Art after Dark Was Quite a Party Saturday Night

Art after Dark Is a Progressive Party in Paso Robles

Art after Dark happens on the first Saturday night of every month. Most of the partying takes place at Studios on the Park, so that's where I went tonight.

Although all the studios and galleries were open, I spent most of my time in four places:

• The Paso Robles Art Association Showroom Gallery
• The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Gallery
• The Studio currently shared by Dean Crawford Jr., Sharon Sobraske, and Deb Hofstetter. 
• The Atrium Gallery

I did peek into the other studios and galleries. I enjoyed the music provided by the Julie Beaver Trio. I always enjoy their toe-tapping western music. It fit right into the theme for the Atrium Gallery Exhibit: In Love with the West.

Partying with the Paso Robles Art Association in their Showroom Gallery

Art, Food, and Conversations Are What Makes the Artist Receptions Special, © B. Radisavljevic

After stopping by to trade gossip and jokes with Robert Simola where the printmakers hang out just to the right as you enter the Atrium, I headed back to the PRAA Gallery for their exhibit, Artist's Choice. The artists chose their favorites from among their works to enter in this juried exhibit. 

Here is some of the art I saw there. The photos can only give you an idea of what's to be seen. It's worth a trip to Studios on the Park to see the art up close before this exhibit closes February 28. 

Art on Display for Artist's Choice Exhibit in PSAA Showroom Gallery, © B. Radisavljevic

Two of my favorites in this photo are the "Chapel on the Hill" in the upper left corner, and the man painting with his feet on the railroad tracks (left in very bottom row). I somehow got away without getting the titles and artist names on all the art pieces this time. It was crowded, and I was just photographing walls, not individual works. I hope to get back later and vote for my favorite for the People's Choice award. It will be really hard to decide. 

Art in PRAA Showroom February 3, 2018, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

My favorite piece in the collection above is the photo of the gate into the San Miguel Mission Cemetery. You have to see it up close to fully appreciate it. That could also be said of the other works in these photos. 

More Work from the Artist's Choice Exhibit in the PSAA Gallery, © B. Radisavljevic

I'm quite sure there was no one at the exhibit that was not captivated by the lion on the rock you see above. The photographer was at the reception to explain how he got that photo. It took patience. 

I had just gotten in an interesting conversation with someone about photography when we were called to attention as the juror, Julie Dunn, announced the awards. She approached each work of art and explained why she chose it for an award. In this photo you can also see some of the delicious food that was offered to us. 

Julie Dunn Explaining Why She Made Each Award, © B. Radisavljevic

The photos of the photographers with their works came later. I apologize for not getting all the names of those in the photos. I hope to correct that later when I get back to Studios on the Park again. I hope the award winners will forgive me until then. Deprise Brescia, who won the best of show award, seemed to be taking the photos of the other winners beside their winning art pieces. See some of Deprise's work in my October PRAA costume party post. 

One Award Winner Photographs Another, © B. Radisavljevic

Award for Art Just Above the Artist's Head, © B. Radisavljevic

After seeing the over seventy art pieces that were on the wall, I'm very glad I wasn't the judge. I would have wanted to give at least twenty of the entries awards. 

I didn't have much time after the awards to look around before it got too crowded to take more photos. So I grabbed some cookies and moved to the next gallery. 

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Gallery: Salute to the Military

Work of Elementary School Students from Paso Robles Schools, © B. Radisavljevic

Although I spent some time here, there were no artists and the room was almost empty. This is where students and faculty of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District display their work. My last visit to this gallery was in October of last year, and all the displays were different. This time almost everything was on the walls and the tables were gone. 

The theme here was students saluting the military. The photo above shows how the elementary students addressed this topic. Below I show a portion of what the Paso Robles High School student artists did. 

Pictures by Paso Robles High School Students, Photo, © B. Radisavljevic

My eye was immediately drawn to the colorful picture in the center of the bottom row. It is titled "Brotherhood" and was done by Clay Wilshusen. As I looked at the contributions of the other high school students, I was struck by another picture on the same theme by Andrea Lopez: "Man's Best Soldier." The quote at the bottom of the label reads: "The bond between man and his dog is so strong that not even a bullet could tear through it." 

"Man's Best Soldier" by Andrea Lopez, Paso Robles High School, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

On to "Color Me Red" in the Studio 4 Gallery

Meet Photographers Dean Crawford Jr and Deb Hofstetter in their Studio, © B. Radisavljevic

When I arrived at Studio 4 Gallery, resident photographers Dean Crawford Jr and Deb Hofstetter were ready to meet and greet guests at their weekly "Meet the Photographers" event. There was a lot of interaction in this room. Definitely a party of its own. Below, Dean is standing with his back to the red wall talking to visitors. 

Dean Crawford Conversing with Studio Guests, © B. Radisavljevic

Although I spent some time talking to Deb, she vanished when I was ready to take her photo. I'll catch her one of my next visits.

It Was a Continual Party in the Atrium Gallery

Music from the Julie Beaver Trio fit right in with the theme In Love with the West. The audience, as you will see, was having a grand time moving with the music and sometimes singing along. 

Wine was $8 a glass, poured by RN Estate Winery

There were many types of art styles displayed in the Atrium Gallery, but it was so crowded it was really difficult to do justice to the wonderful sculptures. There was no way they could be isolated from the crowd. Unfortunately they are not on the website along with the paintings from this exhibit.

If you are able, I encourage you to come to Studios on the Park to properly appreciate the excellence of these pieces. Here are some visitors looking at the art on the wall. Most of the sculptures are on the pedestals in the center. 

Visitors Appreciate the Art in the Atrium Gallery, © B. Radisavljevic

I have many more photos, but I would encourage you to come in and look. I think I'll call it a night and go ahead and publish.

***

Paso Robles Art Association Throws an Art Costume Party

The Paso Robles Art Association Hosts an Artist Reception Every Month

The party normally coincides with Art after Dark dates, but the artist receptions usually start at 5 pm, an hour earlier than Art after Dark. I usually go to Studios on the Park for the PRAA reception before five to get an early start. I go directly to their Showroom Gallery near the back of the building.

Each month has a new theme to inspire the artists, who then try to address it. This month's theme was appropriately "Costume." Some artists came in costume,  but some only put the theme in their works. By the time I took this photo, the party had become quite lively.

An Early View

Saturday I was later than I wanted to be because my Charter technician hadn't called to confirm our 6:00 appointment and I wanted to make sure my husband was home before I left. He never did call and he didn't show up, either, so I'm glad I didn't stay home. They must have fixed our connection remotely and not bothered to tell us.

I usually arrive to these art events early because the early birds usually find the best parking -- unless there are too many of them. I was really lucky Saturday night. Someone pulled out right in front of me, right across the street from Studios on the Park. Naturally I swooped right into the place. When I entered the building, it was almost empty with hardly an artist to be seen. I did run into artist Jordan Hockett as he ran between studios arranging things. I'll be featuring his art in a future post.

When I arrived in  the Showroom Gallery, they were still setting up. This is how it looked when I arrived as the party began.  There's still plenty of food, and the art is easier to see when there aren't so many people blocking the view.

Not All Art Hangs on the Wall

Although many painters and photographers participate in these art exhibits, not all the artists have works that can hang.  Here is one of my favorites from this show. Unfortunately the title of this acrylic painted bottle created by Deprise Brescia was only partly legible. It appears someone had left a cup on it and the title was smeared. I'm glad no one harmed this delicate but elegant artistic expression . I love the way the shadows dance on the wall behind it.

Deprise Brescia is also responsible for creating "Breath of Fire," an encaustic mixed media piece that does hang on the wall.  "Orange Magnum," which was created by a guest artist, sits below it. What a shame someone had to leave that drink behind. I wasn't sure whether to cut it cut or not, but that would have also cut off the design on the bottom of the decorated bottle.

I wish I'd managed to get a photo of my favorite painting, but somehow I didn't. It might have been too crowded when I found it. The painting was an exquisite tree in its "autumn costume."

Speaking of Costumes

Were I to give a prize to the best costumes on the peope I saw, it would go to this pair. I'm sorry I didn't get their names. They were so social I had to round them up to get this photo of them together, since they were both circulating with others, usually with their backs to the camera. I'm glad they agreed to pose for me.

So Much to See, So Little Time

This the second of my series on the October Art After Dark event at Studios on the Park. Here's yesterday's post, Welcome to Art After Dark at Studios on the Park , Part 1. I have often written about Art after Dark and Studios on the Park in the  years I've written this blog. To find the related articles, just use the handy search box in the right side bar. You will also see the future posts I'm about to write if you look in the Blog Archive near the bottom, in the right-hand column of the of the side bar. 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The image below was designed for Pinterest. 

Encaustic Art at Studios on the Park

"The Earth Has Music for Those Who Listen"
by Eve Chartrand, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

On my February 5 visit to Studios on the Park  I noticed that there seemed to be more encaustic work on display  than I  remembered from past  visits. As you might remember from a previous post, Eve Chartrand had been working on her violin for the SoundScapes exhibit and planning to use encaustic painting to seal it. This is her finished work titled "The Earth Has Music for Those Who Listen." You can click to enlarge the photo to see the detail.  I couldn't help the shadows. It's unfortunate that the art is so close to the color of the wall and that the light is insufficient to really show the work off. You will need to go see it.











Here is the bottom portion of the work in more detail.

"The Earth Has Music for Those Who Listen" by Eve Chartrand,
Close-Up of Details on Bottom. Photo © B. Radisavljevic

There were a few more encaustic paintings in the SoundScapes exhibit, but they were also very light and hard to see in a photo. I saw more colorful encaustic works in the Paso Robles Art Association "Textures of Life" exhibit in the Showroom Gallery. Encaustic is a perfect medium for creating texture with the wax layers. Here are two colorful works in this exhibit. You really need to see these in person to fully appreciate them.

"Deep Connections," Mixed Media Encaustic, by De Prise Brescia. Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Have you ever done any encaustic painting? It looks a bit more complicated than painting with only oil or acrylic, since you need to use heated wax. If you'd like to try your hand at it, there are some highly reviewed products below to help you learn this art and provide you with the right supplies to get started. There is an even larger selection if you go direct to Amazon. 

 Encaustic Art: The Complete Guide to Creating Fine Art with Wax R&F Encaustic Paints Starter Kit R&F Encuastic Paints Studio Essentials Kit R&F Encaustic Paints Translucent Colors, Set of 6

Related articles

• A Visit to Studios on the Park: The Art Hub Of Paso Robles

My Favorite Dragon for Theme Day

Barbara Radisavljevic, Paso Robles, USA

The theme for the September theme day is Curiosities. I chose a piece of art I saw in an exhibit years ago that has always been one of my favorites. This soft sculpture dragon in felt was created by Kathy Batdorf, who titled it "Bedtime for Dragon." She does amazing things with her needle. This won third place in the "Through the Looking Glass" exhibit in December, 2010, sponsored by the Paso Robles Art Association.

Detail in "Bedtime for Dragon" created in felt by Kathy Batdorf

To get an idea of the detail of this work, I've included a close-up of the caterpillar reading the bedtime story to the dragon.  You can enlarge either photo by clicking on it. The Paso Robles Art Association currently has monthly shows at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles

Make a dragon or dragon costume yourself with a pattern from Amazon.

Related articles

• Sculptures by Central Coast Artist Vel Miller

Back to Studios on the Park

Studios on the Park is like an art hub in downtown Paso Robles. I have been enjoying visits to it often since I found it in 2010. Today was my first visit in months, since my recent surgeries have restricted my activities outside my home. Now my restrictions are lifted and I can drive again. That's why I decided to stop by the studios after I left the post office today just to see what's been happening. The current juried exhibit is announced here in the Window: Eat Your Heart Out. You can enlarge this photo or any other by clicking on it.

Almost no one I knew was around today, and there had been many changes since my last visit. Artists had moved and new artists had taken their spaces. Galleries had been shuffled into new spaces, as well. I did make it into the "Celebrations" exhibit of the Paso Robles Art Association and I took a picture of the art piece that won first place. It's by Nancy Vest. She has been doing a lot of mixed media art. The title on this one is "It's a Boy!"

Photo © Barbara Radisavljevic

I have always thought of Nancy as a photographer, because I first saw her work at the Ranch Dressing Exhibit in 2010. Here’s what Nancy herself says about her photograph, which she allowed me to share.  “The photo “Never Let The Horse Drive” is a photo of the mule LaVonda looking through the wrecked truck. Mules know they are smarter than horses so that is what LaVonda is conveying: “Never let the horse drive” if you want your vehicle back in one piece! I was at the right place at the right time do get her to look at me with just such an expression.”

Photo © Barbara Radisavljevic

My very favorite work of Nancy's is called "Love Letters by Snail Mail." It's also mixed media. It was part of the 'Love Songs" exhibit in February, 2012. Don't you think it's clever?

Photo © Barbara Radisavljevic

To find out what's happening on any given day at Studios on the Park and for information about exhibits and resident artists, visit the Studios on the Park website.