Flamboyant hat maker Denise Goodman-Lachowsky, lives in Alameda and sports her Salute to Captain hat, made of felt, gold braid and sailing emblem. Her hat is not for sale.
All Lamorinda Arts Council art exhibits are virtual until COVID-19 restrictions change. Artists displaying artwork in the virtual Art Gallery at the Orinda Library for the month of November include John A. Barry, Christian Ehrhorn, Judith Feins and Denise Goodman-Lachowsky. Learn more about them at www.lamorindaarts.org/current-exhibits/.
Viewers may purchase exhibiting artists’ artwork online during their scheduled month. To see images of artwork for sale by current exhibitors and their virtual video exhibits, visit www.lamorindaarts.org/online-galleries/.
Barry, of Danville, invented trAction painting when he was riding his bicycle through a puddle on the Iron Horse Trail and watched as the tire lay down a line of water on the pavement. He realized that if the water was water-based paint, he could create paintings by using bikes, skates, wheelchairs, etc., as his “brushes.”
His theme in “trAction Painting,” is seen in The Red, White and Blue Rolls Over the Orange-Brown Shirts, a 9 ft. x 5 ft. acrylic on canvas. “I have no aptitude for representational art so trAction painting enables me to focus on process and (sometimes) performance.” Learn more by watching his virtual exhibit video and viewing images at the online galleries webpage and http://www.traction-painting.com.
Ehrhorn’s 48” x 60” oil painting on canvas is one of the 877 artworks on display at The de Young Open through Jan. 3, 2021, artwork #493. He explained, “My artistic renderings begin when I heed unusually attached sensations that arrive when I observe people and places, and objects related to both. I most enjoy these moments when I am not confined by what my mind thinks is worthwhile but, instead, by what feels right during the time my artwork is formulated and executed.”
Learn more about The de Young Open in the accompanying story. You can reach Orinda resident Ehrhorn by dropping in at Christian Ehrhorn Fine Arts Gallery, 39 Moraga Way, in Orinda; see www.christianehrhornfineart.com for hours and details.
Feins’ 30” x 40” Edge Illuminated oil painting on canvas, artwork #464, is also at The de Young Open until Jan. 3. 2021. One look at this painting and we can see her assertion, “I love to paint the brilliant tranquility of light on water,” is real. “I’m fascinated by all that I see in the natural world. My passion for portraying that beauty is the force behind my paintings,” she said.
A resident of Orinda, she is thankful for its supportive arts community. According to Feins, “Although we’re a small town, there’s a lot of appreciation, involvement and creativity that remains vibrant even in challenging times.” She hopes her paintings bring pleasure and inspiration to others. Keep up with her artwork at www.judithfeins.com.
Goodman-Lachowsky, who lives in Alameda, has always loved wearing hats and is an active member of the Red Hat Society (RHS). The group counts 35,000 members, including international locations. She likes RHS because it is fun and filled with the pleasant social interaction of connecting with old friends and making new ones.
When RHS announces a theme event, she makes a hat according to the theme and often gifts it to a new member. She scours garage sales, consignment and thrift stores for materials. Part of the fun is competing in and winning a hat contest like “Most Bling.” View Seeing Red and Crowned in Pink for a sample of her creations. She encourages women of all ages who are interested by hats and fun to explore the options at www.redhatsociety.com.
