Priscilla Applebee
Staff Writer
The Claremont Art Walk brought artists of all backgrounds to showcase their work at the monthly event.
A James McClung piece, whose art was displayed at Hotel Casa 425, was featured on the front of the art walk pamphlet beside short descriptions of the artists, the type of art being shown, and a map marking where to find the artists throughout the walk.
Meggen Olson, a fractal artist, had her work on the walls of the Claremont Forum for the first time as she participated in the Art Walk, displaying various solo works from within her 13 year career.
Her art, fractal art, is based on the calculations of curve or geometric figure that are represented as images and created using computer software.
“My brain works abstractly,” Olson said. “It works better letting my creativity go.”
Olson said that she can work with traditional media, but this type of art fits her on-the-go lifestyle.
“If I can carry my computer with me, it’s so much better,” Olson said. “I have the ability to do my art work anywhere.”
More of Olson’s fractal art and photography can be found on her blog, deviantart.com/songsforever, that she initially started for her writing.
Bunny Gunner Gallery featured contemporary abstract artist Lynn LeTourneau.
LeTourneau’s art has been exhibited in places like Argentina and Italy, and she is also a member of Women Painters West in Los Angeles.
In her piece titled “Portal,” the outline of a woman can be seen amidst a fiery red-orange color. LeTourneau said the woman has only ever been featured in one other painting.
“She is like the form of my creative muse within me,” LeTourneau said. “It’s my intuition, feminine power, and what moves through me and I get inspired by her.”
LeTourneau worked on her pieces for four months preparing for the Art Walk.
Another piece titled “Cosmic Wave” she described as an experimental piece. LeTourneau used acrylic paints, which she said can be tricky because she used water based paint and rubber spatula.
Sharon Suhovy’s evolution as an artist has been on display at the art walk since she first participated in 1995 when she was still a student at Claremont Graduate School.
Suhovy’s “Whispers of the Rose” are 3-D sculptures portraying roses that brought an array of colors to the Studio C Gallery.
After Suhovy’s mother passed and she went back to school, the rose motif was an unintentional theme that kept reappearing in her work.
“Roses are used in so many events that it takes on its own persona,” Suhovy said. “My first paint by number was a yellow rose, and the first painting I sold was a yellow rose.”
The 3-D sculptures of the roses take about one week she said, and then setting them into boxes or frames makes the entire process about two weeks long.
The Circus Studio, an aerial circus fitness studio, participated in the walk for a third year as the aerial performers put on an hour long Halloween themed show for the guests.
“This gets a lot of new people to come in,” Emma Milner, an aerial performer, said. “We enjoy aerial circus so much that we want people to enjoy it too.”
The Circus Studio starts practicing about two months before a themed performance. They will perform their Halloween aerial show on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 for those who may have missed them at the walk.
The art walk is free and held on the first Saturday of every month in the Claremont Village.
Priscilla Applebee can be reached at priscilla.applebee@laverne.edu.
