FEATURED ARTIST

JOY CHEN, WATERCOLORIST
In my early years, I studied music (violin) and graduated from the Wuhan Conservatory of Music, then continued my studies at the School of Music, University of Oregon. After retiring in 2016, I moved from Oregon to Oceanside, CA and was so fortunate to find a supportive art group (AGNC) and the invaluable Zoom art classes offered by Mira Costa College.
While in retirement, I developed a strong interest in watercolor painting, and over the years have worked with both realistic and abstract styles. Although I have done in-depth exploration of other mediums (oil, gouache, pastel), my passion is watercolor, which inspires creative expression of color, shape, value and edges.

Sunday magazine, and later, examples of great art in my 28-volume collection of the TIME/Life Library of Art series. Studying the lives of these masters in all different categories of painting was like going to church for me.
My love of art history began over 60 years ago and continues today. I attempted to learn on my own by emulating primarily realistic art pieces and I experimented in all mediums of watercolors, graphite, charcoal and oils, and even some clay sculpture. Most of those examples of my early art have disappeared, but that’s okay. I view painting as a singular moment of happiness and each time it is different, appreciated and then done. I am a colorist, and love the challenges of trying new mediums and styles (sometimes failing greatly at abstraction!). I believe my primary personal success has been in painting representationally.
My birthplace is Chicago and it has always drawn me back, despite the fact that I travelled internationally multiple times, lived in Washington DC and Southern California, and continue to harbor a wanderlust for seeing new locales. I have enjoyed establishing friendships wherever I’ve lived and try to view life through an artistic eye. My interest in money management led me to attend school four nights a week for four years to receive my graduate degree. After a 47-yr career in banking, I retired so I could pursue the sunshine of the western coast and finally indulge in my art every day. I met and learned much from the artists/mentors at Mira Costa College. The influences and relationships I’ve enjoyed after being welcomed into the AGNC group years ago have contributed greatly to my joy and to my craft, and I count those members among my best friends and inspirations. I so look forward to connecting monthly with artist friends on AGNC/Zoom now that I’m back in Chicago. It’s been a blast. Thank you to everyone. [Click photos to enlarge]

CINDY MICHAELS

     My mother was a gifted artist. She taught me how to see and draw what I was seeing at a very young age. I have entered my work in North County galleries and have received numerous awards over the years.
     I enjoy starting a drawing without thinking. I allow the music I’m listening to move through my hands and create images on paper.
     AGNC is a wonderful group to share recent work and receive suggestions on works in progress. I value the friendships I’ve made from this group of talented and creative people.

"PICO"
Jorge “Pico” Medrano - Born in Mexico City in a family of artists, Pico came to the United States at age 6. He graduated from San Diego State University with a Mathematics Advance Degree, and after a 40-year career in Mechanical Nuclear Design Engineering at General Atomic Corporation, La Jolla, CA he shifted focus to his appreciation of fine art.
He studied art at Palomar and Mira Costa colleges, and has been a member of Art Societies including SD Watercolor Society, Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA), North Coastal Art Gallery (NCAG), Fallbrook Art Center (FAA), North County Sculptors Salon (NCSS), and Art Group of North County (AGNC).
As a member of the San Diego Watercolor Society in 1975, he worked on realistic painting for 10 years. He later segued to oil painting, from Realism to Modern Abstract Impressionism, and has exhibited in solo, group, juried, invitational shows.
Pico’s new emphasis is on Ceramic Sculpture, where he creates multi-ceramic wall panels and 3D sculptures. He can be contacted at: [email protected].

COAL Award by Chuck McPherson

JOAN P. YAP
As a child, I was drawing or painting my favorite celebrities (Elvis, James Dean, etc.) without any training. In my teens, my interest turned to photography, where I practiced the dynamics of lighting by adjusting aperture, speed, ISO etc on my Pentax camera. My parents were encouraging and had a darkroom built, so I learned to develop film and print (b&w) at an early age.
In undergraduate and graduate schools, my art instructors' teaching skills were negligible, so I have to assume that in a former life, I must have been an artist. In my twenties I developed a passion for crosshatching (pen & ink drawing; self-taught) and spent countless hours at it, winning a few awards in the midwest. Photography was always present, albeit in the background.

After a 30-year hiatus from artistic expression, I met Michael Duke in a Yoga class; and after months of persuasion, I joined his art group, AGNC. The rest is history!
      At my first group meeting in late 2018 (Pit Stop restaurant; bottom of page), I was so impressed by the sincerity and dedication of the group that I asked for a business card. I was shocked that AGNC had neither a business card nor a website. Luckily, I had the skills to fix that! And even start a Zoom group, necessary during 2020-21/COVID times.
     COAL/NCAG: Joining COAL in late 2019 was life-changing, and validated me as an artist/photographer. Within the first 5 months, various ribbons were bestowed on me (HM, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, and Best of Show for Amish Child on Train). Unbelievable for this humble Jamaican gal!
      JAZZERCISE: The 6-month lease programs have been inspiring and rewarding, and started me exploring the abstract-eclectic side of digital photography.
      I have been fortunate, and would like to acknowledge: Michael, for finding me; Phaya and AGNC group members, including Hooshang, who designed our flashy logo; Cheryl Ehlers and Jazzercise Corporation for encouragement; and my sister Carol, for her honest critiques.
[Click photos to enlarge]

PHAYA GIFFORD

MIXED MEDIA ARTIST
Turning to art after she retired from the corporate world, Phaya strives for freedom of expression and persistently experiments with collage materials, textual elements, and multiple ways to apply paints and other mediums to the artistic experience. Color, line, shape, pattern, and texture are the foremost sources of inspiration. “Typically, I do not begin a painting with a fixed idea; the methods and techniques used in the process of experimentation determine the final result. The surface of the painting is as important as is the image. This approach to painting seeks connection between recognition and suggestion. I leave my paintings open to the viewer’s interpretation”. Phaya’s body of work is known for its distinctive textures, bold color combinations and strong compositions. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibits and in corporate, public, and private collections throughout California, and she has received numerous awards.
Phaya has devoted herself to encouraging fellow artists to flourish and share their works with the community. This is evidenced by her leadership of a local group, Art Group of North County (AGNC), which is dedicated to developing connections and opportunities between local artists and the surrounding North County cultural organizations for exhibits and special events.

2022 (Month) Featured Artist at COALGallery, Carlsbad

Christine Ames

Christine was born in Chicago, IL as Christine Ishikawa, to parents of Japanese descent. In High School she had a wonderful teacher/mentor who inspired her, encouraging her to enter a student group art tour. She was chosen, and exhibited in a worldwide tour through the Art Institute of Chicago. She then let her art rest, and went on to obtain a B.S. in Biology, an M.B.A., and pursued a career in research, sales and marketing. Many years later, she returned to her art, and now resides in Oceanside, CA and Rome, Italy.
Christine is a Mixed Media Abstract Artist. Her work is a process-oriented journey; a journey that focuses on line, color, and shape, and their relationships to each other. Her overall goal in a painting is compositional balance. She has exhibited in numerous galleries/museums, both in California and in Italy. [Chris's website link is [www.yessy.com/christinelames]

Barry Robson

I was born and raised in South Africa, where I graduated with a degree in Mining Engineering from the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. After several years underground, I switched to oil exploration, and spent eleven years managing on-land and off-shore drilling projects.
In 1977, my family and I moved to La Jolla, where I was employed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography. For seven glorious years, I managed the Glomar Challenger research drill ship, conducting scientific exploration world-wide as part of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. When the Scripps project ended, I moved on to geotechnical and environmental project management — mainly on US Navy bases in the Pacific, operating out of Hawaii. (No art yet)
In 2004, I retired and moved back to Del Mar. I signed up for Acrylic Painting classes instructed by Sally Pierce at Mira Costa College. I attended these classes for about eight years before “going it alone.” My paintings are generally inspired by South African art, and by my travels in Mexico. I also make wood carvings, sculptures, and garden art.
I have been a member of AGNC for about seven years, and am a member of Art Alliance at the Oceanside Museum of Art. I have shown my work at Jazzercise, and at AGNC shows in Oceanside, Vista, and San Marcos.

DON WEBB
I have painted on and off most of my working career with little guidance. After retirement, I took some art courses at Mira Costa. There I met Diane Adams, and stayed in her watercolor class for probably four years. Later took watercolor classes from Tom Tiedeman, and lastly, Jim Millard.
I paint mostly in watercolor, but also work in oils. I enjoy showing my work, and currently display at two local coffee shops in Oceanside and try to enter shows and local galleries. My pleasure and challenge comes from painting a scene with my story or interpretation. Then, of course, if someone selects one of my pieces for their home, it is the real reward.

JAIME DREYFUS
The lure of the beautiful forms of everyday life was the driving force that brought me to draw and capture on paper the images that I observed at an early age.
Achieving higher education in Art gave me a deeper horizon of trends and styles to follow. Unfortunately the passion and love for Art did not put bread on my table. I had to find a job. Art, however, never left my heart. During my working years, I always found ways to express myself in one form or another whether in sculpture, ceramics or painting in different media. Doodling when my right hand is not busy with work helped me develop head to hand coordination.

In the year 2000, I retired from work and was able to come back to my Art. I reviewed the Impressionist works. I bought books to learn more about their techniques, color schemes, vices and more. The sense of fulfillment and accomplishment I feel when I finish a painting is so great that I always want to share that art with friends and loved ones. When someone comes and shows a deep liking and admiration for one of my works, it makes me feel that God is smiling, because I am exercising the talent given to me. Many times, I had given away paintings because of that.
My Motto: “Inspiration is the soul of an artist.” [[email protected]; http://jdreyfus.com; (760) 445-7267]

EILEEN SPRAGUE
Eileen Sprague grew up in New York City and has been practicing art for 50 years. She is a graduate of New York University, and studied postgraduate art at Hunter College.
She majored in Social Work, receiving a Masters in Humanistic Education. She also was co-owner of a commercial Hot Air Balloon business in Sedona, Arizona until moving to San Diego.
Eileen has been a member of the Woodstock Artist Association, Sedona Art Center, and most recently, the Oceanside Museum and adjunct Oceanside Alliance. She has exhibited in the Long Beach, NY Museum of Art, Del Mar Art Gallery, and the Del Mar Fair as well as numerous public libraries in North County.
Her contemporary sculptures are created in Marble, Onyx, Bronze and many other mediums; paintings are both in oil, acrylics and water. Her website link is here.
Eileen's exhibition of art at the Oceanside Civic Center Library January 2 through January 31 had an opening reception on Saturday, January 5 at 4:00 p.m.

MICHAEL DUKE

Michael grew up in Los Angeles, learning to draw at an early age by sketching pencil-portraits of family members—and copying intricate artwork appearing in comic strips like Terry & The Pirates. Later on, in high school and college (PCC, USCGA), he took mechanical and engineering drawing courses. During his professional career as a shipboard marine engineering officer in the USCG, and technical marketing specialist in private industry—from 1960 on—Michael designed, illustrated, and/or wrote various engineering proposals, science education primers, and product brochures/advertisements/trade-show displays/instruction manuals.
Since retiring in 2007, Michael has studied acrylic painting, live model figure & portrait drawing, and ceramic sculpture in art classes at Palomar College, Escondido, and Mira Costa College, Oceanside. He has won several cash and ribbon awards at juried art shows in North San Diego County, and his art pieces have been included since 2010 in the annual retrospective publication Summation -- The Merging of Art and Poetry, jointly published by Escondido Arts Partnership/EAP and Poets Inc. Michael's African-themed painting "Casting Her Spell" was featured on the front cover of the Summation VIII edition for 2015. Current and past memberships in San Diego-area art associations include Art Group of North County (AGNC); Oceanside Museum of Art’s 'Art Alliance' adjunct group; Escondido Arts Partnership (EAP); Carlsbad Oceanside Art League (COAL); San Dieguito Art Guild (SDAG); and San Diego Art Institute (SDAI.)
Click photo to enlarge