CAL NEWSLETTER, May 2025

President’s Letter

To Fly!

Art has always been a refuge for me. The making of it is usually some kind of mystery, but it is healing. While finding my way through a painting, I usually get to a special place that feels... immersive. It transports me. While making art, I can fly.... even if, after I land, I find that it's not a masterpiece.

I may never learn enough from my errors in painting; I may never reach the elusive potential I ostensibly may have. Do sales validate worth in a painting? I suggest that there may be no errors; but that some things may work, depending on the visual language in which I paint or create. Those "errors" could be perfect in a different style.

I have to value anything I do because it's always a learning experience. At worst, the result is a failure for present goals. At best, it's a learning experience.

That is the journey, and the point of it all. Not fame; not sales; not awards nor accolades. The journey- that state of suspension and flow when I'm in the groove, is the most important thing.

I know I'm preaching to the choir. It's just a reminder to appreciate what we do as we move forward. It's a very special thing that we get to do, this art thing. That, and the notion that we can leave it all behind while we work. We get to fly!It

I'm looking forward to seeing the Gold Standard artwork! If you haven't submitted anything yet, you have time. July 20th is the deadline, so you can take many trips before you land! Where do you find that? Well, on Online Juried Shows, that's where! Just scroll down the shows 'til you see our CAL logo. That'd be it.

All the Best to you, and Keep Creating!

Nora Koerber

Membership News

Paal Anand

Paal has been selected for the London Art Biennale 2025, one of the UK’s most respected international art events. Held from 16 to 20 July 2025 at Chelsea Old Town Hall, the Biennale celebrates its VII edition.

The event is curated by an international panel led by Peter Gagliardi, and showcases museum-level works across painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and mixed media, with a focus on artistic excellence and innovation

‘Morning Light’, pencil on paper 24” W x 36” H

Spencer Frazer

Spencer Frazer, one of the foremost environmental artists in the country, is currently showing through summer at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in DC, the Art x Climate Exhibit. Featured is his piece Stream of Consciousness which depicts a NW scene as a commentary around environmental imbalance and man-made climate change. www.spencerfrazer.com

Rachel Berkowitz

Rachel's work is on view at Gallery 612. It is a solo painting exhibition titled Exposing Pasithea. This new series of oil paintings draws viewers into a surreal world inspired by classical mythology, femininity and dreams. Pasithea, the Greek goddess of rest and hallucination, is reimagined through vivid botanicals, sculptural forms and layered symbolism.

The show runs until May 31st. Gallery 612 is located at:
612 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Instagram: @rachelberkowitzart @gallery612.ca

Nora Koerber

Nora will have a good handful of art at her first Open Studio Art Sale, (in good company with other artists), on Saturday, May 24th, from 10 AM to 4 PM at 100100 McBroom St, Shadow Hills, 91040.

She is excited that she had three works juried in to the Celebrating Nature: Paintings by Allies Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashoreexhibit. It will be held at the Santa Paula Art Museum, commencing with a reception on Saturday, July 12th, 2025 (4:00-6:00 PM), and running until November 9th, 2025.

1. The Passage of Spring, 20"x20", oil on oil primed canvas
2. Turning Time, 12"x24", oil on gessobord
3. The Visitor's Center, Malibu Creek State Park, 9"x12", oil on panel

Bonny Butler

Bonny painted a quick Plein Air turn-around piece during the Carpinteria’s Art Center’s “Small Town Big Appetite” recipe and art book launch and fundraiser, where she was one of the thirty artists who contributed in the books development. The final bid for her painting fetched $1000.

Bonny’s mixed media piece Petals was juried into the TOAA (Thousand Oaks Art Association) 2025 Open Competition for the month of May.

Bonny also recently won a First-Place Blue Ribbon Award for her mixed media piece Floating Lotus and a Second Place Award for her soft pastel Natives By The Pond at the Santa Paula Society Of The Arts & Photography Show at the Blanchard Library in Santa Paula.

Additionally, Bonny received a First Place Award for her soft pastel piece, Spring’s Smile in the Women Painters West show Shades Of Color at the Betsy Luke Art Center in Burbank.

1. Floating Lotus
2. Spring's Smile
3. Petals

Mark Woods

Mark’s images After the Party and Burst were accepted into the 58th Annual Newport Beach Art Exhibition
His Mission Tree image was accepted to Black Box online annex gallery. https://blackboxgallery.com

1. After the Party
2. Burst
3. Mission Tree

Jessica Falcone

Jessica had her plein air paintings, Rio de Los Angeles and Symphony of the Harbor, both juried into the Plein Air Visions exhibition. Plein Air Visions will showcase the beauty and diversity of Southern California’s coastal and urban landscapes, featuring contemporary-traditional plein air paintings of Malibu, Ventura County, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles.The immediacy and spontaneity of the plein air technique bring the dynamic energy of these locations to life, highlighting the ever-changing moods of the Pacific coast and the colorful vitality of our city.

Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060
https://www.californiaartclub.org/exhibition/plein-air-visions-2/

Plein Air Visions is presented by the California Art Club and Santa Paula Art Museum. The show runs from May 10 to September 7, 2025

Jessica also had two paintings, Ocean Breeze and Lazy Summer, both juried into the Celebrating Nature Exhibition at the Santa Paula Art Museum.
Celebrating Nature intends to highlight the natural beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. This area encompasses many individual parklands and open space preserves within Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It is the largest urban national park in the United States and the largest Urban National park in the world!

Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060
https://allied-artists.com/event/215049/celebrating-nature-at-the-santa-paula-art-museum

Celebrating Nature: Paintings by the Allied Artist of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore
The show runs from July 12 to November 9, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 12th, 4-6pm

Susan Dukow

Susan's work will be on display along five other solo shows at TAG Gallery, as part of Free to be…
The show runs from May 21st through June 13th
(Along with five other solo shows by Shelley Lazarus, Sally Jacobs, Judy Zimbert, David Lang and Mel Smothers)

Afternoon with Artists - Sunday June 1st - 1 to 4pm

Debra Reynolds

Debra's piece Green Tomato, watercolor with some colored pencil received Third Place in the Valley Watercolor Society May show.

Elizabeth Gorcey

Elizabeth's work will be on view at the following venues:

1. Elizabeth's piece White House will be on view as part of the Gossamerexhibit at Gallery 825 (Los Angeles Art Association) at 825 La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. The juror is Bill Schinsky. The show runs until June 6th.

2. Her pieces Prayer, Seeing Red and The Dreamer will be on view as part of Diversity Lives Here: The Spirit of Femininomenon. An exhibit in honor of women's history month at the Monmouth University Gallery. The show runs in June.

3. Her piece Seeing Red will be on view as part of Intuition Exhibition, Naturalist Gallery online. The show runs from April 15th to June 14th. Curated by Sydney Cosden. https://naturalist.gallery/collections/intuition

1. White House, oil on canvas, 2024, 11"X14"
2. Prayer, oil on canvas, 40"X30"
3. Seeing Red, oil on canvas,14"X11"

Lore Eckelberry

Lore is having an exhibition in London the month of June with the Open Artcode Gallery at the Oxo Tower.
Opening reception will take place the 3rd of June, 2025.

/www.sfvaccKen Kochakji

Ken's piece The Starting Line is on exhibit at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery. The show ends May 28, 2025. Also, he has two art pieces at the SFVACC online surreal exhibition at www.sfvacc.com. The exhibition ends June 30th.

Linda Wooters

Three paintings by Linda will be in the City of Hope - Spring Art Show - at the Irvine Art Gallery. The gallery site is at 1000 Five Point Irvine, CA. The show runs from March 5th through September 1, 2025.
www.lindawooters.com

1. Angel's Light
2. Field of Dreams
3. Passing Storm

Kathryn Donatelli

Kathryn was invited to show two pieces displayed in the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, 2025. Her paintings are in the Kitchen Great Room. The House is open for visitors from April 20th -May 18th.

1. Blue and White with Jade, oil on linen, 14 x 18.
2. Green Pear, oil on linen, 8 x 10.
3. Installation in the Showcase House. Corner of the Kitchen Great Room.
www.kathryndonatelli.com

Karol Blumenthal

Karol's work is currently on view as part of Four BadAss Women Artists at The Los Angeles Makery in downtown Los Angeles. The show runs until May 31st.

Jonaki Hazra

Jonaki's work was juried into an exhibition at the Westlake Village Art Show. The show runs from June 4th to June 26th, showcasing her evocative art that invites viewers on a journey through nature and tradition.

1. Woman Power- Acrylic on Canvas 18"X24
2. Dream by Water-Water on Paper 10'X14"