Moraga Art Gallery

The Moraga Art Gallery announces, “Light and Fire,” an exhibition featuring the works of two celebrated member artists from Lafayette: Lucy Beck and Donna Arganbright. Lucy Beck is an award-winning photographer who uses light to capture the astonishing color, beauty and structure of small, everyday flowers. Donna Arganbright, a ceramicist, hailed for her functional bowls, mugs, trays, pitchers and plates, as well as “attitude figures,” i.e., vases disguised as posturing humans, hands on hips, and clothed in fresh, bright-hued glazes.  

John Hopper of Walnut Creek is the featured guest artist. Acclaimed by both the American Watercolor Society (AWS) and the California Watercolor Association (CWA), he combines realistic and impressionistic styles in spirited paintings that render a world awash with color. 

“Light and Fire” will run from January 18 to March 26. A free reception will be held on Saturday, February 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The public is invited to view the art, meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments, hear live music, and mingle with other art lovers.

Lucy Beck

Photography is a way to selectively document. I am drawn to the complex but fleeting beauty we see in the curves of a rose petal, the translucence of a poppy flower, the light in an eye, be it a hummingbird or human.We have those fleeting moments when we see nature in its glorious perfection, and then we are left with memories. I like to put those memories on paper, so that as the flower fades, the trees lose their leaves, and we lose our light, we still have these beautiful memories.

Although I love photographing all kinds of things I am especially captivated by the beauty of flowers. Our initial attraction is beauty, but the relationship of flowers to our food availability is not a big leap. On a spring or summer day, just watch the energetic behavior of bees as they gather pollen from our gardens. Then watch as they move to vegetables and fruit trees. Those glorious colors and shapes and complex patterns serve as beacons and landing pads for these essential pollinators.

I have become more and more conscious that this beauty we take for granted in nature is a fragile one, which makes photographing nature in various ways even more pressing. I hope that stopping to see the splendid intimate beauty that is fleeting even as I write this will cause us pause to consider doing what we can to preserve the complex web of life on our changing earth. https://www.lucybeckphotography.com/

Donna Arganbright

Donna Arganbright’s functional vases, bowls, mugs, plates and trays flow with soft lines and beautiful melted, blended glazes, bright against the white of the porcelain clay. She enjoys creating pottery that her customers can take home, touch and use in their everyday lives. She is known for her Attitude Figures, functional vases that are disguised as posturing figures, hands on their hips, clothed in green, red, brown and tan glazes. With a studio facing out to a wonderful view of redwoods, gardens and California hills, Donna takes inspiration from the nature that surrounds her. Customers frequently note that she has an Asian inspired look to her pottery.

Donna studied Art as an undergraduate and taught art at all grade levels for many years. Feeling that an Art Teacher should be an actively practicing artist, she decided to work in clay, a medium she had been drawn to as an undergraduate. Honing her skills, she worked with several master potters over the years. She continues to exhibit at galleries throughout the Bay Area and has been a part of various fairs and festivals. Her work is included in many private collections. https://moragaartgallery.com/members-2/donna-arganbright/

Guest Artist, John Hopper

John works in oils, acrylics and watercolors. He is also an avid photographer. John owns a design firm & advertising agency. Born in Seattle, John has won scholarships and awards for his painting and has exhibited at the Seattle Art Museum, Frederick & Nelson’s, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA and in many juried shows and private galleries. Locally he has exhibited at Lafayette Studios, John Muir Hospital, Lafayette Art & Wine, AC5 Art Passages, The Body Gallery in San Francisco, Art in the Yard, the MDUUC Gallery and Walnut Creek Library. John is an active member of American Watercolor Society (AWS), California Watercolor Association (CWA), Rossmoor Art Association (RAA) and Lamorinda Arts Alliance (LAA). He, also, served as a part-time instructor in watercolor at Byron’s Boys Ranch. John taught “Watercolor just for the FUN of it” classes aboard Cunard Steamship’s Queen Mary2 trans-Atlantic to Europe and aboard Queen Elizabeth to Alaska. Currently, he is an instructor in Rossmoor. A website showcasing his painting & photography is at: https://www.jw-hopper.com/