Spotted next to Coffee Shop in Lafayette.
A new exhibit at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, Cut Up/Cut Out, is on display now through March 5th. The gallery will be closed December 23rd – January 2nd and will reopen on January 3rd, which happens to be “First Free Tuesday” with free admission.
From the exhibit website:
This winter the Bedford Gallery presents Cut Up/Cut Out, an exhibition of local, national, and international artists who explore the captivating methods of decorative piercing and cutting, using a wide range of media from paper and plastic to metal and rubber. The transformative nature of cutting into and through a surface provides endless possibilities for converting the material from opaque to transparent, from flat to sculptural, from rigid to delicate, and from ordinary to exquisite. The process and precision required for this method of art-making is laborious, technically demanding, and always astonishing. Organized by the Bedford Gallery, Cut Up/Cut Out will travel nationally through 2020.
The art of cutting paper dates back thousands of years, with early artworks coming from 6th century China. Originally a decorative handcraft for women, Chinese paper-cutting eventually expanded into rural areas, becoming a staple at religious ceremonies and festivals. By the 14th century, paper-cutting spread to the rest of the world bringing in a new wave of folk art traditions. Cut Up/Cut Out honors both innovation and tradition with a selection of over 50 artists representing diverse styles and techniques.
The Bedford Gallery in downtown Walnut Creek has a new exhibit called ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection through November 27th.
From the exhibit website:
These imaginative works come from the tool-inspired collection of John Hechinger, owner of the mid-Atlantic hardware store chain popular in the 1980s-90s. Hechinger was an active community patron and civil rights advocate in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He also firmly believed in creating dynamic, engaging arts experiences for people of all backgrounds. The four themes in ReTooled –Objects of Beauty, Material Illusions, Instruments of Satire and Tools: An Extension of Self – showcase this belief in an innovative collection of paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and photographs.
Photo courtesy Lydia Faiella
When I previewed the organic fabric shop Monaluna in Walnut Creek last September I distinctly remember seeing these cool wooden post cards being sold which at the time I thought was a cool idea to send via mail.
The artist, Lydia Faiella, has a painting studio surrounded by redwoods trees, deer and birds just off San Miguel Dr. in Walnut Creek. Her process starts with a hand painted watercolor which are printed onto a thin Maple wood veneer. These cards are available at Monaluna in Walnut Creek, Farmyard Darlings in Lafayette, Rakestraw Books in Danville, and other local stores, as well as her website Watercolor Marketplace.
Spotted outside of the Orinda library. I thought this was a microscope but according to the artist notes it’s an “abstract micrometer” (precision measuring tool) “as the symbol of the bureaucracies trying to impose perceived standards on individuals”.
