Focus on Photography
On Display February & March 2022
OPENING WEEKEND
Saturday, February 19
Sunday, February 20
10am - 5pm
Saturday, February 19
Sunday, February 20
10am - 5pm
The Bougetz Cellars tasting room will host a photographic show of images honoring the mustard season. Bougetz will display six powerful photographers: Elizabeth Bush, John Comisky, Marissa Carlisle, Geoff Hansen, Quinn Saine and Michael Schaer.
In the past one of the most spectacular endings to the NVMF was what they called the Photo Finish. It was held at Mumm's Winery and featured hundreds of photographs and artistic concepts using photography. The goal of the Jessel Gallery & Bougetz Cellars Event is to in some small way include all the arts. This is a tiny recreation of a beloved concept and the hope is that it grows into a much larger event celebrating many more photographers in the years to come.
In the past one of the most spectacular endings to the NVMF was what they called the Photo Finish. It was held at Mumm's Winery and featured hundreds of photographs and artistic concepts using photography. The goal of the Jessel Gallery & Bougetz Cellars Event is to in some small way include all the arts. This is a tiny recreation of a beloved concept and the hope is that it grows into a much larger event celebrating many more photographers in the years to come.
ELIZABETH BUSH
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I have enjoyed making photographs and creating slide presentations since the 1970’s. However, immersion in photography as my chosen art form was postponed 30 years until after the 2008 sale of my business (non-art-related). Clarity and simplicity are hallmarks of my imagery. There is a certain quiet aesthetic that I look for in my subjects, whether they are natural or manufactured, abstract or representational. I’ve been honored with several solo exhibits, and have also co-exhibited with my artist husband at venues including Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, Jessel Gallery, Benicia Public Library, CIA at Copia, and most recently at Napa County Library. |
MARISSA CARLISLE
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
As an artist, it is my experiences in the natural world that connect me to the ongoing mystery of life’s unfolding moments. In seeking this, I feel so very grounded and balanced. By my now 73 years of age, I have developed a comfortably trained eye for imagery that I hope will also offer a similar gift to many a viewer... a sense of our collective human experience, engagement, adventure, calm, curiosity or just a resting place for a mindful visit into yet another momentary discovery. |
JOHN COMISKY
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Hi, I’m John Comisky. Some think of me as a wildlife photographer (and I am), but I didn’t start out that way. Originally the subjects that pulled my eye tended to be landscapes, tricks of the moment, and worlds within worlds – subjects of beauty and meaning hiding in the upholstery of the background. Then wildlife entered my life, through my association with Napa Wildlife Rescue. It required a whole new set of photographic skills and equipment, and has gradually become prominent in my work. Now as I travel, I try to capture the soul of both place and the lives lived there, narrated in the language of the eye. This led to my capture of "Whale Tail 2" in Antarctica, which won the Smithsonian 18th Annual Photo Contest - Natural World Category, in April of 2021. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos as much as I have enjoyed taking them, both at home and by traveling to beautiful locations to find inspiring scenes and new subjects. Photography is an art that gives in both directions. |
GEOFF HANSEN
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My interest in photography dates back to college when I shot a few weddings for friends and worked on some commercial photography projects. After college, photography took a back seat to law school and thereafter to the demands of a legal career, family and 25 years as a member of the Mt. Shasta Ski Patrol. Following retirement from the law and a relocation to Napa I again took up photography and, in addition to general landscape photography, I embarked on a project to photograph the Napa Valley and surrounding area, including the harvest, over several seasons. Many of my available images are a result of this project. In recent years I have also partnered with several wineries, businesses and non-profits in the area and my work has been featured in brochures, on websites and in other industry media, including Decanter Magazine, Napa Valley Life and California Homes. Most recently, I have helped organize and lead photography tours and workshops in Death Valley, the Alabama Hills, the Eastern Sierra and Napa Valley. I am also privileged to serve on the Boards of the Arts Council Napa Valley and Art Association Napa Valley. These days, my work can be seen at Art Gallery Napa Valley, where I am a permanent member, and at Beneserre Vineyards where I have an ongoing display in the tasting room. Contact information: E-mail: napavalleyimages@icloud.com Instagram: @napavalleyimages Web: www.geoffhansen.photography |
QUINN SAINE
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Originally from rural Indiana, Quinn Saine has always been drawn to the west coast's lifestyle and natural beauty. After competing as a Division I athlete in men's tennis, Saine spent stints in southern California, Hawaiian islands, Patagonia, the Adirondacks, Iceland, the Caribbean, and northern California, where his passion for abstract photography began. Saine's work's primary artistic aspiration is to utilize the dynamic characteristics of the California coast and capture the flow of the ocean and the warm textured sky at dusk. To achieve these images, he accentuates the features of the ocean, sun, and sky by utilizing intentional camera movement. Ultimately, he creates art that exemplifies the simple aesthetics and calming characteristics of the Pacific. Saine has been drawn to the sea ever since falling in love with the endless beauty of California’s Highway 1. After logging thousands of miles traveling the coast, he still finds that the sacrifice of battling long hours and often uncooperative weather in hopes of capturing that fleeting moment at sunrise and sunset is always worthwhile. Not every venture to the coast results in a successful shoot, such as the nature of his craft, but every trip is unique, just like every piece he produces. The majority of his work originates in Jenner, Bodega Head, Point Reyes, and Dillon Beach. The Pacific's energy flows through his pieces, like the rhythm of the waves crashing along the coastline. His artistic vision derives from a constant curiosity of what the next sunset will bring and how best to create a timeless image from the scene. For Saine, the ocean creates a bond to humankind and presents the opportunity to pursue creative passions close to his heart. He hopes to evoke reverence for the sun, land, sea that we share and appreciate every day through photography. |
MICHAEL SCHAER
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
What I See... How I See It ... is the creative thought that drives my desire to visualize, capture and finalize that one-of-a-kind image, an instant in time that otherwise would never be seen again. I categorize my photography as the "ART of FREEZE" ©, referring to my years as a cinematographer and the cinematography term, "Freeze Frame", a single frame of film depicting an inspirational motionless image. "The most important element of a camera lens, is the eye behind it" MjSchaer |
