Artists bring sculptures, gourd art to Silicon Valley Open Studios
When creating his intricate, bronze sculptures, Saratoga-based artist Lance Glasser says he looks to capture motions and gestures.
“Bronze is just a hunk of metal, and it doesn't move. To get that motion feeling into it is a real challenge, and I love it,” Glasser says.
The challenge isn't just in the bronze. To create the final product, he first sculpts a piece of clay and uses it to create a series of molds: first rubber, then wax, then ceramic. Then, he fills the mold with molten bronze and breaks off the ceramic mold to reveal the finished work.
Glasser is one of many artists from the Bay Area participating in Silicon Valley Open Studios (SVOS) over the first three weekends of May. Each weekend focuses on a different region of the Bay Area. Each weekend focuses on a different region of the Bay Area. Artists in Saratoga, Los Gatos and other West Valley cities will open their work spaces to visitors on May 21-22.
Over the course of the event, hundreds of painters, sculptors, glass-blowers, jewelry makers and other artists will open their workspaces to the community, offering live demonstrations and the chance to view and purchase artwork.
“For 36 years, SVOS has given people the opportunity to peek inside the artistic world and learn more about local artists and their work,” says Stephen Toll, president of Silicon Valley Visual Arts, which hosts SVOS. “We have been heartened by the continuing support we have received over these past few years and look forward to connecting with art lovers in person again this year.”
Los Gatos-based gourd artist Lisa Baurmeister is displaying her decorative, sculptural gourd creations at SVOS. Baurmeister says she fell in love with gourd art after seeing other artists' work online.
“I realized right off the top that this is more than birdhouses,” Baurmeister says. “You can seriously take this into a fine arts sector, and that was my goal from the start.”
This is the first time that her work will be featured in the Silicon Valley Open Studios, and she plans to hand out gourd seeds and informational pamphlets to educate guests.
Husband and wife Dan and Veronica Gross will open their Los Gatos home to show off each of their works.
Dan is a photographer who focuses on landscapes and “interesting geometry,” and Veronica is a retired high school art teacher who paints plein air watercolors and makes monotype prints. The pair has shown their art at SVOS in previous years.
“I really enjoy seeing the people appreciate my work, even if they don't buy it. I appreciate them enjoying it. That gives me a good lift,” Veronica says.
Sculptor Rick Wilmer of Saratoga says he loves to create metal sculptures of animals. His 300-pound sculpture of a shark — made from thousands of nails he purchased from Orchard Supply Hardware — took him 500 hours to complete.
His father was a talented woodworker who taught him the craft. But Wilmer says he found the process too slow.
“When I started working with metal, it was the perfect pace—not too slow, not too fast—and unlike wood, it's very reworkable,” Wilmer says. “If I don't like the way it looks I can cut it off, try it again with a different shape or form. It just suits my personal style in terms of what I like to work with.”
SVOS also has an online exhibit and store where visitors can view and buy works by many artists.
Their website also has the complete list of locations, artists and contact information.
SVOS is one of the oldest, largest art events in the Bay Area, dating back more than 35 years. The event aims to support new and emerging artists and provides education for new artists on how to reach out and connect with the art-loving community.
For more information, visit svos.org or siliconvalleyvisualarts.org.