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Gualala Arts
Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.
Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014
The May 2013 exhibit at the Dolphin Gallery features glassblower Mike Hanson and painter Peggy Sebera. The opening night reception is on Saturday, May 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and the show runs through May 29. Peggy Sebera
Since 2002, when Sebera first studied with Carol Watanabe on three separate trips to France, she has enthusiastically captured the landscapes of Northern California in her vibrant oil and acrylic works. Her landscapes have a strong sense of color and light whether she is painting in Sonoma County or abroad. Based at her home studio in Petaluma, Sebera draws inspiration from her surroundings. "I love the earth and all its colors, shadows and shapes... I stop often to paint or take photos of the blue and gray skies, the vineyards, mustard fields and the cows!" she says. "And I am most passionate about our rolling hills - be they red, green, golden, or brown. I am happiest when I am working on a large canvas (5' X 4') and feel the life of the hills and ocean presenting themselves large before me." Peggy also paints smaller plein aire paintings on site. As an interesting addition to her current work, she has been painting on prints of her own photographs to produce original creations which combine the realism inherent in a photo with richly painted aspects in a scene. Peggy does commissioned work of her clients' favorite places.
Peggy is a member of the Sonoma County's juried ARTrails annual open studio tour. She is president of the Petaluma Art Association and a member of the Sonoma Council for the Arts, the Petaluma Art Center and The Valley of the Moon Art Association.
Her intent is to create art that will bring joy to others and convey the astounding beauty she sees all around her. To visit her virtual gallery online go to
PeggySebera.com
and view the wide range of landscapes, abstracts, and Buddhas she has posted.
Mike Hanson
Glass has always held a fascination for Hanson even before he started working with it. He is mostly self-taught but has benefited by assisting at the well-known Nourot Glass Studio in Benicia and by seeking out various Mendocino and Bay Area glassblowers who have provided inspiration.
His Anchor Bay retreat is the perfect venue to stimulate his creative vision. All of the pieces in this show have their inspiration in nature, especially the nearby ocean. His functional pieces include jellyfish lamps and Venetian style goblets that evoke images of the sea. His more decorative sculptures include waves breaking in various patterns, sea shells, starfish and whale tails.
Hanson continually challenges himself to find new ways to incorporate metal and wood into the finished product. He strives to fulfill a need for a personal creative outlet that can incorporate his practical skills, but he also wants to produce items that can give pleasure to those who use them in both a practical and a decorative manner.
The Dolphin Gallery is located at
39225 Highway One in downtown Gualala, CA |
Although Peggy Sebera did not pursue art as a fulltime career until 2002 she comes from a family with a rich artistic tradition. Her mother was a designer, painter and jeweler in Texas where Sebera grew up and both of her sisters obtained degrees in Advertising Art and Design.
Her work may seem familiar because she has displayed it in many Mendonoma venues including:
Mike Hanson does not consider himself a fulltime glass artist and he describes his interest in the art form as an avocation. However, those who enjoy his creations feel he has an unusual talent that is constantly developing.
Those familiar with his past shows at both the Sea Ranch Lodge and the Dolphin Gallery will find evidence of this growth in this latest exhibit on the Mendonoma Coast.
His experience in the electrical construction trade gives him the expertise to fashion many of the tools he uses and to competently wire his glass lamps. He is constantly adding to his glass-blowing setup at his five acre Santa Rosa ranch and enjoys building much of his own equipment.