By Tina Lynch
Blue 7 Gallery in Santa Monica is celebrating the “Ordinary into Extraordinary” with a group show featuring various media opening March 18.
Ray Ford is a local wood sculptor and one of the artists to be featured in the show. He just happens to be 90 years old and continues to create one-of-a-kind works of art. Ford enjoys finding new ways to produce his sculptures. He recently learned the Lichtenberg technique which uses electricity. Perhaps this is what keeps him so young at heart.
Artworks are like children to many artists and most cannot pick a favorite. However, Ford has certain revered ones. “The one with leaves is my overall favorite, but I fall in love with each one I make,” said Ford. The leaf bowl was one of his most detailed works. “First it was just a bowl. The inspiration for the decoration was my love of nature and in this case leaves.” When asked how long it took to make, he replied, “An artist never keeps track of time or takes measurements. Gallery owner Randy Ball said he was happy to include his sculptures in the exhibition, commenting “Ray Ford’s boot is amazing.”
Lisa Wald was one of the first members of the Blue 7 Gallery collective. “I took my first art class about ten years ago, and have been painting ever since.” Wald will be showing four of her artworks in the group show. One work features a goat, another some pigeons and two other works offer cows as the subject. She explained that she was inspired to paint the animals after visiting an animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita called The Gentle Barn.
Artist Bruce Sanders said he is inspired by the great work of the early 20th Century Expressionists who believed that a painting should reflect the painter’s inner feelings rather than the external environment. He strives to do just that. As an author of several art books, he explained his first book titled “Introspection” featured paintings that were inspired by his own attempt to look inward. “I try to use color, texture, line, and form as vehicles for the expression of my feelings and emotions.”
“I think Blue 7 Gallery is a hidden gem, said Vicki Fisher-Lerer, who will be exhibiting works in the show. “Randy and Lucius (owner and director) are nice, supportive and generous and care about their artists,” She has been a part of the Blue 7 Gallery collective since 2016 and will be showing her encaustic paintings. A few years ago the artist started researching encaustic which is similar to oil painting. It is now her main medium. “Last year I started working in encaustics and fell in love. I like the medium because it is so versatile: you can paint with it, collage with it, sculpt with it.”
“Ordinary into Extraordinary” opens at Blue 7 Gallery on Sunday March 18 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Blue 7 Gallery, 3129 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 and runs until April 21. For more information, visit blue7gallery.com.
16” x 20” Oil on Canvas Panel.
Photos courtesy of the artists.
