ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Cynthia Gallagher

Cynthia ”Sunny “ Gallagher is a fifth generation Californian. The use natural clay in her art reflects this deep connection and love for the natural California environment.

Clay is a renewable resource created as rock decomposes and is found in great abundance in California.

Party-Keepers are hand made from low fire earthenware.

The inspiration for her eco-friendly Party-Keepers is based on her love of family parties. Even as a child she loved to add a special garden feel to the celebration.

The idea behind Party-Keepers is to sustain meaningful connections. With the impersonal nature of e-mail and e-cards , making special events more personal is increasingly important.

A core principle of her business OC Garden Party is creating eco-friendly products worthy of being enjoyed long term.

www.OCGardenParty.com

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists

Come check out these featured artists at the ENC's Spring Faire! The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Tasha Mintzer - Upcycled Art

Yolanda Phillips - Photography

Khadijah Razzak - Upcycled Purses and Jewelry

Devon Robb - Hand Thrown Pottery

Dina Saldana - Oil on Recycled Materials

Trudi - Jewelry

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Gina Piazza

Come check out Gina Piazza's artwork at the Spring Faire! The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Kathleen Carey

Thank you for visiting KatCarey Designs. The website features my latest work in mixed media collage, jewelry and embroidery designs.

 All work is original, conceived, and created by Kathleen Carey. I employ a variety of materials in the art pieces and try to treat them in interesting ways, whatever catches my fancy at the moment! All the handcrafted beaded jewelry uses high quality semi-precious metals, including vermeil, sterling silver, antique brass, copper and gold fill, other metal may be used and is indicated in the item description.

 Superior semi-precious gemstones are utilized in most pieces, including opal, jade, labradorite, freshwater pearls and quartz, to name a few. The clothing is of the best quality as well.

I appreciate your interest and take a moment to look around and find something that appeals to you! We are dedicated to your satisfaction, please contact me if you have any questions about a particular piece, I will respond as quickly as possible. If you are looking for specific jewelry, such as color or stone, I will do my best to accommodate your requests.

http://www.katcareydesigns.com/index.html

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Raymond Otis

Raymond is most interested in capturing the qualities of light, color and form that create a strong natural atmosphere filled with little surprises of detail and texture.

As a boy, Raymond's life-long interest in boating, seaports & lighthouses started when his family moved on their boat, the "Grandvill-e", from Maryland to Florida down the Inter-coastal Waterway.

Raymond has sketched and painted ever since winning his first blue ribbon as a youth for a pastel of a sailfish.

Raymond's interest in the outdoors started during his days Boy Scouting, Sea Scouting and being in the Civil Air Patrol.

Learning to fly gives Raymond an added advantage for aerial paintings.

Lumberjacking in the Redwoods of Northern California helped Raymond pay his way through college and gave birth to a desire for painting our State and National Parks.

http://raymondgotis.com/welcome.html

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Jill Rosoff

Jill Rosoff paints her silk scarves using permanent dye, taking advantage of her love of color and shapes as she develops the designs just for these pieces of wearable art. All of her scarves are hand-painted, and signed and numbered. 

Ms. Rosoff primarily works in watercolors, exploring their intrinsic painterly qualities, using them in ways that diverge from prescribed styles of using them. She experiments in contrasts: textures against flat color blocks, cool vs. warm, dark to light, messier areas against simple, clean ones, and opposites on the color wheel. Her images feature her signature warm, jewel-toned palette, and are inspired by her surroundings and her travels throughout the world, especially in Europe, the Americas and the South Pacific.

“I have been an artist pretty much my whole life. From an early age color delighted me. In every the mediums I’ve worked in, I am always happiest when I’m making art. There is grandeur and simplicity found in both natural and man-made forms. I strive to recognize the elegance in an object’s form, the grace of a flower stem, the convolution of a leaf, and the colors that make them so wonderful and sensual.”

Ms. Rosoff studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She received her Bachelors degree from Berkeley in Painting and Drawing followed by graduate work studying printmaking in Florence, Italy. She has exhibited her work for over 25 years in solo shows, group shows and in alternative spaces. She holds watercolor workshops for anyone wanting to learn to paint with watercolors.

www.RosoffArtworks.com

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Michael Jacobson

Michael Jacobson has been making knives and utilizing the art of blacksmithing for more than four years.

He focuses on hand forging the high-carbon steel, while grinding and tempering the blades to achieve ultimate efficacy and craftsmanship.

The handles of his knives are often crafted using wood, antler, and various other materials.

Michael's knives are designed to be used outdoors as tools for such tasks as making fires or cleaning fish.

Along with knife-work, Michael forges flint strikers, makes keychains, along with other small-scale art.

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Patricia Gray

Come check out the artwork created by Patricia Gray at ENC's Spring Faire 2012. There will be lots to see and purchase! The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Note from the artist: In Honor of all the internal gifts I've received in Nature - Today I am donating 10% of all my proceeds to: The California State Park Foundation, Yosemite Conservancy, and The Sierra Club.

Patricia Gray's Artist Statement: Ever since I was young, it seems that I have always beencreative. Whether, picking up watercolor 20 years ago, remodeling kitchens, redecorating homes, creating gardens, writing professionally or currently trying new Mixed Media techniques, I have always had a need to have my creativity come out in one way or another.

If I had to pinpoint my process, the central theme has always been, take something or a place, re-work it and make it beautiful. That’s exactly what’s exciting me about design and my current Upcycle Art. I can take something that just needs a little TLC and hopefully make it shine. I am deeply inspired by Nature and Buddhism, specifically the complex designs and sounds of Tibetan Buddhism. When I work with paint I am reminded that everything is fluid. When I work with rocks, I am reminded that things are solid. When I work with a black piece of tile, I am enthusiastic about how the design and colors I choose will change its blank appearance – as we can do in our lives, we create it.

I am reminded of that every time I work with a piece. I begin a work of art by looking at the item for a few minutes, whether it’s a vase, rock or blank canvas, then images flood my mind and then I start. I know a piece is done when I have to pull myself away from it and say enough is enough. This is still an area I struggle with.

When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of harmony, peace and a big smile. When people see my work, I'd like them to be honest, whether they like it or not. I can always take something away from how each person perceives and interprets my art. My philosophy is that I am here to learn and I am constantly evolving from each piece or technique that I use.

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Annie Adams

The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Annie Adams has a love for nature, especially the ocean, and her photography captures it perfectly.

As a stay-at-home mom, Annie enjoys taking care of her family while also expressing herself via the use of her camera. Annie discovered her love for photography shortly after her first child was born - a little over 10 years ago.

Her passion comes from the idea of freezing specific moments in time and knowing that each photo is rare in its own uniqueness.

Annie and her family love to travel and enjoy the numerous beautiful experiences there are to have in nature - all while her camera is poised, ready for the next shot.

Annie's photography will be available for viewing and purchase at the ENC's Spring Faire 2012.

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Sylvia Marson

Sylvia Marson's Gourd Art – “I love the whole process of growing, cleaning, cutting, wood burning and carving gourds. They are natures substitute for wood and I can create a beautiful object of art by transforming a dirty, moldy ornamental plant into something shiny and beautiful. I’m an environmental, health & safety professional by trade and an artist by heart. I started working with gourds around 1996 when I took my first class and was hooked. There is an old legend that says: If you give or receive a gourd, with it goes all the best in life – health, happiness and other good things. Gourds have been used by many cultures for thousands of years. Now I hope you enjoy my gourd art and pass it on. Good things will come”.

Sylvia Marson works in Costa Mesa, CA and spends weekends and holidays in Morro Bay. Her gourd art is also sold at the Muth Interpretive Center and the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach. Take a calling card, visit her website and enjoy the photos of her gourd art.

949-645-9348

http://www.funpetpals.com/gourdart1.htm

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Circe

The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Wildlife artist Circe began her love of Nature and animals in early childhood while on hikes with her grandfather in the Pennsylvania woods. Later her family moved to Florida where as a teenager, she explored the seashore and lagoons while sketching and observing the natural world around her. Rescuing strays and injured wildlife, and caring for horses allowed her the opportunity to sketch and sculpt animals firsthand. Using natural clay deposits found near the beach, she began her first sculptures in clay.

During her college years she moved to the Southwest to study ceramic sculpture and began carving animals in wood under the mentorship of a master Hopi artist and carver. She contiued sculpting in clay as well. Her carvings gained recognition for their detailed realism.

Since the early 1990’s, she has been professionally sculpting animals for the home décor industry.

Currently living in Southern California, Circe enjoys making one-of-a-kind ceramic wildlife sculptures and vessels, and limited edition bronzes.

www.circestudio.com

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Janet Inez Adams

The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Janet Inez Adams lives in Southern California where she has taught art to all ages - university to kindergarten. She has earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the City University of New York, and a Master of Fine Arts from Cal State University, Fullerton. Adams won a $5,000 Grant from the State for Innovative Art Instruction.

Her artwork has been exhibited nationally, both her paintings on paper and the Wood Assemblage Series. She has received many awards and is included in numerous public and private collections. Adams was chosen to design the Freeway Art Panels for Orange County, CA.

Artist Statement: Nature is the best storyteller and I have been taking notes. This simple idea holds all of my beliefs in the divinity of our earth and all of us living here. EARTH AIR FIRE WATER - these four sacred elements continue to be the basis of my art. Visit the artist's website below.

http://janetadams.typepad.com

ENC Spring Faire 2012 Featured Artists - Brynne Cogorno

The Environmental Nature Center's Spring Faire 2012 will take place on May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the ENC located at 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Local Laguna Beach artist, Brynne Cogorno, has been creating art all her life. She graduated from the University of Colorado in 2007, where she received her bachelor of fine arts in painting and drawing. Boulder is where Brynne learned the importance of living a sustainable life through the friends she met, and the people she worked with.

Backward Prints was created in August 2008, with all intentions of reminding people to smile and laugh. Ms. Cogorno shows love for life and attention for our planet through her cards and her wall art. Backward prints uses tree-free paper made from plant fibers and organic cotton that is embedded with wildflower seeds. Each print is hand drawn and hand printed using the block printing technique, for the final product is biodegradable and recyclable. "Backward explains me as an artist . . . the name to me, means someone who follows their dreams. I hope to show people that they can make a difference by how they choose to live their lives, and the decisions they make day to day,” she said. If you would like to check out Brynne’s card line, please visit her website.

www.backwardprints.com

The Best Henna Workshop in Town

Are you in the mood to do something a little different? If so, you should come do it with the ENC!

One of the ENC's resident Traveling Naturalists and Henna Body Art extraordinaire, Sama Wareh, will be teaching a Henna Workshop where participants will learn the history of henna, symbolism attached to the design, as well as a solid foundation for creating designs and applying the paste. Participants will not only leave the course with their own henna cone and henna tattoo, but will also take home their very own design book built on symmetry, intricacy and simplicity, composition, and balance: the fundamental elements of design. The workshop will be held on Thursday, April 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This course is intended for all drawing levels. Enjoy Turkish coffee and sweets while you learn!

Henna is a flowering plant (Lawsonia Alba) that has been used for over 6,000 years to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk, and wool. After making the henna leaves into a dry powder, it is mixed with lemon juice, strong tea, or other mildly acidic liquids to make a paste-like compound, which then can be used to make the finely detailed body art.

What was once primarily a wedding tradition that would involve the application of henna in a ceremonial way, is becoming an everyday treat in America due to its health benefits and temporary attributes.

For more information about the workshop, contact Sama Wareh at the ENC at 949-645-8489.

Bring Out the Butterflies

Want to spend some time enjoying the butterflies in our Butterfly House, while teaching others about these important animals?

Butterfly House Docents help monitor the butterfly house, greet the public, provide casual interpretation, clarify rules and answer questions. Docents commit to volunteer approximately three hours per month or more if desired, during butterfly season (May through October). Docents staff the House on Saturdays from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM or from 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM. Weekday docents are occasionally needed.

Docents must complete the Butterfly Docent training workshop, offered at the Environmental Nature Center or posses similar training or experience. Training includes an overview of frequently asked questions, a description of the host and nectar plants in the ENC’s butterfly house, and the butterflies likely to be found in the House over the coming season.

This Saturday, April 7th, the ENC is hosting a butterfly house docent training session at 10 to 12 AM. Docents will view a 1.5 hour presentation, and tour the ENC’s butterfly house.

Call Lori at 949-645-8489 ext 103 or email Lori to RSVP or inquire for information about training.

See you there!