Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Barbie Smith and I am an oil painter. I am inspired by any subject with strong design elements including patterns of light and shadow or contrast of color and value. I design my composition by arranging these patterns into simplified shapes and value relationships with a focus on harmonious color.

Why do you do what you do?

Painting gives me the chance to respond to the beauty I find in my everyday surroundings. I am always searching for that hidden beauty in ordinary places. I believe that we are made in the image of our Creator and given the gifts to bring beauty to our world. I am grateful that I have been given a creative gift which I want to develop to the best of my ability.

What themes do you pursue?

I am drawn to peaceful scenes of nature, countryside, vineyards, seascapes and animals. I also enjoy the contrast of architectural structure within the landscape. This may be a barn or a bridge or any other man made element that I find interesting. I enjoy painting from life both en plein air or setting up a still life in my studio.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

Taking a walk down a shady road underneath a canopy of Eucalyptus trees I was inspired by the filtered sunlight creating patterns of shadow and light on the path. This resulted in several different studies and paintings and may be a subject for future paintings.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

My first job was teaching pre-school in a day care setting. While working there I was asked to paint a few murals on the walls of the school which I did using acrylic paints. I worked for about seven years in a hospital laboratory before graduating from college with my degree in nursing. I then spent the many years raising three children and it was during those years that I returned to my love of painting and began to immerse myself in oil painting.

What are your hobbies?

Since I began oil painting about 15 years ago I have not had much time for any hobbies! I do enjoy cooking and reading and I make time for exercise every day. I am very involved in my church as well. I find that it takes discipline to carve out time for painting and I am continually working on making the best use of my time so that painting remains a high priority.

Who are you and what do you do?

Hi, I’m Sandy Lindblad. I create colorful, kind-of impressionistic paintings of animals and sometimes landscapes using pastel and paint.

Why do you do what you do?

I have a passion for the critters I paint. Folks have told me many times that I capture the personalities of animals! I also like to capture the mood of scenes that I paint.

What themes do you pursue?

Animals and landscapes created by using vibrant colors.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

Seeing a gorgeous dog or cat with lots of character inspires me to want to put them on canvas! When I see a beautiful scene with lots of color, light and shadows, I want to paint it.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

FedEx, Amazon and working for Bay Guardian newspaper.

What are your hobbies?

Bike riding, skiing and hiking. Mostly lots of outdoorsy stuff and painting on location.

Who are you and what do you do?

Ann Ranlett, MSA. I specialize in scratchboard and am a Master Member (MSA) of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists (scratchboardsociety.org). I describe the scratchboard technique as “drawing white with a knife”. It has also been described as “the art of taking away”.

Why do you do what you do?

I love the detail that the scratchboard surface & technique allows. I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, my subjects have almost always been animals, and I have a degree in biology. What I can achieve with scratchboard really suits the bio-nerd in me, and feeds my love of detail and animals. It truly is a perfect fit!

What themes do you pursue?

Animals and nature are my primary subjects, with a specialty in pet portraits. But I’ve tackled chrome (car hood ornaments), a tractor, a friend’s motorcycle, and burritos along the way.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

Art has always been a part of my life. My parents encouraged both my brother and me to be creative. The “light bulb” moment for scratchboard was a workshop I took at an illustrator’s conference many years ago. The instructor was using a professional quality scratchboard and I was impressed by what could be done with it. Much different & far better than the type of “scratchboard” I had used in high school and college art classes. The instructor’s techniques were also very inspiring.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

In college, I worked at a department store. After college, I worked in the customer service phone center for UPS. Then at the Sacramento Zoo as the Volunteer & Events Coordinator for a couple of years. My last jobs before devoting full time to art were at 2 different Environmental Consulting firms, where I worked in the CAD/Graphics departments, creating maps & graphics and entering & analyzing biological data.

What are your hobbies?

Birding (bird watching), photography, dog training & dog agility, and shooting sports.

Who are you and what do you do?

Linda Miller and I am a painter who loves vivid color and tiny detail.

Why do you do what you do?

I paint because it makes me happy. I love to create. I love new ideas. I love a challenge.

What themes do you pursue?

Painting from nature is my passion. I like soft, organic, fluid lines contained within hard edges. Landscapes, oceanscapes, flowers, cats, and dogs are the subjects I always come back to. I like to present comparisons together (i.e. day and night, color vs. black and white). I like unusual formats.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

I have been inspired by Claus Oldenberg and Wayne Thiebeau exhibits, and Andrew Wyeth.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

Bookkeeper, Auditor, seamstress, sales clerk

What are your hobbies?

Baking, reading, gardening, and the best thing of all is being a grandma!

Who are you and what do you do?

Hello, my name is Linda Whiteside and I use the medium of clay to create expressive ceramic pieces that reflect the whimsical beauty of God’s special creatures. I use the ancient art of raku-firing to create unusual “one of a kind” sculpture.

Why do you do what you do?

I find great joy in the creative process. I couldn’t imagine not being able to express creatively in one medium or another. It is just something I must do.

What themes do you pursue?

The majority of what I do involves animals. I enjoy using whimsical poses that seem to connect us to God’s special creatures. I like thinking that when someone purchases my work, it brings a bit of joy to those that see it.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

In 1991, after completing a degree in commercial art, I was drawn to explore the ceramics department at Riverside Community College. It changed the course of my life. I was hooked from the moment I discovered the joy of “playing in the mud”.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

I have worn several “hats” during my life to date. Aside from being the mother of two and grandmother of 3, I co-owned and operated a landscape business, HVAC business, and both a residential and commercial construction company. Later, while still living in the Fresno-Clovis area, I went into real estate sales. After a move to Riverside CA. in 1988, I went back to school and studied commercial and fine art. It was here that I developed a passion for working in clay.

We moved to Sacramento in 1994 and purchased a home with a studio. This provided an opportunity to create and sell my work in local and out of state galleries.

In 2010 I was drawn to working with the elderly and went to work for Eskaton, where I was the program manager for their community outreach program, Telephone Reassurance. Since retiring in 2020, I once again devote full time to “playing in the mud”.

What are your hobbies?

Aside from working in the studio (the best “hobby” ever) I spend time transporting seniors, who no longer are able to drive, get to essential medical appointments and grocery stores. I also enjoy spending time with friends, reading, Scrabble and staying on top of current events.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Stacy Pedri and I am a photographer.

Why do you do what you do?

I got into photography during a very rough period of my life and I love the peace it brings me to be out in nature.

What themes do you pursue?

Mostly wildlife but I do love to find treasures left from the past and occasionally a good landscape.

 Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

I feel inspired everyday by being surrounded by my fellow Gallery members.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

My main job is a cosmetologist for 30 plus years and also have some bookkeeping experience from being self-employed.

What are your hobbies?

I love to shop thrift stores and yard sales, read and spend time at my home away from home in Oregon.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Laura Bracken.  I make jewelry using metals, stones, and enamels.

Why do you do what you do?

Creating makes me happy.  I enjoy turning raw materials into an emotional narrative that may speak to someone else.

What themes do you pursue?

The themes I’m drawn to include an exciting use of color, the style of  the Arts and Crafts Movement, Japanese minimalism with clean lines, and the world of fantasy.  My work is unapologetically “all over the place”.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

I was 16 when I saw my first recognizable artwork in a museum, a Maxfield Parrish painting.

After years of seeing his fairy tale illustrations in my beloved childhood books, looking at an original painting in person was a profound and moving experience.  Experiencing firsthand how art can affect a person was definitely a turning point in my desire to create.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

Research scientist, belly dancer, lead guitarist in a few bands, motorsports journalist.

What are your hobbies?

Cooking, which is very much like working in my studio because it’s all about experimenting and creating.