Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
Hello, I am Diane Tharp, and I am a watercolor artist living in beautiful Auburn, California.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?
I have always loved dabbling in art and over the years this dabbling became a passion. After trying many other mediums, I came to realize that I just love painting with watercolors, with its transparency, fluidity, and unpredictability. I have always been a huge fan of Auburn Old Town Gallery and the wonderful artists showing here. I was so excited to be juried into this gallery and have enjoyed every year of my involvement with this gallery.

Where are you originally from?
Millbrae, California.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
A scientist, biologist, or an astronaut. 

Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
“Your artwork always touches me with its whimsey, humor, or beauty.”

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
My grandkids! They make me smile every day!

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Read Diane’s previous interview here.

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Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
I am Susan Stoll. I am a photographer and a painter. The inspiration for my work is provided by the never-ending beauty of nature.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?
Artistic expression has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. I can’t imagine seeing the world around me and/or expressing myself in any other way. I am proud to be a member of Auburn Old Town Gallery with its talented group of artists. An added perk is meeting all the customers from both near and far when they visit the gallery.

Where are you originally from?
I was born and raised in California. I have lived in Auburn for over 30 years.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
I have always wanted to be an artist.

Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
Rather than listing a complement, I will list an observation. As a former Montessori teacher and art instructor, observing students flourish academically, socially, and creatively warms my heart. In my observations, children are naturally drawn to nature and the arts.

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
When I think about my family, friends, and community, I smile with gratitude.

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Read Susan’s previous interview here.

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Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
Hello, I’m Christina and my art medium is sterling silver jewelry. I call myself a jewelry artist.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?
I worked as a bench jeweler for over ten years and decided it was time to create my own designs. Auburn opened a larger venue, and I decided to sign up.

Where are you originally from?
I am originally from Sacramento.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
When I was younger, I wanted to be an artist; I didn’t know it would be a jewelry artist.

Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
I was complimented on how I make original pieces, and I was happy someone noticed because this is a gallery.

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
The sun setting through the trees gave me the idea of creating an art piece.

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Read Christina’s previous interview here.

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Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
Hi, my name is Kathy Triolo and I’m a Photographer/Digital Artist. I love taking photos and then turning them into painterly art with the help of digital software, like Photoshop and sometimes a bit of Artificial Intelligence.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?I’ve always considered myself to be a “creative” even when I wasn’t creating. I received my first camera, a Brownie, at the tender age of 7. But because it was the days of film and developing, I wasn’t able to afford more than one roll of film for many years. Even though I spent many years taking photos, it wasn’t until 2014 that I was able to really make use of the “new” technology of Digital cameras and computers. I fully immersed myself in photography, joined a camera club and learned Photoshop in-depth. Blending the two technologies, I’ve found my passion in creating photos and then elevating them digitally in Photoshop so that they may look painterly or other-worldly. I’m happy to have Auburn Old Town Gallery as home to my wall of fantastical birds, horses and other animals now.

Where are you originally from?
I’m a San Francisco native (Richmond District) and grew up there in what I think of as the “Golden Era”. The city was safe, the art was free and the world of San Francisco was truly my playground.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
I originally started college as a Photography/Art major but quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be able to support myself as an artist. I graduated as a Marriage and Family Therapist and was then able to focus on my passion when I had free time.

Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
Many people have told me that my art tells a story and that is exactly what I want to convey.

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
Finding out that one of my photos was accepted into a juried show at Viewpoint Gallery in Sacramento.

Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
Hello, I’m Meg and my medium is jewelry.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?
While getting my car looked at, I was offered an apprenticeship at a local jewelry store named Elfstone Silver and Gold so that I could learn how to make jewelry. I apprenticed there for two years before moving and starting my own business. It was an honor to join the Auburn Old Town Gallery.

Where are you originally from?
California.

 What did you want to be when you were younger?
A cowgirl.

 Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
Repairing an onyx necklace that I had made for a customer that had saved her and her son’s life in an automobile accident.

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
My cat.

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Read Meg’s previous interview here.

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Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
Hi, I’m Stacey Lamothe and I am a Jewelry Artist. I love narrative art, something that tells a story. There is usually special text on the back side of pendants or inside of ring bands. I work mostly in Sterling Silver but also use copper and occasionally river rocks, found objects and assorted semi-precious stones.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?
When I was new in town I perused the local galleries in Auburn, Grass Valley and Nevada City. I chose Auburn Old Town Gallery because the staffing artists were personable & welcoming, the gallery was established, I liked the variety of art and I liked the co-op concept.

Where are you originally from?
Oakland CA!

What did you want to be when you were younger?
I wanted to be a Chef! I started the Culinary Program at Laney college in Oakland where Chef Hanks (that’s right, Tom Hanks’ dad!) was the beginning instructor. I finished my program at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill where my final banquet was presented by Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook)! That’s all the name dropping I will do in this interview 🙂

Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
A client that I hadn’t seen in years contacted me to make a special piece for a gift. It was for a woman who sang at her mother’s memorial service. Together she & I navigated the possibilities. We both cried and smiled throughout the conversation. I feel so honored that she chose and trusts me to create such a heartfelt gift. I am lucky to have this happen frequently and love to hear the stories about our previous encounter, gifts given or how a piece is a talisman for them all the years later.

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
#1 I got a call from the gallery staffer telling me how much a woman loved the piece they had just sold her. The woman bought one of my Peace Baby! necklaces. She came back 5 minutes later to tell the staffer that she just noticed on the back side of the pendant there was a little heart with “Lamothe” stamped in it. She was to have open heart surgery shortly thereafter and bought it with that in mind. The “love” on the back confirmed it as her talisman. After her surgery she contacted me to tell me that my art had successfully navigated her through the surgery, and she still wears it every day. #2 A customer was gushing over a little pig pendant in my case. When she read the back text: Pigs for Peace, she exclaimed I’ve got to get this for my sister! She’s having a heart transplant and will be getting a pig heart as her transplant! (How heartfelt are those two examples?!)

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Read Stacey’s previous interview here.

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Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your art.
Hello, I’m Doug Parks, a fine art landscape photographer. My passion for nature translates into captivating images, often printed on aluminum to enhance their clarity and depth. Photography not only connects me to the natural world but also evokes cherished memories of exploring its beauty with my father.

What led you to be an artist and to share your art in Auburn Old Town Gallery?
I carried a camera with me from an early age. As a young man I was fortunate enough to work in photography as a camera repairman, camera salesman and photo lab rat. After retiring from a career in technology I was able to make my way back to the photographic art world in the new digital age. No longer the need for dark room chemistry although those skills are something that shapes my post processing even today. When visiting the gallery one day I was impressed by the professional look and feel of the gallery and so I applied. It took a number of years to get in because this gallery maintains a great balance of work and the mediums represented in the gallery. I feel so lucky to be a member.

Where are you originally from?
I was born in San Francisco and lived my young life on the peninsula in the bay area. I made my way to the central valley and eventually the gold country with my wife of 40+ years. I have resided in the gold country for over 30 years.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
As a child I wanted to be a veterinarian because of my love of animals. However, I made the turn towards technology because of my love for mathematics and to this day still love animals.

Tell us about a compliment that you’ve received that you’re most proud of.
I receive a number of compliments on the vision and feel that comes across in my images. When creating an image my goal is always to convey the feeling I had when capturing the image, and when I am complimented on the feeling of the photograph it warms my soul.

What’s one thing that has made you smile recently?
Traveling recently through the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley I was presented with a spectacular sunrise that lit up the crest of the Sierra while the moon was setting on the same crest. The tones from the cool blue of the sky to the warm sunrise colors on the peaks made me smile from ear to ear. I felt complete just witnessing the scene that was presented to me by mother nature. Click! There goes the shutter, so the memory is captured.

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Read Doug’s previous interview here.

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