Enter the world of Maria Counts, where imagination soars and creativity explodes! Maria’s delightfully charming yet sophisticated ceramic pieces are sure to brighten your day. Her work ranges from adorably winsome to subtly profound and everything in between.
Maria’s childhood was spent outdoors roaming her family’s garden farm with her siblings. Her artistic mind was shaped in the exploration of surrounding hills and observing the different forms and shapes made by the clouds above.
After moving to California, Maria was introduced to the world of visual art through jewelry design, interior decorating and finally ceramics. She learned hand-building techniques and basic wheel throwing from Larry Wasserman and firing and glazing techniques from Erik Gronborg. With that, she’s added in a generous dose of creative spirit that is uniquely “Maria” to produce ceramic artwork that is simply out of this world!
Talent, vision and a pinch of humor are all key elements in every finished piece. Maria crafts everything from trays, teapots and vases to clocks, wall sculpture and stand-alone totem poles with finesse.
In Maria’s world, angels and mermaids frolic while birds coo and call. Ladies wear crowns of flowers and foxes dash in top hats and bow ties. It’s clear that this skilled artist has never lost her sense of childhood wonder and her playful ceramic art will ensure that you never lose yours!
Within all her playfulness lies a proficient, serious ceramicist who can envision and create anything she (or you) imagines!
We always have ceramics from Maria Counts on display at Chemers Gallery, so come in to get your fix! Or, preview on our website HERE.
Exploring a love for landscape and urbanscape comes naturally to award-winning artist Kim VanDerHoek. Raised in Big Bear City, Kim spent her childhood immersed in trees and sunshine. Her passion and creativity are undeniably expressed in her artwork.
From Land to Sea
After earning a degree in illustration from Oakland’s California College of Arts, Kim’s career took her into the world of graphic design. Eventually, she decided to dedicate herself to painting full time. And dedicate herself she did! This talented lady is busy busy busy! In addition to painting, Kim teaches weekly classes in Orange County, co-created both a monthly online art contest and an in-depth Q&A resource for artists, and attends painter’s invitational events nationwide. What started as a dream has been transformed into Kim’s reality.
As a plein air painter, Kim embraces the challenges that painting outdoors presents. Changing conditions and light make forethought and quick decision-making a necessity. Kim also brings those strengths to her easel when she works in the studio. The resulting paintings feel fresh and calming. Her studio work is equally decisive and fluid; never a staid representation of her subject.
6th Street Bridge Arches
Kim’s graphic design background comes into play with her choice of subject matter. She is as equally drawn to trees and estuaries as to the arcs and curves of a freeway overpass. She heeded the call of LA architecture, especially the 6th Street Bridge, to produce her bridge paintings. Kim’s love for the design sensibility of chairs and all they can represent is “couched” in her latest series of paintings. And by love, we mean L-O-V-E! If she could, Kim would collect seats of all shapes and sizes…and we don’t mean the ones found on your backsides!
Estranged
Kim exhibits her work around the country in juried exhibitions and invitational shows. Earlier in 2016, she completed a commission for the ACE Hotel in New Orleans of panels for armoirs and was also a featured artist in Southwest Art Magazine. An active member of the American Impressionist Society (AIS), Southern California Plein Air Painters Association (SoCalPAPA), Kim is also a signature member of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) and an Artists member of the California Art Club (CAC). Her many awards include 2nd Place at the SoCalPAPA Painting the Light show, 1st Place at Chemers Gallery’s HeART of Orange County All Media exhibition and Best of Show at the SoCalPAPA Orange County Fair paintout.
To see more of Kim’s delightful paintings, follow this link or see in person at Chemers Gallery!
A huge thank you to all of our art and jewelry lovers, family and friends who joined us on Friday and Saturday for our 2-day jewelry trunk show! Thank you especially to our 5 talented artisans who joined us from far and wide, traveling from Colorado, Nevada and locally to bring their latest and greatest treasures for you to ooh and aah over. We had a blast at our first ever multi-day trunk show and by the looks of the pictures, we know you did, too. Just take a look…
Sisters Cathy Markowitz and Michelene Berkey with Karen
Enthralled with Susan Horton’s woven shawls, scarves and bags
So much eye candy!
Choosing treasures
Laurette O’Neil and Karen
Admiring Elizabeth Nadler’s boho-inspired jewelry
Judi and Shirley
Lois and Joanna Craft
Heather and Jennifer goof around
Guests enjoying Joanna Craft’s mixed metal & enamel creations
Keep checking our Facebook Page for more pictures of this fantastic event!
We’ll also be publishing the recipe for our signature cocktail, “Diamonds in the Rough,” for you to share and enjoy at home!
Save the Date!
Our 3rd Annual Holiday Artisan Faire will be held December 3rd, 2016
Details to be announced soon!
If you just can’t wait for our biiiig Holiday Artisan Faire in December, you can wet your whistle with us and 7 talented artisans! Mark your calendars now…
Friday, August 19 3pm – 8pm Enjoy live Classic Rock music from The Other band from 5pm – 8pm Saturday, August 20 11am – 3pm
Here’s a teaser to introduce you to the artists joining us. But, remember, they will all be bringing their huge collections to share with you.
Twiggy trinkets, polished pearls and gemstones galore make up Michelene’s selection of silver jewelry. At once refined and playful, her creative spirit shines through in every piece. Twigs and bark from bristlecone pine trees are cast in sterling silver to form pendants, rings, earrings and more. Gems and pearls are strung on wires or set in gold or silver to add a special little some’n some’n to your baubles. Of late, she is using more & more solid gold in her upscale design work. Michelene’s creativity knows no bounds!
If you’re searching for mixed metals, unique raw gemstones and enameling to compliment your look, try Joanna’s stylish range of trimmings! This local artist makes jewelry with a modern flair that carries a slightly Asian influence. Many of her statement pieces are one-of-a-kind and feature stunning stones or glistening glass. Joanna hand-hammers her metals to create texture and movement. Whether it’s a pair of petite every day earrings or a brightly enameled necklace, Joanna is always pushing the envelope to make new & unique designs for you.
Joining us on Saturday only, Susan’s hand-woven scarves and handbags are a delight to the senses! Full of intricate pattern and colors that shift and change before your eyes, every design is spectacular. Susan has won awards for her unique woven skills and it’s not difficult to see why! Scarves made from silk, cotton, chenille and wool are not only pleasing to look at, they’re also soft to the touch and snugly to wear.
Fine silver, gold and semi-precious gemstones feature in Barbara’s exquisite cuff bracelets, necklaces and earrings. This talented designer has learned her craft from master metalsmiths and jewelers the world over. Constantly pushing herself to try something new, Barbara takes inspiration from cultures of the past, such as Byzantine woven wire chains or Etruscan granulation and fusing techniques in her intricate surface decoration. In recent creations, Barbara plays with lightness and darkness, leaving bright silver in some areas while oxidizing others into shadow. We can’t wait to see what she has envisioned for our show!
Add some boho bling to your wardrobe with Betty’s gold-fill, silver, crystal, quartz and stone creations! Her range of necklaces, earrings and bracelets are perfect to layer together or wear alone to create a look that is as complex or as understated as you desire. Charms shaped like birds, hearts, feathers, hamsas, crosses, etc. pair with colorful crystals, glass beads and natural stones like garnet and agate for a look that is oh-so-stylish. Betty’s baubles span the spectrum of style, and with prices mostly between $25 – $75 you can’t go wrong!
Joining us for the first time (yay!) all the way from Nevada, Laurette’s jewelry creations are modern architectural bliss. Favored materials include sterling silver, pearls, wood, stone, lava & coral. Laurette even makes all of her tiny sterling tube beads herself, putting the “hand” into “handmade!” Modern and edgy, Laurette’s jewelry creates a statement that complements every day wear and tops off your special occasion ensemble.
If vintage treasures and all that sparkles makes you tingle, you’ll love Carolyn’s necklaces! Using components that span the decades, Carolyn deftly creates one-of-a-kind adornments that are as unique as you are. French shoe buckles from the 1920’s find homes alongside brooches from the 1950’s and chain from the 1970’s. Glass beads, Mother-of-Pearl and agate slices are repurposed into show-stopping ornamentation. Carolyn will even custom create heirloom jewelry made from your personal family treasures. So bring them to our trunk show to discuss the endless possibilities with Carolyn.
Now is a great time to find your next treasure or – dare we even say it?! – get a jump on your holiday shopping!
So grab your friends and make a day or two of it!
THANK YOU to everyone who joined us on Friday night for our annual summer artist demonstrations – art lovers, family, friends and talented artists who so generously shared their skills with all of us! Even though it was hot hot HOT, we were nice in cool in our AC and you all packed the place out! Take a look at some of the fun we had…
Dori Dewberry at work at her easel
Our friend Judi (left) with artist Janine Salzman (right)
Marcus, Shirley and Rita looking fabulous!
Deborah Harold working on her latest painting
Suzanne Currie chats with a visitor
Ceramicist Maria Counts works on a small dish
Lisa Mertins explaining her ceramic process
Cheryl meets watercolor artist, Pete Roberts
Dana Cooper in deep concentration
Ian Montelongo braves the heat to work outside
OIl painter, Shannon Richardson, takes a break
Curious clients peruse some of our jewelry selection
Capturing the artists hard at work! Shannon Richardson paints while Maria Counts carves her ceramics
Photographing the artists at work: Elaine Hughes (left) and Janine Salzman (right)
Elaine Hughes brings her canvas to life
Janine Salzman carefully painting a familiar scene
What a great crowd!
Two brave souls who faced the heat of Friday night! Ian Montelongo (left) and Pete Roberts (right)
Kim VanDerHoek sketches out the lines of her latest oil painting
Deborah Harold and Dori Dewberry paint side-by-side
Maria Counts visits with Lisa Mertins and Kim VanDerHoek while they set up their stations
Ready to go!
Keep checking our Facebook page to see more pictures from the night!
Mark your calendars now…
Join us next month for our 2 day jewelry trunk show on Friday, August 19th from 3-8p and Saturday, August 20th from 11a-3p!
7 talented designers and artists will be bringing their entire collections for you to find your next great treasure.
And, enjoy live Classic Rock music by local band, The Other, from 5p – 8p on Friday night.
Good things come to those who wait…and you’ve waited long enough for the newest season of Ayala Bar jewelry! It’s HERE! We say this every time, but this season is her best one yet!
This talented Israeli artist is working constantly to craft a jewelry line that is at once dramatic and playful, elevating the ordinary by pairing color, texture and shape in unexpected ways. Every six months, she unveils an entirely new selection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more in a multitude of colors and designs. Can you believe that Ayala composes over 200 new pieces for each new collection?! What a master of creativity!
And, as if creating 200 new designs weren’t enough, Ayala has introduced a line of double-sided necklaces and bracelets! We’d love to show you, but we sold them all before we could take any pictures. Oops. We have more arriving in a couple of weeks.
Ayala’s color compositions are always on point. With names like Aurora, Bohemia and Dark Forest, every color collection evokes the magic of traveling to exotic lands. Rich greens, blues and gold shimmer like the late afternoon sun on a pool of water, while plum, fuchsia and bronze blend like a prismatic tapestry.
Crafted in fabric, metal, beads, faceted glass and mineral stones, Ayala Bar’s creations are wonderful, wearable mico mosaics. Her work ranges from bold statements to subtle everyday sparkle. Every adornment is effortlessly stylish. Whatever your passion, you’re sure to find one of Ayala’s stunning limited edition pieces that will take your breath away.
Let us re-introduce you to local watercolor artist, Pete Roberts! You may remember his vibrant watercolor compositions from our annual springtime juried exhibitions, or you may have met him during summer artist demonstrations. With an easy smile, generous nature and willingness to stretch his horizons, Pete is a treasured artist! We couldn’t wait to share his latest earthly creations with you and dish a little dirt on the side!
Pete has been exploring the world of watercolor for nearly 20 years. What began as a self-taught endeavor has blossomed into a full-blown love affair with the medium. In addition to painting to improve his technique, Pete also enrolls in watercolor workshops in southern California and abroad in Italy. Studying under talents like Eric Weingardt, Mel Stabin, Judy Schroeder and Gerald Brommer has added another level of sophistication and control to his already wonderful work. Favored subjects in his latest offerings include our local San Juan Capistrano mission, street scenes and buildings of downtown Orange and the marinas of Dana Point and Cape May, New Jersey. You may even find a scene or two from “aloha” Maui in the mix!
Veranda Afternoon, Crystal Cove
Insurance salesman by day, painter and ballroom dancer by night, Pete is no stranger to the many hats an artistic soul wears. Stop by the gallery one afternoon and you may find Pete getting some work done in our back office or showing us his latest tango moves with gallery owner, Karen, as his dance partner! Pushing his artwork forward more and more over the years, Pete is a member of the National Watercolor Society and continues to be juried into art exhibits far and wide.
Legend has it that young Pete’s childhood was spent in, shall we say, somewhat “mischievous” ways. Boys will be boys and consequently the youngster spent some time in his room. Out of boredom, a burgeoning interest in art was formed. Sometimes it pays to be a little errant!
Pete Roberts
Come and meet Pete and 12 other artists Friday, July 22nd during our annual summer artist demonstrations! Join us from 5-8pm and watch these creative individuals strut their stuff in front of their easels and tables. And, enjoy live oldies music performed by Then Again Band while you stroll Enderle Center. For more information, visit our Events Page.
Enter the world of Maria Counts, where imagination soars and creativity explodes! Maria’s delightfully charming yet sophisticated ceramic pieces are sure to brighten your day. Her work ranges from adorably winsome to subtly profound and everything in between.
