A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

Inspiring student art shines in SRJC showcase

Beautiful works of art were displayed at the annual student art gallery; uncovering the greatness of SRJC art students.

SRJC Art Instructor Stephanie Sanchez with others helped to format the show in a way that was unique, “The show was curated in such a way that photographs, paintings, sculpture, design projects, and ceramics were mixed up, not placed in groups, but placed in unusual relationships with another.” Sanchez said.

The show represented both fall and spring semesters with artists, including advanced sculpture student Sam Cagle, who created a piece out of an old piano titled “Key to My Right Life.”

Cagle created the piece from a gutted piano with the keys still mounted on the front. These keys and most of the piano contained words pasted onto them. The words varied between character traits and valuable life skills. Along with the piano keys, regular keys are placed in a string on the piano. The keys as a whole showed the keys to life. Inside the piano, photos and other objects showed a different side of what creativity and art can do.

“We in the art department believe students should learn to draw and paint empirically from direct observation of nature and the real world,” Sanchez said.

Beautifully painted pieces were all displayed. Daniel Gardner’s untitled piece, was a vibrantly painted canvas with various geometric shapes drawn onto it. It almost looked like a maze with different colors: red, green and purple painted together.

Sketches, photographs and ceramics all left room for the imagination. Etchings from Mary T. Carrol, an art 26 student in beginning, intermediate and advanced etching, had two pieces side by side called “Try the Rollercoaster” and “Hare Proposes Tortoise.”

Ceramic pieces can be found all over the gallery, such as Rick Baldomero’s “Double Teapot with a clay pipe separating the two with a clay-made handle and metallic sheen. Bonnie Briidie’s “Tea Set,” Nancy Rubio’s “Oceanography Trophy, Amanda Champ’s Coil Vessel and Satayva de la Berrera’s “Fishing Man Trophy,” all represented a sea theme.

Photography of dark and mysterious images left the eye to figure out what was happening. Pernille Pejdel, an intermediate photography student, took a portrait style photo of a beautiful woman. The lighting and shadows in the photo were perfect to extenuate the beauty of the image.

The Student Art Show runs until May 17 with free admission. The Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 12 noon to 4 p.m.

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Ken Kutska, A&E Editor

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