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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Fort Bragg Day Three; Shops and Art Gallery, Restaurants

Fort Bragg is a quaint town too, also on the coast, has Glass Beach, some good restaurants, and lots of funky shops, a great stationary store, art supply store, bookstores new and used, and art galleries. Fred got art and teaching supplies at Racine's the day after Christmas. I was saving myself/ie pocketbook for the art supply store on the way out of town where I stocked up on silk transfer papers; wool fabrics for felting; and assorted pens. And where I enjoyed looking at their fabrics and buttons, and quilting books.
Across the street from Racine's I happened into this
Partner's Co-op Art Gallery and met Karen Fenley acting docent. Karen introduced me to many pieces in this show including this mixed media by Rachel Binah about the oil spills called
"Huston, We Have A Problem". Done with wire mesh over paper and paint. Very striking!
Kristin Otwell created this "Hanging Leaves" piece that wowed me. I really thought the leaves were real, but Karen explained that they were scanned and painted. It made a beautiful delicate wall hanging. My photos don't do the wonderful gradations in color justice.
Karen was the artist responsible for this mixed media piece. I enjoy talking to her and hearing her say how she picks things up on her walks (like I do, perhaps like all mixed media artists do) to use in her art and the bird skull in this piece was one such find. You'll need to click and enlarge the photo to see it more clearly.
Here is Karen next to another of her pieces paint on canvas covered in two layers of plexi-glass. Quite striking. It was fun to learn that she had gone to the same university as my husband and had lived in our area for many years. She said she and the other artists in the gallery had all been making art for 30 or more years. An artist by the name of Mina Cohen (no relation) made these wonderful woven pieces. And I popped this purple painting on a purple wall in for Robin who loves shades of lavender and purple! I was quite taken by this woven fabric piece, as it looked like something that would have fit perfectly into the show I have two pieces in now in Suisun, Quilts of a Different Matter. I was sorry to learn that the artist who had made it had recently died. She was a year younger than me. That always comes as a bit of a shock whether I know the person personally or not. Her name was Gail Chamberlain.
Karen and I chatted about both of our art works and after I described my "Stop Bullying" piece to her she felt that it might be fitting for an up coming show in a gallery in Gualala.
So we planned to stop in there on our way home.
I'll tell you more about that in a next post.
*****
We had dinner that night at Cafe Beaujolais, in Mendocino, an excellent chef on staff prepared our gourmet meals. But I have to be honest with you and myself, and say that rich food (not just the price, but the fancy sauces, etc.) are probably not something we will seek out in the future. Neither of us were bowled over and we wound up going back to Frankie's later for desert of plain homemade ice cream. (more our style truth be told).
And then back to our B & B a block away, where we made a fire in the fire place and read until we were falling to sleep. I really love this kind of a vacation!

5 comments:

  1. More art galleries. You are so lucky. I bet you will go home and look at your supplies differently and make another outstanding quilt piece.

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  2. What a most excellent day--a real feast for the eyes--I love this!!

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  3. I love that piece by Gail Chamberlain. It's too bad to hear about her death. She is one super fiber artist. And I can't wait to see what you do with the wool felt, usually so hard to find unless you order it over the internet.

    Thanks for taking us with you up the coast. It's a fun trip that I'm enjoying, that's for sure.

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  4. so many connections made in the art world. lovely pieces. by the by, i am a plain foods person. although i like to indulge in saucy spicy once in awhile, bland and plain is my bowl.

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  5. You live in a wonderful Artsy area. So much around you to inspire. Thanks for sharing it all with us. I loved the first photo of the dress in the door window & the Art. I can't wait for the rest of the continuing vacation story. :)

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Thanks for leaving your comments as I love hearing from you. Your words of encouragement are why I continue to draw!