HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW

Don't miss our wonderful Holiday Arts and Crafts Show! Last Saturday was our opening and we had a magnificent turnout. However, we still have lots of beautifully handcrafted works on display. Stop by to shop, browse or just visit. You are guaranteed to have a good time.

The show will run through December 27th so there is plenty of time. But don't wait too long.

Happy Thanksgiving!
FRO


Arts and Crafts

Our newest show is up and running and looking Fabulous! Just in time for the holiday season wepresent our annual Arts and Crafts show. We have all kinds of interesting artwork and craft items, with more arriving daily. You must come see it to believe it. The show runs through December 27th so you have lots of time to visit...and visit again.

We are conveniently located in Concord at 2238 Mt. Diablo Street, 3 blocks north of Todos Santos Square. Our hours are 11 am to 5 pm Mon. - Fri., and Noon to 5 pm Sat. and Sunday. Come join the holiday fun.

FRO

Dia de los Muertos



aRt Cottage is pleased to announce a very special new show. From October 18th through November 9th, we will be celebrating Dia de los Muertos. Given Concord’s strong cultural association with its Mexican and Hispanic citizens this should be a great show. We have received many strong works honoring deceased family, friends and pets. Please come by and learn about some of the stories.

A Reception/Celebration for participants and artists will be held in conjunction with All Saints Day on November 2nd from 5 to 7 pm. Through our art, we will be celebrating memories of those who have gone before us. ALL ARE WELCOME TO THIS FREE EVENT.

A Little Bit About Dia de los Muertos
This is a holiday observed in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. November 1st is for honoring infants and children and is called Dia de los Inocentes or Day of the Innocents and also Dia de los Angelitos or Day of the Little Angels. November 2nd is Dia de los Muertos or Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead). People go to cemeteries to build private altars containing favorite food, flowers, photos and other items in memory of loved ones who have died.

Historically, Day of the Dead comes from the Aztecs. It has been celebrated for hundreds of years. The Catholic Church had incorporated this celebration with the Christian celebration of All Souls Day or All Saints Day. Dia de los Muertos does not have anything to do with Halloween or Trick or Treat. It is a Mexican celebration, now extended to other cultures, celebrating and remembering family and friends, who we still love, honor and cherish in our memories.

This art exhibit expresses feelings and memories in a respectful, fun loving way. There are even remembrances of pets on display. Altars, sugar skulls, small chapels, retablos, favorite fruits, breads, photos, incense along with dioramas, altered books, paintings and sculptures, mono print flags, decorated shoes of those that walked before us...are all on display.


Bill Richards and Sandra Artru

The aRt Cottage is pleased to announce the opening of our next show, featuring the work of Bill Richards. Bill is a self-taught artist.  He has never had a professional art class in his life.  His paintings consist of life-like portraits and figures, both nude and draped.  He also is very proficient in painting animals and landscapes.  Every hair and every wrinkle can be seen in his amazing realistic portraits.  His medium of choice is oil and he paints on birch.  His work is on exhibit from coast to coast, and now at the aRt Cottage as well.

The opening reception will be next Saturday, September 7th, from 2 to 7 pm. Food and beverage will be provided. We will also have live music.

 We will also be featuring the work of Sandra Artru, in the Red Room Gallery.  Sandra Artru has been painting since 1997. She firsts learned techniques in a portrait class in a pivate setting in Brentwood. There wer 13 women present for an 8 hr session for 5 days. After that  experience, other classes and workshops were more of the same - private and in a small setting. Her first school experience with paint was in high school. Her paintings consist of oil, acrylic, watercolor and ink line drawings.For the last three years she has been working on painting famous people with using the palette knife and acrylic paint. Several of these will be on display for the month of September.

Everyone is welcome. See you on Saturday!
FRO

STUDENT WORKS

This month's show is an exhibit of Student Works. While the majority of the exhibited works are from our younger artists, students of all ages were invited to submit their artwork. And submit they did! This is one of our largest shows to date. the variety and originality are breathtaking.

Arian Mojaddidi
Katie Dowell & Adeline Lizarraga
Our opening reception was last Thursday evening and the event was a blowout. It was a wonderful crowd of children and adults. All seemed anxious to search for their work and show it off to relatives and friends. The children were enthusiastic to explain their recycled art material sculptures and demonstrate how they worked. Several pieces were sold within the first hour. Work ranged in age from Sr. citizens to preschoolers. Ceramic pinch pots, oil paintings, pencil drawings, photographs, watercolors, pastels, clay masks were only some of the mediums enjoyed by viewers. Live music was provided by the Delta Breeze. Their acoustic style country and rock 12 string guitar played by Tony Benedetti and vocals by Pauline Kilian added to the evening. If you did not get a chance to check out the art at the reception - come visit aRt Cottage before August is over and enjoy the variety on display. This is the month to make some purchases. All the proceeds go directly to the artists. aRt Cottage is here to help promote the beginning artists as well as the continuing "learning" student artists no matter what their age or experience is.

 FRO


Meiling Liu
 

WATER

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad


July begins with a bang (literally) and ushers in a new show here at the aRt Cottage - Water. How it is that a substance that is so simple can be so complex is mystifying. We drink water, we bathe in water, we fight wars over water... As you tour the galleries this month think about the themes behind the artwork. Water is portrayed in all of it's many forms. You will observe great power and placid lakes. Ships that ply the oceans and lakes for commerce and pleasure. And of course contemplation. Water is always good for contemplation.


Our reception  this month is Thursday, July 11 from 6 to 9 pm. Please come, enjoy the art, artists and perhaps join us for a glass of water.

All About Abstract...


All About Abstract...is our latest show here at the aRt Cottage and promises to be the biggest and most intriguing yet. We have a strong turn out of a dozen or more artists including painters, sculptors, photographers, pen and pencil artists and more. The variety is breathtaking.

The show officially kicks off on June 5th and runs through the 29th. We are having our opening Reception on Thursday evening, June 6th from 6 to 9 pm. This should be a great opening reception as it corresponds with the Opening of the Thursday night Farmer's Market down in Todos Santos Plaza.

If you haven't visited the Cottage in a while this is a great opportunity to come celebrate the Arts in Concord. Refreshments will be serve and there is always plenty of comradarie.

-FRO

More About Abstract...Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. ... (it)  indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. This departure from accurate representation can be only slight, or it can be partial, or it can be complete. Abstraction exists along a continuum.

-From Wikipedia

Print Making and More!

The aRt Cottage is proud to announce our newest show, "Print Making and More". Print making is an art form that we are all intimately familiar with since the dollar bills in our wallets and purses are produced by an Intaglio printing process. This show will focus primarily on silk screening and monotypes but will include multiple other creative print types as well.

Drop by and visit the show any time we are open or come to our Opening Reception this Saturday, May 11 from 2 to 5 pm.
Prints by Aileen Natasha Nichols and FROgard

aRt Cottage Participates in AAUW Wine Walk


On May 11th from 1-4 pm the aRt Cottage will participate, along with many of Concord's Todos Santos merchants, in the 2013 Art and Wine Walk. This is a fundraiser for the American Association of University Women. Buy an ticket, join the stroll and find out a bit more about the artistic side of Concord while supporting a good cause.

EGGstravaganza Opens to a Large Turnout

The show was great - loved your mom's eggs and all your pics - love the whimsy. You guys are so talented. It's an honor to see the world through your eyes.
-Julie L

Saturday was the opening reception for our new show, EGGstravaganza. Photographers Mark and Cathy Pemberton have been working for the past year to put together this unique show. Their photographs of eggs were just exquisite examples of abstract figure study and balance between light and shadow. The use of the term light is appropriate especially since several of the eggs were shown to be levitating. A repeated comment by many of our guests was “how did you ever come up with so many unique ways to photograph eggs.”


© Mark and Cathy Pemberton
Using a high degree of imagination and a demented sense of humor, Mark and Cathy managed to create on full room's worth of Whimsical egg photographs that provoked laughs from all who went through this room. "Embryo Wars" is not to be missed.
© Mark and Cathy Pemberton

Photo by Mark Pemberton
Another highlight of the show was the egg art of Mark’s mother Shirley. She has created the most stunning works from raw eggs. They run the gamut from eggs that are simply (but elegantly) carved to elaborate mechanical marvels that rival the famed Faberge eggs of the 19 th century. Numerous people took the time to read the short book about her work and to watch the YouTube video of her creations that was shot in the 1990s.

Photo by Gladys Warr
The turnout was good with about 75 people stopping by.  We saw lots of new faces amongst many of our long-time supporters. We were also delighted that residents of the nearby Concord House stopped by to enjoy the show and some of the delicious refreshments with us.



EGGstravaganza will continue showing through April 27. This is truly one of the most unique shows that we have hosted. Don’t miss it!
Photo by Gladys Warr
Photo by Gladys Warr

EGGstravaganza

Our April show is one of the most unique ever. Local photographers, Mark and Cathy Pemberton have spent the last year studying and photographing eggs. According to Mark “Eggs hold a mystical place in the psyche of most cultures and we wanted to explore this simple but interesting subject. Many cultures have origin stories that involve the egg. Our photographs are a study of shape, form, shadow, light and texture. We have also included a series of “whimsical” photos, just for fun.”


“What makes this show even more exciting is that we will also be exhibiting, for the first time anywhere, the egg art of Shirley Pemberton. We have twenty of her pieces displayed in two glass cases. For 20 years my mother created the most exquisite art works from real eggs. Using everything from a robin’s egg to an ostrich egg she fabricated works of art to rival the famous Faberge eggs of 19th century Russia. Today she is 83 years old and no longer able to continue her creative endeavors. This show is a tribute to her years of work.”

The show runs from April 3rd to April 27th.  A public opening reception will be held on April 6th from 2 to 5 pm. 

MIX IT UP IN MARCH

"What's good about March? Well for one thing it keeps February and April Apart."
Walt Kelly

I know something else good about March...our MIX IT UP IN MARCH show for mixed media artists. Over 12 artists are showing their works here at the aRt Cottage and it looks wonderful. Over 75 people attended our opening reception last Saturday. While the weather was a little cool and overcast the spirits were high and we had a wonderful time.

Watch the short slideshow below and then come by for a visit to see the real stuff!

FRO

TURN THE SOUND UP!

aRt Cottage Receives a Grant from Concord Art Association

On February 19 the Concord Art Association gave a grant of $250 to the aRt Cottage in recognition and support of its goal to be a place where “art is made and displayed by artists of all ages”.

"The grant resulted when my friend and co artist came to aRt Cottage with the other members of the Concord Art Association, of which she is the vice president.  They looked at all the galleries (rooms) and asked many questions as to the purpose of aRt Cottage.  I explained that the R in aRt Cottage symbolizes that we “R” all a part of it and it is "R" “(our)” Cottage where art is made and displayed by artists of all ages.  I also explained that I welcome donations of any art material and supplies that are no longer being used by others in order to keep class costs at a very reasonable price.  Since then we have received may donations in the form of paint, paper, collage material and more."

"Shortly after that tour I received a call from the CAA saying that the group was so impressed with the tour and our purpose that they were nominating aRt Cottage for a grant.  Here we are in February 2013 not only being presented with the $250 in grant money, but I was also asked to do a watercolor demo for which I received another $100, which was added to the aRt Cottage fund.  Life is good at aRt Cottage, where we truly R all a part of the big picture.  Thank you to the Concord Art Association."

FRO

For the Love of Art Reception

The Artists Reception for our Craft and Art Exhibit was a fabulous event. Guests arrived by the dozen and everyone was in an energized mood. The range of items on display was amazing. Crocheted, quilts, woodworking, painting, mixed media, sculpture and much, much more kept the attendees enthralled.

Pam McCauley - Watercolors
Mixed media creations
Lorrimarie Jenkins - mixed media
It is not too late to come by and see the show. It will continue until February 28th. There are many great items for sale at very reasonable prices. Don’t miss it!

 The aRt Cottage is open:
11 am to 5 pm Tuesday - Friday 1 to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday.




Crafts Exhibit and Sale



During the month of February, the aRt Cottage will be holding its annual Crafts Exhibit and Sale. The response from the artistic community has been fantastic with a huge variety of crafts being submitted. Media include painting, fabric, mixed media, ceramics, woodworking, and much, much more. Many of the pieces are very unique. You must come down to the Cottage and see this show to believe it.

Show runs from Feb. 1 - Feb. 28
The Artists Reception will be on Sat. Feb. 2 from 2 to 5 pm.


Art of the Nude Reception

Saturday's Reception for "The Art of the Nude" turned out to be a grand affair. Continual threats of rain during the day did not dampen the spirits of art lovers who turned out by the dozen to view the new show. The range of work was astonishing. Works varied from  sketches, to abstract to realism to photographs.

The current show will continue through January 31st. Drop by the aRt Cottage and view these beautiful works. Also check out our expanding collection of cards, portfolios and other objets d'art.

Hours are:
11 to 5 Tuesday - Friday
1 to 5 Saturday and Sunday 
 

The Art of the Nude

Our new show has been hung and it looks fantastic! The Art of the Nude represents the creative output of 19 artists. This is one of our biggest shows yet.

The opening reception is this Saturday, January 5th from 2 to 5 pm. Come visit the aRt Cottage, meet the artists and enjoy these marvelous works.

 
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Bobbe Huetter, Kathryn Ikeda, Don Allen, Jackie Carroll, Elaine Burman, Sarah Gross, Pam Della, Bonnie Fry, Lynn Glenn, Pamela McCauley, Tom Tran, Jody Mattison, Judy McBride, Nancy Robinson, Keith Modenbach, Richie Wilkinson, Roswitha Kress, Robert Wahrhaftig and Doug Riggs.