And the Caldecott Winners Are...

Cover of The House in the Night
Illustrations by Beth Krommes
2009 Caldecott Medal Winner

HUGE congratulations to children's book illustrator Beth Krommes for receiving the 2009 Caldecott Medal for The House in the Night!! Beth, we are so very excited for you, and so very proud of you! We always knew this was a special book, with it's beautiful and sophisticated black, white, and golden scratchboard images!

Dark in the Song
From The House in the Night
Illustrations by Beth Krommes

Check out one of Beth's award-winning illustrations above, and see more of her beautiful scratchboard and wood engravings on our website.

Cover of A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
Illustrations by Melissa Sweet
2009 Caldecott Honor Book

Another HUGE congratulations goes to Melissa Sweet, who's illustrations for A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams have earned her a Caldecott Honor Book Award!! Melissa, your illustrations for this book are inspired and gorgeous - keep up the great work!

You can also check out more of Melissa's fun and whimsical work on our website.

The Caldecott Medal is the most prestigious award for an illustrator. One is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children for the most distinguished American picture book published that year. Both talented recipients were participants in Chemers Gallery's 17th Annual Children's Book Illustrators' Show & Signing in 2008.

Other names of note include:

Holly Meade, one of our 2008 Children's Book Illustrators, won a Caldecott Honor in 1997 for her book Hush! A Thai Lullaby.

Mordicai Gerstein, one of our 2007 Children's Book Illustrators, won a Caldecott Medal in 2004 for The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.

CLICK HERE to check out our other fabulous illustrators!

To get on our list for an invite to next year's Children's Book Illustrators' Show & Signing, be sure to sign up for emails by clicking the button below - you can change your preferences at any time!

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Natural Impressions and Progressions of Time

From left to right:
Natural Impressions 310, 308, 307 & 311
Mixed Media on Canvas

Max Rodriguez, we love you! You always come through for us with your gorgeous, textural Natural Impressions. And we haven't forgotten you, Patrick! What a fantastic team!

These beauties look fantastic hanging in a series together or on their own. Available in muted, earthy colors, you can mix and match however you want to create a statement that fits your taste and style. Max and Patrick will also do commissioned pieces, whether they are large-scale or small. They're so easy to work with, and there's very little wait time for your special artwork - they get right to it!

Natural Impressions 312
Mixed Media on Canvas

Max finds inspiration within the natural world and its organic elements, such as dragonflies, seed pods, and leaves. He is intrigued by the effects time has on our surroundings, and the way nature deconstructs itself. Max combines techniques of aged plaster, crackled paint, water damage and oxidized metals, which allows him to reference time and age. "Ultimately, what I hope to achieve is a representation of an artifact, a place or a relic once lost in time but then discovered showing its aged beauty."

From left to right:
Natural Impressions 305, 306, 309, 186 & 187
Mixed Media on Canvas

We love the wonderful textures and asymmetrical compositions of Max's Natural Impressions series. Color and subject are perfectly paired, giving each small work a quiet beauty of its own, and leaving you with a sense of stillness.

These little treasures seem to walk right off the walls, but don't worry, there's always more coming!

Read More:
New Works by Max Rodriguez
NEW ART by Max Rodriguez

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Robin Reichelt Plays With Clay

Ceramic artist Robin Reichelt always intended to earn her doctorate at Penn State, specializing in medieval art and architecture. Along the way, she enrolled in a ceramics course and never looked back. She is now happily obsessed with clay and with creating forms that are both fun and functional, like the brand new sushi bowls and trays she just brought to Chemers Gallery. Not only usable, these bowls and trays make beautiful art pieces, with nuances of color and pattern. Made from high fire porcelain, these pieces are utterly tactile, a joy to handle.

Blue and Gold Floral Sushi Bowl
High Fire Porcelain

Robin explains her attraction to clay as "the physicality and immediacy, the inherent contradiction of working with clay in its different forms. Wet clay is extremely impressionable, malleable. It will assume almost any shape and can reveal your desires. Only during the firing process does clay develop a will of its own, a will to which all clay artists must bow. The heat of the kiln takes our passion, our ideas, our vision, and reshapes it all. Sometimes the result raises us to a new level of creativity, and other times it's a catapult into the abyss. I am in awe of this process whether the end result is a humble piece of tableware or a reference to man's first building material. Both are civilizing. Each time I come back to the studio I experience a sense of wonder and renewal. Each piece of clay is a new beginning. Each firing is a tempering. Each trip through this cycle brings contentment - at least, for me."

Celadon Swirl Sushi Tray
High Fire Porcelain

Hurry into Chemers Gallery to see more of Robin's playful ceramic pieces!

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Infinite Landscapes by Irena Kononova

The Afterglow
Irena Kononova
oil, sand, marble dust on canvas

Award-winning Russian-born artist Irena Kononova has recently given Chemers Gallery nine new works. They traveled over mountains and through the snow to get to us, and they now grace our walls with a dignified serenity. Ranging in size from very large (68" x 48") to very small (10" x 8"), Irena's new paintings are beautiful interrpretations of the landscape as reflected by the sea and sky, perhaps through foggy windowpanes. The Afterglow shows a distant shoreline, sparingly dotted with warm lights, making you think of the sea after a storm has come through. Her use of light and color draws you into her painting until you become a part of it.

Waterways # 2
Irena Kononova
oil, sand, marble dust on canvas

Irena paints using a variety of materials on her large and small scale canvases and boards, which gives each work a richness of texture that changes from every angle. Her images are somewhat abstracted, which leaves them open to interpretation and lets you see what you want to see. These paintings are evokative of autumn days, snowy tundras, and distant seas leading into infinity. Waterways #2 resembles a stand of trees in a blazing glory of gold, reflected in a silent pool of water. The light present at the top of the painting gives a wonderful twist, making you question which is the true reflection.

Irena's small works are striking when used in a series or grace any small space with their charm.

After growing up and attending art school in St. Petersburg, Russia, Irena immigrated to the United States and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has won numerous awards and scholarships, and has exhibited her work nationwide, as well as internationally.

You can see more of Irena's beautiful paintings on our website, or come into the gallery to see them in person!

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Looking back at 2008

What a year 2008 has been, full of landmark anniversaries and new additions, special events and celebrations despite the economic turmoils of the times. Most notably, Chemers Gallery has kicked off our 30th Anniversary celebrations over the summer with our email partners. Exclusive to our email partners are events and special deals on artworks. One memorable event was a screening of "GREASE," the number one movie from 30 years ago, complete with pizza, beer, hot popcorn and candy. We can't wait to plan the next one! All of this is leading up to the big anniversary bash, set for spring 2009.

Cedar Way, North Laguna
Mary Aslin

We have welcomed so many new artists and artisans to Chemers Gallery, it's hard to keep track! Longtime client Pete Roberts now shows his beautiful watercolors with Chemers, and has introduced us to the work of Joseph Stoddard, another fabulous watercolorist. Early in 2008, award winning pastel artist Mary Aslin joined our artist family. A particular honor was to be chosen by Jacqueline Kamin to represent her traditional still lives after the closure of her own gallery, J Kamin Fine Art. Through our show for the Tustin Art League we discovered John Sawyer's beautiful California landscapes. From the east coast we have Scott Amrhein's dramatic glassware, and from San Francisco, Maria Mayr's playful still lives and landscapes. We have more jewelry now than ever, with great chunky necklaces by Jackie Jones, kinetic rings by Ithil Metal Works, delicate earrings and necklaces by Betty's Beads, and semi-precious stone concoctions by Amy Kekst.

Bush Lupine Study, Santa Barbary Country
Dave Chapple

We've also welcomed newer work from longtime favorites. Carol Jessen has sent us a beautifully rendered figure bathed in morning light, called "Mekong Light," along with her moody cityscapes. Leslie Lowinger sent us some wonderfully playful new "Walking Stick" etchings. If you look closely, you might see a witch on her broomstick in a few of the squares! Bonnie Holmes has been delighting us with her calm, soothing sea and riverscapes in a wonderful sherbert of colors. Jim Wodark has also kept busy throughout the year, producing gorgeous California landscapes in his characteristic style. Dave Chapple has recently introduced a new series of "Field Studies" in response to the economy. All are small works that are losely painted, affordable at under $1000. We've also continued to update our jewelry with Ayala Bar's new lines throughout the year.

Spray of Pink
Jacqueline Kamin

Chemers Gallery has hosted several special exhibitions thoughout 2008, from April's "Scenes of Tustin" exhibition in association with TACFA, to the Santa Ana College Invitational Show of Faculty and Student Work, from an intimate "Meet the Artists" evening with Bonnie Holmes and Mary Aslin, to an introduction of Jacqueline Kamin's elegant still lives and her daughter Stacy Kamin's vibrant figurative works. And of course, who could forget our 17th Annual Children's Book Illustrators' Show & Signing?

Now more than ever there is a need to support the arts, because the arts provide so much enrichment in our lives. The effects of the economy have been felt everywhere, including major art museums, some of whom are postponing special exhibitions until better times.

A sample of our economy line of frames

There is also a need to support your local small businesses during these difficult economic times. Chemers Gallery is more than happy to listen to your budget needs and work with you to make sure you and your wallet are happy. We have many items that are under $100, ranging from Soap Rocks to jewelry, ceramics and glassware to small artworks. For those larger items, we offer layaway options with no interest. For your framing needs, we have several economy lines of frames, so your frames will look like a million bucks without costing a million bucks.

Any requests or suggestions for events? Drop us a line or give us a call. We are always looking for innovative ideas!

Thank you to our loyal clients, wonderful artists and artisans, and all who have helped to make 2008 a momentous year!

Have a safe and healthy New Year!

Top Picks for the Holiday Season for $100 and Under!!

It's the holiday season again, and you know what that means! Why not avoid the malls this year and support your local artisans and businesses? Many are surprised to discover that Chemers Gallery carries so many gift items in addition to fine art and custom framing. Many more are surprised to discover that you can find special art objects for very reasonable prices. Here are my top gift picks for that special someone, and believe it or not, each and every one of them are under $100:


Ceramic Art
Local artists Karen Thayer, Richard Barrier and Connie Major have such an intriguing sense of texture and form. These little beauties range in size, color and price. You may have seen Richard and Connie at our recent Santa Ana College Ceramic show. We have more work by each of these talented artists in a similar range of prices - we think you'll be pleasantly surprised!






Original Paper Mache by Mary Zarbano
Mary has had a long and wonderful career in the arts. Her richly colored, dream-like paintings are gorgeous and sometimes mystical. If you or someone you know is a fan of her work, this small figurine, called Seated Bird Lady, would make the perfect gift.






Accessorize, Accessorize
With the colder weather coming, why not snuggle into a softly woven scarf by Georg Palmer? Or add a punch of Euro-style with scarves from Italy? The holidays are the perfect time to show off your inner art lover with deliciously supple leather goods from ICON, which come in a wide range of styles and images. We're happy to place special orders as well!





Original Artwork by Andie Haynes
This monotype in wine by Andie Haynes would be such a special little gift for any art connoisseur. Andie's pieces are simply one-of-a-kind. She hand stitches over each printed image with threads and knots, creating new depths and dimensions. She has created complementary monotypes in a variety of colors, and they are just crying out for a lovely little frame!




Funky Glassware
Give the gift of a conversation starter with these fun glass tumblers by Kent Kahlen and Paul Counts! Each tumbler is hand blown, no two alike. Not only fun, but functional as well, mix and match for a truly unique table setting.







Bonnie Holmes Skincare
Why not treat someone to luxurious, spa-quality skincare? With a range of facial cleansers, moisturizers and balms, Bonnie Holmes has created a natural line of skin products that utilize the purest plant-derived ingredients. My favorite is the Satin Body and Bath Oil; use just a little after a shower, and your skin will be smooth and silky all day.











Photo Frames
Who doesn't have a slew of photographs floating around just waiting for the perfect frame? We have a range of photo frames in different sizes and styles to suit any occasion or need. Any of these beautiful frames would complete a table-top display or make a wonderful hostess gift.






Glass Hearts by Robert Held
Beautifully crafted hand-blown glass hearts by Canadian artist Robert Held would make the perfect stocking-stuffer! Easy to personalize by choosing the recipient's favorite color, these glass hearts are sure to be a big hit year-round.





Children's Books signed by the Illustrator
Signed children's books are precious gifts for all ages. Come in for recommendations, suggestions, or just a good old-fashioned read! Books are available from this year's Children's Book Illustrators' Show & Signing, as well as selected books from previous years. We also have unsigned books available for 30% off!

Jewels, Jewels, and More Jewels!
We have jewelry, loads of jewelry! Beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets, all to jazz up your holiday outfits or your every day clothes. Check out Ayala Bar's earrings - teeny tiny wearable mosaics - or Anne Koplik's vintage-inspired accessories. While you're at it, dig through our dish of funky Tokyo Bay and Sonja Paz watches. Telling time has never been so stylish!

Award-Winning Illustrators at Chemers Gallery: See the OC Register Article Here!

Elisa Kleven, Melissa Sweet, Holly Meade, Zachary Pullen, and Beth Krommes

THANK YOU Elysse James, for your great article about the award-winning participants in our 17th Annual Children's Book Illustration Show & Signing for the Tustin News!

Check it out on the OC Register website!

Who is who?

Don't forget, we still have signed books available from this year's show! The original art will be on display through December 20th, so hurry in before this wonderful event is over for another year!