Mendocino Arts Magazine - Mendocino Art Center

22 Mendocino Arts Magazine

By Dot Brovarney 

Uk i a h a rt i s t 

Laura Fogg creates 

exquisite mosaics 

of color and texture, 

whether she’s designing 

quilts or her 

own backyard garden. 

Known for 

her boldly hued 

and richly textured 

quilts, Fogg has a 

passion for the earth, 

which in its myriad 

forms, is a common 

theme in her art. 

It’s no wonder that the 

land behind her westside Ukiah 

home is filled with colors, patterns, 

and textures, in plantings, paintings, stone 

and tile work. Fogg’s backyard became her canvas as soon 

as escrow closed on the extra deep city lot in 1997. 

“My whole life is an art project,” she says. “My house 

and garden express who I am and how I want my world 

to look.” 

Indeed. A statement at the artist’s garden entry 

reads, “Possunt quia posse videntur,” a quote from Virgil’s 

Aeneid that means “they can because they think they can.” 

Inside the entry, Fogg painted a pair of murals recalling 

a visit to Italy’s Ligurian coast. One, with the lapis blue 

Mediterranean in the background, depicts Giorgio, Luigi, 

and Gianpaolo, “those ubiquitous Italian men who show 

up wherever you go.” This trio, along with Virgil, sets the 

tone for her garden’s old Italian feel. The space opens to a 

grape arbor with Roman columns and an art studio where 

Fogg has tiled a shower with 

her version of Botticelli’s 

“Birth of Venus.” 

Choosing red 

brick to contrast 

with blue and yellow 

blooms (iris 

and daffodils), 

she constructed a 

winding path leading 

the visitor on a 

journey, wandering 

and wondering where 

it might lead. 

Fogg says, “It’s a trip; 

you can’t see the whole 

thing. It’s a metaphor for the 

artistic life. You never know what’s 

around the next bend.” 

The artist’s humor is on display here, too: the meandering 

walk and two patios it connects are speckled with 

a variety of insects that we consider garden pests – a fat 

green hornworm, a mosquito, and a parade of ants marching 

toward a crumbling cupcake, each a carefully crafted 

mosaic piece. 

Fogg’s garden has evolved gradually, largely without a 

plan. The mosaics were inspired by her experience at artist 

Elizabeth Raybee’s Grout Camp in the mid-2000s. This led 

to dumpster diving, Venus, and incorporating her mosaic 

creations into existing pathways and patios. 

Shortly after beginning her garden project, Laura 

Fogg took a quilting class that led her down a new creative 

path – working with fabric. Integrating this with 

Above: Hornworm with Tomato, mosaic, 2006. 

THE ARTISTIC LIFE OF LAURA FOGG 

Summer 2012 23

Say it with Flowers, quilt, 2007. 

previous community college coursework in painting and 

drawing, Fogg embraced the art quilt form, specializing 

in large fabric collage landscapes. She began showing her 

textile work in 2000, garnering awards from the American 

Quilter’s Society and the International Quilt Association, 

among others. 

Her subjects vary, but Fogg frequently depicts 

Mendocino County rural scenes. A hiker, mountain biker, 

kayaker, and gardener, she captures what she encounters 

in her environment: native plants, including trillium in 

the woods, mustard fields, and brodiaea on the hillsides; 

garden ornamentals such as tulips and fuschias; redwood 

barns and fences; the sea; and, almost always, plenty of 

North Coast sky. 

Fogg’s success as an art quilter goes beyond her keen 

sense of design and color, her representational skills, 

and her feel for fabric. Her boundless energy and love 

of movement reveal themselves in her pieces. Although 

each quilt has a painterly appearance and is fabric framed 

with bands of colors and patterns, Fogg often pushes her 

foreground subject beyond the fabric frame and surface, 

too. Three-dimensional objects, such as beads, buttons 

and even (once), chopsticks, allow her art to pop from the 

surface. Fabrics with varying textures, such as voile, chenille 

yarn, ribbons, and even her own lingerie, contribute 

to this sense of movement. She achieves heightened energy 

by layering, folding, and bunching fabrics and using raw 

edge appliqué. 

“I can freehand 

cut pieces 

of cloth with a 

great amount of 

detail, and then 

add even more 

s m a l l d e t ai l s 

without having 

to turn under 

edges which, in 

my mind, gives 

a ‘cookie cutter’ 

look. I like the 

way the machine 

appliqué over the 

New Tattoo, quilt, 2012. 

raw edges combines 

with the fraying fabric edges to add a feeling of 

motion to the finished piece,” explains Fogg. 


The artist is rounding a new bend on her path: she’s exploring 

“Inktense,” a new medium for printing on fabric. 

Excited and upbeat about this latest turn, Laura Fogg says, “I have 

very high hopes.” 

Laura Fogg’s work is exhibited at Ukiah’s Corner Gallery and, 

through July 29, she has a piece 

in the Grace Hudson Museum 

show “Out of the Comfort 

Zone.” See her quilts at 

www.fogwomancreations.com. 

Left: Venus in Shades, tilework 

shower enclosure, 2010. 

Right: Seascape with 

Bindweed, quilt, 2008. 

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Summer 2012 25

By Debbie L. Holmer 

Born into a musical family, Julian Waterfall Pollack started 2006, Julian was awarded a full-scholarship to Berklee 

playing the piano at age five. He asked his mother for College of Music in Boston. Deciding instead to move to 

lessons because his friends were taking lessons from New York City, he attended New York University, earning 

her, however, after the first lesson he lost interest. “But, a degree in piano performance and composition. 

of course, my mother, Susan Waterfall, did not let me I asked Julian about his music-writing process. “It’s 

stop. She made me practice and 

different every time and also 

learn. I resisted, but now I’m so 

depends on what I’m writing. If 

grateful.” 

“I want to be the first I’m writing a simple tune for my 

When Julian was at the ripe 

trio or a singer, I may sit at the 

old age of seven, his folks played to say it: 

piano and work out an idea over 

him the Beatles’ record “Help.” 

a few hours. If I’m working on 

“That’s when I became hooked! Julian is a genius.” writing something larger, like a 

I loved Ringo, the sound of the 

– Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath, jazz legend 

piece for orchestra, I like to use 

drums. That’s when it all started 

a sequencer and samples – I use 

for me. I later became more 

Apple’s Logic Pro and the Vienna 

interested in contemporary pop music, jazz and classical Symphony Library. With larger compositions I like to 

music.” 

record material into a sequencer and then change and 

Julian’s path to becoming a professional began while edit it once I digitally have it ‘jotted down.’” 

attending Berkeley High School. He started doing concerts 

What makes a piece difficult? “It’s always different. 

with his own group in the trio context: piano, bass Playing Be-Bop or Mozart is challenging because the 

and drums. “I started gigging around the Bay Area, playing 

inherent simplicity of the style requires extreme control. 

at local venues like the Jazzschool, Pearl’s and the Other music can be difficult simply because there are a 

Cheeseboard. It was a great experience, along with participating 

lot of notes to learn!” 

in the notorious jazz ensemble at Berkeley High. Where does he get his inspiration? “Inspiration comes 

They sent us to Europe several times, playing at some of from two places: 1) My influences (composers, performers, 

the major jazz festivals there.” As a dedicated player in the 

other artists) and 2) some part of my personal life that 

Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble and Combos from 2002 to has nothing to do with music.” 


Formal training has allowed Julian to gain his chops, 

both physically on the piano and intellectually with 

composition. “Most importantly, formal training has 

been a means to an end for expressing 

myself.” 

What does Julian recommend for 

the young musician starting out? “I recommend 

studying and practicing hard! 

It sounds obvious, and it is. There is 

no secret. You have to work, and you 

have to work hard. Even when you don’t 

want to. Also, it’s important to support 

and check out what other musicians are 

doing – especially one’s colleagues and 

contemporaries.” 

One of Julian’s most memorable 

concerts was last September. “I was 

asked to compose and play music at 

France’s official 9/11 commemoration. I 

had a 50-piece orchestra at my disposal, 

so I arranged the great American classic, 

Shenandoah. I played the piece with the 

orchestra on the Place du Trocadero in 

front of the Eiffel Tower in front of thousands of people 

… it was a very moving experience.” 

This summer Julian is looking forward to performing a 

piano concerto that he wrote in 2011. “I will be performing 

the piece at the Mendocino Music Festival on closing night. 

My father, Allan Pollack, will conduct the orchestra while I 

play the piano part. We premiered the piece last February 

with the wonderful Camellia Symphony Orchestra in 

Sacramento. 

In the fall I 

will also be 

performing 

the concerto 

with Maestro 

S t e p h e n 

Osmond and 

the Jackson 

Sy mphony 

O rchestra 

in Michigan. 

“On a personal 

level, 

the concerto 

is about my 

experience 

of living on both coasts, in New York City and 

in the Bay Area and Mendocino coast of California.” 

He will also be doing some touring with his trio 

(Noah Garabedian and Evan Hughes) and will be releasing 

another album, hopefully in the fall (a follow-up to their 

2010 debut record, “Infinite Playground”). 

Photos: Sarah Kiesling 

How does Julian’s interest in other areas inform his 

music? “Literature can sometimes inform my music, 

though not in any sort of direct context. I sometimes get 

a “vibe” from a book or story and then try to recreate that 

vibe with music. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of American 

literature, like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and 

Raymond Carver.” 

What does he want the listener to hear when he/she 

listens to his music? “Emotion! Music, if it speaks to you, 

can single-handedly be the most consoling thing for a 

person’s soul.” 

If he could have dinner with any composer, living or 

dead, who would he invite? “Perhaps either Chopin or 

Ravel. If I could live in any historical time period, I’d like 

to spend some time around the turn of the 20th century 

in Europe. There was so much great music and art being 

created at that time.” Among the great composers and 

musicians, his heroes are Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, 

Miles Davis, Coltrane, John Adams, and Brad Mehldau. 

Where on the Mendocino coast is Julian most likely 

to be spotted? “Hanging out in Albion either composing 

or practicing. Or, taking a break and sitting in the sun. 

I also like to barbecue with my folks, so we do that a lot 

when I’m home. When the festival is not going on, I tend 

to be a hermit on the coast!” 

For more information, visit Julian’s website at 

www.julianpollackmusic.com. 

Summer 2012 27

Mendocino Art Center 

ON EXHIBIT – July through September 

Open Daily 10:00am–5:00pm 

July 

MAIN GALLERY 

The Stussy Retrospective 

Exhibition: “Significant 

Content” 

Jan Stussy & Maxine Stussy 

Frankel 

GALLERY TEN 

Suzi Marquess Long 

“A Big Splash” 

Maxine Kim Stussy; Jan Stussy 

September 

MAIN GALLERY 

Mendocino Art Center Annual Art Auction 

and Mendocino Rotary Auction 

Auction: Saturday, September 29, 3:00pm 

FRONT GALLERY & 

GALLERY TEN 

Artists Open Studio Tour 

Exhibit 

Julie Higgins 

Suzi Marquess Long 

August 

Jim Stallings 

MAIN GALLERY 

“Seeing the Light” 

Plein Air Painters of 

Mendocino 

with Special Guest 

Wendell Rickon 

GALLERY TEN 

Linda Shearin 

Second Saturday 

Artists’ Receptions 

each month 

at 5:00pm 


45200 Little Lake Street at Kasten Street, Mendocino 

707 937-5818 • 800 653-3328 

www.MendocinoArtCenter.org 


53 rd Annual 

Summer Arts & Crafts Fair 

Saturday & Sunday, July 14 & 15 

10am–5pm 

Over 50 Juried Artists 

Paintings • Photography • Glass Works 

Ceramics • Jewelry • Sculpture • Wood 

Textiles • Garden Art 

4 

Live Music Both Days • Festive Food & Drink 

Free Admission 


45200 Little Lake Street at Kasten Street, Mendocino 

707 937-5818 • 800 653-3328 • MendocinoArtCenter.org 

Summer 2012 29

Mendocino County Gallery Guide 

FIRST FRIDAYS IN FORT BRAGG 

Most galleries and businesses holding First Friday art openings 

are open from 5:30–7:30 p.m. 

SECOND SATURDAYS IN MENDOCINO 

Most galleries and businesses holding Second Saturday art 

openings are open from 5:00–7:30 p.m. 

FIRST FRIDAYS IN UKIAH 

Opening art receptions the First Friday of every month from 

5:00–8:00 p.m. 

LAST SATURDAYS IN WESTPORT 

Galleries and businesses holding Last Saturday art openings 

are open from 5:30–7:00 p.m., February through December. 

WESTPORT 

GALLERY THIS! @ The 

WESTPORT HOTEL 

38921 N. Highway 1 

707 964-3688 

FORT BRAGG 

ART EXPLORERS 

305 E. Redwood Avenue 

707 961-6156 

BRAGGADOON 

435 N. Main Street 

707 964-5050 

DAN HEMANN SCULPTURE AND 

THE GREEN DOOR STUDIO 

121 E. Laurel Street 

707 964-6532 

EDGEWATER GALLERY 


707 964-4668 

ERIN DERTNER STUDIO 


707 964-7781 

FAMILY HANDS 

200 Redwood Avenue 

707 961-0236 

FRAME MILL ARTWORKS 

116 Laurel Street 

707 964-6464 

GALLERIE DEPOT-VENTE 

300 Depot Mall 

707 961-6273 

THE GALLERY MUSEUM 


707 961-0360 

GARDEN ART & GIFTS 


707 964-7897 

GLASS FIRE ART GLASS 

GALLERY 

18320 N. Highway 1 

707 962-9420 

HEADLANDS COFFEEHOUSE 


707 964-1987 

LOST COAST CULTURE MACHINE 

190 E. Elm Street 

707 961-1600 

MENDO BISTRO 

Company Store at N. Main 

707 964-4974 

MENDOCINO COAST DISTRICT 

HOSPITAL 

700 River Street 

707 961-4610 

MENDOCINO COAST 

PHOTOGRAPHER GUILD 

& GALLERY 


707 964-4706 

NORTH COAST ARTISTS 


707 964-8266 

PARTNERS GALLERY 

335 N. Franklin Street 

707 962-0233 

PIACI PUB & PIZZERIA 

120 W. Redwood Street 

707 961-1133 

RACINES OFFICE SUPPLY 

344 N. Franklin Street 

707 964-2416 

RUBAIYAT BEADS 


707 961-0222 

TIME TO BE 


TOTO ZAIDA 


707 964-8686 

V’ CANTO 


707 964-6844 

MENDOCINO 

AMERICAN PIE 

45050 Main Street 

707 937-3235 

ARTISTS CO-OP OF MENDOCINO 


707 937-2217 

THE ATTIC OF MENDOCINO 

10481 Lansing Street 

707 937-2360 

CELTIC CREATIONS 

Above Gallery Books 

707 937-1223 

DAZZLING LITES ON THE COAST 

42580 Little Lake Road 

707 937-0837 

707 226-2815 

GALLERY OF THE SENSES 


707 937-2021 

GARTH HAGERMAN 

Nature Photography Gallery 

45021-C Little Lake Street 

707 937-1987 

HIGHLIGHT GALLERY 


707 937-3132 

ICONS 


707 937-1784 

MENDO BURGERS 


707 937-1111 

MENDOCINO ART CENTER 

45200 Little Lake Street 

707 937-5818 

MENDOCINO CAFÉ 


707 937-6141 

MENDOCINO ART CENTER 

45200 Little Lake Street, 


707 937-5818 

John Fisher sculpture 

The Three Ages of Woman 

New gallery exhibits each 

month featuring emerging and 

established artists. Open daily 

10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 

MendocinoArtCenter.org 

MENDOCINO COAST 

PHOTOGRAPHER GUILD 

& GALLERY 

344 N. Main Street, 

Fort Bragg 

707 964-4706 

The Bald Eagle 

by Ron LeValley 

Devoted to inspiring 

photographic excellence on 

California’s North Coast. 

OLD GOLD 

6 Albion Street, 


707 937-5005 

Where you will find 

beautifully detailed jewelry 

fabricated in the original art 

form of die striking and 

hand chasing. 


MENDOCINO GEMS 


707 937-0299 

MENDOCINO JEWELRY STUDIO 


707 937-0181 

MENDOCINO SANDPIPER 


707 937-3102 

MOODYS ORGANIC COFFEE 

BAR & GALLERY 


707 937-4843 

OLD GOLD 

6 Albion Street 

707 937-5005 

PANACHE ON MAIN 


707 937-0947 

PRENTICE GALLERY 


707 937-5205 

REFLECTIONS KALEIDOSCOPES 

10400 Kasten Street 

707 937-0173 

RUBAIYAT BEAD & RUG 

GALLERY 

Corner of Lansing & Little Lake 

Street 

707 937-BEAD 

STANFORD INN BY THE SEA 

Highway 1 & Comptche-Ukiah 

Road 

707 937-5615 

THE MOOSSE CAFÉ 

390 Kasten at Albion Street 

707 937-4323 

WISDOM HOUSE GALLERY 


707 937-3360 

THE WORLD OF SUZI LONG 

611 Albion Street – Watertower 

707 937-5664 

ZACHA’S BAY WINDOW GALLERY 


707 937-5205 

LITTLE RIVER & 

ALBION 

GLENDEVEN INN 

8205 N. Highway 1, Little River 

707 937-0083 

LEDFORD HOUSE 

3000 N. Highway 1, Albion 

707 937-0282 

LITTLE RIVER INN 

Highway 1, Little River 

707 937-5942 

STEVENSWOOD FINE ARTS 

8211 N. Highway 1, 

Little River 

707 937-2810 

ELK 

ARTISTS’ COLLECTIVE OF ELK 

6031 S. Highway 1 

707 877-1128 

GUALALA 

ALINDER STUDIO GALLERY 

39140 S. Highway 1 

707 884-4884 

BLUE CANOE 

Anchor Bay 

707 884-1800 

THE DOLPHIN GALLERY 

An associate of 

Gualala Arts Center 

39225 Highway 1 

707 884-3896 

GUALALA ARTS CENTER 

46501 Old State Highway, 

off Highway 1 

707 884-1138 

HENLEY’S ART & INTERIORS 

Cypress Village 

707 884-1531 

STUDIO 391 

39102 Ocean Drive 

707 884-9065 

HIGHWAY 128 

John Hanes Fine Art Gallery 

14051 Highway 128, Boonville 

707 489-0981 

MAPLE CREEK WINERY 

20799 Highway 128, Yorkville 

707 895-3001 

ROOKIE-TO GALLERY 

14300 Highway 128, 

Boonville 

707 895-2204 

UKIAH 

ART CENTER UKIAH 

201 S. State Street 

707 462-1400 

Classes: Adult & Children 

Rotating Exhibits 

ARTS COUNCIL OF MENDOCINO 

COUNTY 

309 E. Perkins 

707 463-2727 

THE BEAT ART GALLERY 

109 W. Perkins Street 

707 462-4180 

BELLA VIDA COLLECTIVE 

405 W. Mill Street 

707 462-3446 

CORNER GALLERY 

201 S. State Street 

707 462-1400 

A cooperative gallery featuring 

24 local artists. Visual arts, 

photography, ceramics, metal 

work, textiles, and more. 

CRAFTSMAN ESTATE 

FINE ART & ANTIQUES 

396 N. State Street 

707 463-3900 

GRACE HUDSON MUSEUM 

431 S. Main Street 

707 467-2836 

GRACES ON MAIN/ 

HOYMAN-BROWE STUDIO 


707 462-5911 

707 468-8835 

NOMAD’S WORLD GALLERY 

290 S. School Street 

707 463-2949 

N. PAISLEY STUDIO 

312 N. School Street 

707 468-7936 

UKIAH VALLEY ARTIST 

COOPERATIVE GALLERY 

518 E. Perkins 

(Pear Tree Center) 

WESTSIDE RENAISSANCE 

GALLERY 

1003 W. Clay 

707 462-0083 

To be listed in this Guide 

contact: 

COAST 

Steven P. Worthen 

707 964-2480, 

707 813-7669 

INLAND 

Jill Schmuckley 

707 391-8057 

WILLITS 

BLUE SKY GALLERY 

21 S. Main 

707 456-9025 

WILLITS CENTER 

FOR THE ARTS 

71 E. Commercial Street 

707 459-1726 

LAKE COUNTY 

DIEGO’S GALLERY 

9495 Main Street, Suite 3 

Upper Lake 

707 350-4209 

THE GOURD GALLERY 

6197 E. Highway 20 

Lucerne 

707 274-2346 

GRACIOUS LADIES 


Upper Lake 

707 275-2307 

LAKE COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL & 

MAIN STREET GALLERY 


Lakeport 

707 263-6658 

Lakeside Art 


Lucerne 

707 739-7010 

LIGHTNING ROD GALLERY 

9475A Main Street 

Upper Lake 

707 275-8018 

Pomo Fine Art Gallery 


Lucerne 

707 348-6045 

Serendipity Art & Boutique 


Lucerne 

707 245-7512 

Summer 2012 31

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