Spiritual Life Center's Faith in Action Presents
Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Based on the best seller by Brené Brown.
Weekly Artists and Biographies
Week 1
Tools for the Journey
Journey Vessels by Louise Bezark, (Sculpture)
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Louise embarked on her artists journey as her eyes met a pearlized gourd crafted into a simple vessel. She had never seen anything like it and the gravitation was immediately intense. In that very moment, her journey with gourds began and is currently the primary focus of her art business.
Louise is an award-winning artist in the California Gourd Society, a recognized Fine Arts contributor at Cal Expo, a cover featured artist in the Natomas N Magazine as well as one of the juried contributors in the Annual Kiwanis Art Fiesta at Pavilions shopping center. Her Grace Vessel was recruited for inclusion in the 2019 Sacramento KVIE Art Auction which will be featured on air during the auction televised October 4 through 6 on PBS Channel 6.
From her first piece, to her most recent, the process of “Earth Becoming Art” is a natural and satisfying expression that keeps her creative journey exciting and soul satisfying. Her work will be available in the High Hand Art Gallery in Loomis beginning in October. Stay tuned, Louise is currently in negotiations with a few other galleries in the greater Sacramento area and beyond.
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Celia Coughlin-Surridge, (Acrylic & Oil Paint)
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Having dabbled in painting as a child, Celia is mostly known for her creative Graphic Design skills. However, after picking up a paint brush at a Paint Night event in late 2016, she has since returned to expressing her creativity through the canvas medium. Known for her landscapes, Celia is very excited to share in this yearly community event.
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Celia is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Modern Roots Marketing and pursues painting as a creative outlet in her spare time.
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Week 2
The Hustle for Worthiness
Gabriella
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Brenda Boles, (Watercolors, Pastel, & Acrylic; Originals, prints & commissions.)
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Asked how I stay so happy—even when I'm stressed, it is probably because I paint. Painting is a passion that drives me, even as a child. I become more in touch with myself when creating. It's a way to express my true nature. And that is what true happiness is-- expressing one's true essence. There's an unexplainable joy and exhilaration when I paint abstracts, landscapes and spiritual art.
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I've always been an artist. After winning many awards, I earned status as NCA Master Painter. In 1999, President of the Northern Calif. Arts, I continued on as a Board member of Sacramento Fine Arts. My paintings graced the cover of numerous magazines and I was voted 2nd place Best Artist in Sacramento MagazIne's Best Of 2003. I had the privilege of being guest artist and instructor at the prestigious Canyon Ranch Health Spa and Resort in Tucson, Arizona, annually over a five-year period. A dove painting was reverently placed at Mercy Hospital in Washington in the Children's Ward and Peace Around the World, mural plus 2 large paintings are installed at Spiritual Life Center. A painting at Shriner Hospital's Ronald McDonald's House, plus many commissions and paintings are in collector's homes and offices here and internationally.
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(916) 715-0583 • www.BrendaBoles.com
Week 3
The Audacity of Authenticity
Mary Rupp
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Amanda Baker, (Acrylic, Watercolor, Chalk Pastel, & Colored Pencil)
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I've been drawing, coloring, and painting since I could hold a crayon and have always loved bringing color to the 2D world (not excluding walls, from toddler-hood to adulthood). Creating art is my favorite and most meditative outlet, and has proven to be the greatest teacher in releasing the need to be perfect or to fulfill others' expectations. It is my most authentic form of expression and teaches me that the outcome is always just as it should be. Sharing this gift with others is gratifying beyond measure.
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https://www.collaborativesage.com/
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Insta: @collaborativesage
Week 4
Resilience Bounces into Gratitude & Joy
Marianne Mancina, (Acrylics & Watercolor)
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Starting at age 3, I’ve always made art of one kind or another. When I’m painting, I forget everything else that’s going on around me. Creating a piece can be joyful and liberating, but it’s also frustrating when the work isn’t turning out how I’d hoped. The challenge of this frustration makes me dig deeper to change the work into something more to my liking. I’d say much of my work is a combination of realism and surrealism, a blending of sometimes in congruent images. I’ve also done some slightly goofy animal portraits, which I do just for fun.
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Diana Mandella, (Watercolor, Acrylic, Oil, Ink, & Fabric)
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If it were not for the artists of the world there would be no record of what life looks like through the ages. Through the artists soul we can revisit moments of enchantment and emotion that otherwise would be lost forever.
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Studied Art in California , renaissance and impressionist art in Florence Italy and Paris France. Studied water color with Katherine Lemke Waste. Taught art in Waldorf and Merryhill school systems.
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Week 5
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Kerry Willis, (Acrylics)
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I work full-time as an attorney and enjoying painting in my spare time. This is my fourth painting for FIA.
Ellen Springwood
Week 6
The Anxiety Detox - That Elusive Nothingness
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Carolyn Cochran, (Gourd Artist)
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Carolyn has always been interested in all forms of artistic expression and in particular, 3 dimensional work. She got her degree in art from UC Santa Barbara and one of her favorite classes was ceramics. Many years ago while attending a gourd and harvest festival in Folsom, she was introduced to the gourd as an artistic medium. Like ceramics, it was three dimensional with endless possibilities for creative expression.
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Carolyn really enjoys carving and transforming organic materials into unique sculptural pieces. She also loves working with a medium that is grounded in nature and reflects the perfect imperfection of all natural things in this world. Each gourd is unique and individual and the different shapes and sizes of the raw gourds provide an endless source of inspiration.
Paul Sanchez, (Oil Paint)
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My interest in art started as a young child. Grandpa Joe, who saw the best in everybody, saw something in me. He nurtured my art when he arranged for me to have art lessons at age thirteen. Sadly, the lessons lasted only two short years as Alfonso Ramirez, my teacher, passed away. I continued studying art in college, but changed majors and stopped painting at age 24. I had buried my talent until the summer of 2013. I realized my hibernation lasted almost 35 years. And so, I reawaken to a hobby, a talent, a calling, or all three.
My reawakening was difficult for at least two reasons. First, I kept comparing myself to that thirteen-year-old who seemed to paint like a seasoned artist. It was quite intimidating. Secondly, rather than trust my own intuition, I did what other people suggested and struggled with acrylics. Acrylics are fine, but we are not a good fit. I finally listened to that voice within and came home to oil paints.
My desire is to live all facets of my life based on my current vision statement which is as follows: “Through my compassionate and creative spirit, it is my purpose to LOVE, creating health and wholeness in myself, seeing it in others, and affirming that the divine is in everyone and everything.” With that statement my work lends itself to healing, especially my own wounds. In addition, the nature of art being that it is in the eye of the beholder, I hope to offer healing in others. Whether my pieces reflect a human emotion, a connection to nature, a curiosity about a topic, or present a spiritual theme, it is my sincere desire that my art will in some way give you joy or inspiration, and perhaps inspire you to find your passion and live it. My hope is that when I leave this planet it will be better than the way I came into it. May we all awaken to our divine selves.
Peace and Blessings,
Paul Sanchez
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Week 7
Follow Your Bliss
Beverly Akin, (Needlefelting, Wool)
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I fell in love with wool at a Waldorf puppetry conference in 2006. I make wool critters, pictures and bags. The picture for last year’s Faith In Action took 2nd place at the California State Fair this year. I also quilt and play the Autoharp.
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Kathy Dona, (Oil and Acrylic Paint)
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I paint both oil and acrylic, specializing in portraits and abstract landscapes. I studied under David Lodenberg, Victoria Brooks, and Patris. I have a particular interested in donating paintings to fundraisers for worthy causes. For the past three years, my KVIE donated paintings have been selling as bellringers!