Contemporary Fusion

Contemporary Fusion, a new exhibit by Andrea Allen and Colette Coad opens Friday, December 1 from 4-6pm, the exhibit will be up through January 7 in the Jacob Foyer at Gualala Arts.   

Andrea Allen and Colette Coad present an exhibit that offers ancient art forms in modern-day modes.   Contemporary Fusion will enable to you see these works from an entirely different perspective.  Chinese Brush painting and Glass Fusion are brought up to date and made interesting and relevant to our modern perspective and sensibilities.  Andrea has been a practitioner of Chinese Brush Painting for many years and has studied with some of the modern masters.  She calls on the ageless skills of those who proceeded her to create a variety of modern forms.  Chinese Brush painting dates to 770 BCE when artists began to depict nature on scrolls and other media.  Andrea continues this tradition by capturing bamboo, cranes and other images that bring nature to us.  Glass art is an even older art form.  The earliest pieces date back to 3500 BCE.  Glass art has been practiced all over the world and several pieces  were discovered in the ruins of Pompeii.  While glass can be created in many forms, Colette practices the art of glass fusion.  Fusion takes place when two or more pieces of glass are heated to a melting point in a kiln.  She loves forming glass into a variety of styles and functionality.

Each of these artists brings a new and contemporary take on long-held techniques and perspectives.

About Andrea Allen As a Chinese Brush Artist, Andrea Allen has developed a unique style that combines the traditions of the Chinese Masters with a subtle, contemporary flair. She studied with a Chinese Master for six years and has been painting and teaching in this style for over twenty years.
Andrea utilizes many ancient Chinese techniques such as grinding her own Sumi ink, often mixing it with watercolor, loading the calligraphy brush, and applying it to handmade rice paper, with a minimal number of strokes to complete each painting. She carefully balances the unpainted and painted spaces in each composition, creating a tranquil flow throughout each painting.

Ancient Chinese symbolism and philosophy influence her work, enhancing the feeling of vital energy and serenity. The inherent effect is for the viewer to be effortlessly invited into each painting, to experience a peaceful balance and harmony in a timeless continuum.
Andrea has exhibited extensively throughout the Bay Area, including the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She teaches several classes in Chinese Brush painting for beginning and experienced students. Andrea also welcomes creating custom paintings, upon request.

About Colette Coad   I love glass.  It is not only my medium, it is a source of great joy and sometimes great frustration.  Eleven years ago, I took an introductory class on glass fusing.  I fell in love.  I bought a kiln and some glass (enough to fill a stand holding eight pieces).  I now have two kilns, five stands and two crates of glass.  Yes, I do love glass.

I do fused glass which is also known as warm glass.  This is somewhat ironic given that I fuse at a top temperature of 1450 degrees Fahrenheit which seems much hotter than warm.   It takes about fourteen hours for the kiln to work its magic so this is not art for the impatient.  There is no instant gratification.

Glass has always intrigued and fascinated me.  I think the dichotomy of it being both dangerous and fragile while being so beautiful is captivating.  I love the way it looks in different light and the almost endless combinations of colors and even textures that can be created.  I do wish I had bought stock in a band-aid company given how easy it is to cut myself while doing glass.

I enjoy taking classes and have learned many techniques that I apply to my work.  It is fun to mix up the techniques and apply them to totally new forms that emerge from the kiln.  It’s amazing how many times I start working on an idea first thing in the morning and the next thing I know it is 2:30pm.  I haven’t had anything to eat or thought about anything else but glass.  Really a pretty good day.

I had a very busy and fulfilling career in management consulting.  I traveled extensively in North America and Europe while raising my family with my husband.  I loved what I did and it offered many creative opportunities.  None of those opportunities were artistic.  After I moved to the coast and was retired for a while, I rediscovered glass. 

I had never thought of myself as an artist.  The only “art” class I have ever taken was drawing.  I failed I think I have found my “inner artist”.  I have come to believe that this inner artist exists in many, if not all, of us.  I was lucky to find glass with the first series of classes I took in Sebastopol.  The Mendonoma area offers so many opportunities to explore and discover what will unleash your inner artist.