September 2024 |
Welcome to a new season at the Feminine Mystique Art Gallery. The summer has been brutal, but we are finally seeing an end to 100 degree days. The gallery will be having several sales throughout the year and the special events in town will be inviting and beautiful. Pat, Josette and Joanie will be here to help you with your art needs.
Hope everyone is well and happy, Pat |
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Art by these Patron Favorites is available in the gallery everyday.
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Gretchen LimaWood
Empowered Images in cloth. |
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Gretchen LimaWood
I have combined natural fibers in the hair as well as the hand Knit or hand dyed clothing. I individually sculpt and paint each face using Sculpey inlaid with beads, pearls or pieces of turquoise.
Each design is conceived and executed by me. I first make a sketch from an idea, then a rough prototype.
A final pattern for a piece is then cut from muslin. Each individual doll is different depending on the fabrics used to decorate it.
My work is not only an expression of what I see, but of what I feel. I create the messages and give a voice to a girl inside who has patiently waited to be heard.
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Arlene Zaloznik
Basket and gourd artistry |
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Arlene Zaloznik
Basketry is my passion. Weaving brings me an inner peace that I hope you will find as well as you look at my baskets. It all began with a class in 1996. Other than that one class, I am mostly self taught. I now work out of my home in Green Valley, AZ.
The more traditional baskets are hand woven from rattan reed have either a solid weave or wood base. These baskets are very sturdy and are easy to care for - a spray of water will remove any dust.
The gourds are woven with pine needles and waxed linen thread. The gourds are left in their natural state and sealed with a furniture polish to maintain and enhance the natural finish of the gourd. Once the weaving is complete, they are sprayed with a protective acrylic spray. The gourds are embellished with natural gemstones, botanicals pods, feathers, fossils, and/or antlers. I look at the gourd - letting it speak to me - and then I select the botanicals, feathers and beads, often spending several hours until I find that “right” combination. No two gourds are alike.
Waxed linen baskets are the most time intensive baskets, often taking days to complete. They are woven from waxed linen thread, embellished with beads and are very colorful reflecting the desert southwest with its colorful rocks and brilliant blue skies. The baskets are hand shaped with the beads creating interesting design elements. No two of these baskets are alike.
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Brenda Peo
Animal portraits with personality |
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Brenda Peo
Self taught oil artist.. born in Chicago.. but grew up in the desert SW. I have had my own line of SW style jewelry for the past 25 years.. using Copper.. Red Brass and Sterling Silver.. successfully selling at art fairs throughout the SW states.. however.. it turned into a job and was not satisfying my creative spirit..
I started painting in 2008.. focusing on painting animals.. trying to capture their curious personalities.. and quirky traits..
I find the expression the most important element.. while infusing the subject with personality.. There is never a shortage of volunteers.. I like to call my style.. a bit of realism/impressionism.. with a dash of humor..
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Pat Aguilar
Hand Built Clay Sculptures |
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Pat Aguilar
(Patricia Jean Druener) was born in New York City in 1949. Her father came as a boy from Germany and her mother was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Growing up in the military exposed Pat to different cultures, both in the United States and Germany.
Being a child in the 1950’s was very confusing for a girl. We were told we didn’t need higher education (think about a career), “You’ll just get married anyway.” Also, it was so very important to be attractive, “How else will you get a man?” Being yourself didn’t do it.
By the time she was forming her own opinion, Pat had strong feelings against inequality, whether it was Black/White, Jew/Gentile, Male/Female.
Betty Friedan made a big difference in Pat’s life. She knew by reading The Feminine Mystique, she could do anything she wanted to do, career-wise, family, etc. Ms. Friedan had a gentle and educative touch, a more sensible approach at being all, as a woman.
Pat tried to help other women by becoming active in NOW and other less known women’s conscience raising groups.
While attending college for accounting, Pat was encouraged to use the other half of her brain, so she took up pottery. Ms. Aguilar has been a potter for over 35 years now, specializing in miniature houses, masks, boxes, etc. (slab work mostly).
In 1973, Pat married Ed Aguilar and moved west. They now have three children and seven grandchildren.
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October 2024 |
Dear Friends,
It is very nice to see familiar faces in Tubac. Sorry to the Snow Birds, still hot. October will bring us back to normal I hope. Please visit Tubac and the Feminine Mystique Art Gallery.
Hope everyone is well and happy, Pat |
Artists in the spotlight this month:
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Roxanne Beckman |
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Roxanne Beckman has had a serious interest in art and photography since she was a youngster. As a child, she used her Brownie Box Camera to capture the images surrounding her. In high school she worked at expanding her knowledge of all things photographic, including darkroom and enlarging techniques, as well as black and white imaging. She did this by attending after school and weekend classes and workshops. Later on, she combined her love of flying and photography and launched an aerial photography business.
Roxanne has done a fair amount of traveling and always keeps her Canon digital camera handy. Residing in southwest Arizona, she has ample beauty to shoot. She captures close-up pictures of wildlife in their natural habitat and landscapes and sunsets that are glorious! She has her own workshop where she makes her one-of-a-kind frames for her pictures and also where she creates her mirrored/wooden tables. She uses various woods, permitted saguaro ribs, copper, turquoise and other elements. No two are exactly alike. The photos are in digital format printed on Kodak Endura or metallic paper, both of which have a shelf life of over 100 years. She uses only acid-free matboard in mounting and matting the photos, and the glass is UV resistant.
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Barb Livdahl |
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Barb Livdahl
Growing up in a rural community in Wisconsin, Barb loved the outdoors, animals and nature. When she was not outside, she was drawing and painting. Her love of art carried her through high school, earning several prestigious awards, and then through college, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The BFA included one major in Visual Communication and one in Advertising Design.
She began her career as an Advertising and Art Director for several corporations including Graebels Shoes, JCPenney and Design and Print Corp, handling their print, radio and television advertising. Her spare time still saw her painting wildlife and the West. In 1979, she accepted a position as Advertising Director for a company in Phoenix. In 1985 Barb opened her own advertising agency, handling commercial sign work for several large companies such as AMC Theatres.
She began using an airbrush with the commercial sign work. Feeling its limitless ossibilities, Barb began to create her paintings with the airbrush. By airbrushing completely freehand, her work has an incredible softness while retaining vibrancy of color. A sense of quiet power and energy pervades all her images as she extends to the viewer the sacred spirit of all living things.
Responding to a spiritual encounter with a wolf and embracing ancient wisdoms, Barb’s work moved into a three-dimensional phase. Her “Spirit Dolls” were born. Each doll is a unique, one-of-a-kind creation reflecting the spirit, strength and culture of the Plains Indians which Barb has studied extensively. Specific to each large standing doll, the leather clothing and moccasins are all buckstitched by hand. Beadwork, fetishes, pipes, etc are also hand done using authentic materials. Her smaller, hanging dolls reflect the same instinctual knowledge. Constantly called back to honor, nurture and share her
understanding of ancient wisdoms and the scared mysteries of all living things, Barb continues to create. She invites you to experience the energies.
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Lori Felix |
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Lori Felix
Lori was born in Queens, New York 1958. She began her art education at age sixteen, working from the model and sculpting in stone. After high school, she attended the Art Students League in New York City where she received many awards and scholarships. Lori studied figure painting and mural design. After extensive work at the Art Students League, she left New York to travel across the nation with the Renaissance Festival. Traveling throughout the diverse terrains in the United States was a visual inspiration.
She integrated the various textures, colors, and forms found in nature into her artwork. Lori continued to travel across the U.S.A and Mexico painting murals. Her studio was her home: a 21 foot motor home that took her on an odyssey that included creating custom interiors in private homes, restaurants, and salons.
She works in a variety of mediums that include oil paint, collage, mixed media, polymer clay and laser cut wood goddesses, dolls and Icons.
An array of Organic textures, recycled can lids, tree bark, handmade papers are all used in her mixed media collages.
At present she is actively exhibiting her work in multiple galleries throughout the United States Continuously exhibiting new works as her style evolves, she is manifesting her dream of making a living as an artist. She is generously contributing to the start of a thriving local art community and is involved in The Flowering Lotus Retreat Center in Magnolia, where she spends time for meditation and practice.
In 2005, Lori received A Fellowship Grant thru the Mississippi Arts Commission. Her solo exhibition “Celebration of Life” traveled the state of Mississippi and Louisiana thru November of 2006. Lori’s work is dynamically growing as her knowledge in new techniques continuous to evolve.
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Diane Fuller |
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Diane Fuller moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from Texas twenty years ago. She was so impressed with the beautiful sunsets she witnessed and set about capturing the beauty she discovered. Her father was a big influence in encouraging her to paint with oils. They painted side-by-side together when she was a child.
Later on, Diane was involved in raising her two sons and that did not allow much free time for her art. Since then, she has time to devote solely to her artistic ambitions and has built a studio on her property, allowing her the space and solitude to create her beautiful paintings. She loves capturing nature, especially sunsets. Diane tends to use both warm and cool colors in each work of art and uses vivid colors while maintaining realism.
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November 2024 |
November brings lots of great things for Tubac, cooler weather, sunny skies and more good deals all over town. Please join us, Pat, Joanie and Josette, at the Feminine Mystique Art Gallery. The gallery has collected a lot of ART LEFT BEHIND. Most of these paintings are nudes, but we have several other pieces that need homes. The paintings that are $800 will be priced at $300. Drastic discounts on all. Great deals! Please come see us. Hours 11-4:00, 7 days a week.
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Special Events in November
November 2: Day of the Dead celebration and parade. The Parade starts at 11:00. Great costumes and fun for all.
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November 8-10: ART WALK. This event is for the businesses in town.We will all have special deals and a lot of galleries will have visiting artists. This gives our wonderful shops and galleries a chance to shine brighter. Free parking. The Feminine Mystique will host visiting artist Joyce Chaney.
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November 29 - December 1, The Thanksgiving weekend. Come get a cookie and visit the Feminine Mystique Art Gallery. Let’s all give thanks that the election is over, and we will all have a prosperous end of 2024.
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Artists in the spotlight this month: |
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Loraine Inglis
Desert Beads |
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Loraine Inglis
Loraine is an accomplished self-taught artist with over 25 years of expertise in the world of
beading. Her artistic journey has included stained glass art and wood carving, which eventually
found its way to the vibrant and diverse realm of beadwork. Loraine's work is a reflection of her
love for color, texture, and the natural world, showcasing an organic, earthy aesthetic that
resonates with many.
Driven by a passion for the creative process, Loraine delights in the art of transforming random
beads into stunning, wearable art. Her designs are a harmonious blend of form and function,
each piece meticulously crafted to evoke a sense of beauty and intrigue. Throughout her career,
Loraine has embraced the challenges of trial and error, continuously refining her techniques to
develop a signature style that captivates a wide audience.
Her creations have garnered acclaim for their unique blend of creativity and craftsmanship,
earning her a dedicated following of admirers who appreciate the artistry and passion woven
into each piece.
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Dell Madelyn |
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Dell Madelyn
“Of all the possible outcomes, I never expected to become an artist. What changed for me? I realized that we are all artists, that we all have an inner voice that cries out for expression. The only thing stopping me is that word ‘no’. The journey for me has been in finding the ‘way’ to express my inner voice, while suppressing the ‘no’ that stalks my creative process.”
Dell has been pursuing her ‘way’ for over 17 years in various modalities. It all began with a pursuit to capture the interactions of color, light and material, expressed in Edwardian art glass, one of her earlier passions. This led to a fused glass class at the local community college and she was off. Working glass for 10 years, Dell showed her pieces in Healdsburg, CA. Upon retirement, she went on vacation to Central America. Coming home 5 weeks later, she and her husband sold all their possessions down to 2 suitcases and a 5 x 10 storage unit and moved to Boquete, Panama. It was there that Dell was introduced to polymer clay. Invited over to “play clay” with a friend who was also a fabulous polymer artist, Dell was finally kicked out of her friend’s home after 8 hours of clay play. If Mort and Barbara had not wanted their dinner, she may still be there. After 3 years in Panama, Dell brought her love of polymer back to the states. She has been working polymer for over 9 years now.
“Polymer is a fabulous material to work with. Made from plastic softened into clay, polymer is low tech, pliable and easy to work. The only limitations are the ones I set for myself, that ‘no’ again… The possibilities are boundless…” Dell is currently working polymer to resemble fabric, stone and pottery. Her works are predominantly abstract although some of her work is mildly representative. She often mixes her polymer with fused glass, worked metal, sand paper and just about anything else that will provide texture and opposing color. She is an unashamed metal collector and will pick up from the ground any metal worthy of her collection of art ‘elements.’
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Sharon Stringer |
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Sharon Stringer is a second generation Arizona native, born in Nogales, AZ and raised in Tucson. A graduate of Northern Arizona University she enjoyed a long career in the Hospitality Industry living in Flagstaff, Phoenix and ultimately back home to Tucson. Her hospitality career offered the opportunity to travel around the country and grown to appreciate her home state and the deep roots she has in Southern Arizona.
Her sewing influence and knowledge started with her maternal Grandmother Nellie Emma who is also the inspiration for her business name. Her greatest teacher was her mother Joan, also a highly skilled and passionate seamstress. Learning to sew in the 1970’s was a time that home sewing was common and many women made their own clothes and home accessories. Sadly this is no longer the case but it is exciting to see a resurgence in the interest in sewing, knitting, quilting and other fiber related skills. Sharon hopes to encourage a new generation to learn her craft and experience the joy that creating with textiles can brings.
She loves to express the culture, plant life, geography and colors of Southern Arizona and Mexico in her pillows. Making people smile is of utmost importance with her whimsical and humorous themes. Expanding her skills is very important, her pillows feature machine embroidery, quilting, couching, hand made piping, and fabric dying. All of her pillows are one of a kind and many have an unexpected combination of prints and trims that create interest and a unique design.
Her pillows are completely handmade and all the covers are removable with a zippered back. Many of them are washable. She also makes the pillow inserts to be certain of a perfect fit. Custom work is welcomed and encouraged. All of her pillows can be made to your specified size as well. Sharon is honored to be included among the talented women artists represented at the Feminine Mystique Art Gallery!
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Donna Wahl |
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Donna Wahl truly loves nature and appreciates the simple beauty around her. Whether it is an original oil or acrylic landscape, it is obvious, Donna enjoys bringing each new canvas to life. Early encouragement from school teachers and family led her to major in art at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. In 1964, she married Chuck and moved to California where he was in the Air Force, and where she began her 35-year career as a graphic artist. Eventually, they moved to Tucson where she was affiliated with A&W Typesetting. Customer satisfaction earned her Art Director status of such publications as Tucson Business Digest and U.S. Handball Magazine. While working and raising her children, Donna continued to paint and to enroll in occasional art classes.
Being accepted at the Feminine Mystique Gallery in Tubac, in 2004, marked Donna’s official expansion into the fine arts arena. She has also shown in a number of juried shows and was named the official artist for the Southwestern Authors Conference in 2005 and 2006. In 2007 she was the featured artist at the Ranch House Gallery in Tucson, and will return for another one woman show, November 2019. Over the years, charitable organizations such as ALS and the Sunstone Cancer Support Foundation have also benefited from her work.
Donna’s early life on the family farm in Wisconsin, and over 25 years of volunteering as a 4-H leader and director have been the perfect background for creating animal portraits. Her lifelike watercolor paintings of the various rabbit breeds have received national attention, and she has created awards for 25 National shows. Donna has received Hall of Fame and other special honors for her leadership, and other volunteer services, from multiple organizations. Over the years, her husband and family were very supportive. She says, “Thanks to them, I believe I have found my purpose.”
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Artists in the spotlight this month: |
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Asja Dawn Eckertson |
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Barbara Peabody |
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Barbara Peabody
Though Barbara is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, she has lived in the Southwest since 1969 and has been painting since 1965. Her works in oils, watercolor, pastels, printmaking and drawing have been exhibited in many Southwestern galleries, as well as Virginia, North Carolina, Dominican Republic, and various cities in Mexico through cultural exchange programs. Barbara is bilingual and appreciates the color and diversity of Latin American art and culture, which is manifested in her own art.
Beginning in 1990, Barbara began painting functional pieces of furniture, textiles and ceramics. She enjoys using bold colors and creating useful chests, chairs, tables, knife blocks, candleholders, etc., that lift one’s spirits and energize those who use and enjoy her creations. Though these designs may seem out of place in Chicago or Detroit, they are perfect in the homes of the Southwest.
Barbara has done much to help others in the art community. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, she co-founded a cooperative art gallery creating opportunity for local artists to exhibit and manage their own art sales; and, in San Diego, she established the first art program in the country for people with HIV/AIDS so they could create, exhibit and sell their work.
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Sandy Applegate |
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Sandy Applegate
Sandy has been a full-time resident of Pagosa Springs, Colorado since 1995. She was born in Wisconsin, raised in Illinois, and attended art school in Chicago. She is currently devoting her time to creating and marketing her artwork.
Sandy studied art in college, spent many years in a variety of careers and past-times, but always created and experimented with art media. With the addition of several workshops with notables such as Pierre Mion, Gary Greene, Vera Curnow, Stephen Quiller, and Sandra Duran Wilson, she is free to use her “Artistic License” to create whatever reality she dreams of.
Starting to draw and “doodle” as a teenager, she always knew she was destined to do things differently. This is evident in one very early photograph of her with her two sisters and brother: the other three stand erect, hands at their sides, facing the camera head-on with nice smiles on their faces. Sandy however has arms akimbo, is turned 45 degrees to the left, eyes closed with a scrunched-up little grin on her face. No wonder that she calls her artwork “Reality With a Twist”.
Sandy’s artwork deals with shape, color and ideas, definitely with her own version of reality. She works primarily in acrylic, watercolor, and pen with ink. Her newest medium is oil-based ink in which she creates Monoprints on paper or canvas, a method learned from Shy Rabbit’s Michael Coffee – his reductive-ink process. She often incorporates mixed media to create unusual effects. She likes to have several series of different subject matter in the works at one time, this helps to keep her images and ideas fresh and lively.
Her colors are bold, exciting and vibrant. Her images are partly literal, but she incorporates “other-worldly” or abstract elements also. Many pieces contain suggestions of the macrocosmic or microcosmic in them, often using circles or repetition to indicate the on-going cyclic nature of life. She keeps a sense of humor about her, and loves to leave room in her work for the mysterious, the personal interpretation.
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Marie Green |
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Marie Green
“Good with my hands” became the defining direction for Marie as school proved to be a difficult place. Art class seemed to be an easy escape and it was the surprise discovery - art was Marie’s niche - and the beginning of a life’s work.
Early life in Hawaii on a sugar plantation in the 1940’s, being a different time, allowed Marie as a small child to wander freely the streams, seashore, and hills unusually observant and very interested in what she saw - a very beautiful place.
Fifty years in Arizona is where Marie took root. The desert, sandstone country, canyonlands, is home. Since 1972 art has been the full time endeavor and the catalyst to pursue a life-long passion for horses, particularly Arabian horses from Russia and Poland.
Study of the four corners history, cliff dwellings, and pottery of the Anasazi - the land of the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon, the wildlife - defines the work. There were many years spent on foot, by boat, by raft, and on horseback, seeing places few people see.
Doing the artwork required only a small space, no fancy studio, because Marie’s sacred place was outside, especially her barn with her horses. There was always a yard full of beautiful birds, rabbits, several kinds of squirrels, a lot of mostly harmless
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Leslie Snow
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