It was one year ago today that the Napa Valley was engulfed (or in my case “engolfed,” since the Safeway Open Golf Tournament was occurring just across the street from the gallery) in the largest wildfire in the valley’s history.
 Ed Ian Grant |  Andrea Anderson |
There are stories that have been told by so many of my clients and friends, but most especially by seven truly resilient artists who are represented in this month’s show and sale, “From the HeART” in the Jessel Gallery. Each person has their individual experience of this deadly fire, yet as I have learned from most artists in my life, including myself, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going “ – meaning when the situation becomes difficult, the strong will work harder to meet the challenge. Sometimes, when we are in a tough situation, an inspirational quote or “proverb” can help us remain calm and focused.
Karen Lynn Ingalls
The seven artists in this show incurred varying degrees of loss, from 1,000 paintings in a storage locker in Santa Rosa, to their studio filled with art, to a second fire at the same location and the second loss of a home.
Kristi Rene
Some want to talk about it and some simply want to stay in the present and paint. One fact is true….Art is the healing force in their lives.
Kathy Tranmer
The gallery (though we survived) was only a mile away from the fire, and I slept through some of the worst damage on Westgate. It was my friend, Marsha, who called to tell me we were being evacuated. Only my friends know I lived above the gallery, but because of the tremendous winds, the old pine trees in front of the gallery, and my old wooden apartment, it could have been a disastrous situation. I was one of the lucky ones….
I wanted to create a show dedicated to these survivors. It fell in place easily and magically once I realized that it needed to be about the art that has come after this momentous disaster.
I wanted to create a show dedicated to these survivors. It fell in place easily and magically once I realized that it needed to be about the art that has come after this momentous disaster.
Patrick O'Rourke and Anne Pentland
My prayer is that we all know that from the ashes come new seeds of hope. These artists inspire all the survivors and all of us to allow creativity to heal our wounds and fill us with joy. Below are some quotes about art and its healing powers.
"Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing."
Julia Cameron
"At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity."
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
"Making art is like giving a gift: evidence of your spirit and that you are here."
Patty Mitchell
"Art is a wound turned into light."
Georges Braque
When I “art,” the world around me disappears and for that moment in time, I am floating in form, color and light; it is the purest expression of peace I know.
Jessel Miller, October 2018
"Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing."
Julia Cameron
"At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity."
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
"Making art is like giving a gift: evidence of your spirit and that you are here."
Patty Mitchell
"Art is a wound turned into light."
Georges Braque
When I “art,” the world around me disappears and for that moment in time, I am floating in form, color and light; it is the purest expression of peace I know.
Jessel Miller, October 2018
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