Glass art booth Nancy Pharis painting Debra Barsy fused-glass windchime Pamela Bliss handmade greeting card Doug Gold wooden train Bob Allen hand- carved wood vase

America’s finest artists and craftmakers transform Menlo Park’s delightful downtown into a spectacular visual feast for the senses during Connoisseurs’ Marketplace, Menlo Park’s popular festival of the arts, July 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Santa Cruz Avenue. Meet and chat with more than 250 talented artists on hand to show their latest handcrafted wares. Browse among well-stocked booths filled with watercolor landscapes, dazzling jewelry, functional ceramics, shimmering glass vessels, leather goods breathtaking photography, wood carvings, silk clothing, and much more at the festival, widely considered to be one of California’s top art fairs.

FINE ART

Original paintings by Jacqueline Osborn portray a nostalgic look back at the 1930s and 40s. Whether it’s a boisterous moment at a dance club, a forbidden rendezvous of two lovers, a child and his nana by the seashore, or a quiet reflection on a rainy street, each piece reflects a mood that is both historic and timeless. Painter Nancy Pharis captures the beauty of Bay Area scenes and landscapes with her dreamy oils and watercolors. “Living on the Central Coast of California gives me much inspiration for subject matter because of our diverse geography of land and sea,” says the artist. Pamela Ross brings added richness to familiar Northern California scenes through her brilliant watercolors. Images like the Golden Gate Bridge or a pair of pelicans flying across the Marin Headlands are brought to life in a new way under her brush. “Artistic license allows me to enhance the scenes, adding and changing the elements to give them a mood of tranquility, playfulness, serenity, whimsy or introspection,” says the artist. John Sumner’s collection of eclectic animal-centric artwork is sure to get a laugh from any animal lover. Sumner strives to portray the animal in the animal, or more appropriately, the person within the animal. “Humor is a major ingredient in the visual meals I cook up, because I enjoy entertaining the mind as well as the eye,” he says. “I'm always pleased when one of my critters chews on a person's funny bone.”

FUNCTIONAL ART

Add some sparkle to your home with colorful, fused-glass windchimes and lightcatchers by Debra Barsy. The artist forms each piece by fusing hand-cut glass in her kiln, creating sunsets, geometric designs, dragonflies, hummingbirds and many other beautiful designs. Each chime has its own

unique, relaxing sound that is a delight indoors or out and is guaranteed against wind damage. Hand-made greeting cards by San Jose artist Pamela Bliss are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Bliss uses her personal collection of vintage photographs, postcards and other paper odds and ends to create retro-theme collages that are fun, nostalgic and often silly. With more than 200 different designs, you’re sure to find the perfect message for everyone on your shopping list. Visit the Woodsman and you will find an array of simple, wooden toys that spark a child’s creativity. Doug Gold and his wife Bobbie have been handcrafting their toys for more than 18 years and have a wide variety of designs –– planes, trains, automobiles and much more. Each toy is created from durable wood that can withstand a toddler’s rough play, sanded smooth, and finished with completely non-toxic water-based stains in a rainbow of colors. You will also find graceful hand-carved wood pieces by Bob Allen of Morgan Hill. Allen works with redwood and buckeye burl, a type of wood with a highly irregular grain. He creates boxes, bowls and dry flower vases, each carefully carved and polished to accentuate the natural characteristics of the wood.

John Conroy T-shirts Carolina Graber jewelry Lee Risler leather sandals Tikva Derhy wood-framed mirror Art and Sarah Helzer ornament Nancy Gano winged spirit stick Ilona Hindt felted wool sculpture

WEARABLE ART

The “Opal Lady” Linda Bourassa showcases the natural beauty of opals and other semi-precious stones in her stunning collection of pendants and jewelry. Bourassa and her husband travel to Australia for their opals, often mining the stones themselves, and her pieces have an elegant simplicity. “I make every effort to harmonize the flow of the stone with the metals I used to make that piece of nature wearable by a wide variety of people,” the artist says. Fun, whimsical T-shirts and totes by John Conroy are sure to delight and inspire. Each colorful and eye-catching design is first hand-drawn, then hand-pulled through a silk screen using only high quality pre-shrunk 100 percent unbleached cotton and water based dyes and inks. Delicate necklaces, earrings and bracelets by Berkeley artist Carolina Graber reflect her love of art and nature. Graber uses semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls, coral, shells and wood to create simple designs that sparkle. Get a treat for your feet with a pair of handcrafted leather sandals by Lee Risler, who has been in the business since 1963. These quality shoes are hand fit to foot size and come in a variety of colors and styles. So comfortable, you won’t want to wear anything else.

SCULPTURE AND MIXED MEDIA

Artist Tikva Derhy was inspired to create her art by her own search for inner peace. Her unique altars, chandeliers and wall hangings are made from brightly colored hand-carved wood, mirrors, candles, beads and other found objects as well as images and symbols from many different religions, reflecting the many different aspects of the divine. Christmas ornaments have been the hallmark of Art and Sarah Helzer for more than 30 years. This husband/wife team has created hundreds of designs for all occasions and all types of people. Each piece is constructed by hand out of colorful and durable polymer clay. Add color and charm to your garden or patio with a bright metal sculpture by Juana Pena. Her beautiful collection of flowers, tropical fish, birds and insects is created out of welded copper, which is then hand-painted with metallic paint and finished with varnish to survive the elements. “My work is completely original,” says the artist, “inspired by the tropical jungles of my native South America.” Artist Nancy Gano of San Jose creates her work by assembling unrelated objects, parts and materials into sculptural collage. Each piece contains an eclectic array of materials, like furniture parts and architectural wood trim, old lamps and picture frames, antique tin cans, ethnic jewelry, driftwood and bones.

DEMONSTRATING ARTISTS

Besides showing their wares, several artists will also be demonstrating the techniques behind their work during the festival. Watch Los Altos artist Ilona Hindt craft her tiny, adorable sculptures from raw unspun wool in a process known as needle felting, Carmel painter Delia Bradford compose her Impressionistic style acrylic paintings, and Santa Cruz artist Liza Muhly embellish her distinctive gourds with a wide array of natural materials. Other demonstrating artists include jeweler Paula Chang, linoleum block printer Liz Lyons Friedman, painter Sharon Medler, and women’s textile artist Barbara Hall.

For a complete list of exhibiting artists, please visit www.mlaproductions.com.