This Saturday’s opening reception was very exciting and much anticipated for me, returning to my roots in Santa Ynez to show my artwork in my first solo gallery exhibit. It couldn’t get much better to see old and new friends, artists and appreciators, together at the opening to the show.
Here are some shots from the opening mingled with some shots of the artwork:
(Click on the images below to view larger.)
View from the front doors of friends and onlookers.
Title: Grin and Nod
Date: 2006-2011
Medium: Bronze and wood.
Description: This piece satirically portrays fulfilling expectations and social norms, and the aspect of performance in daily life. Darkly whimsical, it grins with a face painted white like a mime or harlequin and nods on wooden rockers with safety guards, reminiscent of a childhood rocking horse.
With artists, John and Debra, and gallery owner, Connie Rohde.
Repose
24″x20″
Oil on canvas
2010
This video titled “Diti,” meaning divided self, was inspired by the composition and content of Frida Kahlo’s double self-portrait “Dos Fridas,” and portrays the divisions in our identity that create dissonance and complexity within our daily life and sense of self. In Kahlo’s painting, her European self sits with a surgical clamp that is not quite able to keep her blood from spilling on a stark white dress, while her Mexican side sits with her blood circulating around a photo of her husband, Diego Rivera, as a child. In my video, Ghazala Rafiq is portrayed with her Western academic self initially rejecting integration with her spiritual Eastern Indian self, until they both dissolve. I’m interested in drawing attention to the disparate parts within each person’s psychology and somehow integrating them through dialogue and interaction.
Artists and writer couple Gwen and Bill with friend.
Portrait of a Young Man
Oil on canvas, 2006
16″x12″
With my delightful, talented, and lovely model, artist and teacher Mac, with the painting she modeled for, “Artist Muse,” behind us.
Artist Muse Sold
30″x30″
Oil on canvas.
2011
Description: Mackenzie Duncan and her husband Michele portrayed inside Duncan’s birch forest painting. Part of an artist as muse series.
Captive
10″x8″
Oil on canvas
2010
Description: Karina Puente portrayed in front of her self-portrait. Part of an artist as muse series.
Muse
16″x12″
Oil on canvas
2011
Description: Karina Puente portrayed in front of her self-portrait. Part of an artist as muse series.
A high fire Tenmoku tea set, including a teapot, creamer, sugar jar, two vases, and two cups.
Title: Hoof
Date: 2005
Medium: Aluminum
Description: The most basic and ignored part, the foundation. Made of a crude material, aluminum to suits its role as unglamorous support.
Hoof – rear view.
Family and friends.
Bronze spiders with some pottery.
Harlequins in Repose
24″x24″
Oil on canvas
2010
Title: Selves – 1 of 3 Sold
Date: 2006-2011
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions: 3x ~(4″x2″x2″)
Description: This grouping alludes to the disparate and disconnected roles or parts played out within each of us. It starts off with a solid bronze head, and continues with two increasingly less material castings from the original. Reflections on more or less substantial roles or parts of a single person’s integral self.
Title: Respiration
Date: 2006-2011
Medium: Bronze
Description: This bronze self-portrait reflects the act of taking in and pushing out, which includes both the literal act of breathing, and the less obvious flow of dialogue, information, conversation, etc. It’s a meditation on allowing a series of interactions to take place, internally and externally.
Another view of the high fire Tenmoku tea set, including a teapot, creamer, sugar jar, two vases, and two cups.
Portrait of Rafael
Oil on canvas
18″x14″
2002
Persimmon tea set with teapot, one un-pictured tea cup, angular vase, and a tear drop vase. Sold
Portrait of Uwe
Oil on canvas.
16″x12″
2003-2011
Blue tea set with gold accents. Set includes teapot, three tea cups and a tear drop vase.
Title: Farmed (Chicken and egg) Sold
Date: 2005
Medium: Cardboard, glue, metallic spray
Description: This piece reflects upon animal treatment and use in our culture. It also comments on mindset, parenting, and psychological awareness.
Painting on the pillar:
“Lily Sleeping” Sold
Oil on canvas.
10″x8″
View from the front doors of friends and onlookers.
Title: Grin and Nod
Date: 2006-2011
Medium: Bronze and wood.
Description: This piece satirically portrays fulfilling expectations and social norms, and the aspect of performance in daily life. Darkly whimsical, it grins with a face painted white like a mime or harlequin and nods on wooden rockers with safety guards, reminiscent of a childhood rocking horse.
With artists, John and Debra, and gallery owner, Connie Rohde.
Repose
24″x20″
Oil on canvas
2010
This video titled “Diti,” meaning divided self, was inspired by the composition and content of Frida Kahlo’s double self-portrait “Dos Fridas,” and portrays the divisions in our identity that create dissonance and complexity within our daily life and sense of self. In Kahlo’s painting, her European self sits with a surgical clamp that is not quite able to keep her blood from spilling on a stark white dress, while her Mexican side sits with her blood circulating around a photo of her husband, Diego Rivera, as a child. In my video, Ghazala Rafiq is portrayed with her Western academic self initially rejecting integration with her spiritual Eastern Indian self, until they both dissolve. I’m interested in drawing attention to the disparate parts within each person’s psychology and somehow integrating them through dialogue and interaction.
Artists and writer couple Gwen and Bill with friend.
Portrait of a Young Man
Oil on canvas, 2006
16″x12″
With my delightful, talented, and lovely model, artist and teacher Mac, with the painting she modeled for, “Artist Muse,” behind us.
Artist Muse 
Captive
10″x8″
Oil on canvas
2010
Description: Karina Puente portrayed in front of her self-portrait. Part of an artist as muse series.
Muse
16″x12″
Oil on canvas
2011
Description: Karina Puente portrayed in front of her self-portrait. Part of an artist as muse series.
A high fire Tenmoku tea set, including a teapot, creamer, sugar jar, two vases, and two cups.
Title: Hoof
Date: 2005
Medium: Aluminum
Description: The most basic and ignored part, the foundation. Made of a crude material, aluminum to suits its role as unglamorous support.
Hoof – rear view.
Family and friends.
Bronze spiders with some pottery.
Harlequins in Repose
24″x24″
Oil on canvas
2010
Title: Selves – 1 of 3 
Title: Respiration
Date: 2006-2011
Medium: Bronze
Description: This bronze self-portrait reflects the act of taking in and pushing out, which includes both the literal act of breathing, and the less obvious flow of dialogue, information, conversation, etc. It’s a meditation on allowing a series of interactions to take place, internally and externally.
Another view of the high fire Tenmoku tea set, including a teapot, creamer, sugar jar, two vases, and two cups.
Portrait of Rafael
Oil on canvas
18″x14″
2002
Persimmon tea set with teapot, one un-pictured tea cup, angular vase, and a tear drop vase. 
Portrait of Uwe
Oil on canvas.
16″x12″
2003-2011
Blue tea set with gold accents. Set includes teapot, three tea cups and a tear drop vase.
Title: Farmed (Chicken and egg) 
Painting on the pillar:
“Lily Sleeping”