2021 Artistic Works on Exhibition
Lisa Louis
I learned to crochet from my grandmother who was a great creator of Afghans. I didn’t stick with it though. When I was younger, concentrating on anything long enough to complete it was a huge challenge. Maybe about 15 years ago I tried to pick it up again and to teach myself to knit but it just didn’t click. Then 6 years ago, I don’t even remember why, I decided to resurrect these skills and see what would happen. It’s been a theme in my life that I return to things that I set aside and try to rediscover them. Sometimes with surprising results. In the case of crocheting and knitting it was a revelation. I have never looked back. Yarn crafts have become a huge solace for me. Crocheting and knitting both force me to be in the moment. To concentrate on what is immediately before me, rather than being distracted by the noise of life. Pursuing these crafts is also good exercise for my brain. I learned something new with every project, every new yarn I work with, and thank heavens for YouTube. Having freely available video demonstrations is fantastic and has really helped me learn and grow as a crafter. Knitting is now what I spend most of my time doing, but the piece I submitted for this show is a work of crochet. If you aren’t sure what the difference is, it’s largely the tools you use. For knitting you use two needles, for crochet you use a hook. The pattern and color selection for this piece are by Johanna Lindahl who has created many highly detailed and visually satisfying crochet projects. I find her designs really intriguing and rich and creating the shawl was both challenging and fun at the same time. Thank you.
This item is not for sale.
David Fuentes
I have always had limited mobility in the bones, muscles, and tendons on the right side of my body. Consequently, I am naturally left-handed. I never once questioned that feeling. It just was. And that was my strength…until now.
Through this journey, I wanted to understand the capabilities of what I thought were my limitations. I wanted to use what I perceived as weakness, my right hand, to create part of the work. I expected to find some new perspectives, new lines, new angles.
What I found, instead, was balance.
My right hand created lines and shapes that were spontaneous and unplanned, disjointed and erratic.
The finished works are not crisp and clean. Lines and shapes are not straight, and that’s all right with me -- now. Prior to this experience, everything I had ever created had to be clean, polished, perfect. An over compensation for the part of me I thought was lacking. But now that it's not, I feel strangely complete. The unity of both sides of my body made the pieces dance in harmony in a way I never intended or expected.
I have always defined my life through my Cerebral Palsy, and that is simply not true. My work has always reflected the individual that I am on the surface -- the physical nature of my existence, but now I can say I am much more than my limitations.
My art is a constantly evolving introspective journey with myself and the relationships I develop with others along the way. Dealing with these situations makes me understand myself more as an individual.
My work has allowed me to speak through my hands and heart so that you, too, can share my vulnerabilities, struggles, and achievements as a fellow human being.
These items are for sale:
Self: $500.00
Blue and Yellow: $500.00
Jeff Janko
A local professional photographer with a passion for photography. His interest in photography began at an early age and he later became the high school yearbook photographer for Roy Miller High School. He continued on to work as a University photographer at the University of Corpus Christi and majored in photography at Sam Houston State University. Jeff received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Corpus Christi State University and later his Master of Arts degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Jeffrey has been a photography teacher in both film and digital for the past twenty years first at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and later for Del Mar College. He also enjoyed teaching photography for eight years to high school students attending Texas A&M’s summer camp program. For fifteen years he worked as a Digital Imaging Specialist for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He retired from the University in 2017 but continues to teach photography for Del Mar College. Jeffrey currently lives with his wife, Irma, and their cat, Baby Girl. He can be contacted at jeffjanko54@gmail.com
During the past year Jeff’s interests have taken a new direction. He has begun to combine and manipulate photographs to create photographs that tell a story and challenge the viewer. The two photographs on display are from his latest work. It is his hope that his work will challenge the viewer and provoke thought and conversation.
These items are for sale:
The Final Image: $300.00
Under Construction: $300.00
Amanda Kowalski
As a child my father taught me how to take photographs. He was not a professional, but he had a passion for capturing images. Growing up in Texas most men would fish or hunt as a hobby. My father loved to shoot deer but not with a gun. This gave me a different upbringing than most of my friends. I have taken pictures almost all of my life. I have taken formal photography classes, I have worked as a professional photographer, and I hosted a few art shows that have showcased my work. These are just parts of the journey; I rarely go anywhere without my camera. I have downgraded from huge fancy very expensive cameras to the basic mass-produced Canon Rebel DSLR. It is not about perfection to me, but like my father it is about capturing something magical. He chose deer, I do not have a specific focus. I take pictures of anything and everything. I have not only continued my father’s passion, but I also began teaching my son how to take pictures when he was only two years old. He got his first DSLR at seven. He is now eighteen and has begun taking his hobby more serious.
Spring Flower- During quarantine we began taking road trips to alleviate the cabin fever we were experiencing. This photo was captured at a rest stop on the side of the road as we decided where we would travel to. The light caught the little purple flowers so beautifully. I do not think I took any other photos that trip but this one captured a moment of freedom as we sought adventure while avoiding people.
Chicken Little- This spunky chicken was in the yard of a home in College Station. I was dropping my son off for a two week try out for a hockey team and this guy kept circling our feet. I had to grab my camera because his attitude and attention seeking behavior needed to be captured. Chickens are often overlooked as something beautiful. But he was so full of life and the sun caught his feathers. I love this photo and I hope you do to.
These items are for sale:
Spring Flower: $50.00
Chicken Little: $50.00
Christopher Frazier
Between the Lines- This is a shot of a green king fisher that I took in Hazel Bazemore Park. If you’ve ever been around a pond, or a stream, or a river or whatever, in south Texas you’ve probably heard or seen or been dived on by one of these guys or girls. They’re really adamant about knowing that you’re in an area that they don’t want you to be, and it should be like their fishing area or their territory. They’re very vocal, but at the same time they aren’t too keen of being close enough for you to get any good photos, which is obviously what I’m trying to do. So, in order to get them kind of used to your presence you have to basically build a relationship with them by visiting the same spot several times over a pretty long period of time; like this shot I visited the same pond for two or three weeks and every time the birds are more comfortable getting closer and closer until finally, I was able to get this shot. And this particular day the bird was pretty close to me, but it also was a little camera shy, and it was on the opposite side of a couple of palm fronds and luckily there was just enough of a breeze for a minute or two where the palm fronds are blowing back, and I was able to just rattle off a bunch of shots and pray that some of them turned out. And luckily, I did. I got this shot and a couple of others that ended up being some of my favorite shots I’ve ever taken of these green king fishers.
Winter at Home, Summer in Texas- When my wife and I moved from Michigan to Corpus at the end of 2019, we effectively left all of our friends and family behind. We were ready to make new friends down here but we didn’t really account for a global pandemic, basically shutting us by ourselves in a brand new city for a year now. So basically the only interactions we’ve had for the last year have been with our friends and family back home on the phone or on zoom calls like everybody else has had to deal with. As anyone else can probably attest, the conversation usually leads to talking about the weather. As you could guess, the weather in Michigan is a little bit different than Corpus Christi. When I took this shot it was 80 degrees outside and it was late December. That’s just so erratically different from what we’ve been used to in Michigan, where we used to overcast days for months and subzero temperatures almost every day. So, when we do talk to our friends and family, just little things like the difference in weather really make that distance between us feel tangible and kind of make us a little more homesick than we would otherwise. But one of the things that’s really helped me at least with dealing with all of this has been really diving into nature photography. Corpus Christi is a fantastic place to do nature photography and so being able to capture shots like this is a huge plus. I really like in this shot the juxtaposition of the cold grays and the warm yellows and ambers. The grays make it feel colder and it looks colder based on the crunchy looking leaves, than it actually was which would be basically what I would be used to back home.
These items are for sale:
Between the Lines: $100.00
Winter at Home, Summer in Texas: $100.00
Lisa Comparini
Old English stories partly derive from Celtic and German legends portray dogs with black coats as ominous and threatening with glowing red eyes. Think the hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story involving black dogs that presumably terrorize the Baskervilles, though Sherlock Holmes found the dogs were innocent; or the black rottweilers in the Omen. My family adopted a lovely little black puppy who we call Chemma about a year ago. He and his litter mates had been dumped sick and alone to defend for themselves. Since then, I learned that in our community black dogs are disproportionately taken into shelters and are more often overlooked for adoption in favor of more lighter and brighter fur colors. They’re the proverbial black sheep of pet adoption. This is called black dog syndrome, a designation established by the SPCA in the early 2000s. One possible reason for this is that people have been found to fear large black dogs more than they fear large dogs of any other color. They are, of course, no more likely to be aggressive than dogs of other colors. Another plausible reason for black dog syndrome reported by shelters and rescue groups is that black fur dogs may not photograph as well in dimly lit places making them harder to market. In these photographs I’ve submitted I celebrate the beauty and gentleness of our one-year-old black puppy Chemma. We adore him, his black fur is so soft, and we think it is beautiful.
These items are for sale:
Kind Eyes: SOLD
Beautiful in the Light: SOLD
Elizabeth Valdez
The man, the myth, the mittens
He’s the meme that keeps on meme-ing, without even trying! During the 2021 presidential inauguration, Senator Bernie Sanders once again dominated media attention with his serious demeanor and adorable mittens. Through the unequivocal magic of social media, Bernie mitten memes flooded timelines and feeds all over the world.
Crotchet artist, Tobey King, was the first to capture this memorable meme in the form of a doll, which also gained beloved attention from Bernie fans far and wide. King was able to bid her piece on eBay for over $20,000, opting to donate 100% of the proceeds to Meals on Wheels. eBay decided to match the bid, calculating to over a whopping $40,000 donation to the charity.
Artist, Lizzy Valdez, has been crocheting for about 8 years. She enjoys utilizing different patterns in the amigurumi crotchet style. Her creations range from animated characters, pop culture icons, and adorable animals. Valdez has also been fond of Sanders and his work over the years, which made her decision to replicate King’s original piece a no-brainer. Valdez’s creations have gained tremendous attention on her social media pages from her friends and family. Though she does not currently sell her art work online, she has been open to commissioning pieces for special occasions. When Valdez is not crocheting, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3-year-old son. She also enjoys playing video games and socializing with her friends online.
You can find more of Valdez’s art work on her Instagram page:@itsknotknittingwithliz
Lapras
You come home from school, throw your bag on the floor, sit on the couch and turn on the tv, and what do you hear? "I want to be, the very best, like no one ever was."
Just then, a blue Pokémon pops onto the screen, and who's that Pokémon!? LAPRAS! Now, in crochet form, is the blue monster that captivated our hearts ages ago.
Lapras is my biggest creation to date, weighing roughly at about 2lbs and over 12 inches in height.
You can find more of Valdez’s art work on her Instagram page:@itsknotknittingwithliz
These items are for sale:
The Man, The Myth, The Mittens: $150.00
Lapras: Not for Sale
Jessica Mader
Hope
A small town, gem really, tucked at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in North Wyoming. The Big Horn Mountains, located in Sheridan, Wyoming, is one of the best kept secrets God gave this country. This is where I went to high school. I discovered this hill then and it became a place of peace for me. My own sanctuary. I could peer on the slow-moving town below as the lights begin to glow and watch the sun kiss the mountains in the horizon bidding a goodnight but promising for a new unwritten adventure tomorrow.
This was taken with a Sony 5LT A77V, 1/200, f/13
Sheridan WYO Rodeo
Every year folks from all around look forward to the famous Sheridan WYO Rodeo for the carnival rides, funnel cakes, barrel racing, and bull riding, as well as stage bands, street dancing, bed races, and parades. The community arranges to put on this weeklong event years in advance. Local families volunteer and participate in these functions and the children and families in the photo are no different. Steeped in tradition, the local Crow Tribe demonstrate their native regalia as they ride on the back of a flat bed truck on this hot sunny July morning, nearing the end of the parade route.
This was taken with a Sony SLT A77V, 1/250; f/5.6; ISO 125
These items are for sale:
Hope: $65.00
Sheridan WYO: $65.00
Leticia Bajuyo
Hypergrass Triptych is part of an ongoing series titled Growing Plastic Grass which explores the social ideas behind the expanse just beyond suburbia, where the American Dream intersects with reality. In these artworks, I consider the desire for domestic security as a foundational reference point for my investigations of traditional house forms and yard-scapes to include questions of home ownership and land use.
These artificial turf collages were visually inspired by patterns of freshly mowed grass, crops growing in a field, and ripples after throwing pebbles into a still pond. These spirals of varying dimensions allude to gears in a machine that seem to happily churn out an artificial version of nature – a version that is contained and controlled within its fence.
This item is not for sale.
Theresa Garcia-Ruiz
This piece was inspired by the Kemp’s Ridley Sea turtle. I love the way these special turtles return to Corpus Christi every year to lay their eggs at the national seashore. Like the seasonal migrations of birds and butterflies, it’s one more way that nature confirms we’re doing alright, at least for another year. In Turtle Migration, I hoped to capture a little of the excitement, the movement and solidarity of the turtles navigating through the open water, relying only on each other for the support and guidance they need to for a successful migration. Whether by instinct, magnetic vibration or some other unknown motivator, all the turtles are drawn to the same destination. I imagine this kind of shared journey offers one way to view our own life’s journey, traveling together, and inevitably, toward a common destination. Like the sea turtles, we have only our instincts, intellect, clues from nature, and the support and companionship we share with one another to guide and strengthen us to have faith as we navigate through our own mysterious journey.
This item is not for sale.
