Jim Wilson Presents
Jim Wilson presents three artists for September 2011
Art collector and artist representative James Wilson, who is also the general manager of CrossRoads Gallery, is featuring three of his local artists in CrossRoads in September. They are Leon Leigh, Mark Pestana and Terry Sonntag.
From London , England to Tehachapi , California -- via Los Angeles , his “adopted city” – sculptor Leon Leigh is the quintessential artist. Being both mathematically and mechanically inclined, he started at young age designing custom furniture for his family’s business, and went on to become a stone mason and eventually a metal sculptor who is now featured in major galleries throughout Southern California . Leon Leigh has been involved with CrossRoads Gallery, through Jim Wilson, for several years.
Mark Pestana, a long-time Tehachapi artist specializing in oil and acrylic painting – and another regular artist on display at CrossRoads – has established an award-winning portfolio which includes landscapes, seascapes, and aerospace art. Many of his paintings are displayed in galleries, museums, corporate and private collections all over the country (he is a member of the American Society of Aviation Artists and the U.S. Air Force Art Program, which displays several of his paintings in the Pentagon Collection). Mark’s work can also be seen on the Hitching Post Theater – he painted the historic airmail mural on that building.
Terry Sonntag is one of Jim’s newest artists. A connoisseur of antiques and fine arts for decades, his broad exposure in his antique and appraisal business guided him to a great interest and appreciation for California Impressionism, and eventually (in 2009) he picked up a paint brush to try his own hand at it. Since he sold his first painting three months later, he hasn’t put that brush down yet. Having enjoyed local landscape for decades, Terry expresses his feelings with renderings of areas such as Vasquez Rocks, Agua Dulce, the surrounding deserts, Ventura County and Tehachapi.
Each of these artists will be unveiling new works in September at CrossRoads Gallery, which is located in the center of historic downtown Tehachapi (on the northeast corner of Green and Tehachapi Boulevard ). Other featured artists in September include sculptor Cynthia McConnell, guest artists in "Back to the Drawing Board" and Dalila Petrillo and other guests in "Remembering, A Tribute to 9-11."
To make the September First Friday evening even more special, Mano Lujan of Red House BBQ is catering the event at CrossRoads, and music will be provided by Perfect Lonliness.