Carson Valley Arts Council
Kriss Bachofner, Photography
I have been a professional photographer for over 20 years. I shoot a variety of venues and photograph around the United States and in Studio located in Carson City Nevada.
http://infinityphotographynv.com/
Kay Boulter, Oil Painting
Whether it is a landscape, a winter scene, or another favorite of mine a Christmas scene, I love to express the emotion of the scene through the use of composition, color and subject.
Once an idea comes to me I match my idea with a medium that best communicates its message. I enjoy working in mixed media, acrylics, pencils, and oils.
I find tranquility and enjoyment with each painting I create and I hope you enjoy it as well.
Pam Brekas, Mixed-media Painting & Jewelry
Since retiring from teaching high school art in California, Pam Brekas has thrown herself into art. She built a studio into her house in Gardnerville, NV where she creatively attacks life and art. Her work can be found in local galleries and shows, and has had numerous solo shows including the Northern Nevada Museum, Metro Gallery and Sierra Arts Foundation in Reno. She teaches abstract acrylic workshops in her studio. She works unconventionally with kitchen spatulas, linoleum rollers, glazes, fluid acrylics and colored pencils creating her unique art pieces. She designs and makes domino necklaces distributed through Artists in Cellophane machines across the United States. Her one-of-a-kind bullet jewelry is unusual and the titanium earrings are lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Active in Nevada and California art leagues, Pam supports and encourages the arts wherever possible. She participated in South Lake Tahoe’s CeleBEARtion in 2005, painting a full size fiberglass bear with motorcycle gear, leathers, and patches. Bad Bear lives in the Tahoe Keys. Another painted bear greets visitors at Carson City Harley Davidson dealership. Several of her painted chairs helped the Reno Crisis Call Center raise funds during its Chairity auction, and another chair for the Silco Historic Theater in Silver City, NM. She has painted a hub cap for the Landfill Art Project. She completed a Run Salmon Run project for Lake Tahoe.
Website: http://www.pambrekas.com/
Kristy Dial, Gourd Art
Kristy is a professional gourd artist and teacher with 25 years of experience. She is currently the President of the Nevada Gourd Society and is an AGS Certified Judge.
Kristy and the Nevada Gourd Society organize the Silver State Art Festival. The Art Festival is an annual event held in Carson City featuring several award-winning artists – many members of the NAA participate in this show. www.NevadaGourdSociety.org
Her award-winning gourds have been shown in juried art shows and galleries throughout the western United States.
Kristy is honored to share her knowledge and love of gourds by teaching classes throughout the year.
Website: www.geckogourds.com
Barbara Gustafson, Oil Painting
My passion for art has connected me with many talented teachers over the years; all of whom have inspired me to deeper levels of expression and to explore my gift as an artist. In addition to the beauty of landscapes, I have discovered a real love of painting children and animals, especially their expressive eyes and faces.
Mark Harris, Oil Landscape
Drawing inspiration from different American landscapes stretching across Nevada, the Sierras and northern California Coast, Harris transforms his carefully chosen vistas into abstract, energetic, colorful realms.
With the vast cumulus clouds occupying most of the skies, the horizon line obscures and illuminates the scenery below. The focus in Harris’ work is to capture and transfer the energy of specific places from his memory onto the canvas. The carefully chosen colors -which contrast, compliment, and clash with each other all at the same time- give life to Harris’s paintings and create the dynamism viewers find so compelling and relatable.
Award-winning artist Mark Harris received his BA in Fine Art at the University of South Florida / Florida Center for the Arts with his life experience in the Publishing Industry has reinforced a keen eye for aesthetic composition. His work has been appreciated in many private collections throughout the United States.
Vickie Kingman, Watercolor
Before moving to Gardnerville, Vickie lived at South Lake Tahoe for 20 years. She was a vocalist with several local and Sacramento bands. She sang on the M.S. Dixie and at the Top of the Wheel at Harveys. Her Art interests didn’t stop there. She always loved to paint and continued to develop her skills. Now she works predominately in Watercolor, but will jump track and do a painting in Oil also. “Our Valley offers an abundance of beauty” she says. Vickie has been giving classes lately. She says ” It is such a joy to see the enthusiasm of others when they experience the magic of painting”.
Joe Milazzo, Drawings & Prints
Born and raised in California, Joe Milazzo attended Pasadena City College and Art Center College of Design. Joe was drawn to a fundamental medium, pen and ink. The boldness and range of depth one gets when rendering in black and white is fascinating to him.
His delicate, yet intricate lines and his attention to detail make him a sought after artist. Collected internationally for commissions of prominent figures for public and private collectors alike.
Milazzo has recently added charcoal to his drawing resume. This allows him to create much larger scale drawings while keeping the same technique. The larger drawings are even more dramatic.
Milazzo joined the prestigious list of artists who have rendered the poster for Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta and Rodeo for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2011.
Additional honors include: ANLS- Best of show; Santa Ynez; CA-Vaquero Artist of the year, San Dimas; CA – Festival of Western Art-Festival Choice Award and in most recently; holds gold, silver and bronze medals; Santa Barbara Art Walk- 2nd Place Overall; Santa Barbara, CA-Old Spanish Days Rodeo Program Cover; San Dimas, CA- San Dimas Rodeo Poster; Dublin, CA-California Cowboy Gathering & Ranch Rodeo poster; Monterey, CA-Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Art Show poster; Santa Barbara, CA-Young American Foundation-Commission; Santa Ynez, CA -San Lucas Cowhorse Classic poster.
Collectors of his artwork include President Reagan, Ronald Reagan Center in Santa Barbara, Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Nancy Reagan, George and Susan Hearst, Janeway Museum.
Website: https://milazzoartworks.com/
Suzi Muzil, Beaded Baby Adornment
Suzy’s addiction to the world of beads began with a trip to the Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson, Arizona. Her inner magpie was captivated by the myriad of bright, sparkly objects. She was determined to do something creative with all those gemstones and jewels.
After some trial and error, she discovered that her forte is bead embroidery: the assemblage of wearable object d’art using beads, needle, and thread, engineering each piece one bead at a time. Each piece is signed with a “signature” bead.
Relocating to Carson City in 2012 created an opportunity for people to view and acquire her jewelry. Suzy creates dimensional pieces that swirl, spike, and swoop. She has a particular affinity for the Day of the Dead, creating commemorative jewelry each year to celebrate the holiday.
Suzy’s beadwork has been featured in the Bead Museum of Glendale AZ, the Northeastern Nevada Museum and the Museum of Beadwork in Maine. Her goal for each piece is to bring a smile and a sense of joy, to the wearer. New pieces are premiered on her blog:
Website: https://szmusil.wordpress.com
Sheri Greves Neilson, Western Watercolors, Oils, & Drawings
Sheri Greves-Neilson has been a professional artist for more than 35 years. Throughout those years she has won many awards for her drawings and paintings. Her favorite medium is watercolor, but she enjoys also working in pencil and oil. Her work has appeared on the cover of Western Horseman and in such magazines as Art of the West, American Artist, and Equus. Veterinarian/author David Carlton and publisher Bridgeline Press chose Sheri’s work for the covers of his books of memoirs. Sheri has exhibited at the Desert Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg, Az., the Tucson Museum of Art in Tucson, Az., the Phippen Museum, in Prescott, Az., the AQHA Hall of Fame in Amarillo, Tx., the Old West Museum in Cheyenne, Wy. and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Although her formal education was as a doctor of chiropractic, she has studied at the Scottsdale Artists School and privately with various artists she admires. Sheri has judged the California State Fair Art Exhibition, and the Draft Horse Classic in Nevada City, CA. She is also an associate member of the National Watercolor Society, the American Watercolor Society and the Society of Animal Artists.
Her subject matter is usually figures of some kind. The animals Sheri paints are many times found on friend’s ranches or the trips she takes at home and abroad. Sheri now lives in Minden, Nevada.
Website: https://www.sherigrevesneilson.com/
Louise Noel, Silk Painting
I hope that people who see my work feel joy…in the incredibly vibrant color that silk paintings allow…as well as in the whimsical eye with which I view our crazy, wonderful world. The awesome Sierras and our own Eastern Slope provide a wealth of subject matter. Whenever possible, a dog, cat, bird…even a lowly grinning snail, will be tucked somewhere into my paintings. Even if they are not the focus of the piece…their presence expresses the absolute joy that they add to our lives. Regarding advice, all I can say is listen closely to what your heart whispers…love what you are doing so much that you never consider it work
Website: http://itsthewest.com/
Sharon Randal, Pottery
Pottery has been a big part of my life for the past 36 years. I first started working in clay in 1978 as a leisure activity and soon became “hooked” taking classes, eventually taking over the family room and garage, and finally building a studio in Nevada in 2001 and now in Fairbanks, Alaska five years ago. Since retirement from the medical field, I am working full time in clay, both functional and Raku artwork. My ceramic studies include many classes at UAA and UAF as well as attending many workshops by nationally acclaimed potters such as Robin Hopper, Dick Lehman, Bobby Siedelman, Joe Winter, Jennifer Allen, Lana Wilson, Hank Murrow, Sandy Blaine, Don Reitz, Meridith Host and Al Tennant. Japanese historical pottery has greatly influenced my work. My style and forms continue to evolve in response to my life experiences and travels. I utilize both wheel-throwing and hand-building in my work and often combine both. I am currently teaching classes at my studio in Minden during the winter months and continue to return to Fairbanks in the summers.
Work is made from porcelain or stoneware clay bodies to cone 10 (2350 degrees Fahrenheit) in a gas reduction kiln at each studio. All my glazes are made from scratch are lead and barium free. All gas-fired pieces are dishwasher, oven, and microwave safe. They can be used for baking starting in a cold oven. Some of my art pieces are Raku fired and strictly non-functional. These will not hold liquids and should not be used for food. They are easily recognized by their black clay body and metallic glazes. I recently have been able to soda fire with a friend in Girdwood, Alaska and have started on a new journey in clay. My goal is to balance practicality with a sense of fun in my functional work. A successful pot is one that brings a smile to your face or cheers to your surroundings.
For viewing additional work please see my website at www.copperkilnpottery.com which lists local and Alaskan galleries.
Amelie Reinshagen, Mixed-media
Educated in German and English schools, art and music was always a big interest. Amelie went to study hotel and restaurant management in Switzerland and worked the next 30 years in Europe, Mexico, South America and the USA.
After a long stint in South America with her fighter pilot husband, they came back to the USA and settled in Gardnerville, NV.
Where after having retired, she dedicated herself full time to painting and drawing, for the last 2 years, in different media taught mainly by Mark Tompkins, well known watercolorist, and volunteering at the East Fork Gallery to help promote local arts.
Teri Sweeney, Oil & Watercolor
An attraction to the textures of landscape influences the majority of the paintings that Teri produces. Living in Carson Valley, a short distance from Lake Tahoe, she has the opportunity to find a variety of subject matter within a minute’s drive from her home. Mountain waterfalls, grassy meadows, and of course, the local ranches are all easily accessible year round. With frequent visits to family in Wickenburg and Williams Arizona, desert scenes are also common subjects for her art. Realistically, but artistically, portraying each element of the landscape; be it the geometric surface of a rock, the stately shape of a saguaro cactus, rippling water or the curve of a stalk of grass; is Teri’s goal when painting. Of course, local livestock and cowboys/cowgirls pursuing their daily tasks sometimes wander into her landscapes and quite frequently become the main subject of her art.
Teri’s art has been accepted into such National Western shows as Cowgirl Up! in Wickenburg, Arizona; the Western Masters Show and Sale and the C.M. Russell Art Auction in Great Falls, Montana; the San Dimas Festival of the Arts in San Dimas, California; and the Settlers West American Miniature Show in Tucson, Arizona. Her work has been shown in galleries in South Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Kauai, Hawaii.
Website: https://www.terisweeneyart.com/
Irene Taylor, Watercolor, Batik and Ceramic Garden Art
I have called myself an artist even as a child, influenced by creative parents who surrounded us with the arts and the process of art.
I have a fine arts degree from San Jose State University and have also trained at the Cleveland Institute of Arts, Cooper School of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, and Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. While in Sonora, CA I studied with several successful local artists and was a long-standing member of the Mother Lode Art Assoc. and Tuolumne County Arts Alliance. In June 2015 my husband and I relocated to Gardnerville, NV and I am now an active member of the Carson Valley Arts Council and the Nevada Arts Association. I show at regional art shows and at Gallery at Prism, Minden; East Fork Gallery, Gardnerville; Nevada Art Association Gallery, Carson. I love to teach adults and children and awaken in them the idea of “seeing with their fingers” using contour and blind contour drawing exercises and giving them confidence that they can paint with watercolor successfully. Currently, I teach by appointment in my home studio.
For over 40 years, my professional career was as a graphic designer. I worked for advertising agencies, marketing/pr firms, corporate creative departments, and colleges. I also ran my own graphic design business for many years. My passion in producing art is not to emulate what I see but to put it into color and feeling what I experience. My best work comes when I have experienced a scene or flowers, study it with color, composition in mind, and joy of the heart, and then photograph for further reference. I love the process of paint to paper and use the full range of color and light. I am also available for commissions. My studio is in my home and I am available by appointment.
Website: www.irenewcartist.com
Mark Tompkins, Watercolor
Mark Tompkins attended night classes at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he studied life drawing and illustration. After working as a graphic artist for a number or years, Tompkins moved to Northern Nevada where he worked as a picture framer at a local art store and frame shop. There he began teaching painting classes at the community college, and also through the Parks and Recreation Department. He also teaches private lessons out of his studio. Tompkins inspiration and painting style was influenced by the early renaissance artists as well as artists like Andrew Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish. Tompkins prefers to paint with oils, watercolors, and acrylics. He enjoys painting landscape, wildlife, and portraits. Tompkins has won numerous awards in group competitions and continues to paint his favorite Sierra Landscapes.
Linda Towsend, Watercolor and Pastels
Linda Townsend was born and grew up in New York State. She graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz with a major in art education. Linda subsequently attended the school of American Craftsman at Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in ceramic design. She later received a Masters degree in education from Pepperdine University in California. Her teaching career began in Long Island, teaching art at Smithtown Junior High.
Linda is currently a member of the Carson Valley Art Association, the Nevada Art Association, the Sierra Watercolor Association and the Sierra Pastel Association. Many of her paintings can be seen at the East Fork Gallery and the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, Nevada. Throughout her career, Linda has received many awards for her paintings. During the past years, out of large display of paintings, the town of Minden, the Record Courier Newspaper and the Western Nevada College have selected her work to hang permanently in their offices.
