In a show titled “Five Foothill Artists,” Lovebirds Cafe in Pasadena will feature the work of five local artists, three of them from Sierra Madre, two from Altadena. The artists work will be displayed from May 14th till August 14th, with an artists opening reception featuring live music on Saturday, May 14th, from 6:30 to 9:30pm. Lovebirds Cafe is located at 921 E. Colorado Blvd., in Pasadena (626) 583-8888. Five Foothill Artists is presented by the A+B (Arts plus Business) Collaborative, a new service which offers businesses the opportunity to display local, original art.
Artists Star Higgins, Elizabeth Converse, and Gurdon Miller of Sierra Madre and Ibarionex Perello and Brande Jackson of Altadena, explore the world in photography and mixed media. The works offer us a way to share and explore the diverse artists’ creative interactions with their world. More than thirty pieces of work will be on exhibitionduring the show.
About the artists, from the “Artists Statements”
Star Higgins: Story Boxes
Inspired by theatrical staging and particularly Engelbrecht Theaters of the 18th century, the essence of these story boxes “Archetypal Surrealism.” Composed and assemble scenes that usually have a central character, supporting characters and a theme brought to life by a backdrop of images and props that support the story. They are funny, whimsical and very subtly imbued with a contrast of familiarity and mystery.
Star is a full time artist and owns her own business. She creates, designs and paints murals, custom fabrics, and plein air landscapes. She will paint about anything she can get her hands on.
Elizabeth Converse: Enhanced Photographs
These pieces are explorations of photographic subjects through the addition of mixed media and the compositional tools of photographic software. Elizabeth intent is to discover the story these subjects evoke and enhance or reveal new potentials. They are abstract forays into and out of the natural world.
Elizabeth is a full time artist who started California Living Histories, a non-profit arts and culture organization. She also has been a consultant, trainer and writer for the arts.
Ibarionex Perello: Photography
His work represents the challenge of revealing the extraordinary out of the ordinary. Using natural light, elements of nature, man made objects and places are explored and made truly remarkable through the clarity and passion with which Ibarionex sees the world.
He is a photographer, writer and educator who has been using a camera since he was an adolescent. He is the host and the producer of the popular podcast, The Candid Frame as well as the author of Chasing the Light: Improving Your Photography Using Available Light. Ibarionex’s newly published book, “Chasing the Light” will be available at the opening reception.
Gurdon Miller: Photography: Silver Gelatin Prints and Contact Prints
The richly black and white toned large format silver gelatin photographs Gurdon developes in his darkroom are beautiful evocative images of places and buildings seemingly familiar yet never truly seen before with such depth and quiet reverence.
Gurdon majored in art at Berkeley. Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn, Erle Loran, Peter Voulkos, David Leslie, and Edward Weston have inspired his work. It is not their work, but rather their confrontational approach to art Gurdon strives to emulate. He is a full time artist.
Brande Jackson: Photography and Mixed Media “Photograms”
Brande’s work is made from darkroom created images workinf from scanned negatives or digital prints. She layers textures, images and text in black and white. With this multiple layering, the final result captures the essence of what she originally photographed. Her poignant images reflect a dreamlike spirit of places and objects.
She runs two organizations: Lokahi, which develops innovative field campaigns for non-profit organizations, and Living Histories, and after school non-profit providing at risk youth in LA county with opportunities to tap into their creativity and identify their unique voice.