I like to say I was born with a pencil in my hand. In reality, my grandma put it there. She was a charcoal photo-realistic artist and did everything she could to turn me into an artist! Some of my first pieces of art are little circles drawn all over a piece of scratch paper and in the corner she wrote ‘ Circles by Tiffany, 14 months.

My prized possession of hers is a portrait she drew of 2-year-old me with my own characters traced around my portrait.

I have always been compelled to create but felt alone in my passions and somewhat used by my talents, but not taken seriously. If there was any creative or artistic portion of a class project I’d be fought over by my peers.

Once it was time for college, I didn’t pursue an art degree because a more local private school accepted me and ‘how am I gonna make a living learning about art?’ I try not to see it as one of the biggest wastes of time, money and deepest regrets. But that’s probably why I want to teach art so badly. Then I can be that voice that says ‘Do it! Pursue it! You were born for this!’

Once I found Rocklin Fine Arts I got involved with the Membership, Juried and Student Shows, the sketch crawls and the community events. I felt like I finally found my people and what I was meant to do! I’m also the type of person that likes saying ‘YES’. I like feeling needed.

Saying yes has opened some amazing doors for me! Once I jumped in, got involved and comfortable I started saying yes to a couple of other groups because of the different things they offer, and now I’m drowning in art opportunities, and I couldn’t be happier.

I organize the artists in the Flour Garden Bakery in Auburn. I will be at Clarks Corner both weekends with Karen Camara and Rita Kauffman for the Placer Artist Tour.

I have been attending the Sac Fine Arts Live figure class and did many vibrant paintings on canvas there that I will be bringing to the tour. In addition, I will be bringing what I learned there and offering quick 5 minute portraits for the visitors who come see us. If anyone wants to go with me on a Friday to Sac Fine Arts from 9-12, I’ll drive my van and we can carpool!

My mediums of choice are acrylics, watercolors, Procreate on iPad, and craft supplies.

With these I enjoy sewing my own clothes, crocheting, paint custom designs on canvas shoes and purses (examples can be found in the Art League of Lincoln Gift Shop), plein air paint with friends, make t-shirt designs and Cricut svg’s for crafters, sketch and watercolor people secretly in public and surprise them with their portrait, face paint for parties and community events.

This year I started painting to song lyrics and music that moves me. I’m titling my pieces with the song title so the viewer can listen to it while they get lost in my painting. It helps me explain what my inspiration for the painting is without having to say much.

enjoy all the secrets, hidden messages and Easter eggs that can be put into paintings - much more than the techniques. I gather inspiration from the photorealism of Audrey Flack to the surrealism of Frida Kahlo and the still life pieces of Paul Wonner.

I also gravitate towards abstract and Naive artists like Kandinsky, Mondrian, Paul Klee, Joan Miró, and Grandma Moses. I really enjoy children’s art and am working on becoming a more legit art teacher so I can encourage and guide them like my grandma did for me.

In addition to teaching, I dream of doing more events like Art in the Park with The Auburn Symphony and creating artwork for musicians and the people who love their music. That marriage of the two arts is just so special to me. Maybe someday I could be invited to paint live on stage while a band plays!

If you ever want to contact me for any reason - even just to chat, my email is tiffsdigitaldreams@gmail.com, phone number is 916-316-1142 and my website is tiffsdigitaldreams.carrd.co and all of my socials are listed there.

I come from a family of artists.

My grandfather did hand lettering of signs and painted murals around the city in Buffalo NY in the early to middle 20th century. My father was a US Navy photographer and when he retired he went to work for Kodak.

I’ve been a photographer all my life. My friends used to joke that they wouldn’t know me if they didn’t see a camera pressed to my face.

Then I married into an artistic family. Both my husband, Larry, and my father-in-law were draftsmen (they designed cotton gins) and artists. So being around artistic people just was part of my life.

I have no formal training in any form of art so never thought the skill and work life I had with cameras and photography could translate into drawing or painting.

One day, standing in a Michaels’s in Salt Lake City, Utah, I watched a very talented oil artist doing a demo. I realized I hadn’t actually whispered to Larry that I would LOVE to be able to do that, when she turned and said, 'You can…and I can teach you.'

Those classes started me on a journey that has been so much fun. I have tried virtually every medium and style, taken a lot of classes from many very talented artists around the US, had a ton of support and encouragement and made a lot of friends!

When people ask who inspires you, Lisa McCullough, the above oil painter, would be on the top of the list because she taught me that anyone can paint…it takes practice and effort, and more…love.

She truly got me over the hurdle of, 'Who are you kidding? I can’t do that!'

Then in California, Fred Ekman and Robert D’Vorak. Fred with his teaching style of, 'Watch while I paint, and now you go do the exact same thing.' helped me realize how to start, how to work the process and not only how to finish, but to know WHEN I was finished.

Robert is so adventurous, making his classes use unconventional techniques like sticks and strings to paint and be totally free of any preconceived notion of what your art “should” look like.

And in Florida, Sandi Levy, who is willing to try anything and always says, 'If I can do it, I can show you how to do it!'

While there have been many artists who inspire me and have helped me, these stand out as the ones who helped me take a step forward and realize a new potential.

Larry and I both love to draw or paint together and we do a lot of plein-aire.

We always have our gear with us…even if it’s only a pad and pencil or pen. Our favorite drawing session is to sit back-to-back and every 15 minutes turn 90 degrees.

At the end of an hour we sit and compare our work…what did each of us see and what did we think was important.

You can learn so much about yourself and your art when you work with and around others and are open to seeing the world through a different set of eyes!

My favorite artistic comment is to say…’It’s only a piece of paper, just have FUN!'

I am on Facebook and Instagram and have an art page on Facebook at Artwork By Jaci

I am a native of the Northern California Gold Country, having been born and raised in the little town of Colfax. I was raised by my mother, Gail, a single parent. Although, between her large family and the local residents, it never felt as if I was raised by a single parent..

I could barely go anywhere in town without someone knowing and reporting it back to my mother or even my grandparents. However, looking back on it now makes me appreciate it. Though it’s a very different town now, Colfax will always be my home.

My grandmother was extremely talented artistically. She had planned to be a fashion designer, but marriage and child rearing happened instead. I used to stare at her drawings she had framed and hung in her home, hoping my own budding talent would grow to be as good as hers. My mother is also gifted as an artist and would paint beautiful works in acrylic during her younger years. She is only just now painting again at the age of seventy-five. My own artistic talent surfaced at a very young age, drawing pictures long before I could even write a word.

Both my grandmother and mother would provide advice to help nurture the gift I had been lucky to have inherited from them. They were my mentors in art and it paid off over the years. Throughout elementary school, I was known for my artistic ability and was often called upon to design flyers and posters for school events. I still have my certificates and ribbons from the various art contests the school held over the years. However, it wasn’t until high school that I had any official training. It was then that I discovered my fondness for colored pencils and my love for pen & ink. I get lost in another world while working with pen & ink. All of the dots, dashes, cross-hatching, etc., used to create a picture takes all of my attention and any problems are soon forgotten. And if I can combine colored pencil with the pen & ink, well, I just get all giddy about it.

At the age of twenty, I married a young man who swept me off my feet on my eighteenth birthday. We had two children. First came our son, Ronald, born on Saint Patrick’s Day. Second came our daughter, Regina, born on the Fourth Of July. In 1993, our little family moved to Massachusetts, where my husband was originally from. After our eventual divorce, I became a single mom myself and continued to reside in Massachusetts for many years. While working full time, I attended night classes and received a degree in business and built a successful career.

During whatever free time I had was spent doing crafts like creating wreaths, and various things to decorate the home. I would draw with my children, but no true artwork came from those years except a pen & ink drawing of my brother-in-laws motorcycle for his birthday. In 2006 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, bringing my business career to an end. I moved back to Placer County, CA for the healthful benefits of its climate in 2010. In 2011, I reconnected with my childhood sweetheart, Monty. We eventually married and currently reside in Rocklin.

Due to my disability, I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands and decided to break out my old art supplies. I have done many different pieces since then, however, one day I simply drew a loopy line on the page and created a picture off of that line. When finished, I had a very fun and unique piece of art I titled 'Dragonfly'.

This loopy line style was applied to other pieces and then hung in various locations in my hometown of Colfax. They received a lot of positive feedback and, in 2016, 'Loopydoodles By Ms.J' was officially born. My first commissioned piece, 'Dereks Battle' now hangs inside Derek’s Haven, a rehabilitation home for people recovering from drug addiction. An enlarged copy of it hangs in the lobby of Transitions, a clinic in Sacramento that provides help to those recovering from opioid addiction. 'Dereks Battle' will forever be my most favorite and meaningful piece that I have ever done.

Through one of my husband’s customers, I found out that some local artists gathered every Wednesday at Gallery IQ, owned by Gini Crepps. I joined the little group and realized that I had found “my people”, so to speak. To gather and share with other artists felt wonderful. It was through the little Wednesday group that I found out about Rocklin Fine Arts. Now I had even more artists to gather and share with. With some coaxing from Gini and others, I wound up President. That is my favorite time spent as a member of RFA.

I was thoroughly involved and meeting all sorts of new people, along with learning from the other artists. Unfortunately, my presidency was to be short lived. My Multiple Sclerosis began rearing its ugly head, having an effect on my memory, cognitive abilities and energy. I felt that I could no longer give Rocklin Fine Arts what it deserved in a president. With a heavy heart, I resigned. Considering that I didn’t “look” sick, I know that many members didn’t understand and questioned my decision. My resignation is my least enjoyed time as a member and thus causing me to stop attending the meetings.

Besides my MS causing me issues, I've had a stroke that stole large chunks of memory from the previous ten years. I spent several weeks in a nursing facility and at home in bed. No art or creativity was happening at that time. Soon after, I broke my right tibia and both ankles. I did this by simply attempting to get out of bed one morning.

I slipped, stiffened to stop myself but heard the snap of bone. Because I couldn’t walk and Monty couldn’t be home during the day, I was back in the nursing facility. No art from me once again. With all this came depression. Eventually, I sought treatment and brought myself out of it. Part of my treatment for depression was to again bring out my art supplies (after their three year hiatus). I started out just sketching here and there. However, one day, I looked at the empty bedroom left behind by my step-son and had an idea. Make the room my studio. And, it was so. Now, most mornings, by 11:00 AM, I am in my studio creating. I’ve even rebooted Loopydoodles By Ms. J and have already completed a commissioned piece. Life feels good again.

By the way, the mediums I work in are pencil, colored pencil, pen & ink, watercolor, and acrylic. I also work in digital format occasionally and have done some digital graphics for friends. I love when I see one digital creation in particular, titled/named “Furman The Pimp” commissioned by The Elusive Furs rock band. Furman is a superfly wolf wearing a sheepskin jacket (Do you get it?? Ha ha! Wolf in sheep’s clothing? I crack myself up!), bell bottoms, platform shoes and a wide brimmed hat. He looks to have stepped right out of the 70’s and is now the band's mascot. He has been used on an album cover, t-shirts and is on the front of their drummer's big bass drum. How cool is that? Now the next medium I’d like to conquer is clay, wanting to sculpt. Wish me luck, because if I’m not learning and creating, I’m not a happy camper.

Welp, that’s it. Hope y’all have a Loopydoodle day!

My interest in photography really took off when in the Navy in 1966. My ship anchored in Hong Kong Harbor for a visit so when I went ashore, I made a beeline to the Royal Navy PX and purchased an Asahi Pentax 35mm camera, some film and a couple of lenses.

I then proceeded to take pictures of everything touristy in Hong Kong, Kowloon, the New Territories and the Communist China boarder.

It didn’t stop there. After many years and new camera systems, I am still at it. A fan of Nikon, I now use the Nikon Z9 and Z8 mirrorless cameras.

I was inspired again when I fished Northern California and saw the many opportunities for landscape and wildlife photography.

It wasn’t long before I was the official photographer for the California Inland Fisheries Foundation (CIFFI). I am a photographer of many different subjects. While my interests evolved over time, I never forgot any of them.

I am inspired by several professional wildlife and bird photographers including Moose Peterson and Simon d’Entermont.

I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop extensively in my workflow. Other that attending a few live presentations or taking on-line courses, I am entirely self-taught with the camera and the software.

I shoot entirely in RAW, so all my images need to be processed. But I am not a realist, the end-product will almost always have a touch of my artistic vision.

I earned several awards RFA art shows when I was previously a member, and I am glad to have returned to the fold.

Over 102 purchases from my web site include prints, framed prints, canvas, metal and many other types of products. In this case “over” means some items sold more than once or twice.

When “The Blood Source” first opened on Leadhill Blvd., they purchased three of my prints to decorate their walls. I have no reason to think they are not still there after a couple of business name changes.

My photo of the Capital Quarry (before it was modified) was the cover photo on Inside Rocklin 2015 edition.

Also in the publication were articles about RFA, and the Railroad Murial on the side of the building at Pacific and Rocklin Road. I was hired by the City of Rocklin for a major project that included photographing historic locations in the city.

The results are-then-and-now composites of the new photos and same scenes photographed between 50 and 100 years ago.

Many of my photographic prints are displayed permanently on the walls of the Rocklin Administrative Building entrance and in several city offices in the admin and corporate yard buildings. And my composite images decorate the trash cans at the Quarry Park in Rocklin.

One of my photos of the Milky Way galactic center, hovering between the Keck 1 and Keck 2 observatory domes (at 13,500 ft.), now hangs in the main W. M. Keck Observatory building in Waimea, Hawaii, Hawaii.

pixels.com/profiles/7-james-thompson/shop

PlacerPhotos.com

Most recently, Kari Uhlman has joined the Mills Station Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) and is preparing artwork to display there.

Her favorite medium is acrylic painting, however she recently won a Blick Portrait Oil Painting kit and has been trying oils.

She knows when a piece is finished because her husband will tell her when it is.

The hardest part of creating a piece is making time to just practice her creativity.

Her days are very structured with occasional Rocklin Fine Arts Sketch Crawls, prayer, and walks with Bayside Church Granite Bay. She balances her time with Google calendar. All routine tasks, from taking out the compost to vacuuming are entered.

When she has trouble with a painting, she will ask her husband for feedback or watches a YouTube video. She has had no formal training.

She prepares for an exhibit by first perusing the artist call and checking her Google calendar to see if she has an existing piece that can be entered or if she will have time to create a new artwork by the deadline. She also needs to look for availability to deliver the art and attend the artist reception, if any.

She promotes her work on Rocklin Fine Arts website as well as UhltrawomanArt.com.

She is from Sacramento. She has an AA Degree in General Design however, her career was in civil service. Her first experience as a professional artist was at Zest Kitchen. She displayed her first painting of a boy with a hula hoop in Kenya. It sold!

She has been interested in art since she was a child. Her neighbor was an oil painter. Her biggest artistic influence is God. He is the Creator.

We were made in His image therefore, she practices creativity as a form of worship. A trend she is interested in is water based oil paints. She has purchased them, however hasn't tried them yet.

Her life experience as an abuse survivor inspires her to paint vivid and peaceful pieces. Her most valued skill as an artist is that she is teachable. She favors feedback as a gift.

Her favorite part of being an artist is when her artwork brings joy to others. The least favorite part of being an artist is not having enough time to just endlessly paint.

She believes networking with other artists is important because it has shown her how to look at art with different approaches. Some of her colleagues are very loose painters whereas others are experts at nailing down that hyper-realism she so adores.

LINDA HOSCHLER

As a child I was involved in all sorts of crafts in 4-H, and dabbled in stained glass.

After watching glass blowing demonstrations all day long at the 1997 California State Fair, I decided collecting glass was not enough.

I tried glass blowing which led me to fused glass.

I truly believe you should be able to see through glass art.

You can find transparent glass in all of my work as I like the way light can transmit and reflect colors, light, and layers with the glass.

I hope viewers can ‘feel’ the difference between hand-made and factory mold production.

Fascinated by the interactions of color, intense heat, light, shape, texture, chemical reactions and inclusions my glass style is continually evolving.

I have enjoyed teaching children about the Science of Glass and encouraging future artists.

Introduced to the ancient craft of Kumihimo, I like to combine unique pieces of opal looking glass jewelry with Kumihimo style beaded braids.