Please enjoy a few works from our latest exhibit, Ode to Joy, at SAC from Jan 17 – Feb 9, 2025.
Sheila Finch
Sheila Finch GOLDEN DUSK – SAND HILL ROAD Oil
Sheila Finch GLOW AT DAYBREAK Oil
How does your artwork relate to the show?
I took great joy in creating these two paintings, Glow at Daybreak and Golden Dusk – Sand Hill Road. I am first and foremost a landscape painter. The theme of this show was perfect for expressing the way I feel when I look at a beautiful scene and want to paint it, as well as the actual act of applying paint to the canvas. Glow at Daybreak was inspired by childhood memories of autumn’s fiery brilliance as the leaves of the Maple trees turned orange-red. Golden Dusk-Sand Hill Road was a particular scene that struck me one evening as I was driving down I-280 – the way the late sunlight broke through the clouds, casting that ethereal golden glow across the coastal mountains. I had passed this spot hundreds of times, but there was something magical about that specific dusk. This painting reflects not just a physical location, but that precious moment when nature reveals its quiet beauty to those who take the time to notice.
What is the most important artist tool that you use in your practice?
I consider the most important artist tool I have to be a positive attitude and sense of gratitude for the process of creating art… even for the paintings that don’t work out as I’d hoped, because I usually still learn something important about the process from my flubs. Also, I love, love, love my monster Hughes 4000 easel because it allows me to continue to paint large. With almost no effort I can easily move my largest canvases up and down and side-to-side which is so helpful now that I’m getting older. A little tool I can’t live without is a good painting knife or two. Painting knives are perfect for making sharp edges or keeping an oil color bright as it’s placed on the canvas.
Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to share?
Yes! This year I am excited to be ramping up my Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@
My goal for this channel is to share my painting process and tips in the hopes that I’ll help artists who are at earlier stages in their journey and also offer videos for anyone who simply enjoys watching me paint. I’ve been painting for over fifty years now, so I’m hoping to pass along what I’ve learned as far as the painting process and also the business side of being a painter.
Noelle Lane
Noelle Lane GOOD FORTUNE’S MESSENGER Acrylic on Canvas
What is a little known fact about yourself that you would like to share?
A little-known fact about myself that I’d like to share….well I’m a self-taught artist with a BA in Biology & I crossed a bucket list item off my list by signing up for singing lessons last year. I really love it & I’ve improved my range & technique all without being able to read music.
What was the first artwork you created that really mattered to you?
The first piece of artwork I created that really mattered… I created this little canvas of a tree on a hillside with the sun shining above. It was one of the first canvases that I had ever created that I was really happy & proud of. I still have it to this day in my room.
How does your artwork relate to the show?
First off, I really love hummingbirds. They always make me smile when I see them flitting around our property. For me they represent a bubbly, enchanting present that shows up as a gift as I encounter them. The title of my piece references their connection to mythology and their bringing messages to the ancient gods. Today, hummingbirds can be seen as being messages from loved ones that have passed on.
Evangelina Miller
Evangelina Miller UNDER THE STARS Encaustic Collage
How does your artwork relate to the show?
This piece came about after 2020, when I was thrilled to be able to join with friends and family again, a celebratory piece of sorts, reflecting on the joy I feel when I’m doing activities with others.
What was the first artwork you created that really mattered to you?
A linoleum block of a solar eclipse, that I cut out and then printed when I was 12, with the help of my uncle, who had a printing press.
What is the most important tool that you use?
I have a collection of scissors, and I use my heat gun a lot.