The Spring Judged Fine Art show is on the walls at Rainbow Stew in Yucca Valley until May 11, 2022.

Our seasonal fine art shows are open to the public and judged by an invited artist or teacher and they provide a fantastic glimpse of what our local creators have been focused on. Painted & drawn works, mixed media, assemblage, stained-glass, and more - you can expect to see these types of creations during our Fine Art exhibits.

A total of twenty-five (25) entries were received from eleven (11) artists! Typically, we experience smaller judged fine art shows, likely due to the fact that creations of paint or assemblage take time to fully complete. Many artists work on a limited number of art presentations per year. And yet, these twenty-six entries were such a treat to enjoy during installation as they will be for a month during this active springtime in our desert!

The 25 entries were sorted into the three judged categories of "Nature's Kaleidoscope", "Beautiful Creatures", and "Abstract".

Judge

Jessica Graybill is a Mojave Desert dweller whose work is certainly influenced by both the desert and the tropical locations she has come to know. The fusion of such inspirations can only mean great things as her work indicates with its organic beauty with pops of vivid color.

The Mojave Desert has long energized and influenced her creativity. Her work is inspired by the natural beauty of her surroundings, with an emphasis on organic shapes and vibrant earth tones as she works in ceramic, crystal, and dyes.

Artist Statement 

Or: How I Learned to Quit Worrying and Love the Process

My work is built by hand from the ground up. I choose not to use a potter’s wheel because I love the meditative act of handbuilding and the organic shapes produced as a result of impressionable clay retaining the individuality of the hands that shaped it. Pinch pots, coils and slabs are the building blocks of ceramics, and there is so much natural beauty in these elements of form.

I am especially enamored with pottery because of its supreme versatility. Malleable raw clay becomes a durable final product, and the potential exists to create anything from a purely ornamental sculpture to a practical bowl - both of which are artful in their own right. Pottery is of the earth and to it, shall return. Once it outlives its functional life, the broken pieces won’t wind up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - if it makes its way to the ocean at all, it will sink to the bottom, creating a home for a hermit crab, a nest for an octopus, or a substrate for future coral reefs.

My goal is to create functional art with longevity. Art can adorn your walls, but it can also be infused into every facet of your life. Surrounding yourself with objects made mindfully brings an additional layer of awareness to your everyday activities. With monolithic corporations pumping out soulless, expendable (and often, plastic) objects left and right, it’s become a vital act of resistance to live a low impact lifestyle by shopping small and supporting local businesses and individual craftspeople.

Beautiful Creatures

First-place
"Mystic Raven"
Jennifer Grandi

"I love the way you captured the inquisitive look of this mystic raven! Beautiful use of color."

Second-place
"Cheeky"
Raini Armstrong

"Very playful and cheeky indeed! Can practically hear the water splashing.."

Third-place
"Gaia Moving"
Victoria Sebanz

"Inventive, very creative and exellent use of highlights throughout the leaves and body."

Nature's Kaleidoscope

First-place
"Desert Dream"
Joyce Nichols

"Beautiful! Nice sense of movement in the ocotillo and nicely captured dreamy sunset. Makes me feel like I'm camping."

Second-place
"Roped Beauty"
Raini Armstrong

"Really like the abstract sky juxtaposed with the realistic trees! Haunting."

Third-place
"Rock Study #2"
Raini Armstrong

"Playful clouds and lovely textures on the rocks, looks like a breath of fresh air."

Honorable Mention
"Joshua Tree Park"
Nancy Miehle

"I really love that this is a medium that you don't always see in a fine art setting - really well done, supper interesting use of atmopheric perspective!"

Abstract

First-place
"Lady of the Glen"
Nancy Kimes

"Stunning colors and haunting spectre of the lady. Love it."

Second-place
"Green Aurora"
Eddie Tucker

"Nice flow and composition, playful colors, reminds me of the microscope imagery and macro imagery all at once."

Third-place
"Rapid Flow"
Nancy Kimes

"I love the flow - it looks like a topographic map and a lava flow all at the same time."

Best of Show

"Red Hot Sunset"
Joan Scott

"Stunning texture and movement, beautiful color selection, nicely mysterious foreground and subtle color variouations in the sky"

Thanks go to the participating artists that shared their work with us. To Rainbow Stew and all visitors that make these shows possible. And congratulations to the creators that placed!

If you find yourself out and about, make sure to stop by Rainbow Stew (please follow any guidelines that they may require) and enjoy the Judged Fine Art show. It will be displayed until May when we transition into the open Judged Spring Photography Show!

We all want to take advantage of this great space because it sees a constant stream of traffic throughout the week. Chaparral Artists see sales through this venue, so do not pass up the opportunity to hang your art with us when you can during these shows.

Stay safe and continue creating!

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