Art Galleries at the Orinda Library and Wilder

Art Gallery at the Orinda Library: Paintings by Christina Baal, Molly Gleason-Kodama, Michiko Sakai and Raku Ceramics by Mary Leigh Miller
    The Lamorinda Arts Council celebrates summer by presenting the living power of nature through art. Featured are paintings of our feathered friends and natural terrain, plus raku ceramics pulled from clay in the earth. Meet the artists at a reception in their honor on Saturday, July 6, from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., where light refreshments will be served.
    For Christina Baal, birdwatching and exploring the natural world provide her with endless sources of inspiration. Her favorite artists include Catherine Hamilton, Gail Stanek, Julie Zickefoose and Marie Rust.
    She only creates images of birds she has encountered in person. Her lifetime goal is to paint 10,000 different species of birds. “Portrait in Poppies,” her cheerful 11” x 14” mixed-media piece, shows California Quail against a backdrop of California poppies. Visit drawingtenthousandbirds.com to see Baal’s work.
    “Honey” is the diminutive title Molly Gleason-Kodama has given to her gouache painting of a Harpy Eagle. A huge silent predator, it glides across the forest like a stealth drone in its Central and South America habitat. It was named for the Harpies of Greek mythology and is revered as a divine being throughout its habitat in the Americas.
    Gleason-Kodama explains her passion for birds drives her intention to express a bird’s personality in her artwork. Her 11 artworks reveal her dedication to this goal is genuine. Maryjo Koch is her favorite bird artist. Visit eclectickingdom.com to learn more.
    Ceramicist Mary Leigh Miller began her fascination with clay in her mid-twenties.
    “The expressiveness I can achieve with clay inspires me to try as many different methods as I can,” she said.
    She can often be found at Walnut Creek’s Community Arts Ceramic Studio where she absorbs inspiration and ideas from other clay artists. The copper luster shows well in “Raku Pot,” her 5” x 7” piece. Visit moragaartgallery.com/mary-leigh-miller to see her work.
Michiko Sakai’s theme for her exhibit is “The Power of Nature.”
    “I want to share the sensitivity I feel to the movement in my surroundings when I’m in the natural world,” said Sakai.
    The 12 oil paintings she is showing include “The Creek,” a 30” x 40” oil on canvas. If you listen closely, you can just hear the soft gurgle of water passing over the rocks. Visit michikosakai.com to learn more.
    Visit the Gallery to view artwork from July 1 – 27 at 26 Orinda Way. Normal hours are Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Sundays and July 4. Call 925.254.2184 for more information or visit ccclib.org. For questions about the exhibit or more information, email gallery@LamorindaArts.org, visit LamorindaArts.org/vac or call 925.359.4490.