Culver and Meredith featured at Porterville Art Association
PAA Autumn Night’s Gala set for October 16
Andrea Culver is now the featured artist at the Porterville Art Association and will be PAA’S featured artist through November 12.
Culver’s work is sparked by a sense of design, shape, color and light, finding inspiration in nature, ordinary objects and travel. Taking photographs is usually the beginning of her process, with some photos turning into paintings.
“The creative spirit comes in waves for me and it is most often triggered by light,” Culver said. “I find inspiration in nature, ordinary objects and travel. Pastel (color pigment in chalk form) has been my favorite medium until recently. Acrylic paint and a desire to experiment with abstraction has become my new challenge.
I enjoy studying works by other artists and find inspiration and techniques that I can use to improve my paintings. Matisse, Van Gogh, Cezanne, and Picasso are some of my favorites, as well as old masters drawings. New expressions that are all around us in graffiti and advertisements intrigue me as
well.
The enjoyment of art started in childhood for me. Learning to draw, going to museums, painting and creating were my favorite pastimes. Over the years, I have taken art classes and studied basic principles of art in college. Art is my passion and teaching was my career.”
Culver spent 30-plus years teaching elementary
school in the Burton School District. “One of my greatest joys in life was having the privilege of passing on my love for art to my students,” Culver said. “We drew almost every day and creativity was always inspired and invited in my classroom.
Students felt success and developed lifelong skills that cross over into many aspects of life. Art speaks to everyone in some way and it allows our individuality to shine and be noticed.”
Culver said retirement has allowed her more time to paint and to “live my passion!” She’s a long time PAA member.
Her masterpieces are currently on display at the art gallery located at 151 North Main Street, Porterville, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. There’s free parking on Main at the rear of the building.
Autumn Night
PAA will hold its annual Autumn Night’s Gala from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, October 16. Cost is $40. For more information call Che Hinojosa, 559-5447325 or Jeanette Brewer, 559-310-9961 or visit the gallery to purch tickets.
The art association’s annual fundraiser Autumn Night’s” Gala includes a complete dinner catered by Kabob Land; variety of desserts; beverages; theme basket drawing; silent auction; wine tasting; art demonstrations by members; cake auction; playlist music, and a miniature painting art show.
PAA’S mission is to promote visual arts in the Porterville area through workshops, educational programs, art exhibits, financial assistance to art students and other appropriate activities. PAA features the work of many professional and avocational local artists and is dedicated to presenting only the finest work for sale by the artists living in the Central Valley.
The gallery’s displays cover a wide variety of styles and media. The gallery make also features a gift boutique. All items are handmade by PAA artist and all books are written by local authors.
The PAA Gift Shop is filled with unique gifts. There’s also the Seasonal Tree where one can purchase more items created by a PAA artist.
In addition PAA has a Facebook page with information on when free art demonstrations are happening, art classes, and many other wonderful experiences.
General meetings are held on the fourth Saturday of the month. These meetings are free demonstrations open to the public.
The next general meeting is on Saturday September 25 from 10a.m. to noon and the special host will be popular mystery novel writer named Marilyn Meredith. Meredith is the author of 40 published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series.
Under the name F. M. Meredith, she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. She’s a member of two chapters of Sisters in Crime and on the board for Public Safety Writers Association.
“I plan on speaking about the importance of setting in fiction, and of course will answer any questions about my books and writing in general,” Meredith said. Marilyn
She’s taught writing in many venues and appeared on numerous panels at mystery cons. Her home is in Springville, a place much like the fictional Bear Creek of many of the Tempe Crabtree mysteries. For many years, she lived in a beach community similar to Rocky Bluff of the RBPD series.
When not writing, Meredith enjoys spending time with her husband and large family.
“My education was not geared toward writing though I loved all my English classes,” she said. Meredith graduated from Ventura College with an AA in Early Childhood Education
She spent many years teaching in various preschools, one for children with developmental disabilities, and day care centers. She and her husband owned and lived in a licensed residential facility for six women with developmental disabilities for more than 20 years.
During that time she taught approved Administrator Certification classes and continuing education classes, and she still writes program designs for people wanting to open residential care facilities.
For 10 years she taught writing for Writers Digest Schools and taught at a weeklong writers retreat in Hawaii for Writers Digest. Meredith and taught writing for the Porterville Parks and Leisure Deparment.
She said she’s working on her next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery and on-going promotion for the latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, THE TRASH HAREM.
In July Meredith attended the Public Safety Writers Associations Conference in Las Vegas where she gave a presentation on research for the pre-conference workshop and moderated and participated in several panels.
“PSWA is a great conference for mystery writers because the majority of the participants are either active or retired from various law-enforcement agencies including police, FBI, etc.,” Meredith said. :Because I served on the board of directors for many years, I enjoyed seeing and spending time with many good friends. We look forward to seeing you all join us at the art gallery to have fun, meet new friends, and enjoy your visit.”