The Arbor Gallery

Wendy Bright - I "create" for no other reason than it makes me happy and its fun! My two favorite things to do are watercolor painting and jewelry making. I love the challenge of the watercolors and as for the jewelry; I simply have a desire to make something out of nothing, creating one of a kind pieces of wearable art!

Marian Brooks – This has been an exciting year, my focus being on semi-abstract watercolor and on new and positive ways to interpret my subjects. Ovid called it, “the divine fire by which we are animated”.

Renee Conan – “Art is beautiful, beauty is life”.

Sue Cauwels – The seascapes of California continue to greatly inspire my art. This year I’ve spent a lot of time on the Santa Cruz coastline and God never ceases to amaze me with the incredible sunsets He offers. I can only aspire to paint what He so beautifully created.

Justin Delemus - “I have always been fascinated by nature and natural materials. Wood and stone were some of the earliest artistic mediums ever used, and they continue to fascinate and inspire me with their complexity and beauty. The multitude of color varieties and grain patterns has compelled me to explore wood’s endless uses as an artistic medium.”

Henry DuPertuis – I have been painting or drawing for as long as I can remember. Most of my work is in landscapes and portraits.

Rose Eager – It was great painting with Susie and Margaret at Gray Eagle. Joe and I took a river boat cruise to France and I also painted along the Seine. It was a great time but cold, windy weather!

Virginia Egan – “Through photography, I search for things close to home that maybe other people might not see”.

Sharon Gossett – Memories of summers spent in the high mountains east of Taos are reflected in the shapes and colors of my pottery. I enjoy doing both functional and decorative pieces in high fire, pit and raku. The time I spend in the clay is my joy and my enthusiasm!

John Harrell – "Painting ships and boats is my passion. In October I toured the Gulf coast, from Florida to Texas and took some great pictures of shrimp boats, river boats, boat yards, and ships of all sorts. Now it's time to paint some awesome watercolor and acrylics scenes!"

Mary Harris – Although I am primarily known as a watercolor painter, I enjoy experimenting with acrylics and pastels using a variety of subject matter. Most recently working with colored pencils has captured my interest. Teaching others what I have learned also gives me great pleasure.

Marcus Harris – I work to express my love of nature and for all of God’s creations through stone, copper wire, and acrylic paint. A special thank you to Toni‘s Courtyard Café for displaying my art and supporting all of the artists at Arbor Gallery.

Kate Jackson – My work this year has been focused on alternative surfaces on which to paint watercolor and do collage. I have works on canvas, paper, clay board/wood and synthetic paper. I have small and large pieces especially fitting for gifts this year. Look for my printed holiday cards as well.

Carole Kamerer – I am a local artist that enjoys painting watercolors. I am primarily known for my bright colorful paintings and my custom semi-precious jewelry. I also work in glass and wire creating brightly colored sun catchers and wind chimes.

Bambii Komlenich – I am exploring dragons and fairies as well as my usual wildlife using wet-into-wet transparent watercolor technique, It is a very fast way of working and I truly love it.

Pope Lawrence – I seek to achieve forms that are organic and pleasing to the eye and hand. I am particularly interested in the interplay between smooth, finished surfaces and rough edges and cracks that evoke a sense of wildness. All wood turnings are from wood I find in the Central Valley of California.

Marie Lustre – I have paintings in the gallery as well as greeting cards featuring two of my paintings, “ Merced Theatre” and “The Old Courthouse”. These cards are an easy and economical way to share your love for the local historical landmarks with friends and family.

Judy Lynd – ''This year will be my 8th year of teaching painting and drawing at Merced Tri-College center and what a wonderful group of artists I have met teaching my class's. This coming year I hope to do more of paintings of California's landmarks/landscapes, etc. and to be open to new ideas, mediums and styles.”

Ethel Nelson – This year I have focused on painting watercolors of local landscape and West coast scenes. I also enjoy painting flowers, and recently fruits and vegetables.

Lori Nelson – Being an art quilter allows me to blend the disciplines of visual art with the structural, sculptural, and tactile manipulation required in my fabric medium. One of the unexpected benefits of becoming an artist is learning how to see better. I believe the most powerful words for me are, “What if…” , what often follows is “why not”; that is art for me.

Joan Rafel – When I get an idea in my head, I visualize what I will make and then create it in clay.

Susan Regert – “ For the past year I have been testing beautiful Swarovski crystals for durability outside for use in my garden sculptures. They passed and will be featured in a new design of a sun and moon and a lovely pink crystal will be featured in the ribbon for breast cancer.”

Sharleen Robson – I was able to enjoy a weekend painting plein aire watercolors with two of my granddaughters. Laura and Rachel Gray have their own easels and a love of art. So away we go! One of the paintings from our trip will be used as my Christmas card.

Deanna Lynn Schmitz – A painter of large bold and colorful flowers....

Pat Schuh – Pat had a unique mind and used her ability to see the world in her own way. Her use of pen and ink was her forte, but when she added color it was exciting. We miss her originality in person and in art.

Roberta Spitler – “As a portrait painter, I strive to capture, not only the likeness, but the soul of the subject”.

Margaret Stevenson – I have been busy completing two commissions. One is a large watercolor landscape of the Pariera’s Buffalo Ranch in Snelling for a San Jose attorney who grew up there.

Helen Swickard – I love painting with watercolors, and my favorite place to paint is Yosemite Nation Park. In addition to my paintings, I also have note cards of Yosemite scenes available in the gallery.

Elizabeth Toel – A few years ago I discovered that I love to sit and stitch for hours! This led to my collection of purses, cell phone envelopes, eye glass cases, etc. I enjoy collecting fabrics and goodies to embellish and then experimenting to see what I come up with.

Penny Waha – I am doing all mediums and Chinese painting. I am making "pine cone" ornaments for Christmas. I love all the colors that make the world beautiful.