Blue 7 Gallery in Santa Monica celebrates a broad spectrum of artworks with a new group exhibition. “Ordinary into Extraordinary” features just that…a wide range of works. All mediums will be included in the exhibition.
Ray Ford
Ray Ford is an avid wood sculptor. He said he is excited to be part of this exhibition. The ninety-year old artist has seen a lot in the art world, but still loves being a part of it. Born the son of a poor sharecropper in the Texas Panhandle during the depression, he said he loves to create almost every day. It was a gift of a pocket knife on his fifth birthday that started him on the road to wood carving. “I like to make new and different designs,” said Ford, who produces a variety of works such as bowls, cups, or plates. He said he does not have a particular preference when it comes to creating them.
Ford describes his process…“I start by turning the wood on a lathe. Then I decorate the piece, using different combinations of techniques such as carving, bleaching, painting, or burning.” The artist consistently creates original works with no two pieces alike. One can find out more about Ray Ford and his art by visiting his website at http://hrayford.com/
“I’ve been showing my art at Blue 7 Gallery for about a year,” said Lisa Wald, who is one of the first artists to be part of the Blue 7 collective. “Two are paintings of cows, one of a goat and one will be a scene with pigeons. The pigeon piece was inspired by a message I kept on getting – “Feed the Birds” – and I knew I had to paint a piece with birds in it.
The painting “Good Morning,” was inspired by my recent visit to the Gentle Barn, a farm animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita. The animals living there are such gentle, beautiful creatures.” http://www.lisawald.net
Artist Bruce Sanders is also part of the collective. He said he is looking forward to exhibiting work in this exhibition. When asked about what artist Bruce Sanders thinks of the theme of the show, he replied, “What determines what is ordinary and what is extraordinary? Well, one can refer to the Japanese concept of Chado, the tea ceremony which turns the ordinary task of making a cup of tea into a magically simple, precise, beautiful, and perhaps spiritually satisfying task that not only makes excellent tea, but also ‘transforms’ the practitioner of Chado by bringing emotional calm, peace, and harmony with the surrounding world. Maybe the ordinary things in life like ‘sunrises, sunsets, family meals, children playing, and loving hugs’ become extraordinary when we take the time to notice them and rejoice in them.”
He went on to say that since much of his work was inspired by past and present experiences, emotions, visions, and dreams, his paintings often have a sense of ‘bridging the real world with a mystical-magical world.’ http://www.brucesanders-art.com/
The Blue 7 Collective consists of local and nationally known artists. There are paintings, photography, jewelry, sculpture, and fabric art. The theme delves into the issue of contrasting light and dark to project the ideas of the artist.
Blue 7 Gallery will host an opening reception for “Ordinary into Extraordinary” on Sunday March 18th from 2:00pm – 5:00pm. The exhibition will be on view through April 21st. Blue 7 Gallery is located at 3129 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 449-1444; http://blue7gallery.com/
