Carrie Nardello
carrienardello.com
Carrie Nardello is a fine art painter living and working in her studio at Project Artaud, one of San Francisco's longest sustaining artist collectives. Originally from New York City, Nardello relocated to the west coast to attend the San Francisco Art Institute where she received a BFA in painting.

Nardello's work is bright, bold and spontaneously imaginative using a symbolic vocabulary to express a feeling or story. Everyday imagery like tables, chairs, beds, houses, fire, water and animals relay the narrative.

Although the work is often inspired by personal experiences it is communicated with this universal language as to engage the viewer to connect to their own story. With an intentionally childlike approach, Carrie seeks to capture the innocence and immediacy of the heart and move the viewer to relate intimately.

Carrie Nardello's paintings are in private collections across the United States and Europe.  Her work is on view every spring and fall as part of Open Studios.

in Santa Barbara CA and her studio is in Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara.

MEG ABRAHAM
925-209-1908
In her Shadow Box Series, photos are taken and augmented by the artist using foam board, balsa wood, paint, pens, markers and colored pencils.  As in a dream or a memory, details are magnified, omitted and obscured creating the "surrealities" presented to the viewer.  The artist transports her audience  through a wormhole to experience architectural details and aesthetic nuances in an undeniable celebration of their beauty.  The series highlights locations and landmarks of Oakland, Jack London Square and Walnut Creek and is a testament to the abundant richness found in the Bay Area.

She explores the world with her camera capturing its quirkiest and most delightful details.  A back ground in scenic painting and theater design (BFA Theater Design; Syracuse University) helped her to discover her love of painting. However, while working in this medium, she often struggles to find the patience needed to achieve the desired results.  It occurred to her earlier this year to combine her interests in photography and painting. Doing so affords her the immediate gratification of photography, while allowing her the opportunity to infuse some of the frenetic energy she enjoys exploring in her paintings. Her Shadow Box Series is the result, a technique she describes as mixed media photo extrapolation.  

Jeff Margolin
jeffmargolin.com
Jeff began working with clay over thirty five years ago, at
studios around West Los Angeles.  Although he was always
devoted to ceramics, it was not until college that clay became
his career choice.

During his studies in political theory at UCBerkeley it became
clear to him that clay had chosen him more than he had
chosen clay. His realization that the only life he could justify
was as a ceramic artist was as surprising as it was certain. He
immediately reoriented his approach from functional to
sculptural and began to present his work seriously. He has
been gradually refining and evolving his work ever since.

Jeff Margolin's clay sculptures convey a strong personal style that reveals an engaging
and sensual aesthetic, often containing subtle philosophical statements.  His pieces are
dynamic in nature and their sense of flow and movement is inspired by artists such as
Dali and Giger.  There is a unique merging of textured and polished, transparent and
opaque, rounded and sharp, which makes for a destabilizing artistic message.
The sculptures are prominent in their space, while constantly altering it.

Jeff's unique touch is evident in each dimension of his art.  His forms, carvings, and
finish combine to leave his inimitable signature.