AGP Member Spotlight: Charles McDevitt

The Art Guild of Pacifica is a dynamic collection of people that are rich in capabilities, artistic experience, teamwork, and most of all talent.  There is so much talent I wish I could blog about every single AGP member all at once.  I’ll have to settle for one member at a time, this time focusing on studio artist Charles McDevitt.

Charles at Oceana Gallery 

Charles McDevitt is a San Francisco native, born and raised.   He felt his talent was always acknowledged and encouraged growing up.   Charles was a city kid who attended City College and used it as a spring board to the California College of Artist & Crafts.  He did all kinds of art in his under-grad years and then graduated with a degree.  Two days later, on Christmas Eve, he was drafted into the Vietnam War.

Charles was fortunate enough to go to Officer Candidate School and become an instructor. As the draft was expanded, instructors were badly needed.  So, Charles remained safely stateside.

The next life adventure brought Charles into 1973 where he was part of the very first paramedic class in San Francisco. He subsequently spent almost 25 years in San Francisco’s Health Department.   Then, in the early 90’s, the paramedics became part of the Fire Department.  At that time, Charles was a Paramedic Captain, and he continued instructing, which he really loved.  He appreciated that students in his classes wanted to be there.

People dig his work!

Upon retirement, Charles expanded his artistic efforts to focus on relearning various mediums such as acrylic and oil. At that time, a large studio in San Francisco gave him the space he needed to paint full time.

Charles is a self-described motor head who loves cars. He began painting them to challenge himself. Then, as time went on, his painting got proficient and the depiction of certain materials got better. His favorite paintings take about three months to complete, and the casual observer will see that he paints what he loves, including fire trucks, cars, and other scenes that have personal meaning.

Charles has enjoyed a studio at the Sanchez Art Center for the last five years.  He enjoys being there because he appreciates the feedback of other artists.  His artistic goals currently revolve around the painting of man made objects and how they interact with their surroundings, including light and heat or coolness.  He loves to see how heat plays on things.

Most recently, Charles exhibited in the 2012 Left Coat Annual, a juried exhibition, and the 2011 Statewide Painting Competition and Exhibition for the Triton Museum, also juried.  His full list of artistic accomplishments is found on his website here.  Be encouraged to view his site, as well, right here.  

Or, if you’re in the area, stop by Charles’ studio in the East Wing at Sanchez Art Center.  I had the opportunity during recent “open studios” to spend a moment on his comfortable couch enjoying the artistic atmosphere.  It was simply wonderful.

Visit http://www.mcdevittarts.com/ to see Charles' wonderful work!

By Donna L. Faber
Board Secretary
Art Guild of Pacifica
donnalouisefaber.com

AGP's "Galleria" Coming Soon!

The Art Guild of Pacifica rings in the holiday season each year with an open studio and open wall exhibition.  Art Guild members can hang as much of their work as they desire in any combination on a seven foot section of gallery wall at Sanchez Art Center, and studio artists there are provided an opportunity to share their unique work environment and their art.  Overall, this exhibition has been a wonderful community offering. 

This year, the Art Guild of Pacifica elaborates on its success with an exhibition aptly entitled “Galleria”.  Indeed, there will be open walls and open studios, but “Galleria” also offers Art Guild members the opportunity to exhibit work, any work, in a varied salon style exhibition.  This exhibition has no theme, but rather encourages artists to include many pieces of art in all shapes and sizes, which adds to the riot of visual stimuli created by salon style hanging.  If that isn’t enough, participation is offered at extremely reasonable fees, and the exhibition extends three full weekends (although artists need to be present for only one). 

A seven foot section of gallery wall at Sanchez Art Center, the open wall portion of the show, is available to AGP members for $50.  Pre-registration using the call for entry form on line (here) is necessary.  As a bonus, however, artists can enter one piece of artwork in the salon style group show at no charge.  For only $15, an artist’s small works (i.e., cards, postcards, small books, and small jewelry) can be added to the Gallery Store, and therefore be one of the first things attendees see.  Interested artists should bring the work (remember, art of all shapes and sizes is part of the salon’s charm) to Receiving on Sunday, November 25, 2012 between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.  Payments based on art size will be taken at that time and on a tiered basis, as follows: 

·         Pieces of art up to 12 inches wide cost only $2.00 each to enter.

·         Pieces of art up to 25 inches wide cost only $5.00 each to enter.

·         Individual pieces of art over 25 inches in width are $10.00 each to enter.

There is no gallery commission charged for sold items during this show, and art enthusiasts who purchase art can leave with their purchase that day (as opposed to waiting until the show’s end).   Artists entering their work must be Art Guild of Pacifica members (individual membership is only $25 – learn more about membership here). 

AGP’s “Galleria” will be open for three consecutive weekends, but artists with open walls are required to be on the premises to represent their work only during the first weekend, which is November 30 – December 2, 2012.  Thereafter, gallery attendants will be on site to handle sales the weekends of December 8-9 and December 15-16, and during Pacifica Performance intermissions in that time period.  Please see the Call for Entry for open wall installation information and more details. 

We hope to see many Art Guild of Pacifica members involved in this wonderful exhibition and bringing their art to the public.  Remember, one doesn’t have to pay for wall space to be included in the salon group show.  For as low as $2.00, any artist can include a small piece of work and be a part of AGP’s glorious “Galleria”!  It’s a wonderful way to ring in the 2012 holiday season!

Get the call for artists here!

By Donna L. Faber

October 19, 2012

AGP Members Spotlight: Denny Holland

The Art Guild of Pacifica is a dynamic collection of people that are rich in capabilities, artistic experience, teamwork, and most of all talent.  There is so much talent that I wish I could blog about every single AGP member all at once.  I’ll have to settle for one member at a time, this time focusing on artist Denny Holland.

Denny Holland is one of four artists featured in this year’s Art Guild of Pacifica Member Show at Sanchez Art Center.  He considers being featured an unexpected honor, but we like him for so much more than just that!

Waterline, 16" x 20", oil on panel

In the AGP Members Show, Denny presents a series of ocean paintings focused on waves.  His style is primarily realistic and in oils, but with this series, he became fascinated by the wave’s abstract patterns. This show gave him the opportunity to deeply explore the line between realism and abstraction.

Denny is an artist living and working in the Bay Area, and he’s been painting for 30 years.  He attended the San Francisco Art Institute, and in 1983 graduated with a BFA in painting. Then, as a newly married man starting a family, he discovered how difficult it was to get work around that skill specifically.  So, Denny started a house painting business, and for the next 25 years it gave him flexibility to paint.

Denny's Trailer from "Travelogue"

Over the last two years, Denny has been teaching interior design at Canadá College and doing design work himself.  Of course, creativity and personal interest meet at the intersection of art. So, he explored three dimensional arts, such as the small trailer that was in Oceana Gallery’s show, “Travelogue”.  While 3D art is reminiscent of building models as a child, it also keeps his creativity fresh and new. From time to time, Denny needs a different creative outlet, but in the end it always comes back to oil painting.

Remember this from AGP's "Buddy Show"?

The creative elements Denny learns eventually blend together in a personal exploration of art that is largely inspired by living on the Coast and his various Coastline travels.   Many artists I speak with feel this way.  As Denny states, “we’re living in a gold mine of inspiration, really.”   I agree with him wholeheartedly. When you view his work and experience it’s soothing, calming and even atmospheric effects, you will understand Denny’s personal inspiration, and come to appreciate his work as much as I do.

Denny's Studio

You can see more of Denny’s work at www.dennyholland.com and on his blog at http://dennyhollandstudio.blogspot.com/.  He is highly focused on the AGP Members Show at this time, but immediately after will set painting aside for a time to do more three dimensional art. 

The Art Guild of Pacifica’s 54^th Annual Members Exhibit will be at Sanchez Art Center,1220 Linda Mar Boulevard, Pacifica, California  94044.  The show opens with a lovely reception on Friday evening, October 12, from 7 to 9 p.m.   Thereafter, the exhibit continues through November 18, 2012.

Blogged by Donna L. Faber

AGP Secretary

donnalouisefaber.com

A Peak at the Opening Night of "Travelogue"

Artists & The Internet -- Part 1: Blogs & Domains

There is no denying it, the technological age is upon us! The internet has not only changed the cultural landscape, but it has changed the way people are seen and how they do business. 

I’d like to share some of my experiences and thoughts on the internet and how it’s affected my creativity and art.  So, this is Part One of a three part article on artists and the internet. I’ll cover blogs, domains, websites, social networking, electronic newsletters, on-line sales and taking electronic payments.   There may be something you, the reader, are interested in, shared, or experienced yourself; but also I hope to dissolve some of the intimidating mystery and perhaps make it feel more accessible. If you're an experienced user, be encouraged to share your experience by leaving a comment so beginners can benefit from your knowledge.

The publishing industry has been changed radically by the internet as electronic readers like the Kindle™ and Nook™ put bookstores on the endangered species list. The music industry underwent dramatic change as LP’s became tapes, tapes became discs, and then discs became .mp files loaded on a tiny ipod.  Even the real estate industry has been affected as people looking for new homes can conduct so much of their search alone on line, and many important contacts, which are critical to the business, are established through social networking.

The world has become much smaller, made so by social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+, making it possible to correspond regularly with people on the other side of the world.  Entire families are hooked up on Facebook sharing pictures, plans and information, and the potential to find long lost family members or to end estrangements is immense.  There is also incredible pressure to jump on board the social networking train, yet doing so can be time consuming and intimidating to the new user. While each of these websites and programs have their pros and cons, what does all this mean to the artist?

Blogs

I started blogging in 2008, and the more I did, the more comfortable I felt.  There are a number of excellent blog programs out there that are free and easy to use.  The ones that come to mind immediately are Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, Tumbler, and Weebly.  My personal blog is on Blogger. Blogger, Typepad and Wordpress have been available for a long time, while Tumbler and Weebly are more recent.  Each of them have super easy point and click methods to make your blog look the way you want it to, including templates for the overall graphic look.  

Your blog’s publishing ability is only as smart as you are, so if you’re a beginner, it will stay at your pace, and it won’t do anything unexpected.  Point to remember: Your blog is public and visible to everyone unless you set security parameters.  But in my opinion, what’s the point of blogging if you don’t have an audience? 

A blog is not mandatory for an artist, but I know artists who blog rather than use a website and its works very nicely.  The artist can introduce new work, advertise upcoming shows, and even share their creative process or thoughts on a blog.  The possibilities are endless.

Domains

A domain is a private name or an address on the internet that you must purchase to own.  These are not free, but you can find one reasonably priced at approximately $15.00 per year.  This is how it works.

My website is called www.donnalouisefaber.com, and I had to pay for that name (domain) so I could use it for my art site. No one else can use that name. Most free blog sites do not require the user to purchase a domain.  However, they will plug their name into your blog’s address.  My blog is on blogger, for example, and the name of my blog is www.dancingdonna.blogspot.com (by the way, that’s not my real site).  If you want a simpler or more personal name, like www.dancingdonna.com, what do you have to do?  You have to purchase a domain.  Then, your blog site will have instructions on using it.

An artist who wants a website for their work (not a blog, but a website) absolutely must purchase a domain.  Your domain name will make your site searchable on engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.  If you want to be findable, and the point of all this is to increase your visibility, avoid using an obscure or kooky name.  That kooky name might mean something to you, but to the interested buyer who only knows your real name, searching a kooky name on line can be confusing or off putting.  Keep it simple.  Ask your peers about their domain and where they purchased it from. Some internet service providers are better than others.

The next installment in this series will cover websites and social networking.  View it right here.

By  AGP Board Secretary, Donna L. Faber at donnalouisefaber.com .

AGP Member Spotlight: Rig Terrell

Rig works on The Coral Reef

The Art Guild of Pacifica is a dynamic collection of people that are rich in capabilities, artistic experience, teamwork, and most of all talent.  There is so much talent that I wish I could blog about every single AGP member all at once.  I’ll have to settle for one member at a time, this time focusing on artist Rig Terrell.

If I had to apply three words to Rig’s art, I would use scale, physicality, and transformation.

Growing up in rural Connecticut, Rig Terrell’s artistic beginnings were strongly influenced by his mother, who has a degree in Fine Arts. While she could be found “downstairs” coaxing form out of clay, so could her children, in secret, where they squished noses and added their own “artistic” tweaks to her work when she wasn’t looking. As a child, Rig looked in unconventional places around town to find the treasures he used to make art.  Then, as a young artist, he felt limited by painting, and gravitated quickly to sculpture, which he considered a full-bodied approach to creativity.

Appreciating Scale

Carrying over themes from his childhood, Rig strives “to integrate his art with daily living,” informing it and consequently reflecting what’s happening in his life.  He builds furniture for a living, which requires creativity, but more it demands employment of his entire body.  For this reason, scale is of particular importance to Rig.  He prefers to create large objects, which is made evident in the latest piece he’s done for “Live & Current” at Oceana Gallery.  He wants to make art using his entire body, as well, much in the way he lives, surfs, and builds.  In fact, physicality plays a big role in the way Rig perceives art.  For example, most paintings are hung at eye level, which is coincidentally in line with the head. Thus, taking in or making a painting becomes a cerebral or thought provoking endeavor.  Likewise, the torso is associated with the heart and heart felt efforts toward or responses to art.  And last, the feet are associated with stability, a critical part of creating large scale art.

Raw Materials

Rig still uses commonplace items as raw materials.  You’ll see this in his latest piece. It’s made of used plastic bottles, but it differs from assemblage, Rig states, because he does not allow the items to stand as is.  Rather, when they are used as raw materials they are completely transformed.  Plastic bottles are a favorite because of the dichotomy they suggest.  They are the product of automation and from start to finish require no human handling in their creation.  However, Rig transforms them through hand-crafting, and they become a part of something unexpected.

Rig & Jada, Gallery Mascott

Rig has been a member of AGP for eight years, and has enjoyed a studio at the Sanchez Art Center for the same amount of time.  His latest ambition is to have a studio workshop that isn’t electrified. He wants to work with his hands and hand tools exclusively, and use resources only from nature utilizing natural light when it’s available. In this way, he’ll truly test his meddle while gaining a greater appreciation for the resources he uses.

The Art Guild of Pacifica’s “Live & Current” show, where you can see Rig’s completed sphere, celebrates its opening tonight, which is Friday, April 17, 2012 at Oceana Gallery from 7pm to 9pm.  Rig is on the Oceana Gallery committee and played a big part in conceiving and facilitating the “Live & Current” show within a show.

If you’re a member of the Art Guild of Pacifica and would like to see your creative endeavors included in the AGP Blog, feel free to blog it yourself (any member can be linked up to do so by reaching out to Michael Risenhoover), or let us know and we’ll get you blogged as soon as we can!

Blogged by Donna L. Faber

AGP Secretary

donnalouisefaber.com

Spotlight on AGP Member Daniele Derenzi

Daniele & Neice at AGP's Buddy Show

The Art Guild of Pacifica is a dynamic collection of people that are rich in capabilities, artistic experience, teamwork, and most of all talent.  There is so much talent that I wish I could blog about every single AGP member all at once.  I’ll have to settle for one member at a time beginning with AGP Treasurer, Daniele Derenzi.

Daniele has been doing art and photography for years and states she’s identified as an artist since she was seven.  Early interest in fashion design and the camera she received on her 18^th birthday helped steer her endeavors in a multi-faceted approach to creativity.  She enjoys painting and craft-making, but photography is no doubt her first and favorite love.

From the Pacifica Community Center's Exhibition

Artistic inspiration comes in many ways, but for Daniele it’s about nature.  She never has to go far to find the wildlife, natural landscape, and ocean that inspire her work.  To Daniele, Pacifica’s coastal environment is the perfect place to live and create, so why leave? Consequently, you’ll see these themes present in her creativity time and time again. 

From the Pacifica Community Center's Exhibition

You can frequently find Daniele at the Sanchez Art Center or the Oceana Gallery where she volunteers much of her time on behalf of the Art Guild and is an integral part of Oceana Gallery’s core committee.  You can find her work in any number of community shows or fairs in the Peninsula including Pacifica’s Fog Fest, St. Peter’s Church, Pacifica’s Elf Market and Half Moon Bay’s Johnson House.  Currently, she has an exhibition at the Pacifica Community Center, where you can view a well-rounded collection of photography and paintings. She’s also got a piece in Ocean Gallery’s current show entitled “Live and Current”.  Her website is here.

If you’re a member of the Art Guild of Pacifica and would like to see your creative endeavors included in the AGP Blog, feel free to blog it yourself (any member can be linked up to do so by reaching out to Michael Risenhoover), or let us know and we’ll get you blogged as soon as we can!

Blogged by Donna L. Faber

AGP Secretary

donnalouisefaber.com