|
2008 Promises to be "SunKissed"
April 4, 5, & 6, 2008 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Indian Wells’ magnificent Santa Rosa Mountains reflected in a palm oasis are caught awakening in the light of daybreak, captured by artist P.K. King. The poster image for SunKissed, an original oil on canvas was created specifically for this year’s Indian Wells Arts Festival, April 4, 5 & 6. “This scene is the one that made me want to become a painter and colorist,” said King. “I enjoyed this vista daily when I lived just blocks from the fields where the Tennis Garden now stands. I called those peaks of the Santa Rosa Mountains the ‘Sleeping Dragon.’ At sunrise the warm light refreshed and awakened the dragon like a kiss that gently found its way to the cool blues of the sand, tumbleweeds and the old Whitewater River Wash in the foreground.” The original 30” x 40” painting will be on display and available for purchase at the festival. King’s exuberant use of bright color and bold brush strokes has become her signature in paintings that range from demure figurative and still life to vibrant Tuscan landscapes. She has won numerous awards and her work is collected by enthusiasts around the world. Indian Wells Arts Festival brings a splash of color, touch, and sound to the grass concourse of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden where King will be joined by some 200 respected artists from all parts of the United States who will present their original artwork at this three-day outdoor marketplace. Selected by jury process, artists will explain and demonstrate their various techniques including glass blowing, painting, drawing, weaving, photography, mural painting, pottery throwing, jewelry, hand-crafted wares, and large scale stone sculpturing. Thousands of one-of-a-kind pieces of art are for sale at the event. This arts festival is not just for the sighted. One of the special exhibits, Art Beyond the Visual, incorporates the Sight-Seeing series of Idyllwild artist Judith Lepuschitz. Her acrylics on canvas paintings integrate characters of the Braille alphabet, forming abstract patterns that support the overall composition. The acrylic characters are often soldered onto copper plates. To the Braille reader, they convey the essence of each painting. People are encouraged to touch them for vivid tactile as well as visual sensations. The Braille Institute in Rancho Mirage joins as a Participating Partner, sharing some of the work created at the Braille Institute where clients learn to express themselves through art using form, line, texture, and color to create very interesting pieces, even as they are sight impaired. “Rock Star” stone sculptor David Falossi will again chip away daily on an untitled hunk of Italian limestone. Falossi expresses his range from classically carved realism to geometric abstracts. Some of his sculptures are cast in fiberglass or metal and depict stylized subject matter such as his well known Diver series. He plans to complete this monumental limestone sculpture at the festival and sell it. One artist who gets completely fired up is Arizona glass blower Bruce Freund. From his portable glass blowing furnace, Freund shows festival goers how he masterfully creates translucent, colorful glass art. Known for his versatility and technique of blending a rainbow of colors, Freund makes most of his glass pieces unassisted. Tour de Trash – Recycle Bicycles is an environmental art exhibit sponsored at the venue by Palm Springs Life. These whimsical sculptures are submitted by children as well as individuals and organizations using a discarded bike, found objects, and paint. They will be premiered at this festival, then “recycled” along El Paseo in Palm Desert and selected sites in Cathedral City during April as part of Earth Month celebrations. Some will be “under construction” at the event. For the musical arts, live entertainment features INCENDIO, Latin guitar world fusion; Earl J. Rivard, Jr., a sight impaired folk musician from LA; and a wide variety of live music each day. Culinary arts fans will find the Gourmet Marketplace offering handmade toffee, fanciful fruit bouquets, sweet smelling and tasting lavender, nuts and dates, oils and vinegars, coffee and teas, as well as wine tasting, a beer garden, and other refreshments. On Saturday will be the third annual Chef Masterpieces presented by the Indian Wells Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are available through the Web site at www.IndianWellsChamber.com. The Indian Wells Arts Festival incorporates a number of local charities as partners including College of the Desert Art Guild, Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, Student Creative Recycle Art Program (S.C.R.A.P.) Gallery, Braille Institute, Champions Volunteer Foundation, and Palm Desert Soroptomist. Producer Dianne Funk invites you to join the synergy, validate the vision: See Art at Work; It’s fun, exciting and dynamic. She adds, “The Indian Wells Arts Festival... where ART is a HAPPENING — is designed to create a great event experience and community celebration. The creative synergy of demonstrating artists, local sponsors, and partners enhances our venue with vibrant activity.” More than 10,000 attended last year’s festival from serious buyers and collectors to the cautiously curious and boasts over $950,000 in art sales. The Indian Wells Arts Festival is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Gates close at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $10; children 12 and under are free. General parking is free and valet parking will be available. The venue is handicapped accessible and allows Guide Dogs only. Recorded information hotline, please call (760) 346-0042. More Information - Websites, Maps and Directions  Artist P.K. King. SunKissed,
an original oil on canvas, was created specifically for the poster image for this year's Indian Wells Arts Festival, April 4, 5 & 6.
|
Email this page
Print this page
del.icio.us
digg
