Virginia Barrett is an artist drawn to capturing form and color in nature, landscapes and sculptural work from diverse cultures. Her series of mixed media painted poems celebrate a unique, spiritual relationship between the word and image. She is a published poet and author; her most recent books are Mbira Maker Blues—a healing journey to Zimbabwe and Radiance—poems from Mendocino. Her illustrations grace both books.

Eve Skylar is a San-Francisco based Production Designer and Concept Artist for Animation, Film, and Game. She is currently working on two animated films; a feature for Marza Animation Planet (SEGA) for 2012 and a short film with an international team lead by Carlos Baena.

Rick's work is inspired by mythology, cryptozoology, horror films, and pop culture. He is currently developing three bodies of work: "Bestiarum vocabulum," "Alone in the Dark," and "Tsukumogami."

"Beastiarum vocabulum," or "Book of the Beasts," is Rick's personal bestiary - a collection of creatures spawned from mythology of various cultures, urban legends, and the dark recesses of his own mind. As Rick "just likes to paint monsters," these creations come from someplace deep, raw, and primal, his own personal expression of the edgier sanctums of raw emotion, sexuality, dark humor, and death. As these darker subjects are sometimes difficult to bring to light in casual conversation, we tend to try our hand at humor as a vehicle to soften the blow. In the same manner, Rick infuses his beasts with often humorous backstories and comical descriptions, complicating our view of these beings of the dark as purely "evil" or "scary."

"Alone in the Dark" is Rick's exploration of the idea of fear and the horror genre. Often, the most disturbing and horrific thoughts and images come from our own head - what we imagine that happens off the movie screen or between the panels of comics is personal and terrible. Rick believes that good stories are always going to be the most terrifying (as opposed to film or images). By allowing the viewer to look into these portraits of people alone in the dark, it is up to the viewer to imagine exactly what the person in the painting is fearful of.

"Tsukumogami" is the general name for handcrafted Japanese items that have gained a soul after 100 years of existence. Just as Japanese mythology breathes life into ancient artifacts, Rick gives everyday inanimate objects a life of their own. He provides a humorous, often brutally honest look into everyday life using colloquialisms, puns, innuendos, and plays of the English language. Just as the descriptions of his beasts soften the blow, by removing the human element and replacing it with inanimate objects, Rick leaves the viewer with an objective phrase that immediately becomes subjective in the viewer's own mind.

I produce functional and representational stoneware fired in both wood and gas kilns.

Dreaming of the seaside and horses. 
I grew up at Muir Beach just North of the Golden Gate and in the Napa Valley where impressions of Northern California and my continued passion for riding are the inspiration for my paintings.
I studied fine art at CCSF and graphic design at Platt College in San Francisco and became a furniture designer for a family furniture business.
My furniture designs have been featured on HGTV and Extreme Makeover and my showroom has been shopped by Sherwin Williams to determine current color forecasts.
Now a full time artist, my art is has been purchased by HGTV Secrets of a Stylist's show, the editors of Better Home and Gardens Magazine and is sold through Galleries, Designer Showrooms, Furniture Stores and The Atlanta and High Point Furniture Markets. 
Founder of COCA the Coalition of California Artists, a group marketing to the home furnishing industry.President Petaluma Arts Association 2013, 2014Thank you for your interest.

My curiosity and fascination with humanity has taken me all over the globe. These experiences are an integral part of who I am now the creative work that I produce. My paintings are a response to the state of the world, the manipulation of news we receive and our own interpretations of this information. My art reflects the world around me – the people I come in contact with, the relationships that I build and the state of the world as a whole. I am interested in the places where lives overlap, how people perceive and react to one another as human beings, and the different paths our lives take. Having chosen many different courses throughout my life I am always curious where the next road will lead me, both as an individual and as a global citizen living during this interesting historical moment. I am continuously amazed by the twists and turns of life, as well as the interesting people that I come in contact with. I use my art to help me interpret these experiences and grow from them.

Robin L. Humphreys is a glass and mixed-media sculptor based in the San Francisco Bay area. Humphreys addresses concepts of growth, decay, duality and emotion in her sculptural work, through the combined use of form, texture and material language. Her work is informed by natural forms and processes, optics, play and meditation. Robin L. Humphreys received a BFA in Glass from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009. Past exhibitions include the Glass Art Society's 2009 International Student Exhibition, the MassArt Annual Senior Show (2009) and Chappell Gallery's 2009 Friends of Glass Exhibition. Humphreys currently works for Public Glass of San Francisco as the part-time Studio Operations Coordinator and a glass flame working instructor. Humphreys also works part-time as a studio administrator for sculptor Oben Abright. She has a passion for teaching and working with people. 

Each person experiences the world in their own way, making truth subjective. My artwork is a visual representation of my truth, through my eyes and experiences. The pieces all start off with an initial idea but always grow into whatever they were meant to be. I don't attempt to depict the world as we see it. My work is about letting my little intrigues tempt you into my world of lies.

Frequently asked questions about my penises:

Why did you start making penises?
I got my M.S. in Art, focusing on Fibers in 1975. I was in college in the 60’s and graduate school in the 70’s and was influenced by the aesthetics of the period. A lot of the women in my weaving and textile classes were making wall hangings the looked like vulvas. I wanted to make things that would help men feel good about themselves… and at the same time I was coming out as a big fag.

How long does it take to make a penis?
Three hours for a simple one, up to several months for a complicated one.

Are they knitted or crocheted?
Crocheted. Knitting is done with two needles, crochet is done with a single hook.

What materials do you use?
I use yarns that are cotton, silk, wool and synthetic. Sometimes I recycle yarn from by taking apart thrift-store sweaters. A few yarns are hand dyed. Some penises are crocheted from found string. In the past I have crocheted with sewing thread and colored telephone wire. I sometimes I use beads and other found objects for embellishment.

Are they cut or uncut?
All of the penises have foreskins.

How do you put one on?
You don’t, they aren’t penis warmers. They do open, however. There is a drawstring in each foreskin. So while they are not designed to be worn on a penis, you can put other things in them.

Did anyone model for them?
No.

What do you stuff them with for display?
I use plastic Easter eggs. They’re the right size and weight.

How are your penises hung?
I use sturdy push pins in the back. It’s easier than using nails. I usually hang them in a grid. There is a group of pink ones that I hang in a triangle.

How seriously do you take your work?
Of course there is an element of humor in my work, how could there not be? Whenever I talk about my work with people, it isn’t long before they start laughing about questions like “How are your penises hung?” But I do take my work seriously. It comes from being an art student for seven years. I use the word “penis” instead of “dick” or “cock” specifically because I think it’s a more serious term.

Any interesting stories about your penises?
Tons. One of the earliest stories occurred during my graduate exhibit. A straight male graduate assistant was taking a beginning art class through the university galleries. He stopped by my work and picked up on of my penises to talk about it with his class. When he realized what it was, I guess he didn’t want to be seen holding a penis, he dropped it instantly.
Back in the old days when I entered art shows using slides, there were several times when I was accepted into a show, but my work was rejected when it arrived after they realized they weren’t crocheted abstract forms, they really were penises.
I once accidentally stabbed my finger with a very fine gauge crochet hook. Joe, my boyfriend at the time and my roommate, Sue, took me to the hospital to have it removed. The emergency room staff could not take in the fact that I had been crocheting, they really wanted to believe that my female roommate had stabbed me with what they assumed was her crochet hook.

What do people do with your penises after they buy them?
A friend of mine uses one for a change purse; it gets interesting comments in gay bars. I know a lesbian who used one for packing. My grandmother used to crochet cotton animals with a drawstring…you would put your little end pieces of soap inside one and use it to wash with in the bathtub or shower. So, yes, I know someone who uses one in his shower.
Some people put them on their altars. Since they have drawstrings, they lend themselves quite well to being ritual objects. Some people put them among their plants.
But, mostly people display them on a shelf or on the wall. They look good in a group. While there is not a right or wrong way to display them, I prefer that people not put them in display boxes.

How many have you made?
Hundreds.

Do you sell your penises?
Yes

Do you exhibit them?
That’s what it’s all about.

Are you obsessed with penises?
Well, I am a fag.