  Who are you? Where did you grow up? Where do you live?
I’m Sherrod Blankner, one of the artists at 4th Street Fine Art. I grew up in a lovely small college town in the South, Maryville, Tennessee. I left when I was 18 to go to college in New England. After four years of winter in New England, I moved to Northern California to follow a boyfriend. He didn’t work out, but I stayed in California. Fifteen years ago, I joined up with the group of artists that created our studio in Berkeley. Tell us more about what you create. What style(s) do you work in, mediums, etc. I have found that I need to alternate between oil and watercolor painting because I focus so hard that I burn out on one or the other. When I work in oil, I do landscapes in painterly realism, and portraits. The challenge with oil for me is the tiny linear brushwork, where one longs for a pencil. In watercolor, one has all the pencils one wants, so the challenge is keeping the pale colors. If there were a magic medium where one could always restore the whites with flake white but also draw tiny lines with a watercolor pencil, that would be the sweet spot. Where can we find your art besides at 4th Street? On my website, www.sherrodblankner.com How long have you been creating? My mother has a newspaper clipping of me sculpting at camp when I was about 8. My mother loved to do hands-on projects like sewing, drawing, painting and mod podge. My grandmother gave me a box of oil paints and my mother bought me an easel. That’s how I got started in oils. When you're not making your art, what do you do? It may sound crazy, but I am also a web developer and data scientist. For many years I worked in an advertising department where the other computer programmers were artists as well. Our solutions often drove the IT department nuts but we were very creative! Is creativity a luxury or necessity for you? Tell us more about that. Creativity is the core of my personality. Even when I am doing data science, I use my intuition to solve problems in ways that other programmers find unusual. In almost all situations, I can propose a solution for the problem, except for, sadly, the problem of my parents aging. For the first fifteen years of my career, I worked four-days-a-week so I could improve my painting skills on my day off. I credit painting with opening my mind to a more philosophical path. The focus required to execute a large painting has served me well in many situations that required dedication and patience. What obstacles have you had to overcome to lead a creative life? Fortunately, my parents have always shown unwavering support. They paid for me to go to an expensive college and major in non-essential things like “Shakespeare” and “Photography.” Like many artists, I have struggled to come to terms with how hard it is to make a living as an artist. Even if you get a masters, paint like an angel, network like crazy and send out emails every month, you may still find yourself spending more than you bring in. At our studio, we joke about choosing art as “a lifestyle.” If I had to say what the biggest obstacle I faced was, it would be my own fear of failing, not anything from the outside world. Did someone in your family, a friend or teacher introduce you to your creative side or have they helped you along the way? My great-grandmother and my uncle paved the way, by being artists before me. In high school, I had amazing teachers who pushed me to write. My college art professors helped me believe I could do art. An art student taught me to paint watercolors. Everywhere, people have helped me. If I had to point at the person who has helped me the most, it would be my husband. He sets the gold standard for “art husband.” Where do you find inspiration? The absurdity of the world inspires me to record my experiences for future travelers. The beauty of the earth and the emotion of every day places provokes me to paint. What’s on the horizon for you and what you do? Writing more. Someday doing that marketing that I swore I would do when I got to someday. If money wasn’t an issue how would your life change with regards to your art? Right now, I am in a great place. Every day I write, work, paint and do some mothering. I could not ask for more. What inspiring advice would you give to other creatives be they established or just starting out? Don't quit. You will find as you keep doing art that other people give up and abandon the artist's path. When you are 40, you may be the only person you know doing art. Out of the blue, on a day when you are filled with doubt, people will come up and say you inspire them. Who are some artists that inspire you? Diebenkorn, Theibaud, Hopper, Turner, and, most of all, the artists at my studio.
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  All About Pat Tostenson
Pat Tostenson, one of the artisan jewelers at 4th Street Fine Art, turns to silversmithing to satisfy her need for creativity. Without some creative outlet, Pat says, she would "shrivel up and die!" Besides silver, Pat works in beading, metal clay and forging, mixing it all together with classic artist panache. Born in the midwest, Pat moved to California after attending the Rosebowl with her husband. “We were blown away with the beauty and weather of California,” she says. Over time, she has remodeled 12 houses, loves to race sailboats with her husband and son and is a member of the League of Women Voters. Still, she felt she needed an outlet for her creative energy, so she turned to jewelry. “I thought it would not require a lot of space,” she says, “but now the house is taken over. Oops!” Pat turns to nature for her inspiration. She likes unique shapes and picks stones that have unusual edges. She likes to let the stone influence the piece, and create a setting that shows off the natural, organic qualities of the materials. Recently Pat has been working on stone setting, a traditional silversmith technique. Here you see Pat cutting a design into silver sheet with her jewelers saw, another way to create unique pieces. Pat says "My goal is to improve my techniques, and I believe that with practice this happens - so I just keep at it and watching Youtube videos and taking occasional classes." Pat’s jewelry can often be found at various festivals, like the Saratoga Rotary Arts and Crafts, Solano Stroll, Danville, Yountville, Richmond Art Center, and Arts of Point Richmond. Come in and see more of Pat’s work at 4th Street Fine Art. Our very own Debbie Claussen, the artist in our show "Sweet Dreams" is profiled by the El Dorado County Foothills Style Magazine!  As a child, Debbie Claussen would often sketch the kids around her in class, but it wasn’t until her 20s when she finally pursued her passion. Having since explored different techniques in porcelain, watercolor, and oil painting, the talented artist and teacher doesn’t wish to limit herself and is constantly changing and growing. Read More
 Build Bridges Not Walls is a small-scale model for a piece intended to be large scale. This maquette is rendered in fused and slumped glass. The wall has a deeply textured layer of singed copper on its surface. The bridge is a translucent arc of pink.
More than just a political statement about current world issues, this piece is intended to embody inner struggles as well as a philosophy for growth. In the wall, there is density, darkness and restriction. In the bridge there is light and reflection and openness. The bridge seems fragile in comparison to the wall, but in its graceful arc there is enormous strength. Today, as I write this, our government is taking bids on the construction of a border wall to keep immigrants out. Suppose this fearful act were defeated by the idea that immigration is our greatest strength; that we are not one people but all peoples, and as such, we have all the collective wisdom and resources to accomplish the unimaginable. Build Bridges Not Walls is a work of hope and a diagram for a better world. -Georgianna Krieger Getting Started: Bateleur Eagle Painting, First Steps My inspiration for this painting was provided by “Python” Paige at the World Bird Sanctuary in Missouri. Her instagram photo of Shadow, a 31 year old Bateleur, provided a fantastic reference photo for me to work from. Bateleur eagles can be found in Africa, ranging from Mauritania to Sudan to Egypt, all the way to South Africa. They spend up to 80% of their days in flight, searching for food. They can cover over 300 miles in a day! That could explain why they can also be found in parts of the Middle East. Pairs of the Bateleur’s mate for life. They have a rather death-defying mating ritual that involves the male diving down upon the female in flight, often rolling 360 degrees, while loudly clapping their wings. All this, while the female flies on her back. Pretty nuts! I got started by priming a 6″ x 6″ cradled birch panel with several coats of clear acrylic gesso. I use clear gesso to allow the wood grain to serve as a background for the bird. After sanding the gesso to a smooth surface, I do a loose sketch to help me keep the feathers straight, as well as get the positioning of the facial features in place. MaterialsSubstrate: As mentioned before, I like to paint on birch panels. I like the stiffness of the surface, and appreciate the beauty of the wood’s grain as a background. Paints:Full disclosure: I really am not a huge fan of acrylic paints, but they dry quickly (at least more quickly than oils), and since my birds need to be turned around quickly for my Bird in a Box subscribers, they’re what I use. I do appreciate being able to blend, so I’ve been adding paints from Golden’s OPEN line to my arsenal. Colors for this painting included:
I have a massive collection of paintbrushes, some of which were passed down to me from my grandmother’s collection. One thing I’ve learned is that those brushes whose bristles are no longer in pristine condition are amazing for getting great feathery-textures.
Coming Along. Bateleur Eagle Painting, In-Progress All said and done, this painting took about 4 hours to complete. I try to balance including enough detail to render a realistic impression without getting too fussy. I also do my best to capture the expression of the bird. To me, this portrait of Shadow suggests an air of calm, mixed with a feeling of, “best not underestimate me.” In the end, I titled this painting, “Better Keep Your Eye on My Every Move.” This is from a song, “You Know You Like It,” by AlunaGeorge. I appreciate the sentiment of that song. Finished Painting. Bateleur Eagle, by Maggie Hurley, artist at 4th Street Fine Art. Come into 4th Street Fine Art Thursdays - Sundays, 11am -6pm to see the Bateleur Eagle and other works by Maggie Hurley. A good time was had by all at the Visceral City reception. Show runs until August 3. Come in and see the art in person, Thurs-Sun, 11am - 6pm.
An interview with artist ShawNshawN over his style Metal Mayhem. This is for the show Visceral City that is a two man show with Michael Sacramento from June 23 to August 3. The opening is on June 23 from 6pm - 8pm. The gallery address is 2000 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710. Our regular gallery hours are 11am - 6pm Friday to Sunday.
Shawn Shawn of Fourth Street Fine Art talks about his painting 303 Signatures which was created in the Political Pop style of painting. It covers his reaction to Charter 08 and the current politics of China under communist rule.
Readers, if you are interested in viewing the painting in person, please contact the gallery at artists@4thstreetfineart.com.
I am now the President of our national organization, American Society of Botanical Artists. It is safe to say that as much time goes into administering these organizations as goes into my painting...for now. I owe my appreciation for botanical art to the artist, Henry Evans, who gained popularity in the 1970's. My path to painting botanicals was not direct, however. I studied studio art at a small liberal arts school in Illinois and decided that the midwest was not for me. Back in California at UC Davis, I got a degree in Landscape Architecture which served as a great foundation for my knowledge of plants that I paint to day. Tell us more about what you create. What style(s) do you work in, mediums, etc. When it comes to plants, I get up close and personal. Much goes into preserving plants as found in nature. Color studies are done, details are noted, sketches of plant parts are drawn, and ultimately a composition evolves from all of this before beginning to paint layers upon layers of watercolor. My process goes from wet and loose to dry and detailed.  California Pepper Tree by Sally Petru Where can we find your art besides at 4th Street? I am in exhibitions throughout the year. I am currently showing my art at Filoli in Woodside. How long have you been creating? Botanical art since 1999 and design work since 1978. When you're not making your art, what do you do? My time is split between my administrative work for ASBA, teaching watercolor, walking my dog, spending time with my family, and cooking. I cook to relax! What’s on the horizon for you and what you do? I'm about to have my first joint exhibition at 4th Street Fine Art. It has been fun to collaborate in an environment where I'm the only botanical artist.  Blue Bearded Iris by Sally Petru What inspiring advice would you give to other creatives be they established or just starting out? People expect that my art is my passion. It's not, but it certainly has acted as a wonderful vehicle for learning more about myself, other people, and the world around me. It's good to put your art in the context of your life. I think it takes some of the weight of needing to produce off. Just starting out, I say get out there and see what others are doing. Find what appeals to you and find your own voice. Who are some artists that inspire you? Henry Evans was the first. Now that I am deeply embedded in the botanical art world there are a hosts of lesser known artists there such as Elaine Searle, Lizzie Sanders and Jean Emmons. More well-known artists would include Georgia O'Keefe, and the French impressionists. Anything else you'd like to share? I imagine I'll always paint because there is so much out there to see and do. **** Come see the beautiful details of Sally's work up-close and in-person. Her show with artist, Valerie Sobel, will be on display March 31 - May 11, 2018. Come chat with her about her work at the opening reception Saturday, April 7th 5pm - 7pm. More info here.  Old Vine Zin by Sally Petru 4th Street Fine Art artist Shawn Shawn’s Metal Mayhem is based on metal blades that cut and smooth a surface or deconstruct a duality. Shawn’s inspiration was Erik Nieman and Gerhardt Richter reformed into his own style. |
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