools for others who would do the same. Today there are over 3000 women in 25 schools with a goal to have 10,000 women in over 60 schools by the end of this year. Together, they help others, try new ideas, and never give up. They’ve become the hope of their villages. While living in some of the harshest conditions imaginable, they plan to change the world with education. 
You can find one-of-a-kind embroidered cards at Mowen Solinsky Gallery. All embroidered card sale proceeds go directly to LWCO Schools in Pakistan. You can join in: find a store to host an embroidered card purchase display, arrange for an inspiring slide presentation, or help with their World Friendship Quilt. Contact Greg or Laurie at 265-2345 or gregzaller@gmail.com www.lwco.org, is registered in Pakistan 
SACRAMENTO – California Fine Art, the juried art show of the California State Fair, announced today the award-winning artworks for 2010. Open to California artists aged 18 and over, the 2010 competition received 1,298 entries. The jury selected 185 artworks from this field to be exhibited and eligible for awards. All award-winning artworks will be exhibited at the 2010 California State Fair at the Expo Center in Building 7. Awards will be presented to the artists at an Awards Ceremony held during the California State Fair at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 17th, 2010. A Juror's Award and Best of Show went to "Casey & Emily, Gabrielle's Lamp" a charcoal drawing by Annie Robinson of Carmichael. A Juror's Award also went to "Old Walks" an acrylic on paper painting by artist Patricia Mills of Fair Oaks. "Tales of Hoffman" by Dave Lane of Sacramento won the Juror's Award for Sculpture. "Sunset, Mekong River, Laos 2009" a black and white photograph printed on handmade washi paper by Richard Murai of Penn Valley received the Juror's Award for Photography. The Juror's Award for Fine Craft went to Linda Mihara of San Francisco for her wearable "Origami Tyvek Vest". "Distant Thunder," a color photograph by Lisa Woodburn of Elk Grove received the Juror's Award in the Themes Division and, "Rat Car," by Terrence Martin of West Sacramento won the Juror's Award for Recycle Art. Jurors also selected 29 artworks to receive Awards of Excellence and 149 artworks to receive Awards of Merit. For a complete list of award winners, please visit the State Fair website at www.bigfun.org. See Richard Murai's award winning photograpy at his Mowen Solinksy Gallery webpage. An Arts Community 
When thinking about renowned arts communities in California, Nevada County doesn't usually spring to mind; most people consider Carmel or Marin County, But Nevada County is a hidden jewel-an area that supports growing and diverse artist-friendly communities, In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (about an hour from Sacramento) is Nevada City, With a population of approximately 2,800, the chamber of commerce describes it as a "restored gold rush town-the entire downtown district is a national historic landmark." Image: Ceramics class at AsIf Mowen Solinsky Gallery John Mowen moved to the area in 1983 and has always been active in Nevada City's art scene, An artist who works in bronze, he began doing shows in 1972, "This developed into a lifestyle and livelihood, With nearly 1,000 shows behind me, it seemed time to root down and explore another way of moving my work out into the world, "Seven years ago, he opened a small gallery with fellow "street artist" and friend Steve Solinsky, Two years later, the Mowen Solinnsky Gallery moved to its current, larger location in a restored Victorian building, In five years, the gallery has gone from representing 40 artists to its current roster of 160. While the gallery has been a thriving and vital asset to the community, this year has presented some challenges, Mowen's partner Solinsky decided to retire and the five-year lease also came to an end, Faced with the challenging economy and the realization of how immportant the gallery had become both personally and to the community, Mowen developed a creative plan to "save" his business, The new lease would be half his old rent, but with a hefty up-front cost "The gnawing question became how we ask for help at a time when businesses and galleries were closing, The solution became more about what we could give." 
Woman #73 by Richard Downs "We began to partner with community organizations, with a percentage of sales at our art openings going to support their orrganizations. "But Mowen also instituted a very creative program to further solidify his concept of partnering with the community and patrons. "We created a campaign of selling gallery gift cards and adding a ten percent value. A $1,000 purchase got $1,100 in purchase value. So the 'arts supporter'is realizing a ten-percent return on their investment, supporting art in their community and giving themselves a gift of beauty." (Read more about this unique plan on the website's home page: www.mowensolinskygallery.com.) Mowen's community connections extend beyond the arts. Each year, he has an informal agreement with local schools to provide educational tours of the gallery. Kids of all ages, many whom have never been in an art gallery, get individual attention from the owner. One component is "gallery etiquette'" or how to act responsively while enjoying the experience. Mowen also helps area organizations by making the venue available to host their events - environmental and theater groups, author booksignings and poetry readings. Fostering positive relationships Although Mowen Solinsky Gallery is considered a premiere Northern California gallery with a national and international reputation, Mowen has never forgotten a key element of his success."As an artist and gallery owner," he explains, "I bring a unique sensitivity to the artist/gallery owner relationship. I have a good understanding of what an artist goes through to create his work and the pitfalls of working with galleries. We opened as a 'pro-artist' gallery, meaning we put the artist first. When we sell their work, they are paid before we pay the rent, insurance, etc. This is the only respectable approach when working with an artist's money. After all, the artists are our bankers; without the millions of dollars of art consigned to the gallery, we could not exist." 
Above: Centeredness, a bronze sculpture by John Mowen Artist husband and wife Richard Downs and Gwyn Stramler are both represented by the gallery. They see Mowen's strong connection to his artists as a perk. Illustrator Downs explains, "John and the staff are really friendly, professional and understand my work and background. They enjoy discussing my work with customers. This type of open interaction between the gallery and the public has helped in the promotion and future of selling my work." Although new to the gallery, printmaker Stramler agrees, "John is rare in that he's both artist and gallery owner. He doesn't enter lightly into a business relationship with an artist, he wants a close alliance and integrity from artists who show there and expectations are openly and respectively discussed." Woodworker Gary Upton is also represented by Mowen Solinsky Gallery and has gone with a group Mowen has taken to the SOFA (Sculpture Objects & Functional Art) Chicago exhibition the past two years. Upton says it provides him with great exposure and he values the relationship with Mowen and staff. "I look at it as a partnership and I have to be sensitive to what's working for them; having feedback is helpful for us both and sometimes artists are not getting that."  Above: Sanshi Table by Gary Upton Artists' community links Downs and Stramler also live in Nevada City. Stramler says they were drawn to the arts-friendly feel of the town. "We looked at many 'unique' communities along the coast of California and into Vancouver, British Columbia, but Nevada City was different. We felt [the area] has everything we wanted; a few nice restaurants, a local theater, mountains, rivers, wildlife, hippies and professionals, plus a strong art spirit-you could feel it. I can still feel it today." Downs notes it is often called "Sausalito of the Foothills" (a reference to the Marin County artistic community). Gary Upton is also a Nevada City resident: "When I moved here in 1978, it was mainly because it was beautiful and more affordable than the San Francisco bay area where I lived. There were a lot of crafts/artist people here and innovative types because there was little local work to be found and people who could brought their businesses here. It is an amazing small town with more culture than some cities. I think being in a 'creative melting pot' is stimulating and I'm able to draw inspiration from everywhere." Creative concept Grass Valley is about four miles from Nevada City. Larger than Nevada City (approximate population of 12,000), it also has a strong arts component. Artist Randy Rigg is the founder and owner of As If Studios (www.asifstudios.com), "accidental acronym for 'Artists Studio in the Foothills."' His original intent was to open a community center to be focused on visual arts and artists in Nevada County. He opened in April of 2008. 
Like John Mowen, he has had some challenges to his initial vision."Our original business plan was geared toward renting studio space and conducting classes for the community. As we tried to establish this concept in our first few months, the economy started to decline and we found it necessary to redirect. As our students disappeared, we reworked our plan, closer to a co-op model and opened up more rental space. This current scenario has brought a group of residents and co-op members together as a tight family of working artists." The 4,050-square-feet facility houses private studios for 11 resident artists and space for another 20 co-op artists. According to Rigg,"There is a complete ceramics studio and an equipped drawing/painting/printmaking room. The two-dimensional room is a co-op space which includes easels, stools, studio lighting, a model stage, a beautiful printmaking press and other equipment."The ceramics studio is also fully outfitted, including the "largest publicly available gas kiln in Nevada County." The facility includes an area where art is displayed and open to the community. A show in May, "Small Works in the Foothills" brought 50 artists together, over 500 pieces of art and drew around 400 people. Rigg and Mowen continue to bring creative concepts for getting art and fine crafts to their communities. Local artists Downs, Stramler and Upton feel fortunate to be living in a beautiful physical setting full of an energetic and spiritual vibe that nourishes their artistic lives. ~~ Nancy LaFever writes extensively about the fine craft industry. Her diverse careers in graphic design, advertising, fiber art and psychotherapy also inform her writing on a variety of other topics. She writes from her home in rural central Ohio. This article appeared in the August 2009 issue of The Crafts Report and has been posted with permission © 2009, The Crafts Report, www.craftsreport.com 
Learn the ancient art of printmaking Standing at the window of her studio on Wet Hill Road, Gwyn Stramler applied thick black relief ink with a pallet knife onto a square of glass, then rolled the ink into a thin coating with a brayer. "I usually start people with black so they can get a feel for the printmaking process and not have to think about color," Stramler explained.  Gwyn Stramler shows some finished prints from her home studio Since February, Stramler has taught printmaking workshops to small groups of four in her intimate workspace known as Wet Hill Studios. "Lots of people taking my class are already good artists," Stramler said who wants to attract people new to the age old art form. "I really do want to teach the beginner. Someone who has never done printmaking. That's who would really benefit from the class." Stramler first fell in love with the medium as a young student at Fullerton College in Orange County. After graduating from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Stramler entered a career working as an editorial illustrator for publications like Harper's Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Outside and The Washington Post. 
After 13 years, Stramler gave up illustrating for magazines and newspapers to become a full fledged painter. She and her husband moved to Nevada County 12 years ago and her work is currently on display at Mowen Solinsky Gallery in Nevada City. Last fall during the Open Studio Tour, 25 visitors showed interest in Stramler's skills as a printmaker. Stramler decided to offer printmaking workshops in February with the hope that teaching would add a new dimension to her own work. "I want to bring up my own body of work while teaching people the principles of art and design," she said. At the workshops, Stramler supplies the materials and props, a whole host of plastic lizards, wart hogs and other animals for students to draw. Stramler uses an old hand cranked press she found in Marin nearly 20 years ago. Students can expect to produce several finished prints to take home by the end of the day. "I want them to get the experience," Stramler said. "A lot of it is tactile and feeling your way." People are also welcome to bring their own themed inspiration such as a Haiku poem or cookie fortune. "I like people to draw from life and memory. Not from photographs. That's what cameras are for," she said. "I would like people to think and paint in metaphors. Using the principles of design and art you can usually bring art to a higher level. It's not about painting a pretty flower," she said. 
A white plastic rat with red eyes offered inspiration for a quick sketch. Stramler hastily painted black lines and an image was ready for the printing press. "I love the spontaneity. I love the sketching aspect of it. To me there is the real element of surprise. It's going to be run through the press and you never know what's going to happen," Stramler said. Stramler's students start with the basics of monotype before branching out to monoprint, soft-hard-ground etching, aquatint and drypoint. Printmaking began as woodcuts in China about A.D. 105 possibly developed to print patterns on cloth. Printing allowed religious teachings of the Bible and Buddha to spread out to the masses. Later printmaking styles included engravings on metal developed by German goldsmiths and the fine details found in etchings. "This is a really old technique. It was the first form of mass production," Stramler said. "It hasn't changed over the years at all. That's why I love it. It really is a throwback." ~~ To learn more about the workshops visit wethillstudios.com or call 470-0525. To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, call 477-4231 or e-mail lbrown@theunion.com. Photos for The Union Newspaper by John Hart See more of Gwyn's work at her Mowen Solinsky Gallery webpage... The Church Key Potter, At first glance, there's something vaguely familiar about Ken Standhardt's pots. Unglazed exteriors rich with pattern and texture echo ancient Native American woven baskets and pottery. Even his titles-amphora, berry basket, storage vessel-summon thoughts of shards at an archaeological dig. Pressing Patterns Standhardt begins texturing a piece by impressing a pattern around the rim of a leather-hard pot. He works around the pot from top to bottom. "It's all about setting up the pattern to start with," he says. "If you start well, things will continue well-or at least you have a chance." K.T. Anders is a potter and professional writer who resides in Upperville, Virginia. She is a regular contributor to Clay Times. See more of Ken Standhardt ceramic vessels at his Mowen Solinsky Gallery webpage... 
Penn Valley travel photographer a winner  In addition to teaching photography at the college level, Murai gives tutorials in his home studio. While the photographer still uses film as his main capture medium, as of six years ago he started using digital scanning and large-scale, dedicated grayscale digital printers for his prints. He says it's like painting with light electronically. Visit the chamber of commerce website to learn more about events in and around Nevada City |
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Standhardt admits that as a kid, he loved finding arrowheads, millstones, and hatchet heads on the 150-acre fourth-generation farm in Pennsylvania where he grew up. "I was sure I wanted to be an archaeologist," he confesses. But although he minored in archaeology at one point in college, his experience working in a ceramic studio under a work-study program in high school had already hooked him on the clay habit. After a stint studying ceramics in college, he became a full-time potter. It's now worked for him for 20 years.
"I've become known as the Church Key Potter," says Standhardt. "I can create a variety of patterns and variations within them with two simple church keys. On one, I ground a little V-slot onto the tip. It creates a sort of overlay effect." It may sound simple, but the application of church key to clay, he notes, is all about patience and practice. "Because each piece is hand-textured, no two are ever the same. In a single vessel, the number of indentations can vary from 500 to 5,000, each placed by hand and eye."
The bottoms of Standhardt's pieces are as intricately textured as the sides, and that gives him special pleasure. "The textured bottoms are a reward for the person who picks up the work and starts exploring it," he says. Those almost secret designs also satisfy his sense of craftsmanship, something dear to his heart as the son and grandson of Pennsylvania Dutch woodworkers. "Texturing the bottom to finish off a work is a statement of being done with a piece."
Because his studio is small-only about 250 sq. ft.-Standhardt has had to keep his glazing simple. The exteriors of his pieces are washed with iron oxide and sponged off. The interiors get a simple liner glaze. "I want to dramatize the depth of the texture but not distract from the form," he explains. His rich red, cone 4-6 stoneware, called Trail Mix Cinnamon, comes from Georgies Clay in Portland, Oregon. He fires to 2150 F, about cone 5.