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Art News

Featured Artist for the Month of February 2010

Portola Art Gallery
(at Allied Arts Guild)
75 Arbor Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
tel: 650-321-0220
www.portolaartgallery.com

Open Mon - Sat, 10 am - 5 pm

Exhibit Dates: February 1-27, 2010

Artist's Reception: Saturday, Feb. 6, 1 - 4 pm

Portola Art Gallery presents “The Gentle Landscape,“ pastel and oil paintings by Mary K. Stahl of Palo Alto. The new body of work evokes a sense of serenity within the landscape, a soft focus and calm atmosphere.

The painting “Hope Valley” by Mary was inspired by the glimmering light play off the edges of the age old pine and fir trees that populate the beautiful Hope Valley in the Sierras. Another painting featured in the exhibit is, “Rubicon Point,” a pastel painting that was painted on site in Lake Tahoe CA. With the deep turquoise blue of the lake water lapping up against the rugged rocks, Mary felt the power of the pine trees as they appeared to grow right out of the granite.

Mary says, “I love the process of creating art. Even at those rare times I feel “blocked” I know the feeling will pass and I will get back to creating art again. To have the ability to convey the grandeur and beauty of nature on canvas gives me an amazing and joyful feeling. My hope is that the viewer can share some of that joy with me.”

Portola Art Gallery exhibits high quality representational art by fifteen Bay Area artists. Painting, pastel and photography can be viewed at the gallery, located at the Historic Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, CA.