Textures, Tangles & Tessellations

Gualala Arts is pleased to present Textures, Tangles & Tessellations, an invitational exhibit celebrating the intricate design elements that make artwork unforgettable will open on Friday, February 7 from 4-6 pm. Artists are endlessly inspired by the rich details of the world around us- patterns in nature, the interplay of light and shadow, and the organic shapes that repeat and evolve. Through observation, interpretation, and inventive use of materials, artists transform these details into works that captivate and invite deeper exploration.

Ling-Yen Jones and Jennifer Whitfield will bring together local artists, Jennifer Whitfield, Ling-Yen Jones, Lisa Lauer,  Barbara Poole, James Docker and Mike Foster —whose work naturally embraces texture, pattern, and the beauty of repetition for this exploration.

Ling‑Yen Jones

Mendocino County jeweler and business owner Ling‑Yen Jones creates original designs in sterling silver, semiprecious stones, and pearls. Her collections often feature repeating motifs and range from traditional to modern in style. Many pieces incorporate stylized Asian faces inspired by the feminine grace and romantic imagery of the Japanese Ukiyo‑E period—“images of the floating world” that depicted everyday life in Japan from the 16th through 19th centuries.

Her popular Unmentionables series showcases expressive faces—surprise, serenity, wonder, ecstasy- each rendered with humor and elegance. Hidden details on the reverse of her pieces reveal hand‑cut flowers, roller‑printed leaf patterns, and intimate scenes of paired lovers. “I define my jewelry designs as creations that are useful, artistic, symbolic, identifying, and an expression of my personal ideas,” Ling‑Yen explains. Motifs such as leaves, birds, and windows often symbolize new beginnings, hope, change, and personal growth.

She works primarily in sterling silver, copper, gold, pearls, and semiprecious stones, striving for pieces that are clean in appearance, distinctive, and artistically rendered. Her full collections can be viewed at ling‑yendesigns.com.

Lisa Lauer

Lisa’s goal as a painter is to create a sensory path for the viewer—something akin to moving through a dream. The surroundings feel familiar, yet there is an undercurrent of something imminent, unknown, and possibly transformative.

In her process, she works to physically evoke that sense of anticipation by turning a flat surface into a topography that invites exploration. After an initial underpainting and sketch, she builds forms with a mixture of oil paint and cold wax. As each layer dries, she scrapes and rubs the surface with various tools, revealing lower layers and creating unexpected textures and transitions.

She earned a degree in art history with a minor in studio art from Swarthmore College, originally imagining a future in art restoration. Instead, she found herself in the tech industry—always carrying a quiet, persistent goal to someday live where land meets sea and simply paint. Now, she is finally doing just that.

Barbara Poole

Barbara’s  work has shifted from simply observing her surroundings to focusing more deeply on process and how to express what she wants to say. As both a painter and a printmaker, Barbara values having multiple mediums available when beginning a new piece. It is rewarding for her to move between them, using each to achieve different results.

Barbara’s current focus is on expressing a feeling. She usually begins by drawing whatever is on her mind, often influenced by interactions with family and friends. From there, she considers how to translate that information into a finished piece. The process can take time, and during that development stage she often creates work that keeps her engaged and may unexpectedly lead her toward the direction she is ultimately heading.

James Docker

James Docker’s work reflects a wide range of influences- past and present artists, amateur and professional makers, architecture, and the discipline and improvisational freedom of jazz and classical music. His pieces often reveal Japanese aesthetics, including boro fabric traditions and functional objects associated with food service and the tea ceremony. Visual echoes of Piet Mondrian appear subtly throughout his designs.

Docker has worked with wood his entire adult life, designing and building homes, cabinets, and furniture for more than 60 years. A fifth‑generation home designer and builder, he began creating knife blocks and serving boards for friends and neighbors at The Sea Ranch, a practice that grew into a signature body of work. Over his 50‑year career, he has designed and constructed custom homes on The Sea Ranch, in the Napa Valley, and throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

He earned his MFA from San Francisco State University, where he briefly taught wood technology and fabrication in the Sculpture program. He studied art as an undergraduate at Pepperdine College. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, Docker lived in Kyoto, Japan, studying language, culture, arts, and architecture. He has returned many times over the years to visit family and continue exploring Japan’s creative traditions.

His current creative efforts focus on knife blocks, serving boards, cabinetry, and furniture, as well as fabric design using printed textiles derived from his woodwork. He continues to design custom homes. His woodwork has been described as “quilting in wood,” and above all, he hopes his pieces offer both visual delight and practical usefulness.

Mike Foster

Mike Foster creates a wide range of sculptures and furniture using salvaged metals- anything destined for the landfill. He finds deep satisfaction in transforming discarded, unwanted objects into pieces that spark conversation and bring joy to viewers. His early work relied heavily on automotive parts such as gears, chains, bolts, and pistons, but over time his materials have expanded. People now regularly call to offer him worn‑out tools, flatware, hardware, and miscellaneous metal items, all of which eventually become components of sculptures that will far outlast their previous lives.

Nature is a major source of inspiration for Foster. He loves animals and enjoys the challenge of capturing the spirit of an endangered white rhino or the tranquility of a swimming sea turtle using nothing more than gears, hardware, and scrap metal. He also delights in making robots, appreciating the freedom of having no rules in their construction. Giving personality to objects that inherently have none is especially satisfying for him.

Most of his work is welded using TIG or MIG techniques, though he also forges and uses any tool suited to metalwork. He typically begins with a single piece and builds outward from it. In one sculpture- a rhino head- the entire form was constructed around a pair of old brass doorknobs used as eyes. When the right piece isn’t available, he modifies what he has, cutting, welding, bending, or grinding until the part fits his vision.

Creating sculptures is Foster’s “happy place,” where time easily slips away. Eventually, the process yields something that brings delight to those who encounter it.

Jennifer S. Whitfield

Sonoma County and Cape Cod award‑winning artist Jennifer S. Whitfield works in acrylic mediums, soft pastel, and watercolor. Her current portfolio can be viewed at jswhitfield.com. A lifelong learner with a naturally curious spirit, Jennifer continually explores new materials and techniques to express her thoughts and emotions.

“My brush is my voice,” she says. “I have always been mesmerized by the ever‑changing majesty of my world. I love the dance of light on moving surfaces, textures and tangles, organic tessellations, and the brilliance of color intensified during the last breath of sunlight on a landscape.” Nature’s abundance provides endless inspiration, and her work reflects a deep appreciation for the intricate beauty of the environment.

Jennifer grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, immersed in art from an early age. She earned her BA in Fine Arts and Design from California State University, San Jose, and enjoyed a rich 34‑year teaching career before retiring in 2011. Creativity was central to her classroom, no matter the subject.

Now living in Northern California, Jennifer thrives in her coastal studio, where each beautiful day fuels her artistic spirit. Her love of organic design and natural detail is evident in every piece she creates.

The exhibit will be on view through March 7