Steve Chell, Decorative Mirrors, and Gualala Arts Basketmakers Group Opening Reception: Saturday, February 7, 2009, 5:00 p.m. Exhibit remains through March 4 Dolphin Gallery

The Dolphin Gallery will present a free exhibit of decorative mirrors made by Steve Chell and baskets, gourds and felting artisan items from the Gualala Basketmakers Group from the opening Saturday, February 7, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. through March 4.

About Steve Chell

As we walked down the back exit stairs of the Furniture Mart in San Francisco, I saw an old mirror that had wooden dowels protruding from it in some odd fashion.

"Wood and mirror?" I asked myself, a hobby photographer looking for a new and unique artistic outlet. My first creative efforts using inexpensive woods and mirror were sold through local shows and shops. With growing sales - and compliments - came a desire to create something truly artistic that would provide lasting beauty - and Reflektions was born.

I had success in a craft gallery in the Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, and at a sister gallery in Carmel that encouraged me to continue my artistic explorations with wood and mirror.

I experimented with flame-treating strips of copper and ways to incorporate them into my mirror artworks. Placing them under glass onto the base mirror as colorful insets provided a striking concept - especially when abandoning my various colored hardwood frames in favor of sophisticated black wood frames. Along the way, I discovered the various forms of textured glass that have added another eye-catching way to highlight the copper strips. I've since begun using strips of handmade paper and my digital photographs, as well as other metals and materials for new and unusual effects.

I continue to use colored mirror (primarily bronze, gray, and copper), a variety of textured glass forms, and frames of woods from around the globe - maple, canarywood, wenge, granadillo, cocobolo, purpleheart, koa, and others distinguished by figure and color - as well as commercial black wood molding. And I find myself continually jotting down new designs and considering new materials and concepts to enhance my mirrors.

Reflektions' mirrors and designs complement a variety of home and office decors - from contemporary to Asian to Craftsman and even traditional. They are available through fine galleries on the northern California coast or as commissions.

My professional career included Public Relations and Human Resources management with Hewlett-Packard and management communications consulting for many Silicon Valley firms and organizations. My wife Carol, a watercolor artist, and I moved to Gualala, CA, in September, 2006.

About the Gualala Arts Basketmakers Group

Gualala Arts Basketmakers came together as a group in 2007 under the direction of Gerda Randolph.

The group has continued to meet monthly, members bringing new projects to discuss or problems to solve; always sharing their knowledge and giving encouragement. The group usually meets the second Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please call Gerda Randolph for more information, 707-785-2206.

The group makes baskets from a variety of materials including natural materials such as pine needles, wild iris, various grasses, corn husks, and willow.

Members share resources and, whenever possible, use locally found materials. While most in the group use coiling for their baskets, plaiting and twining are also used. Experimentation is valued and encouraged and each basket is as unique as the individual who makes it.

In order to encourage creative thinking and the exploring of many possibilities, the following definition of a basket was adopted from the introduction to a book entitled 500 Baskets: A Celebration of the Basketmakers Art. To be defined as a basket, ONE of three criteria should be met: the use of a basketry technique, the use of traditional basketry materials, or the concept of a basket. Consider this definition as you view our work, and be aware of the many possibilities of the idea of "basket."

Among those displaying their work are the following artists: Lynne Kelleher, James Shanower, Mike Turner, Cheryl Faconti, Gerda Randolph, and JoAnne Abreu.

The Dolphin Gallery is located at 39225 Highway One in downtown Gualala, CA
(behind the post office on the south side). Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-3896 for more information.