SQ Visits Vacaville Art Gallery

I absolutely love my hometown! Too often Vacaville is under-appreciated by the people that grow up there. When I was younger, I admit I was one such student who thought Vacaville was SOOOOO boring, and I thought I'd die if I saw another cow or picket fence.  Thankfully, I now realize it "ain't that bad." Besides great food (which I'm sure I'll discuss in another post), I personally love the little galleries that Vacaville has to offer, such as the nonprofit Vacaville Art Gallery. 

What first inspired me to check out the place were the outside sculptures. I'm not ashamed to admit I just had to copy one of their poses. Because I often think of metals as more masculine materials,  this quite feminine sculpture provided a sharp contrast that I really enjoyed. Although her exposed features might be taken as conveying vulnerability, both the material and her pose made it evident that she is a strong and proud woman!

When I first walked in, I walked as fast as I could without running (it is a gallery you know) to this little donkey by student Katherine Marino, who showed that youth and artistic talent are certainly not exclusive. I felt that this "donkey bust" was perfectly aligned in the illustration. When a figure is places to one side of the painting rather than smack dab in the middle, it always makes for a more dynamic piece. But why I really loved this donkey was her usage of texture.  I could practically feel the shaggy hair on this donkey! 

I am normally never drawn to watercolors. However, I found this painting titled "Madonna and Child" by Nancy Lorenzo to be both wonderfully colorful and stylistically intriguing. I especially love the way the artist selected bold prints for both the blanket the baby is wrapped in and the skirt the mother is wearing . It made for a great contrast with the silky water below. 

 I also hardly ever like boat paintings, but this gallery was certainly full of "firsts" for me! In my experience, boat paintings are usually just too small. However, I truly found this acrylic painting by Rodger Kientz to be very pleasing because he cleverly included a lot of water and sky. By sandwiching the boat in a delicious blue, the artist has truly created a feast for the eyes! 

In what seems such a small gallery on the outside, once you step inside it quickly becomes clear that they showcase many excellent exhibitions with a diverse set of themes and mediums. Admission is always free, so if you ever happen to be driving by Vacaville and have some time to spare, come support local artists and have a blast doing it!

Vacaville Art Gallery

718 East Monte Vista Avenue  Vacaville, CA 95688

(707) 448-8712

King of Fashion: Marc Jacobs

This is one of those posts that doesn't need words. I'm just going to shut my mouth and let you soak in the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2013 collection. I'm so into the stripe hype aren't you?

The mixed patterns he used in his clothing are very hypnotizing. 

I would love to drown in these patterns! What a psychedelic death it would be. 

Call A Spade A Spade

Hello Queens and Kings! I went to Santana Row in San Jose a couple of months ago and saw that a Kate Spade was opening soon. Good news! I finally got around to swooning my way into the store and I fell in love with it. So today I am going to pour my heart out and explain why designer Kate Spade is one of my all time fav designers. 

 There are some stores I could stay in for 4+ hours like Barnes & Noble or perhaps an art store. However, there are some stores I wish I could set up a little tent under a table and live in. Kate Spade is one such store! The San Jose store is 2,319 square feet of happy color, design and creativity! I think I could deal with living within "the confines" of the store. Not bad eh?

I'd probably use their awesome little mirrors in the morning to get ready :P.

So while I adore the fab bright colored walls and exquisitely simple stationary, I love Kate spade because of her genius clutches and their cute themes. For example, look at the fun clutch I have in my hands above! As I always say, fashion should be fun and this is fun times a zillion! Being an art history major, as soon as I saw it I ran to it, petted it and begged my friend to take my photo! :P. But my favorite will forever be the pool party clutch. And actually, that was the first Kate Spade I've ever seen (kinda late but so glad I discovered it!) 

After seeing that pool party clutch I can confidently say Kate Spade clutches are my ultimate favorite. Kate Spade is no "one hit wonder"--I drool over each and every clutch!  I mean take a look at these babies! How could anyone turn their noses up to them?

I think Kate Spade's philosophies such as the one below are what attracts and delights me about the store.

I may not have as much time as I want to go shopping (and who does?), but I can guarantee you, my readers, that you'll definitely see me back at that dreamy store sometime soon.