Four Seasons Spotlight

Please enjoy a small sampling of the excellent work in our Feb – Mar 2024 show, themed Four Seasons.

 

Rosemary Machado

 

Rosemary Machado WINTER DREAMS OF SPRING mixed media

How does your artwork relate to the theme of the show?

What I was trying to convey in my piece for this show was the milky skies we get in California on winter days when it’s not raining. As a native Californian who grow up on the central coast I don’t really associate winter with snow. I never even saw snow falling until I was 23. What I think of is bare branches against a milky sky on a cold winter day. The dreaming part of my piece are the floating circles with “dreams” of spring trees blossoming and the first poppies blooming.

What was the first artwork you created that really mattered to you?

The first artwork that really mattered to me was a grouping of horses rearing and charging that I copied from a book. I was maybe 12 or 13 years old. Looking back I remember it being kind of psychedelic as far as the colors I used for light and shadow. My dad framed it for me and I had it on my wall for years.

What is the most important artist tool that you use in your practice?

My most Important tools are my brushes. I learned a long time ago to buy good brushes and to take very good care of them. When you do that you don’t waste money on brushes continually wearing out.

 

Joel Fontaine

Joel Fontaine CUP OF TEA pen & ink


How does your artwork relate to the theme of the show?

I think one of the first ideas people ever had was tying a person’s life to the seasons. In my own winter season now I look back more and reflect on my spring, summer, autumn. These thoughts swirl in my head like squirrels on a wheel, and it’s good for  me to take a quiet moment to come back to the present.

What is the most important artist tool that you use in your practice?

I love my #102 hunt crow quill pen nibs, and my little ink pot. It is comforting and quieting to dip in my pen, tap off the excess, and draw lines.

What is a little known fact about yourself that you would like to share?

In 1977 I took my first class in set design, which involved a sketch for each play assigned. I had never had art classes. By the end of the semester I did a sketch (Cyrano de Bergerac) that had pretty good light and shadow. I was induced to enter it into a national competition, and I got third place. The judge was later to be my graduate teacher and mentor in life, Ming Cho Lee.