Within the Marin Valley community we have an astonishing number of creative and adventurous artists in residence. Their work is showcased in the Marin Valley Gallery in our community clubhouse Fireside Room and lobby, where you will see a rotating exhibit installation every six months.
We also produce an afternoon event Art in the Park in May each year. It includes tabletop displays of each artists work, stunning floral arrangements, gourmet food tastings, soft jazz and the opportunity to meet and talk with each resident artist and watch them demonstrate the creation of their work.
All resident artists are welcomed and encouraged to join us in our meetings and events by contacting our Marin Valley curator Suzie Lahr. You can contact Suzie at suzielahr@aol.com to receive emails with upcoming information.
| Dorallen Davis
Dorallen Davis and Jane Heaphy co-founded the Marin Art School in 2006. The school is still in full swing today! Dorallen is very active in the Bay Area community of artists, and continues to display her artwork in many venues. “After raising my family, I feel fortunate and proud to have finally realized my dream of painting, teaching and traveling here and abroad to capture and immortalize what I see and feel.” For more information about Dorallen’s work and Marin Art School, visit: Susan McMudie
I have been drawing since 2011. My teacher was Carol Sommers, a long time resident of the park who passed away last year. She introduced me to pastels which is the only medium I know. My heart is in drawing animals. I am in the process of having prints made of some of my work. They will be available to purchase soon if anyone is interested. Carol also introduced me to scratch board which is much fun. I have done a few caricatures of animals, doing them in between my pastels pieces. I appreciate all the kind feedback I got at the art show. You can reach me at 415.517.8352. Tara Plocher
My father taught me how to sew on a sewing machine when I was about twelve. Then, my aunt taught me how to make a dress. We lived like we were really poor, so I started making my clothes. Sometime during college I switched from being a math major to art and started painting. When my kids went to a Waldorf school, I started making natural toys and dolls, from wool and cotton. We moved to Mendocino county 13 years ago, where there are three Waldorf schools. I have now sold almost 2,000 dolls, at those schools and fairs and farmers markets. I love the softness and simple expressions on their faces. I also do basket weaving and quilting. More on Facebook, “tara’s world peace dolls,” text to 415.302.5992, or email taraplocher@gmail.com.
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| Edgar Furlong
Edgar’s focus is to introduce a life and depth to a medium that is usually more one-dimensional. His textile designs have won numerous awards over the years and Edgar has been teaching his winning techniques to others ever since. Since 2000 Edgar has been working on new processes with textured surface pieces where the cloth collapses on itself during the finishing process.
In 2001-2002 Edgar introduced handspun and commercial yarns to this process to produce new and dramatic effects that explores multi-layered cloth and the incorporation of movement in a finished piece. The resulting hand-woven pieces include surface design techniques such as discharges, appliqués, resists, over dyes and the use of metallics and shibori. More at www.edgarfurlong.com. |
| Karin Mortensen
My pieces generally have a mythic element. Like the Zodiac, it is more than what you see—it is the story as well. My stones generally announce themselves to my hands or my hearing first, then their imagery and story emerge. After many years of writing, painting, drawing and puppetry, I found my enduring passion in working stone. The process of shaping stone is for me not so much one of creating as it is of discovering: it is archeology. It is the loving and delicate removal of stone to reveal the archaic form hidden within. If the viewer cannot resist touching my stone, I feel I have succeeded. More at www.karinmortensen.com. |
| Erma Wheatley
At age five, Erma Wheatley received her first first-prize award for a plein air drawing in crayon. Since then she has held one- and two-person shows, and has exhibited in galleries and won awards in group shows in Northern and Southern California. Her oil paintings are in private collections in California, New York, and Europe.
“I am interested in the process of seeing, and the interplay of what happens when looking. Naming things creates an illusion of understanding, as if we know what something is—otherwise there is only light, vibrating color, and space.” From her Color in Space show at Wente Vineyards.
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Susanne Dyby
Susanne Dyby is a biologist who is writing a dog book. She is Danish-American and has lived in Denmark, Lebanon, Italy, France and Greece. In France, she had a dog hotel for dogs who preferred couches instead of cages, and here in the States, she worked for the USDA as a scientist (insects). Her father, Knud Dyby, was a long-time resident of the Park, liked for his good and optimistic nature, rescue activities during WWII, his designs, and amusing Christmas cards.
Here are some pictures from her garden, her website (which only shows up on Google), and a delightfully scary and informative article she wrote: E_toxicus_unum. Susanne moved back to France, and is fondly remembered here.
Tara Plocher
My father taught me how to sew on a sewing machine when I was about twelve. Then, my aunt taught me how to make a dress. We lived like we were really poor, so I started making my clothes. Sometime during college I switched from being a math major to art and started painting. When my kids went to a Waldorf school, I started making natural toys and dolls, from wool and cotton. We moved to Mendocino county 13 years ago, where there are three Waldorf schools. I have now sold almost 2,000 dolls, at those schools and fairs and farmers markets. I love the softness and simple expressions on their faces. I also do basket weaving and quilting. More on Facebook, “tara’s world peace dolls,” text to 415.302.5992, or email taraplocher@gmail.com.