Gerda Randolph, Baskets & Felting Rozanne Rapozo, Photography Opening Reception: Saturday, July 4, 2009, 5:00 p.m. Exhibit remains through July 29 Dolphin Gallery

The Dolphin will present an exhibit from two award winning artists, photographs by Rozanne Rapozo and handmade baskets by Gerda Randolph from the opening on Saturday, July 4, 2009 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. through July 29.

About Rozanne Rapozo

Rozanne explains her passion, "My love of photography started the first moment I saw an image emerge from a blank piece of paper in a college darkroom. I was fascinated by the process and soon converted the laundry room to my own darkroom, forever banishing the washer and dryer to the garage. I shot in black and white and spent hours in the darkroom experimenting with different papers and techniques, all the while remaining true to the actual scene that I had captured.

I deeply enjoyed taking photographs; however, my professional career and a busy travel schedule took precedence and kept me out of the darkroom for the majority of my adult life. After working for years in financial management and strategic planning, I applied my corporate experience to managing operations for several start-up companies in the bio-tech and other hi-tech industries.

After retiring, I renewed my interest in photography. I picked up my Nikon and haven't put it down since. Unlike the landscapes and still life that held my interest before, I started taking pictures of the small birds and animals that frequented my garden. I learned the importance of patience, waiting for the right light, understanding animal behavior and just being at the right place at the right time! Over time, I have expanded my portfolio, a portion of which is represented by the pictures in this exhibit.

My interest in nature photography grew out of my love for the outdoors. My husband, Barry, and I have traveled all over the world in search of the perfect trout water as both of us are "hooked" on fly fishing and other outdoor sports. It is because of this love of nature that I have developed a profound respect for all wildlife and I try to capture that in my photography."

"Sometimes I happen to be there just when Nature decides it is time for someone to take a picture."

About Gerda Randolph

Gerda started the Basketmaking Group at Gualala Arts and is quite an inspiration to many. Gerda explains more about her love of baskets: "The opportunity to be creative and continually learn as I experiment with new ideas and possibilities is what makes my art fun for me. It is always a new adventure. Natural material is my chosen medium, from minerals and rocks formed deep in the earth to soft wool fleeces and yarns to pine needles, wild iris, and other plant fibers, all of these in a wonderful array of textures and colors.

"My background includes 15 years of teaching science and language arts at the middle school level and several quarters teaching ESL at the university level. I found that incorporating my own love of art into my teaching allowed students another avenue for expressing their learning. While I was teaching, I began experimenting with tapestry weaving and thus began my love of working with natural materials. When I left teaching in 2001, I had the time to do more discovering of myself as an artist. I learned to make pine needle baskets and discovered felting.

"Each of these media allows me to express myself through art in a unique way. Each offers its own possibilities and restrictions; where one has boundaries, another has an open vista. This makes the opportunities for creativity seem endless and it makes giving up any one very difficult. For the moment, my focus is on basket making and felting.

"When I make a coiled basket or felted piece, the knowledge that I am sharing in ancient processes brings me pleasure. It is not, however, my desire to imitate the beauty of those who have gone before me, but rather to explore my own unique ideas and creativity. When I am working, my projects often take on a life of their own. I may begin with an idea, but then as I work, I often hear an inner voice that leads me in directions that are new and different. I am learning to listen to that voice and to flow with it.

"There is something special about gently cradling a basket in your hands. There is something special about the soft touch and colors of a felted piece. And there is something joyful and amazing about three-dimensional figures made of fleece. I create all of these for the pleasure it brings me and with a hope that others will find something that speaks to them."

For more information, visit her website, Fiber Design by Gerda.

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.