Underground Artists

Underground No More

2008-10-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

After the Tahoe: Lost & Found art auction (well, actually just before), it was decided that our art group, the Underground Artists, had reached some sort of inevitable conclusion. I'm not sure how or why, but it just felt right to all of us to continue on with our art in our separate ways.

As Kristen put it, it' s as if we've come "above ground".

I'm going to leave this blog in place for now... you can still connect with us through the links at the right.

Art Auction Success

2008-10-02T21:02:00.001-07:00

The firemen came in their truck to help the auctioneer carry the art up for bidding...

How cool was that?!

I'm pretty much done and moving on from this, so I'll just say that it was a success and we were able to raise the money for the library. Here's a link to the Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture website, and a few pictures.....

Watch for some changes here to come...

Art Auction This Friday Night

2008-09-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Tahoe: Lost & Found
Inspired by Fire: Reflections of a Community One Year After Angora

The live Art Auction and Angora Benefit is this Friday, September 19th, 6:00 pm at Valhalla's Grand Hall at the Tallac Historic Site in South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Preview and Reception: 6:00 pm
Auction starts at 7:00 pm

This live art auction with Nicholas Varzos is a community-based event to benefit the local library, which lost many books in homes that burned in the Angora Fire. The artwork features 21 artists from around the lake, who created work that reflects our theme: What did we lose in the fire, and what did we find?

From a hand-painted snowboard to photography; paintings to works in jewelry, mixed media "homes" and firefighter arthelmets... each artist responded with their own interpretation of the experience. Preview all of the art and the artists and learn more about the event at www.tahoelostandfound.com.

And it's free! ( With a suggested donation for the printed auction guide.) (Which looks great, by the way, thanks to Kristen Schwartz and Becky Bell!)

If you live in Tahoe, plan to attend...

Art Auction Shaping Up

2008-09-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Tahoe: Lost & Found live art auction is happening...
Mark your calendar for Friday, September 19, 2008 and stay tuned for details!

Or read about it now at the Tahoe: Lost & Found site.

Ultrahazardous Art

2008-08-27T16:56:00.001-07:00

About the most frightening job I can imagine would be that of a firefighter. For the Tahoe: Lost & Found show, I created two fire helmets to honor the firefighters who came from all over to help us out last summer during the Angora Fire.

"Warning: Firefighting is an Ultrahazardous Activity" features wording from part of the warning label that appears on the inside of the actual helmet; I for one, would never put it on after reading that!

"Reflected by Fire" features mirrored goggles and bits of news clippings from articles regarding the fire. You can read more here.

The Tahoe: Lost & Found live art auction is coming up soon. To see all the art to be auctioned off, click here.

More details as we get closer!

We're a Trend!

2008-08-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Local writer and editor Kim Wyatt wrote a uniquely upbeat story in the latest Tahoe Quarterly magazine called "Top Tahoe Trends". The piece covers trends in a few different areas, and includes a great bit about Becky Bell's authentic and quintessential Tahoe website, Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture (www.tahoeculture.com).

Kim writes about creative community collaboration (I love that; maybe it's the alliteration?) and explains my idea for the Tahoe: Lost & Found project, giving our upcoming Tahoe: Lost & Found art auction a great plug. (Thanks, Kim!) We appreciate the fact that Tahoe Quarterly is a sponsor for the event as well.

Anyhoo; if you come across a copy, give it a look. Great photos of our local heroes too!

Barbara Wesson at Tallac

2008-08-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

You know something is up if Barbara has her picture in the local paper!

Barbara Wesson is showing her functional and beautiful pottery at the Tallac Historic Site this week. Visit her at the Viking Gallery from 11 to 4 from August 17th to the 23rd. She'll be hosting a reception from noon to 4 on the last day.

Lately she's been focusing on some amazing succulent pots with cool textures so you won't want to miss it!

Art Party Tonight

2008-08-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Elevation 6310 is hosting a Tahoe: Lost & Found Art Party tonight!

Things get underway at 6 and we'll go to about 8:00 pm with art from the Underground Artists, information about the Tahoe: Lost & Found project, and additional art from other local artists.

Elevation 6310 is located at 195 Highway 50, #3, near Stateline. They've got great food and a fun atmosphere, so come on down and check it all out.

FANTASTICAL AND BOTANICAL ART SHOW by KRISTEN SCHWARTZ

2008-08-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Once or twice a year I like to put up an exhibit of framed work in a space down at the Tallac Historic Site here in South Lake Tahoe. The spot has moved since I began doing this in 1995, but it's a beautiful place to be for the week. The building I'm showing in is a one room guest cabin built about a hundred years ago. The lake is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.

I will have my latest framed silk fantastical prints along with cards and paper prints. You will also be able to view botanical prints from the book, Medicine From the Mountains: Medicinal Plants of the Sierra Nevada.

Come on down. The cabin is next to the Cultural Arts Store on the loop road with the Grand Hall. I will be there 11-4 until August 8th. I hope to see you there!

Pictured above is Lake Mermaid, a freshwater mermaid that lives in the clear waters of Lake Tahoe. More information on Lake Mermaid can be found here

Inspiration from Stacey

2008-08-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

A benefit was held at Ernie's Restaurant on Tuesday, for local artist Stacey Ballard, who is awaiting a liver transplant. Somehow, throughout her ordeal, she manages to create beautiful art, such as this piece. This hangs on my studio wall now.

Confirmed!

2008-07-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Set aside Monday, August 11th for the Elevations 6310 Art Party for Tahoe: Lost & Found!
We're starting early, at 6:00, with some art from the UA and a bit of an explanation about the project.

The Art Party will continue in it's usual course, so plan to stay and enjoy the food, the crowd, the music, and of course the art!

The restaurant is located on Hwy 50, near the base of Kingsbury Grade...
look for the light at Kahle Drive, and the building with the Burger King sign.
(Sorry. I may come up with better directions soon, but there's a hint....)

Art Party

2008-07-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Last Monday night I actually made it out of my house at the time I would normally prepare for bed... A local restaurant called Elevation 6310 does a Monday night "Art Party", and Becky Bell (of Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture fame) and I met up with Shelley Hocknell to go check it out.

The Art Party idea is a great one, and not something we've had much of, here in South Lake Tahoe: open to all, with a fun local vibe and music to go with it.

Scott, the enthusiastic manager, has agreed to put on an Art Party to support the Tahoe: Lost & Found cause. We're working on a date, but it will be sometime in August.

And if you go, try to stay for the Fire Dancers...
I couldn't quite make it!

Shelley Hocknell at Valhalla

2008-07-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

She'll only be there for one more day, but if you can, catch artist Shelley Hocknell Zentner down at Valhalla on Saturday. She's the Artist-in-Residence this week, and Friend of the UA!

Next time, I'll be more on top of this kind of thing....

Festival of Fine Arts

2008-07-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

No, the Underground Artists won't be at Tahoe Arts Project's Festival of Fine Arts this weekend; Kristen and Barbara are too busy getting ready for the Sierra Club event on Sunday. And I'm busy with Tahoe: Lost & Found. But there will be some local Tahoe artists there, so if you're in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, July 12 or Sunday, July 13th, stop by the lawn in front of the Middle School, and support local Tahoe art!

Click on the Tahoe Arts Project link above for more information.

Next Up, Sierra Club

2008-07-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Camp, Echo Summit...
should be a very cool place to be on Sunday, July 13!

Every year, the local chapter of the Sierra Club does a fundraiser/wine tasting, including area artisans into the deal. This year, Kristen and Barbara have been accepted to show their work, along with other Tahoe artists.

Click here to find out more, and purchase tickets to this fun event.

Bare Bones

2008-06-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Lake Tahoe Writing Club's Bare Bones monthly open mic night, which they generously did as a fundraiser for Tahoe: Lost & Found (see previous post). It was held at Valhalla, in the Grand Hall, where the September 19th art auction will be held. They even did a raffle, with a Trader Joe's bag of goodies as one of the prizes... wish I'd won; I'm sure there was chocolate in there somewhere!

Thanks, April, Andrea, Kim, Frank, and the rest of the Lake Tahoe Writing Club!

Tahoe: Lost & Found Kickoff Party

2008-06-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

What good Underground Artist doesn't love a party? Well, really, none of us love parties terribly much, but there was good food, so we went. Actually, we were there because we were throwing this party, and because it's exciting, and because it's for a good cause.

Tahoe: Lost & Found is a lot of things. It's intended to mark the one year anniversary of the Angora Fire, and to reconnect our small community, in a way similar to what happened here while the fire burned. It culminates in an art show/art auction on September 19th at Valhalla's Grand Hall in South Lake Tahoe. (More on that soon.)

Pictured at top is a phoenix painting created by local teen Ethan Niven, whose home survived, even though those of his friends and neighbors burned.

Kristen Schwartz is pictured here with her "Lake Mother" illustration, a piece she finished on the day the Angora Fire went into 100% containment.

Underground Artists Anniversary!

2008-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

The longer I stayed away from posting here, the harder it was getting to post a new entry! But last week (or thereabouts) was the one year Anniversary of our Underground Artists group, and to celebrate, I created personalized papier mache helmets for each of us. Complete with boingy things on top.

We're looking forward to a year filled with even more growth as artists, and some new events, too. Maybe even more regular blog posts; who knows?

Local Tahoe Artists Links

2008-01-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings from under our layer of new snow! Maybe "layer" isn't a strong enough word; we've got about four feet. But that's the way we like it.

The Underground Artists are working to create a list of local Tahoe artists links (see sidebar). We'll be adding to the list as we go along. Please check out the other local talent!

2008...

2008-01-02T09:04:00.001-08:00

Happy 2008, everyone!

Well, we've been through the holiday gauntlet, and some imposed "down time" (deadly, for artists!) but today is our first UA meeting of the new year. I desperately need this meeting! I've been basically stuck in the house with my kids for the last week or so; a self-imposed exile due to Tahoe's famous holiday crowds. And I'm craving the company of my fellow UAers...

We'll be setting goals, I imagine, and scheming to come up with some cool happenings for the new year.... so check back sometime soon!

Holiday Open Studio #3

2007-12-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to everyone who came out to Christmas Valley (yes, it's really called that) for our third Holiday Open Studio yesterday. Here are some photos of our guests... And thank you to everyone who agreed to let me take their picture!

That's Jessica modeling the "Mini Poobah" Art Helmet... and her little sister, Julia, modeling the truffles.

And some other intrepid guests...

Shari, The Best Neighbor In the Whole World, shows off her goodies. (She's mine, and she's not moving!)

Here's Hannah, above, choosing the winner of Melissa's Virtual Reception raffle.

Thank you so much, everyone, for coming!

Third Time's A Charm

2007-12-15T07:25:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Holiday Open Studio number three. My studio is cleaned up and ready for all of Kristen's faeries and Barbara's pots, mugs and bowls. I'm amazed at how much room there is in there, now that it's all spruced up! Come by and shop for gifts, savor a truffle or two, and make some new friends. (It's a tiny space, so if alot of people come by, we'll all be close friends by the end of the afternoon!) I'll be showing my new line of recycled paper art earrings and necklaces, and some of my older pieces will be on sale too. I'm even going to have some of the Art Helmets out, so if you have a little too much wine, and you're looking for a lampshade, you can substitute a helmet. (Although we'd rather you drink in moderation, and only overdo the chocolate.)

Also, if you've been at any of these events, you are automatically entered to win some Fabulous Prizes (art!). Tomorrow is your last chance! If you need directions or more information on this last sale, email me.

Just a reminder: I am holding a Virtual Reception for Paper Moon, and today and tomorrow (December 15th and 16th) are your last days to comment on my blog and be entered to win a pair of my earrings. (Your name will be put into the faux-leopard-skin pillbox hat pictured at right!) Click here to read and comment!

Virtual Open Studio

2007-12-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

You're welcome to visit Melissa's blog to join in her first Virtual Open Studio... in case you can't make any of our holiday sales; or even if you can!

Just go to her blog, Unglued, and comment on any of her posts this week, to be entered to win a pair of her Recycled Paper Art Earrings (necklace to be substituted in case of the non-pierced!)
Not blog-comment-savvy? Easy directions (and more details) are posted here.

Good luck!

Something Fuzzy This Way Comes

2007-12-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you happened to stand too close to one of our display tables, you might not have noticed the tip of a black tail, twitching in anticiptation, until it was too late. This happened to one of our guests yesterday, as he innocently perused Barabara's pottery...

it was Walter. Walter Pink Pidgeon, to be more exact.

Anyway, aside from the surprise attacks, Walter was very friendly and obliging as the Underground Artists took over his territory for the afternoon. Kristen made some of the most unusual, delectable desserts ever seen in the Sierra, and some very tart (!) mulled wine... although that was easily remedied with some extra honey...

Thank you to everyone who stopped by. We are so grateful for friends and patrons who are making this possible. My apologies to Mark and Jen Dulyanai, our Senseis at Blue Lake Aikido; the "fix your photo" program has no special tool for "focus"! (see blurry photo above)

Transformation

2007-12-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

It's amazing: Barbara's house was transformed. And here are some photos to prove it! (We're all feeling a little transformed, but that's a story for another time and place...)

We had a good time, and our guests all seemed to enjoy themselves too...

It was so great to see old friends and meet some new ones. If you didn't make it the first time, we are hosting two more Holiday Sales: December 9th and December 16th, from 1:00 to 6:00 pm. Please email me if you need directions! You don't want to miss out on the mulled wine and desserts that Kristen will be serving on the 9th...OR the great art that we have for sale. And you definitely don't want to miss the last sale: wine and chocolate. (and art!) You've been warned!

Appetizers?

2007-11-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

I got an email from Barbara today:

"What are appetizers?"

I'm hoping she's joking, as she's supposedly serving them this Sunday at her house, for our first Holiday Show/Open House...

You'll have to show up to find out if she's figured it out!

That's this Sunday, December 2, from 1 to 6 pm. Email me for location and directions.

Upcoming Holiday Open Studios

2007-11-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a loooooooong time since I've last posted...
We've all been busy with our individual lives, and me with my own blog. But we've still been meeting every other week, and the power of our mutual support continues!

We've decided to put together a series of Open House/Open Studio events for the holiday season. On three different Sundays in December, each of us will open our home or studio, with work for sale as well as something to munch on while you peruse the artwork. We'll all have work at all three events, so if you can't make it to one, come to another!

The dates are: December 2, December 9. and December 16th, from 1:00 to 6:00. Please email me at mel@papermoonstudio.com for more information and directions.

Back Soon

2007-10-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

We haven't posted in a while; all of us are gone off in our own directions for the time being. But we're not gone, just focused on our separate lives. Back soon...

Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture

2007-09-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

We're featured on the Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture site...
Click here to read the article.

On To The Next Thing

2007-09-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Valhalla show is done...
Kristen and Barbara are now working towards next weekend's Earthdance event out at Turtle Rock Park in Markleeville...
and I'm taking a bit of a break, and enjoying the last days of summer.

Photos from Underground

2007-08-29T07:15:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos from our current show...

Viking Gallery

2007-08-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Okay; I guess it's called the Viking Gallery... if you go by the signage. I just made up the "New Twin Cabins Gallery"name, frankly. Anyway, we'll be there all week, so no posting for awhile!

Hope to see you there...

the Underground Artists present

2007-08-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

We're counting down the days for our show. All tunnels are open and functioning so there shouldn't be any problems getting everything there. Come join us! I've been getting out of the studio every day to get my eyes used to outside light. I think I'm ready! I will be bringing lots of art supplies to experiment with from 11 to 2 - Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Am I Procrastinating?

2007-08-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

I just moved the "Weekly Quotes" to the bottom of the page. I might end up writing them as posts...or not....but for now you'll have to scroll to the bottom for each week's fascinating, inspiring, moving (literally) message.
I also added an expanded section on "who we are". Very expanded. So now you'll know.

Boundless

2007-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I just added the quote for this week, which I like alot. Could be my "fall-back" quote. Although I doubt I'll run out, with the Painters Keys listings.

Twin Vikings

2007-08-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this will help, or confuse...but because the new gallery space at Valhalla has no signage, they've put the "Viking Gallery" sign out in front. Hmmm. At any rate, it's across from the Cultural Art Store, and in front of Valhalla's Grand Hall. The big building...

Well, Kind of A Second, Then...

2007-07-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

Our group show IS a first, but Kristen is showing her amazing work, including the Green Goddess and her new Lake Mother illustration, at the Twin Cabin Gallery this week. For information, visit her Faery Medicine site.

A First

2007-07-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Underground Artists will be having their first group show out at South Lake Tahoe's historic Tallac Site. The "new" Twin Cabin Gallery is situated next to the Cultural Arts Store at Valhalla...that's where we'll be, from August 27th to September 3rd. (right through Labor Day weekend!). Gallery hours are 10 am to 4 pm, and at least one of us will be there each day to talk with visitors about the work, about who we are, and about the weather. All work exhibited will be for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Tallac Association and the Forest Service to help maintain the site.

Email us at mel@papermoonarts.com for more information. Hope to see you there!