Past Exhibitions 2023

Artist’s Biography

 
Jeff Heyman uses his classical training in photography to push the digital limits of the medium.

With a background in photography stretching more than four decades, Jeff, who lives in Orinda, California, received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art Photography from San Francisco State University and studied under painters Paul Pratchenko and Robert Bechtle.

But it was his Fine Art Photography studies with Catherine Wagner, Don Worth, Jack Welpott and Melanie Walker, while at State, that truly inspired his work. Jeff went on to produce and exhibit a range of creative work, primarily in black and white.

A San Francisco native, Jeff was influenced by the various artistic and photographic trends sweeping the Bay Area. While in high school in Danville, California, Jeff studied photography under Ralph Rappaport, an associate of Ansel Adams. Rappaport, a major influence, taught Jeff the Zone System and advanced film development and darkroom printing techniques.

Rappaport also introduced Jeff to Ruth Bernhard, who met him privately in her home for a critique of his work. This meeting, with one of the world’s definitive photographers, influenced Jeff's future work greatly.

His background in classical photography is instrumental in his current work — a hybrid of “wet” photography and digital techniques.

For inquiries or to see more of Jeff’s work visit heymanfoto.smugmug.com, follow him on Instagram @heymanfoto, or contact Jeff at heyman.foto@gmail.com.

Exhibition Statement

I’ve been to the Killing Fields of Cambodia, the graveyards in city parks in Sarajevo, and witnessed the emptiness of genocide in Rwanda.  

The Crosses of Lafayette, as I know the site, has all the hallmarks of both an anti-war protest and a memorial to fallen service members. It is a somber experience walking among the Crosses of Lafayette. The flags and the markers representing those who have died in our country’s most recent wars are weather-worn, seemingly lost to the ages.

I styled these photographs of the Lafayette Crosses to try and capture the feeling of forgotten wars and vanished lives. Like so many memorials, the Crosses of Lafayette honor those who died in uniform. And they should be honored for their sacrifice. But let us also honor the ordinary people in cities, towns, and villages all around the world who have been killed during humanity’s seemingly never-ending wars. 

I hope these photographs will remind us that we should never forget war and those we have lost – both soldiers and civilians. For me, every day is Memorial Day.

Artist’s Biography

I was attracted to painting from childhood and started oil painting when I was a teenager. Around that time I was told my grandfather (who had passed away before I was born) was a Japanese paint brush artist. My painting stopped during the busy years of working, raising two children with my husband and taking care of my mother, who has since passed away. But now with time on my hands, I have started to paint again and feel the spirit of my grandfather pushing and supporting my renewed journey into the world of oil painting.

Michiko Sakai is a graduate of Asagaya Art School in Tokyo, Japan. She worked on cloisonné art works at the Hirabayashi Shippo company in Tokyo. Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating objects with color, held in place or separated by copper strips, forming cells or cloisonné, each of which holds a single color or enamel paste which is then fired, ground and polished to finish. Michiko lived for over 30 years in Southern California, then moved to the Bay Area in 2012 to be closer to her children. She now lives in Benicia with her husband, dog and cat.

Exhibition Statement

Why do I go on painting?  Sometimes I think about it. I don’t know if I’m expressive enough with words.  When I use adjectives to try describing things and emotions that are beautiful, happy, sad, lonely, strong, etc., I feel I’m unable to convey subtle details. It is difficult for me to express myself and I feel that the words I use are not accurate.

Red, yellow, blue, and black are all colors, but each is not a single color, and each is shown differently depending on the colors next to each other and how they are mixed. I find it hard to convey in words accurately. It is difficult for me to express in a language, even in the language of my own country. Even if I say the word “red”, there are various kinds of red, and the person who hears the word may think of a different red than I do. It could be the bright sun, temperature, a meadow, the wind, sweat, or breath.

My paintings are a means of expressing what I feel at the time through color. 

For inquiries or to read more about the artist, please visit www.michikosakai.com .