FarmArt.org

That slippery sliding slope!  Everyday I’m a little more anxious and relieved, all at once!  At one moment I keep thinking of the gazillion things to do.  Then in the next moment I hear about some great new level of support, a fantastic auction donation, a block of tickets that’s been sold!  Like today, I’m on my way to visit the membership of Unity Church of the Mother Lode.  They believe in what we’re doing for our foothill community, and they are making a donation to our efforts!

This Festival is going to be an incredible labor of love by our entire community.  And all of this energy is in large part due to the many wonderful artists who are participating.

Barbara Conley is a gifted artist, who has offered a beautiful high country image for the festival’s auction. Winner of numerous national and regional awards, the demand for Barbara’s work is greater than ever. She brings an elegant balance and authentic perfection to her work.  Almost in photo realist style, Barbara paintings pull us into her images of barns, rivers, hillsides and rugged mountains. She captures the perfectly proportioned natural scene that seems to pull us right into her paintings.  Her landscape paintings depict the heart of rural life as she captures what still remains of a gentle, fragile world.  Locally her paintings are on view at the Post Gallery on Washington St.  Join us at the “Swinging in the Pines” auction so you can bid on her painting of one of Tuolumne County’s favorite spots–Clark’s Fork.

And if you haven’t seen Steel Dog Metalworks sculptures by Kathleen and Richard Imlach, then you are missing a whole lot of fun!  Talk about recycled art!  This husband and wife team of art welders recycle a wide myriad of odd-ball metal “junk” into incredible, whimsical sculpture. I am absolutely amazed by their vision.  They can take an old piece of machinery, and turn it into just plain fun art!  I have my favorites:  The really cool electric guitar, a sheep, covered in woolly chains, and a rooster with a garden tools feathery tail–Both are on view and available at the Post Gallery in Sonora.  Also in Sonora’s historic  Bradford Building is Aloft Art Gallery.  There the Imlachs have a delightful metal butler on view.  He looks like something from a Tim Burton movie–”Edward Scissorhands” to be exact.  This team is also a strong part of our local Sonora Art Trails spring art studio tour.  And yes, they have an adorable piece up for bid at “Swinging in the Pines“–Truffles the Pig, who is longing to sit in YOUR garden.

That auction is shaping up to be GRAND!  So plan on joining us.  This is our great closing for the 2008 Foothill Farmlands ARTS Festival.

 Join us at Twain Harte Tree Farm on Saturday, September 13th at 5;30pm for “Swinging in the Pines”–a delicious meal catered by Banny’s Cafe and lively Parisien Hot Club music by “Swing Gitane.”  Oh, yeah–and amazing auction items, services, get-aways, party events, and more–including works by Barbara Conley and the Imlachs!