Library Displays

The Arts Council partners with the Acton-Agua Dulce Library to display the works of local artists in their community room. Exhibits are usually in place for a month and may include original oils, and watercolors and photography or may include the works completed for contests by our youth.

January-February 2020 Exhibit by Debra Zednik

Debra Zednik
Debra is an award-winning, self-taught artist with specialties in landscape, floral, and still life. Her works, primarily in acrylic or pastel, are influenced by the Impressionists, and her inspiration originates in nature. She believes that art should evoke emotion and stimulate imagination. Having grown up in Wisconsin and New England, her work reflects memories of the seasonal landscape of those regions, and her still life work often contains treasures from landscape brought indoors. She lives and works in Agua Dulce, California. Current projects incorporate the vivid colors hidden in the California desert.

October-December Exhibit by Steve Martell and Heather March

Heather March
Heather is a 16 year resident of the Antelope Valley. She was born in Roseburg Oregon and traveled the world while accompanying her Father who was in the United States Air Force. Not only did she get to visit amazing art galleries she also had the opportunity to immerse herself into various cultures. Heather met the love of her life who was stationed in Ramstein Germany where they lived and formed a family of their own. After thirteen years they were reassigned to Edwards AFB and moved with their daughter to Rosamond California. After her husband retired from the USAF they decided to settle down permanently in the Antelope Valley where she fell in love with the small town environment within this beautiful desert community. Her work here as an artist's model has allowed her to be surrounded by talented local artists and expand her mind and capabilities.

Steve Martell
Born in Burbank, California and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Since childhood, Steve has always had an interest in art. In late 2011, he finally decided to fulfill his desire of painting. Influences include Bob Ross, Jerry Yarnell, Gary Jenkins and Ruth Mayer.
Steve moved to Canyon Country November 2011 after returning from St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands where he taught scuba diving at the Carembola Resort. December 2014 Steve moved to Aqua Dulce. Steve works in the Scuba Diving Industry as a PADI and HSA Instructor.

August-September Exhibit in the Library by Cyndi Baker and Barbara Jansen

Cyndi Baker - As a self-taught artist, Cyndi paints using bright colors and texture of mixed mediums in a process known as molting. Her abstract expressionism style is considered simple, yet complex, desiring her works to create conversation and questionablilty amongst viewers in every canvas she touches. By believing in the ying-yang theory of balance in reference to dark-vs-light and good-vs-evil, Cyndi exerts her own version of life in her paintings by conveying the emotions of coming out of a dark place and moving into the light. Cyndi is not religious by any means, but believes in a higher power of God and feels that crosses are angelic-like, giving her a hope of innocence. In this particular series, Cyndi questions herself if a human spirit ever dies or quietly enters a stage of cormancy while life continues on - what do YOU believe?

Barbara Jansen hails from Houston, Texas, and gained interest in photography early on, using a Kodak Brownie camera that arrived as a Christmas present from Santa Claus.
Later, learning that relatives created the Bachrach Photography Studios in Baltimore, MD in 1868, definitely spurred the photography bug within. Fabian Bachrach had taken the only documented photo of President Lincoln on one of his trips to Gettysburg in 1863.
"Live jazz has always appealed to me visually. The artists are passionate, animated and creative. I have tried to reflect that in these images." Some of the photos in this collection were captured at LACMA summer concerts, Jazz Bakery and Jazz at the A-Frame.

June-July Exhibit in the Library by Sal Vasquez

Sal Vasquez a native of southern California who as a young painter just out of school struck up friendships with plein air artists working in the San Gabriel Valley's “ Artists Alley “ in Alhambra.
Vasquez attended California State University at Los Angeles and also The Art Center School of Design where he met movie poster artist Reynold Brown and western artist Don “Putt” Putman. Through his association with these two artists, Vasquez became interested in painting western themes and began populating his landscapes with the icons of the west. Many of his paintings document the vanishing cattle ranchers and horsemen of the high desert where he now resides, and in particular his paintings often portray their horses.
Putting into words the sentiments of many people, Vasquez describes his favorite subject this way, “ I enjoy the challenge of painting horses, they are incredible animals-very strong, regal and intelligent.”
Contact: sal4art@sbcglobal.net
On the web: www.sal4art.com

May 2019 Exhibit in the Library by Walter Swift, Photographer

I was always fond of photography, and had been taking photojournalism for some time. However, photography truly took hold when I created my first Fine Art piece - two wrestlers in competition on a mat of a rival college, the referee awarding one point to the wrestler on top. I took the image from the bleachers, without the use of flash, and gave the image plenty of negative space, placing the wrestlers in the right lower corner. The photo ran in my school’s newspaper at Pierce College. I was very proud of the image, though the editor chose to run it only two columns on an inside page. My photojournalism teacher and mentor, Tom Kramer, told my class that it should have run six columns, above the fold, across the whole front page. It was that good. Word got back to my instructor that the other school’s photo instructor berated his students for not getting that shot. "Icing on the cake." From then on, outshooting other students and competitors became a challenge I relished.
Over the years, I did editorial and commercial photography for large corporations, and then moved on to weddings and portraiture in my later years as a pro. But Fine Art, whether traditional, abstract, or modern, has long been my passion.

2019 Young People's Art Show

Such a well-attended event! Twenty-eight young artists entered sixty-six works of art in this year's show. There were fifty-five local sponsors who chose their favorite pieces and honored the recipients with cash prizes! Artists are pictured here with some of the sponsors.

January-February 2019 Exhibit by Christopher Darga

Chris worked for many years as a sculptor but began painting seriously after receiving a gift of instructional DVDs from his wife. He has been working with multiple layers of paint and glaze for more dimension in this work. From working for many years as a sculptor, creating busts of historical figures such as Sitting Bull, Geronimo and Abraham Lincoln, painting seemed to come naturally. Studying three dimensional form in clay helped me to transfer those observations of light and shadow into painting. My major challenge of painting was color and values. I immersed myself in online courses and readings and slowly but surely got a little better every time.
I’ve always loved realism whether in sculpture or painting. It is such a wonderful feeling when one can successfully capture the likeness and even the soul of a person or animal. That is something that I always strive for. Painters such as Vermeer, Van Eyck and Rembrandt have been a large influence on my work. Facebook.com/ChristopherDargaFineArt

November-December 2018 Exhibit by Annie Brink

As long as I can remember I've always had a sketchpad, paintbrush or computer mouse in my hand; drawing, painting and creating in some way. Art brings joy into my life.
Two months after graduating high school I started my career as a Graphic Artist at NBC Studios in Burbank working with some of the most talented and creative people in the industry. I was able to work on shows like Saved by the Bell, The Tonight Show, Days of our Lives along with many more. After almost 24 years as a graphic artist for the studios, that chapter has come to an end.
I now focus on my painting full time and I'm loving it! This new season of my life is coming together beautifully. I spend my days painting in my studio. One evening a week painting with friends in Acton. Over the past few years I have participated in many community art events. In addition to having my work on exhibit in gallery shows in the San Fernando & Antelope valleys, my work is also displayed in the tasting room at the Agua Dulce winery in the local artist showcase.
Nature is my inspiration. The variety of color and texture seems never ending. I love to paint with vivid colors that seem almost magical and invite the viewer to make up their own story.
I inspire to bring joy and a feeling of happiness with my paintings.

Website

Summer 2018 - Exhibit by Nancy Vath
Nancy Vath maintains a passion for travel, cultural diversity, all of the arts and any event that involves a beach. The artwork presently displayed offers a glimpse into those interests over the years. Viewers can enjoy her expressive representation of people, places and things in unique ways of rendering. As diverse as her upbringing and life experiences are, so is her thirst to explore a variety of media in her artwork. You will see decoupage, assemblage, collage, photomontage and an array of variations of experimental and traditional media and applications.

Young People's Art Show 2018
The artworks of twenty-two talented artists in grades K-12 were proudly displayed at the Acton-Agua Dulce Library from June 2nd -23rd. Thank you to the artists for participating in the 2018 Young People’s Art Show and to their families who supported them.

This year the art show was again co-sponsored by the Acton-Agua Dulce Arts Council and the Acton-Agua Dulce Library. Thank you, Jim Wall, library manager, for helping with the planning and publicizing of the show and providing a welcoming venue in the library community room. We appreciate the library staff providing information and helping with artist registration and sponsor awards.

2018 Exhibit in the Acton-Agua Dulce Library

April & May 2018 Art Exhibit by Cleo Goss

Award-winning artist placing in Antelope Valley, San Fernando and San Bernardino fairs. Cleo paints in a realist style and uses acrylics and oil. She has traveled to many places to delve deeper into the subjects that intrigue her. Be sure to stop by to see the rest!

February and March Art 2018 Exhibit with Ladies of Acton. Art and Wine (The LAAW)

A group of 7 friends that get together once a week to paint are displaying paintings in the Acton/Agua Dulce Library during the months of February and March. These artists met while studying painting with Silvina Day. When Silvina moved from Acton in 2016, the group wanted to continue together and they have continued painting together, ever since. Each member has unique artistic strengths and experience and they critique each other’s work using the principles they learned. Meeting weekly, they share their love of painting, wine and supporting each other’s lives.
They decided their group needed a name, so began the ‘LAAW’, Ladies of Acton, Art and Wine.
Only a few samples of the featured art are shown here...please visit the Acton-Agua Dulce Library to see the complete display!