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Gualala Arts
Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.
Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014
The Dolphin Gallery will display a free exhibition featuring the glass art of Roger Plowe, with pastels by Anne Kessler. Meg Oldman's glass art will be included, as well. The opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The show will be on view through October 29, 2008. The light on the Mendocino Coast is like few places in the world. Viewing Anne's vibrant pastels, reflected through and around Roger and Meg's art glass pieces will capture the power of the light that draws people to the coast from all over the world. More about Roger Plowe
From 1977-79, Steve Smyers, a well-known and respected glass blower, took Roger on as an assistant. Smyers produced editions of each design and Roger perfected his skills through the repetition of each design in several editions under way.
For the past 30 years, Roger has been collaborating with Neurot Glass, in Benicia, CA.
Additionally, he worked with Anne Miller, designer of glass jewelry, at Zeno Glass, for 15 years.
He also made short trips to gather more hands-on experience with master glass blowers in Germany,
There is a singular and extraordinary voice that shines out of each piece Roger blows and turns in glass. His use of color in glass draws viewers in deeply, leading many to collect his work for the magical spirit embodied within. Each piece is bold and strong, alluring and lyrical. His years of practice have led to a large and unique body of blown glass vessels of all sizes, kinds and shapes. His vessels are in collections the around the world.
More about Anne Kessler
"My seemingly boundless energy reached its limit in 1984 when I collapsed and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, an illness that would be with me for the next 20 years. The first 2 years I spent almost entirely in bed trying to assess where my true happiness could be found. One day, a friend came by to wash my dishes and she brought with her a set of watercolors. "While you are just lying here, why don't you paint?" is what she said.
"Blessedly, over many years, my health is restored, and my healing has shown me my life's work as an impressionist and a colorist. My new studio is still on the banks of the Garcia River.
"I paint the ancient healing ease of the river and the forests that I love. I believe that people need landscape paintings to remind them of the deep stillness of the earth beneath their feet and to remind them that we are all connected by a web of light and color. My paintings invite you to reflect on the surface of flowing water, spirit in the form of color that emanates from all things, and the fluidity of life in each moment. The earth is very important to me. I try to provide in my paintings the opportunity to heal your connection to it and to bask in a world of color beyond words."
More about Meg Oldman
Through her development of distinctive etching and carving techniques, Meg creates a broad spectrum of artwork in glass and crystal. Her work includes architectural scale installations, finely detailed crystal vases, kiln-slumped bowls, illuminations, and a small line of fused crystal jewelry. Meg carves her designs using pressurized sand, balancing the deeply carved areas with lightly accented techniques for balance and depth.
Meg's exhibit for this show includes crystal vases with botanical designs, as well as fused sculptures. Fusing is the process by which glass is layered and fired to shape in a glass kiln.
The Dolphin Gallery is located at
39225 Highway One in downtown Gualala, CA |
Roger Plowe's life long pursuit of glass blowing, and the science behind it, began in 1973, at Pleasant Hill High School in Pleasant Hill, California. As Pleasant Hill was well known for its extraordinary focus on the arts, he was able to begin the study of glass blowing in his sophomore year, marking the beginning of his fascination with glass.
the Czech Republic, Italy, Denmark, and Holland.
Anne best relates her story, "I have been a painter for longer than I can remember. My mother says that I used to come into kindergarten and announce that I was going to paint a rabbit. Then, to the astonishment of my teachers, I would proceed to do just that. Additionally, I was blessed with many talents. Raised in Cambridge, MA, I followed family tradition by attending Harvard. Then, hungry for "real life" and the natural world, I moved to California and threw myself body and soul into the "back to the land" movement. Even in a rural setting I found a way to live art, and music, at which I also excelled as a child. I spent the next 10 years as a professional musician conducting both choruses and orchestras. Then, still seeking adventure, I moved to London where I studied finance and database engineering.
"Too weak to get up, day after day, I started constructing paintings in my head once again. As I concentrated on the energy that would make me well, I started seeing the world as a web of light and color. I found that I ached to once again be part of the slow timelessness of the redwoods and feel my connection with the earth. I felt it was essential to both my health and happiness. I moved my limited life to a small cabin on the Garcia River in Mendocino County. The river became my healer and my teacher as day after day my strength grew. When I first tried pastels, I fell in love with the intensity of the pigments. I found that color could act as a bridge straight to the soul and could take me to a place where there were no words.
Meg explores the power of cultural symbols and images from nature, and creates synergy between the two in her designs. She brings harmony and balance into homes and offices through her elegant designs. A recently completed project for 800 J Street, in downtown Sacramento, includes 737 square feet of etched glass, as well as several elements in steel. She worked closely with architects and the Sacramento Municipal Art Commission to bring this art project to fruition. The overall design invokes the soft movement and flow of the delta, as well as the Sacramento and American Rivers, coursing through the area.