Susan Adamé & Jane Reichhold November 14, 2008 - January 11, 2009 The Sea Ranch Lodge Front Gallery

The Sea Ranch Lodge Front Gallery will feature the collages of Susan Adamé and ceramics by Jane Reichhold from November 14 through January 11. The exhibit is being curated by Gualala Arts.

Susan Adamé

Susan explains her work, "I am creating a series of collages inspired by Gualala and the surrounding area. They are abstract compositions that contain familiar items upon close inspection. All of the compositions have an emphasis on nature.

"These collages are created upon watercolor paintings that blend several colors in colorful washes. These paintings set the color tone and are the inspiration for the abstract design.

"In this series of collages I use items such as topographic maps of Gualala and environs. I have been able to use these maps in a way that the viewer is able to read the names of familiar places. Gualala is also extremely beautiful from a satellite view and I love to use these views as well. These visual representations of the natural area are inspirational and blend well with my style of working in the medium of collage.

"I made hand-made paper especially for this project inspired by the area. These papers are then used in the collage. I am also using a large variety of other hand-made papers as well as leaves in this project.

"Each collage is unique and I try to use a few recognizable Gualala items in each collage when creating the composition. There is variety among the pieces, but they have a feeling of continuity.

"The finished size of the completed collages including the mat and the frame is 16" x 20". I use archival quality mats with acid-free linen tape."

Jane Reichhold

Jane Reichhold's ceramic works are being shown in conjunction with the abstract collages by Susan Adamé at the Sea Ranch Lodge Front Gallery over the holiday season.

Reichhold, best known for her tall personage pots, as in the outdoor installation "It Takes a Village" on the Forest Loop at Gualala Arts Center, includes in this indoor exhibit only one of her earliest "people pots." This titled "Memorial to the Water-bag Scheme" refers to the time a few years back when an entrepreneur had the idea of bagging Gualala River water in plastic containers the size of a football field and towing them to San Diego to sell. A clay money bag, with a real $2 bill, and teapot held by a featureless head wittily sum up the feelings of area residents as they fought off this rape of local waters.

Continuing the theme of water is her out-sized tea ceremony pot, jar, and bamboo bridge flower holder. The tea bowls, harking to Reichhold's other career as Haikujane, have a haiku written about the shape or size or characteristics of each individual cup.

There is even a "Cloud Catcher" - a platter held level by leaning willow branches as if it had snagged a fluffy white cloud - on the theme of water.

Adding to the idea of remembrance is "Memorial for 9/11" - a square vessel with the top torn away to reveal red clay and a circle of dried roses.

"The Hummingbird Bowl" is reminiscent of how Reichhold uses clay doll parts in combination with her wheel-thrown works. Here a tiny clay doll, with a hole in its tummy becomes a birdhouse over a nest of branches around the speckled egg-like pattern in the center of the platter.

Another arrangement of bowls and platters demonstrate best the methods Reichhold uses to finish her ceramic pieces. Some she low-fires and then pit-fires and others are high-fired, turning the clay a golden color, with a glaze and then these pieces also are pit-fired. This gives her professional clay work - she was a production potter in the 60s - a rustic, natural look as the fire forms the patterns and decoration.

The Sea Ranch Lodge is located at
60 Sea Walk Drive, Sea Ranch, California 95497
Please call (707) 785-2371 for more information.