December in the Art Galleries at the Orinda Library and Wilder
BASA artist Joanne Taeuffer's Pas de Deux is from a series of paintings of dancers inspired by vintage photos and conveys her continuing love affair with painting expressive figures in motion.
Art Gallery at the Orinda Library: Bay Area Studio Artists (BASA)
The BASA show “It’s in Our Nature” will be on view in the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library, Dec. 2 through Dec. 31. Learn more about these artists and their work at the reception on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 12 – 2 p.m., where light refreshments will be served.
Orinda residents might notice the show’s title is similar to BASA’s mural (In Our Nature), which hangs on the Brookwood Road side of the CVS building. The mural, celebrating the natural world, was part of the Artify Orinda program. This exhibit, however, will go far beyond the expanse of that mural’s nature scene.
The exhibit features some of the artists’ favorite works, pieces that best express their true nature. Some of these are recent works, while others are long-time favorites.
Numerous works will be displayed on the gallery walls, as well as in the two large glass cases at either end of the gallery. The glass cases hold small paintings, many of which appear on miniature easels. Since these smaller, more intimate pieces rarely get shown by the group, you won’t want to miss them.
Eight members of BASA are included in this exhibit: Suzun Almquist, Jeanette Baird, Lassie Colebourn, Ellen Reintjes, Ruth Stanton, Joanne Taeuffer, Sharon Tama and Marcy Wheeler.
“We view our exhibit title as being broad and open-ended,” said Orinda artist Tama. “To be sure, there will be scenes from nature, including botanical beauty, moments captured from the savannas of Africa and other earthly wonders.”
Tama added, “But the title also reflects human nature, whether in repose, frenetic activity or simply executing the nonchalant tasks of life. What is it about our actions, emotions or mere posture that speaks to our individuality?”
BASA has both worked and shown work together since 2010 in a variety of Bay Area venues.
“This exhibit also reflects the eclectic nature of our group in both style and subject matter, from realism to expressionism,” said Tama.
No strangers to sharing their beautiful art with Orinda, BASA last year was part of the COVID-19 Retrospective at the Orinda Library where 16 of their paintings were shown. They also exhibited their ‘Trailblazers’ show at Orinda Books that same year, featuring paintings of some of BASA artists’ heroes, including fellow artists as well as political and entertainment figures.
For more information about BASA, visit www.bayareastudioartists.com.
BASA member and Lafayette resident Ruth Stanton’s Reflections are two separate canvases - each 14” height x 26” width and hung one above the other. This diptych is from photographs taken when visiting the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland, Oregon.
Art Gallery at Wilder: Celebrating 40 over 40 Continues
Juleen Lapporte, the award-winning portrait photographer based in Lafayette, is continuing her exhibit “Celebrating 40 Over 40” at The Art Gallery at Wilder. The exhibit celebrates women over 40 and their stories.
“With a strong societal focus on beauty and youth, women are often perceived as being less relevant as they age,” said Lapporte. “I seek to focus on the gifts that come with aging. The vibrancy to choose to dance with our fears and to live a life with joy and wonder.”
She said this isn’t just a collection of beautiful portraits.
“It’s a collection of beautiful souls,” said Lapporte. “[It’s about] women standing together and celebrating our similarities and differences mixed with our spirit and energy that makes each one of us a beautiful being.”
Lapporte talked about her journey on aging.
“Being a bit of an old soul, I started to come into my own in my 40s and life is only getting better with each passing year,” she said. “Now that I’m 55, I have the courage to truly embrace all that I am: a messy, flawed, beautiful, continuous work in progress. I’ve found the patience to welcome complex emotions and embrace life with deep empathy for myself and others.”
Find out more at www.studiojule.com.
The Wilder Art and Garden Center is located at 20 Orinda Fields Lane. The virtual exhibit runs through Jan. 6. To schedule a viewing by appointment, contact Curator Ani Breslin at anistonbreslin@berkeley.edu. For more information, call the Lamorinda Arts Council at 925.359.9940.
Orinda Books Artists of the Month
It’s a family affair as Paul, Tia and Joel Kratter, and Gerry Wallace are showcasing their art at Orinda Books in December. The group is made up of Paul, his wife Tia (an Orinda native) and their son Joel. Gerry Wallace is Tia’s mom.
Wallace, an Orinda resident, has a special holiday show on Dec. 2, along with her family. Some of her ceramics are displayed year-round at Orinda Books.
Paul is a fine art painter with a background in illustration. He taught a variety of classes on illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and his work is published and shown extensively. Learn more about him at www.paulkratter.com.
Visit Joel’s Etsy page to view his wildlife paintings at www.etsy.com/shop/JoelKratterArts?ref=l2-about-shopname.
There’s more information about Tia, who worked as a background painter at Disney and as an Art Director at Pixar, at: http://www.tiakratter.com. Her work includes a variety of acclaimed films, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.
The December events are Friday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Paul and Gerry) and Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Tia, Paul and Joel).
Dave Fonseca can be reached at davef52@gmail.com.
