Sacramento has a thriving arts scene, thanks to places like the Crocker Art Museum, numerous galleries, and public events like Second Saturday. We’re also fortunate to have talented artists as our neighbors and as champions for the region’s culture. Here, we talked to six of the area’s finest to learn more about their preferred medium, where to find their artwork, what inspires their creativity, and much more. You’ll be surprised by how many of them discovered their talents during their boomer years! Maybe they’ll inspire you to try your hand at creating art, too. 

Linda Heath Clark

Tell us about your artwork.

My work ranges from highly realistic to abstract. I use a subtractive scratchboard technique I learned as a scientific illustrator and am now doing my own full color version using acrylic on an archival white clay coated board. I start painting the first layer of color in simple, nearly opaque shapes, paying attention to color combinations, contrast, and composition. Using various scratching tools (X-Acto knives, scalpels, tattoo needles, steel wool, fiber glass brushes, etc.), I scratch through the acrylic paint to the white clay below. The scratching defines shapes and adds texture. I then apply thinned washes of acrylic to color my scratches. The final effect is achieved by alternating washes of thinned acrylic with layers of scratching. Scratching creates highlights and adds detail, and washes of acrylic add color, contour, and shadows. My Cactus Bloom acrylic on clay board was included in North Light’s book, AcrylicWorks 2: Radical Breakthroughs. In 2016, the International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) awarded me Master Scratchboard Artist (MSA) status. My work can be purchased at the Placerville Art Gallery and in various local, national, and international juried shows throughout the year.

When did you first start creating artwork? 

After college, I started out as a scientific illustrator for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, mostly illustrating insects. My current interest in creating scratchboard abstracts began only about four years ago.

When and where did you first get inspired to create your art?

Although art always interested me, taking a vocational aptitude test in college helped tie my interests in art and biology together, when a vocational counselor suggested scientific illustration as a career. It immediately struck a chord with me and turned out to be a unique and interesting course of study and career. 

How long does one piece take you to complete?

The scratching process can be slow. Luckily, I find it meditative. It can take 40 hours for a small 8x10-inch piece and up to 100 hours or more for larger pieces.

Where do you find your inspiration? 

For my realistic work, I use photo references I have personally taken locally or while traveling. I’m always looking for interesting subjects. My abstract work is sometimes inspired by various shapes and colors that I find interesting, but mostly my abstracts seem to create themselves.

Who is your favorite artist?

Dewitt Whistler Jayne, a master at pastels and internationally known, who was one of my art professors at Sacramento State. His pastel seascapes were some of the best I’ve seen. As a mentor, he was always extremely generous with his time and advice.

What is your favorite museum or art gallery, local and not local?

Maybe due to my interest in biology, I’m really drawn to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ. The Art Institute there focuses on conservation through art education, and with a zoo, botanical garden, and art gallery, it’s the perfect museum experience for a scientific illustrator. 

It’s tough to choose only one local gallery. We’re so lucky to have the Crocker Art Museum here, and I’ve been lucky enough to show in several of the galleries downtown. However, for viewing multiple artists’ work in one location, I don’t think you can beat the ARTHOUSE on R; The Sparrow Gallery is downstairs and there are 10 artists’ studios upstairs. It’s a great stop on Second Saturday. 

What have you learned about yourself or the world as an artist?

Connecting with other artists in formal and informal ways is a great way to learn and be inspired. I regularly participate in a critique group and informal art groups where everyone works on their own projects. I find interacting with such a variety of talented artists greatly expands and improves my own art and view of the world. It’s also a wonderful way to make friends.

Randy Honerlah

Tell us about your artwork.

Using acrylics, I really enjoy painting trees, water, and the sky in a slightly abstracted but [still] recognizable way. My work is shown in various galleries: Artistic Edge in Sacramento, Gold Country Artists’ Gallery in Placerville, Fire and Rain Gallery in Folsom, and Fare Bella Gallery in Manitou Springs, CO. I also enter works regularly around the area and have been fortunate to be juried into some fine venues.

When did you first start creating your artwork? 

I began painting when I was about six years old. After a long career in the electronics industry (Intel), I retired and went more professional and began showing in galleries in 2011.

When did you first get inspired to create your art?

My grandmother was a big influence when I was a youngster. Her grandmother painted back in the 1800s, and she encouraged me to begin oil painting when I would visit her. 

How long does one piece take you to complete? 

I paint in many sizes, from 24x24 inches to 48x72 inches; they can take as long as five weeks. 

Where do you find your inspiration?

I love nature and painting trees. I hike around some property we have near Truckee and other locations, taking photos along the way. I’m also blessed to have many photographer friends who provide reference photos for me to work from. 

What other type of art interests you?

In college, I tried a bit of everything: ceramics, jewelry, and wood sculpture. It’s all fun to do but difficult to do it all!

What is your favorite museum or art galley, local and not local? 

I love the Crocker Art Museum and have been a member there for many years. There are also many wonderful art galleries in the area.

Have you taken classes or are you self-taught? 

Both. I took classes in college and have an applied arts degree. I’ve also taken classes with various artists and have learned a lot through DVDs and YouTube. I enjoy creating my own stylistic processes, which include a bit of a mosaic look; colors and shapes are my thing.

What have you learned about yourself or about the world as an artist? 

I’m very detail-oriented and constantly look for inspiration when my wife and I travel. There are many beautiful places in the world that I would love to paint yet get frustrated that there’s not enough time to do them all!

What made you come back to painting later in life?

As a younger person, I was told that being an artist was not a good way to make a living, so I went into electronics, which paid well, but the creative spark was constantly buried. It wasn’t until I retired when I realized that maybe I should have followed my dream of painting; who knows where it may have led me. As it is now though, I love creating art every day!

Philip Lachapelle

Tell us about your artwork.

I paint mostly with oil, but have also worked with acrylics and pencil and ink. My artwork is on display at Gold Country Artists’ Gallery in Placerville.

When did you first start creating your artwork? 

At 14 years old, I became infatuated with cars and began to draw them. Fast forward to after college; I wanted to learn more about the automobile business, so I sketched cars and applied to the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles. I was accepted and studied all forms of design and drawing and painting mediums.

When did you first get inspired to create art?

My mother’s interest in painting and art influenced my creative side, as did attending ArtCenter. After my art schooling, my auto design career plans were cut short due to a recession that affected hiring by the Detroit automakers. I took a career turn into the television equipment industry but continued to sketch and paint. Upon retirement, I started painting as a full-time second career and have continued enjoying it to this day.

How long does one piece take you to complete?

Creating an oil painting requires initial research from on-site photos or a painting, improvising a composition of how the painting should relate to the viewer, preliminary pencil sketches to show where light and dark colors will be, and then the actual painting time. All these steps take an average of 50-60 hours.

Where do you find your inspiration?

As a lover of landscapes, water, reflections, and sunsets, I take photos, paint on location, and combine these observations to create a painting.

Who is your favorite artist?

My favorite artist is Kathleen Dunphy, who is internationally known for her landscape paintings and whom I have taken a workshop from.

What is your favorite museum or art galley, local and not local?

In Sacramento, we have the Crocker Art Museum, and of course, the great galleries in San Francisco. My favorite art gallery town is Carmel.

Have you taken classes or are you self-taught?

I’ve taken art workshops from renowned artists such as Anita Wolff, Victoria Brooks, Calvin Liang, Ned Mueller, and Charles Muench. 

Pat Kelly

Tell us about your artwork.

I create one-of-a-kind mirrors out of seashells and sell them from my home. I love walking on beaches and looking for shells; each one is unique and even the broken ones have a purpose and are needed in creating a mirror. 

When did you first start creating artwork? 

About 20 years ago, I started picking up shells while walking on beaches during vacations. I’d been working on various art projects for years, but one day, it came to me. I looked through many magazines that contained beachy items and some even had mirrors. I thought to myself, “I could do this,” so I found a couple of mirrors with wood frames, cleared off a big table in my dining room, brought out my huge selection of shells, and began creating. It was fun and wonderful! New ideas emerged and piece-by-piece, I saw where each shell could fit together to make the mirror beautiful. After collecting enough shells, I soak them in a solution to clean them; once the shells are dry, I sort them by size and color and put into Ziploc bags and boxes.
I usually search and select groups of shells and place them around the mirror before gluing them on. This provides an opportunity to make changes and to determine what combination of shells looks best together.

How long does one piece take you to complete?

It depends on the size of the mirror, but a 24x20-inch mirror usually takes 10-12 hours.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I have favorite places to search along the West Coast and Hawaii. The ocean’s tide brings in new shells every day and I never know exactly what I’ll find. This is all part of the enjoyment!

Have you always been a creative person? 

Yes. I love flowers, art, and making our home a place to enjoy with family and friends. I also enjoy a variety of arts and crafts and have made cards, tiles, pillows, and paintings.

Who is your favorite artist?

Eileen Downs. She designs her art with pieces of paper.

What is your favorite museum or art galley, local and not local?

I love the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.

Joyce Nina Auteri

Tell us about your artwork.

Currently, I’m working with tempered glass on mannequins as my substrate. I wanted to create something new, different, and contemporary. In the gallery less than five days, I sold my first piece; two weeks later, I sold another. I may stick with this [medium], despite the necessary Band-Aids. My forte, however, is oil painting in realism with a loose-ish stroke. Unless my glass art continues to fly off the walls, I'll be getting back to that soon. My work is available at Art Studio 360 in Placerville and on my website. 

When did you first start creating your artwork? 

I started creating art at about the time I could hold a crayon. When I was eight, I started on ceramics with a neighbor who lived a couple doors down and had a kiln in her basement. At age nine, my mom bought me some oil paints and a couple paintbrushes and offered the table downstairs in our own basement to mess around. Boy, what a mess I made! But I had fun.

When did you first get inspired to create art?

In 2013, I fulfilled a dream and took off to live in Italy. I was only there for three months, but in that time I took over 2,000 photos. It’s from these photos that I began painting in oils again, like the old masters from the region. As for my glass art, which I began just a few months ago, I really can’t put a finger on it. I came across a site that offered classes on tempered glass mosaics and thought they looked beautiful! Instead of doing typical mosaics on a flat, wooden surface using grout, I chose to use plastic body shapes as my substrate and left out the grout, feeling like the grout detracts from the translucency of the glass and the brilliancy of the colors beneath it.

How long does one piece take you to complete it? 

It depends what I’m creating, of course, and its size. I’d say, however, that an average-sized oil painting (18x24 inches), takes me around 60 hours. A glassed mannequin torso takes me about the same amount of time.

Where do you find your inspiration? 

Everywhere, but mostly in nature and architecture. In Italy, the most interesting subject matter to me was the ancient, dilapidated buildings and enormous stone structures. It blew my mind how these were created so very long ago, before there were cranes and ladders, and yet they’re still standing, centuries later. In nature, I’m drawn toward rocks, water, and interesting cloud formations. I see it all. I’m always taking photos wherever I go and tend to plan my vacations in beautiful places. When driving to get there, I always take the scenic routes and make a lot of stops, camera in hand. 

What other type of art interests you? 

I’ve dabbled in almost every medium, including acrylics, watercolors, inks, graphite, carbon, and charcoal. I’ve never been interested in pottery, though—seems way too difficult.

Who is your favorite artist?

Arthur Ernest Streeton. He painted landscape realism with a very loose stroke. From a distance, it looks perfect but up close all you see are colors and brushstrokes. That’s the magic! As Rembrandt said, “Paintings are to be seen with the eyes, not smelled with the nose.”

What is your favorite museum or art galley, local and not local? 

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; locally, I really love Art Studio 360, which is where some of my work is currently on display. I love the aura there; every artist is nice and supportive of one another, and the art is so diverse and impressive.

What have you learned about yourself or about the world as an artist? 

A supervisor at my day job once asked me, “If you saw someone’s art that needed to be corrected, what would you say?” My response was, “Nothing.” After, he looked at me as if I had three heads, and I continued: “In art, there is no right or wrong. There are no rules.” And that is what I love about art.

Oranne Lee Eichorn

Tell us about your artwork.

I sometimes use acrylic and watercolor, but much prefer the blending, depth, and nuances achievable with oil. While I paint a variety of subjects from still life and portrait, to “kid art,” my most avid interest is landscape. I received a master’s degree in education and studied art with instructors at UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. I taught grades 3-6 in Santa Barbara County for 25 years, integrating art into every subject. For two years, I was a member of the Gold Country Artists’ Gallery in Placerville. My work has been accepted into several juried shows, including the national Mother Lode Art Exhibition and the Ironstone Vineyard Tulip Festival. My energy has recently been diverted to another endeavor, however. Still an educator at heart, I volunteer to teach art to 6-7 classes at Gold Oak School in Pleasant Valley, where I reach over 200 students each month.

How long does one piece take you to complete it?

My oil paintings take 10-40 hours; acrylics take less time. 

Where do you find your inspiration?

I’ve been drawn to mountain scenery my whole life. Yosemite and the Grand Tetons have been my favorite subjects. I have discovered so many local landscapes just waiting to be painted, from goslings on the American River to snowy Icehouse trails. While my husband fishes, I paint!

Who is your favorite artist?

My favorite artists include Wyland, Jim Wilcox, and Maynard Reece. I teach my classes about Monet, Picasso, Stewart, Bierstadt, Rivera, and others who changed the world.

Have you taken classes or are you self-taught?

Since retiring and moving to El Dorado County, I’ve continued to pursue my passion for art, taking advantage of local workshops, lessons, and mentors, as well as local arts associations and shows.

 

Feeling inspired and looking to add more art into your life? We’re sharing all the details you need for upcoming art exhibits you can’t miss, art stores where you can pick up all your supplies, and local art classes to expand your training and meet other artists.

LOCAL ART EXHIBITS

Crocker Art Museum 

216 O Street, Sacramento, 916-808-7000, crockerart.org

Cool Clay: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary Ceramics

Now through July 19, 2020

From raw textures and meticulous details, to glazes bursting with color, the works in Cool Clay represent one of the most exciting and expansive fields of contemporary art.

When I Remember I See Red: American Indian Art and Activism in California

Now through January 26, 2020

This exhibit features contemporary art by First Californians and other American Indian artists with strong ties to the state. Spanning the past five decades, the exhibition includes more than 65 works in various media, from painting, sculpture, prints, and photography, to installation and video.

The Gallery at 48 Natoma

48 Natoma Street, Folsom, 916-355-7285, folsom.ca.us/parks/facilities/gallery_at_48_natoma.asp

Small Town

November 15, 2019-January 16, 2020

This exhibit features collages by Kerri Warner and photographs by Kelly Howell. It opens with a free public reception from 6-8 p.m. on November 15 that also features the art center’s annual Holiday Show and Sale, with a variety of pottery, woodworking, artwork, and other items crafted by local artisans.

Blue Line Arts 

405 Vernon Street, Suite 100, Roseville, 916-783-4117, bluelinearts.org 

Upcoming exhibits include The US Show (American Immigrant Artists); The Car Show (Inspired by the Automobile); and The 30x30 Show (30 works in 30 days).

LOCAL ART STORES

Blick Art Materials

905 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, dickblick.com

University Art 

2601 J Street, Sacramento, universityart.com

Leave Your Mark Sacramento

2627 J Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, leaveyourmarksac.com

LOCAL ART CLASSES

Blue Line Arts

405 Vernon Street, Suite 100, Roseville, 916-783-4117, bluelinearts.org/adult-programs

Watermedia Workshop with Pat Abraham

10 a.m.-3 p.m., November 5 & November 6

Member Price: $160; Non-Member Price: $192

Encaustics 101 Workshop

10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., November 16

Member Price: $170; Non-Member Price: $204

Expressive Self-Portraits for Veterans

11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., November 30

Free for Veterans

University Art

2601 J Street, Sacramento, 916-443-5721, universityart.com/sacramento-classes

How to Paint the Beach in Acrylics with Jennifer Keller

10 a.m.-4 p.m., November 2

$95

Pet Portraits with Carrie Posey

1-4 p.m., November 3

$35

Beginning Charcoal with Laura Schofield

1-3 p.m., November 10

$35

Watercolor Autumnal Landscape with Michelle Cordova

3-5 p.m., November 11

$35