FINLEY COMMUNITY CENTER

TODAY I DECIDED TO VIEW A CHRISTMAS ART EXHIBIT AT THE FINLEY COMMUNITY CENTER. THEY HAD OVER 50 ARTISTS WITH BOOTHS OF ALL KINDS. THE ARTISTS WERE: A HARPIST WHO PLAYED WONDERFUL MUSIC, A NUMBER OF CERAMICISTS - ONE WITH RAKU POTS AND TRAYS; SEVERAL GOURD ARTISTS WHO WOVE PINE NEEDLES ON THE TOP OF THE GOURD AND PAINTED THEM WITH INK AND BURNT DESIGNS IN THEM. THERE ALSO WERE A NUMBER OF FABRIC ARTISTS - ONE WHO USED JAPANESE FABRIC AND GLUED IT TO MAKE COLLAGES THAT WERE FRAMED. THERE WERE SEVERAL WEAVERS - ONE WHO I HAD MET BEFORE AT THE HEALDSBURG FARMERS MARKET.

THERE WERE CHINESE ARTISTS WHO MADE PUPPETS INSIDE OF WOODEN FRAMES. THERE WERE SEVERAL GLASS ARTISTS WHO OFFERED SOME SIMPLE GLASS PLAQUES AND VASES. AND THERE WERE MANY OLDER LADIES WHO DID CROSS STITCH YARN ORNAMENTS AND THEY SAID IT WAS EASY ONCE YOU GOT STARTED. THERE ALSO WAS A LADY WHO PAINTED ON ORNAMENTS AND ON GLASS VASES AND CANDLESTICKS. THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL ARTIST WHO MADE NORWEGIAN TOLE PAINTINGS ON OLD WOODEN BOXES AND ON TRAYS AND ON VARIOUS WOODEN ORNAMENTS. IT IS AN OLD TYPE OF PAINTING - SHE TOOK CLASSES IN EUREKA TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT. SANTA WAS THERE PASSING OUT PEPPERMINT CANDY CANES. THERE WERE OTHERS WHO MADE KITCHEN BLOCKS FROM VARIOUS WOODS. AND THERE WERE FOLKS WHO MADE MANY TYPES OF BEADED JEWELRY AS WELL AS TURQUOISE BEADS. ALONG THE HALLWAYS THERE WERE MANY OIL AND WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS.

THEY HAD AN UNUSUAL SILENT AUCTION OR RAFFLE FOR A VARIETY OF THE ARTISTS' GOODS.