Art View
By Jim Christiansen
December is a key shopping month. Here is my annual suggestion: consider buying art from local artists for holiday presents. If you missed Mod Shop last month, note in our calendar there are a lot of other craft and art events. That includes the annual Dickens Faire December 6, where I am splitting a booth with artist/author Linda Knoll. December 6th, the FASM Creative Battle Art Show, Graffiti Battle, Toy Drive and Music held at “Love Thy Neighbor” headquarters on Page Court in Modesto. This is an ambitious new nonprofit event. Check both if you can.
In the spirit of giving, artist Janet Spooner recently donated one of her oil paintings to a benefit raffle at McHenry Bowl, to benefit a family in need. That raised $575 in that one event. Congrats!
Mistlin Gallery features its members in “Home for the Holidays”. “Chella” is the headline artist at Trewin Framery with a reception December 8. Shop downtown during Art Walk. Consider a White Elephant gift from Crow Trading. Several off the map spots downtown have local art on the walls, with price tag. A lot of art is for sale down at DEVA, Tokyo Express, & Chartreuse Muse. ModestoView is working toward some Retro Christmas décor. Look for it.
At Art Walk last month, my favorite stop was the Crossroads Country Quilters show at Mistlin Gallery. If you missed it, check out their event at Centre Plaza in January. www.crossroadscountryquilters.com.
One stop I had to check out was Preservation Coffee, where I’ve noted art sales happening the last few months. November artist Julie Falconer took her show down early. (But posted a statement why on Facebook if you’re interested.) The venue chose to leave the walls bare, and I personally hope folks will check out Julie’s work, and enjoy coffee there. I noticed the expansion of the gallery and affiliated Recovery businesses at the Camera Center location. Five times the size of the original PRAP location at 13th and J.
Nicole Slater opened her new studio, The Artist’s Loft, on the second floor of Slater’s Furniture at 1605 J Street. She is offering private and group instruction and activities. For more information, see www.NicoleSlater.com. I like the space, and wish I had that much room here at my garage studio. Nicole is one of the artists at the 2015 Stanislaus County Artist Open Studio event happening next April. If you’d like to be included on the map, rtist entry deadline is January 15. Open Studio is also seeking sponsors and advertisers for the map program.
I’d like to thank the Oak Valley Art Society for inviting me to their monthly meeting, held in the Escalon Library on the third Saturday of the month, to do a watercolor workshop. I got to bring all my eccentric tools for the large format abstracts I do, like rollers, fan brushes, wallpaper seamer, and water spillage, to show how I actually work off my dining room table. It was fun, and I hope to do more workshops in the future! My 35 minutes was well attended, with 24 artists, and extended over an hour. For more information, send requests to OVAS, P.O. Box 990, Oakdale, CA 95361.
I found out at the OVAS meeting, that Auld Lang Syne was born in Scotland! Oakdale Open Studio Artist James “Scotty” Higgins passed away November 4. A very interesting character, and avid oil painter, and his work will be cherished. Buy art for Christmas. It’s the greatest gift to pass on.
