Chico Art Center kicks off our 65th year with artworks by artists that support our organization with their membership. Whether an artist is a novice or pro, it is always a courageous and generous act to make one’s personal creation public for all to see. Visitors have a chance to see what studio artists, both regional and national offer up.
Virtual Gallery Reception: Sunday, January 24, 4:00 PM
This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of the artist, Cris Guenter.

Annai Smith, “Ode to Joy”, oil on canvas, 20x24”, $400. This past year has been a contemplation of “joy” for me. What does it mean to have joy and how do I have it? After much reflection I’ve come to realize that joy isn’t a fleeting emotion like happiness that comes and goes with possession of things or circumstance but a deep state of being, a contentment with my life, myself, and a feeling of peace. I long for that, I believe we all do. I’ve discovered ways to help me achieve that feeling of joy but it is something I work on daily. I painted a series of wild, loose, unencumbered abstract flowers as a symbol of joy for me. Vibrancy, growth in sometimes uncomfortable or unusual circumstance, and yet full of life and hope!

Christine Evans, "A View with a Room, 20-20", Oil and oil pastel, wax, 72”x 44”, $3000. I would describe my process as visual jazz. My paintings invite participation because of their patterns, form, color and texture. I combine elements to create rhythms, at times placing representational objects within the composition. As a result, my paintings work like jazz, stirring feelings without narration.

Nicolai Larsen, "Bumpass Hell", gouache on board, 20x 30", $5000. An excursion into the volcanic world of Lassen Peak painted with gouache on tinted museum board.
Gouache is a water-based medium like watercolor except it is opaque and not transparent. Traditional watercolors are usually painted on white paper so that light will reflect off the surface and through the paint colors directly to the eye. With gouache, whites and light colors are obtained with the addition of Chinese white allowing the artist to paint on a darker surface such as tinted museum board.

Adele Etcheverry Sheets, "Ladies’ Rendezvous”, oil on linen panel, 8x10”, $175 framed. My intention is to paint these three beautiful cyclamens in a new US trending style, which I admire. Disrupted Realism started on the East coast in Philadelphia. Artists in the San Francisco Bay Area quickly absorbed it. Through the past year, I have experimented with Disrupted Realism. I like the idea of keeping realism but also distorting it to tell an interesting story. Currently, I am developing a collection of works that I intend to post to my OSAT virtual gallery in May 2021.

Jim Lawrence, "The Pinto", Acrylic on canvas, 16"x20", $400. I've been wanting to paint a landscape for a while but my attempts with a brush were not very successful, so I tried a pallet knife. The approach I took was to start at the top and work my way down the scene, finishing the painting as I went. One tab of paint at a time, one tree at a time, it felt a little like a meditation practice. I think I've found my inspiration for a while.

Fay Grundvig,
"Sun Rise", Oil on Canvas, 20x24" with frame, $600. When the North Complex fire swept across our hills, we were evacuated from our home for three weeks. When we returned to our property we were beyond overjoyed to see our house still standing. It was untouched despite the destruction of our outbuildings and vegetation. I painted this canvas almost immediately, being so thankful that our home was spared and that I had a studio. It represents that hope must rise just as the sun rises every day.

Carolyn McLeod, "Shadows and Ginkgo Leaves", Photograph on Wrap Canvas, 24x 15", $200. I took this photograph a year ago last fall. My goal was to take an interesting photo of the Stansbury home, but what caught my interest was the ginkgo leaves on the pavement
and the shadows from the fence. It is a simple but striking photo, that has recently received a national award.

Jason Tannen, "1942 Inspiration", archival pigment print, 17in x 21in (framed), $65. For over thirty years, I’ve photographed the urban environment. I’m particularly interested in the urban landscape of signs, symbols and pictures-in-pictures, along with curious or eccentric juxtapositions. Focusing on images without people or street action allows the images to be free-floating, without reference to a particular period or era. I work in color to explore the visual and material erosion that comes with time, the elements, or human intervention: colors that have bleached or are reduced to blues and reds, surfaces that have cracked, are peeling, or have been vandalized.

Mark Gailey, "Praveen with Big Hair", graphite on paper, medium size drawing, NFS. This is one of my all time favorite drawings. It is of a long time Chico World Beat dancer who is now a mainstay in the Portland dance scene. I think the drawing works both as a pensive portrait and an expressive figure study. Hair is notoriously difficult to draw, but I think I was able to catch it this time during this inspired figure drawing session.

April Richards-Senior, "Simson Ranch", Watercolor (giclee print), 11x 15", $75. This painting was begun during a private visit to the Simson Ranch to remember the lives of Burt and Marge Simson, who have now passed away, and who operated the dairy and rice farm partially shown in the painting. The artist has been a friend of several generations of the Simson Family. An attempt was made to show the remote beauty of the location and preserve memories of a proud farming family. The original is in the collection of a member of the Simson Family.

Grizzelle Canter, "The Year Was 2020", Charcoal on Paper, 14 X 17", NFS. As we all grieve and are in disbelief for the loss of over 320,000 Souls lost in our Country, and the many more around the world during the Year 2020 due to the Covid Pandemic, we will continue to hope and work for a better tomorrow!

Joan North, "Cyclone", Botswana agate & sterling, size 8. $150. I like shapes that remind me of life situations (my “Metaphors in Metal” series, for example), starkly simple shapes, and combinations that draw your surprised eye. I love contrast in form and similarity in color. Incorporating stones into metal designs delights me. I dream of new designs, smiling in my sleep. Most of all, I want each piece to intrigue the viewer.