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As a child, Linda Ball loved to draw and color with pencils. She loved art then as much as she does now, but life got in the way. During her younger years, she funneled her artistic tendencies into other areas of her life. She sewed all her own clothes, delighted in decorating her homes and making things to enhance their beauty. At the time, she never realized that her obsession with the angle of a picture on the dresser or table had everything to do with artistic balance.

At 34 she entered an unconventional college program at the University of Massachusetts and completed her undergrad degree in Information Technology and Management. Several years later she earned her MBA at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. She spent over forty years of her life working in technology and held pretty much every position imaginable in the field. She ended her career as a Director of the Project Management Office in Information Technology at the University of the Pacific. During her twelve years with the university, in addition to her full-time position, she was an adjunct teacher and developed programs for new and aspiring young project managers.

In 2018, she retired and worked on home projects that she had not had time for while working. Because her project list was finally complete boredom took over. In 2020, at the encouragement of her sister, she ordered an acrylic paint set and decided to try her hand at painting. She felt her skill level was very limited and took a few YouTube lessons and became hooked.

At the very start she followed a self-taught artist out of the Philippines. John Magne Lisondra was instrumental in teaching her the basic acrylic skills. However, she was unsatisfied with the final look of acrylics and started working with oils. Michael James Smith, a United Kingdom online teacher helped her develop her skills immensely. She credits him with teaching her the basics of color mixing, tones, values, and saturation. She recently explored pastels with Marla Baggetta out of Washington state and watercolors with Scott Swinson out of Tasmania Australia. Linda’s formal art schooling has been limited, but she continues to learn new ways of doing things every day. She recently started plein air painting with some fellow EGFAC members and is learning that plein air requires skills she will need to develop. Linda’s favorite medium to date is oil. Her favorite compositions are animals and birds because of the details required. One final note about Linda is that with every painting, Linda writes a poem. The poem provides her reflections on the composition and in her opinion completes her creativity.

Sample Works

I began my adventure in woodturning with a Sears Craftsman lathe and tool set purchased many years ago. I wanted a larger and more robust lathe, so I purchased a Powermatic in 1999. I have tried just about every kind and style of woodturning, including hollow forms, platters, bowls, natural edge bowls, lidded boxes, spheres, segmented pieces, and many different decorative items.

I prefer to use the wood’s natural color, and resort to staining and painting only when it truly enhances the wood. I have been a member of Nor-Cal Woodturners for many years and served as President for two years, along with serving in other official capacities.

My work has been shown at the State Fair for many years, garnering many awards, and has been shown in several woodturning competitions. I now focus on smaller items, such as Christmas ornaments, lidded boxes, and gift items.

Sample Works

Joy’s work blends eastern sensibilities with western energy, mirroring her own life’s Direction.

Raised in Taiwan and moving to the U. S. at age 37, this businesswoman and mother of 2 has enjoyed the second chapter of her life immersed in the jumbles of culture that create the American Experience.

Chinese Brush by Joy Kuo:

Traditional roots and a delicate hand infuse Joy’s Chinese brush paintings. Expanding on familiar themes of life, Joy elegantly communicates the beauty of our world natural.

Silk Painting by Joy Kuo:

Joy’s fine art Silk paintings come from her eastern roots but are dearly her western branches reaching skyward. Blending brushwork techniques into forward-moving composition. She advances her work toward the promise of art all-encompassing future.

I love painting landscapes and California is such a wonderful state to paint. My paintings reflect the beauty I see, from the golden aspens in the Sierra to the wildlife reserves of the Central Valley around Sacramento. I graduated from Texas State University(formally Southwest Texas State University) with a degree in Commercial Art.

I love painting in oils, acrylics, watercolors and sketching in ink. I feel color is one of my strong suits and I feel my color choices embodies the beauty I see and paint. As I explore new regions in our beautiful state, I hope to bring them to life for all to enjoy.

Sample Works

Cynthia Minoli is a Northern California artist that is inspired by the grandeur of God’s artistic design. Observing the world through the lens of fabric, her work begins with her photography and is created solely with fabric and thread. She has always been drawn to the textural feeling of fabric in the hand, and the way colors can soothe and sway your mood.

Her aim is to create vibrant art that is joyful and brightens up your favorite room.

While raising her children, she spent time learning principles of art and enjoyed artistic creativity.
In 2020, after 22 years of homeschooling her children, she embarked on a career as a full-time artist.
Her work has been in the California Heritage Museum, The Scarab Creative Arts Gallery, The Sanchez Art Gallery, and is also in private collections from the Virgin Islands to Hawaii and the Mid-West.

Traveling to Carmel-by-the-Sea, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite with her husband are often the source of her inspirations. Her richly textured landscapes are achieved by cutting and layering thousands of pieces of fabric which are then stitched together illustrating depth and movement. This multi-layered surface draws the viewer in close to observe the texture then encourages you to step back and take in the overall scene.

Follow Cynthia Online

Instagram @Cynthiaminoli
Artist Website cynthiaminoli.com

Sample Works

Debra Williams is a watercolorist and scratchboard artist. Originally from the Northeast she has resided in northern California since the mid 80’s. She received her BA degree from CA State University, Fullerton in Painting and Drawing and a Single Subject Art Credential from UC Davis. She has won several awards for her art from elementary school to the present. Her work has been shown locally, nationally and internationally and is in collections in California, Arizona, Florida, Ohio and Texas.

All that is natural is her muse. She paints and scratches animals, insects, landscapes, portraits and flowers. With each painting she depicts the essence of her subject and the passion she feels for it. An underlying theme of her work is to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the natural world for future generations to explore and enjoy.

She can be reached at debra.williams3@comcast.net.

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Born and raised in Jacksonville, Illinois,  I had an interest in painting for as long as I can remember. Some of my best memories are of my mother and I taking art classes at the local museum. After high school I joined the Navy for four years of active duty. I was stationed at Pearl Harbor and assigned to Hickam Air Force Base. The Air Force enlisted man center offered a weekly class on oil painting. Dr. Soo taught me painting for a couple of years until my tour of duty was completed.

The next few years I attended Western Illinois University then Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.  At the university I was not interested in modern art so I followed a business degree.  Upon graduating I got married and started working. It was at this point that life got in the way of following my interest in art. It was not until we moved to Sacramento and I became Mr. Mom that I was able to take art classes. Studying first at Cosumnes River College, I transferred to Sacramento City College then finished my art studies at California State University-Sacramento. While studying at CRC a plein air class was offered. We were exposed to painting out side and I loved it. Since being out of college I have been painting when I can. In the last couple of years I have been plein air painting 4 to 6 days a week.

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Susanne has had the creative urge as long as she can remember – drawing, painting, and sewing her own clothes since childhood. She credits her mother, who also loved to paint, and Mrs. Lund, her high school art teacher, as her earliest influences.  The first art workshop she attended was together with her late mother, a special memory.

She grew up locally, and recalls exploring the then vast open fields where adventures awaited and she and her friends could spend the day unsupervised, indulging their curiosity and imaginations. She remained in the area after marriage, raising her family in the countryside with beloved horses, cats, and dogs. She worked in public service until retirement a few years ago.

With renewed passion and the luxury of time, she is now returning to her creative pursuits, concentrating on the medium of watercolor. While she has also worked with oils, she appreciates the unique flow of watercolor and the limitless patterns and beautiful effects that can result.

Largely self-taught, she has also taken watercolor classes from several local instructors. She designed a studio in her home that is large enough to work alongside a long time friend, and they enjoy sharing the day in quiet, peaceful creation.  She values the process of critiquing each other’s work as the day goes on and their pieces evolve.

Susanne is drawn to realistic renderings of both animals and people. Many of her works have been labors of love to honor cherished pets, past and present, of friends and family. She also finds gratification in capturing special moments of people’s lives – the simple joys of a grandchild’s smile, or the impish glint in the eye of a youngster at play.  

In addition to painting, Susanne loves exploring the world – always packing a sketchbook to illustrate and preserve new discoveries. She savors art museums and says her favorite is the ARoS Aarhus Kunmuseum, one of the largest in Denmark, established in 1859, ten stories high, and topped by a circular walkway enclosed by glass walls of graduated colors, providing an ever changing and multihued panorama of the city below.

In another life, Susanne surely was a creature of the water. She loves all things aquatic – swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and cruising. Her dream vacation is a trans-oceanic voyage with her days spent painting on deck.

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