Usual Suspects Caspar Art Expo

Caspar News and Press Releases

ART EXPO in Caspar

The Usual Suspects Caspar Art Expo 2002. You are invited to share in a North Coast community tradition -- an exhibit of great affordable art -- at What's Afoot Gallery in Caspar, November 22 -December 1, 2002. What's Afoot is an indescribable high funk venue in downtown Caspar, two miles North of Mendocino. The Expo is about diverse forms of art all at one place, a highly friendly affair created by the Usual Suspects. "The Usual Suspects" have done perhaps a dozen shows in the past decade, and the idea had always been friends working together in spirit of cooperation and affection, with a lot of genuine admiration for what each of us brings to the affair. About half of the shows have been at the "What's Afoot Gallery." "It's tobacco road with an attitude." Enjoy recent work, studio accumulations and miniatures by Doug Desmond, J.D. Mayhew, Naida Schorg, Hope Stevenson, Sunshine Taylor, KC Bowers, Sev Ickes, Dale E. Moyer, Susan Louise Moyer, Gail Rushmore.

Meet the Suspects at two special Friday night parties: November 22 and November 29, from 5 - 8 p.m. Festive refreshments and music by the Fort Bragg Philharmonic are in order. Linger in the gallery daily (except Thanksgiving) from 11a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Saturday, November 23 through Sunday, December 1. And by all means, take art home with you!

The Usual Suspects, right to left: Doug Desmond, Naida Schorg, Sunshine Taylor, Sev Ickes, KC Bowers, J.D. Mayhew, Gail Rushmore, Hope Stevenson, Dale E. Moyer, Susan Louise Moyer

Doug Desmond

"I always look forward to the time when the Usual Suspects visit The What's Afoot in Caspar. It's become a sort of saga where artists get to show off for their friends and neighbors, and all sorts of good things happen. At the receptions the Fort Bragg Philharmonic's music reminds us what's right about where we live, and we all try to celebrate this fact with our art. Last year some one commented that the What's Afoot was funky with character. I think that comes pretty close."

James D. Mayhew

J. D., born in Oklahoma, absolutely loves this area (Fort Bragg, Mendocino and Caspar). He moved here over 30 years ago and built his house and studio on the Pacific headlands where most of his subjects live."Whales, Sea birds, Skunks, and the world's biggest collection of Gophers. I paint and etch mostly the wildlife that I see and photograph around here. No yard work because most things don't grow on the bluffs-we mow whatever is green and call it lawn. Makes more time for art. I specialize in etchings and watercolors and some oils. Associating with the Usual Suspects at the What's Afoot Gallery keeps me creative."

Naida Schorg

Thirteen years ago, Naida moved to Caspar from Southern California. She soon discovered she was surrounded by a collection of artists. "We formed an art group and began showing our works at What's Afoot Gallery just down the street. Since then some have left but we have replaced them with people who have fantastic talent in etching, pastel, ceramics, oil, watercolor and even Giclee." "[You will enjoy a diverse form of art all at one place, among the ambience of What's Afoot Gallery in downtown Caspar]"

Naida does a lot of experimenting with composition and form in her oils and watercolors but always with exploding colors that seem to jump off the canvas at you. Her etchings and pen and inks are perhaps more subdued but with the same dynamics as her more colorful media.

Hope Stevenson

Hope's youth was spent in Mexico City, where she began to develop her talent and her love for art. In 1990, after several years of painting for galleries in Mendocino and Laguna Beach, she and her husband, Ron, moved from Colorado to Mendocino. 3Most of my work is painted on location, which allows me to capture the subtle nuances of changing light and shadow. I prefer to paint in oils with a palette knife to create both detail and texture. I like the spontaneous effects created by painting wet into wet."Our What's Afoot group of artists is one of the pluses of living in this wonderful area."

Sunshine Taylor

Sunshine has been a participating artist in the annual Caspar Art Expo since it began in 1993, and is proud to be a Caspar local. She started painting in 1981, while living in northern Vermont. "Vermont was so beautiful that I was inspired to try to capture its beauty. After some experimentation, I turned to watercolors, and I fell in love with them. I knew I'd found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! Now returned to my native California, the gardens and landscapes of Mendocino provide the perfect match for my love of color and flowers."

KC Bowers

Primarily known for her interpretive watercolor landscapes, KC (a.k.a. Karen or Camille) looks forward to this reunion with the Usual Suspects as a time to consider where she has gone and where she is going with her work.. "As a Pisces, I continue to be drawn to watercolor as a natural medium through which I can explore and express the dynamic flow of life's challenges and opportunities. A few years ago, theUsual Suspects introduced me to etching. This year, I have been delving into the possibilities inherent in other media and art forms...ink, acrylics, colored pencils, mosaics and collage." KC's work is particularly concerned with open space, natural habitat and time honored landmarks. Her paintings give fresh testimony to the sublime and beautiful places we all treasure and want to preserve.

Sev Ickes

California artist Sev Ickes is self-taught. Her work is literally filled with imaginative ideas and straight-from-the-heart reflections of her view of the "happier" part of life. Her acrylic paintings are distinguished by her attention to details as well as her use of pure, bright colors. She is a "storyteller" through her paintings. This year Sev includes her newest work, wooden constructions most of which are brightly painted whimsical birds!

Dale E. Moyer

A recent refugee from NYC/NJ east coast area.and proud to be one of the newer "suspects", Dale is fascinated by the human form which he considers essential to the artist's understanding and conveyance of shape and form and spatial relationships. "The human figure provides that most important element.emotion and attitude. My oil pastel and oil images are a response to the individual(s), mood and character.an attempt to frame the personality and allow the viewer to celebrate the model's world captured at a particular moment in time. I attempt to bring that emotion and attitude to my local landscapes as well."

Susan L. Moyer

A fiber artist who specializes in dye painting on silk has been living on the north coast for four years. For the past twelve years, this recent refuge from the New York area, has authored two books on silk painting while she has been travelling and teaching her artform all across the country. Her personal expression focuses on conceptual design as well as embellishing silk for those who enjoy expressive and colorful apparel. Susan is very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in a show with such a serious and fun loving group of artist's and often says to herself "It's beginning to feel a lot more like home here."

Gail Rushmore

A ceramic sculptor, specializing in Raku and primitive firing, Gail is known for her strong ethnic figures, featuring native ornamentation. "Several years ago, I was introduced to clay as a new medium. Working in 3-dimensions has opened a new avenue of expression, while the raku firing process has kept me challenged and motivated. Each piece is unique and has a story to tell."

« previous   : :   index   : :   next »