The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

The upcoming 36th Annual Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Art Show is fortunate enough to have six talented donors this year.

The show, as you may already know, runs from Sunday, April 5 til Friday, April 10 at the Oak Tree Country Club, 29541 Rolling Oak Dr. The reception is on April 5 from 4 to 7 p.m.

The cost of the reception is $10 for non-members or free for members. Membership is only $20 per year, or $35 for a family membership.

Donor artwork will be awarded to lucky prize winners on April 5 at the reception, and if you get raffle tickets ahead of time, you do not have to be there to win. During the week, the show is open to browse through at your leisure. Docents will be available if you find an art piece you cannot live without. Read about two of our donor artists below.

Muriel Russo

One of our donors this year is a Bear Valley Springs resident, Muriel Russo. Her donation is an oil painting titled "Wild Thing," and depicts the head shot of a stallion with a rebellious gleam in his eye.

This is Muriel's fifth year engaging in art and she has a real talent for it. After an injury at work put her into retirement, she wanted something new and different to engage her. Muriel had worked as a registered nurse at California Correctional Institute, Tehachapi for 10 years. She decided to take art lessons at Tehachapi Treasure Trove and credits Juanita Niemeyer with teaching her everything she knows, and also making it enjoyable.

Muriel enjoys painting horses, but also has done landscapes and is considering doing some more whimsical paintings, as well. Oils are really her preferred medium because she finds the color intensity to her liking.

Muriel and her husband Louis moved to the Tehachapi area from Modesto 22 years ago. Prior to Modesto, she had emigrated from London, England 33 years ago.

Muriel has two step-children and four grandchildren, all who live further north in California.

Louise Saunders

We welcome one of our donors, Louise Saunders. She was born in Phoenix, Ariz., the youngest daughter of an Arizona Ranching family. She attended Colorado Woman's College in Denver, Colo. where she studied Business and Psychology, but spent much of her time in the study of color and design.

Louise began her oil painting experience when she walked into a Phoenix gallery in 1968 and observed a class being held.  Thinking this would be fun, she enrolled in the class. After a few sessions using pallet knife only, the gallery closed and she was on her own.  By that time, she was hooked and began looking for other art instructors she could work with. She attended workshops by several well-known Arizona artists including Adrian Hansen, Joan Bruder and John Loo. 

Sonja Bronson

Louise Saunders with her oil painting donation.

Louise is a past member of Art Associations in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Laguna Niguel where her work has been displayed and awarded. She originally worked on landscapes, including many Arizona desert scenes, but recently discovered her love for floral paintings. Her love of bright color is evident in all of her paintings. In 1976, she moved to California and began a career in Real Estate Sales and Management. Her artwork took second place until her retirement in 2007.  

She and her husband Jim moved to Bear Valley Springs in 2011 where she again could devote her time to painting. In addition to oil painting, Louise designs jewelry and quilts. A member of the Tehachapi Mountain Quilters, she claims she is not a traditional quilter and likes to design her own creations. It's all about color and design whether with jewelry, quilting or painting.