Four Folsom artists have turned their collaborative efforts into a masterpiece of cooperation. These four, Julie Bjorgum, Randy Blasquez, Lisa Deniz and Brandy Hart-Ureel, are committed to helping one another showcase their work at various venues in Northern California.
They’re also dedicated to raising funds for the community. The artists collaborated on a large sculpture for the reception area at Mercy Hospital, Folsom, and their May 17 to 18 home/studio tour – A Living Gallery – will raise funds for the hospital’s new helicopter pad.
Individually, each award-winning artist teaches and/or displays her art in businesses or galleries in both the Sacramento and Sonoma areas. Together, they call themselves “Folsom’s Finest Artists,” a description that is supported by the quality of their work.
Julie Bjorgum, (aplaceinmyart.com) is an accomplished acrylic painter known for her soft, colorful and contemporary visions of the wine country and other California landscapes. She paints abstracts as well, noting that there are two sides to her artistic personality. “The realistic scenes are cerebral, more challenging, and the abstracts are instinctive – an emotional response to color and form,” Bjorgum says.
People who see familiar places in her art are surprised that they are her own impressions. “I’ve always had a vivid imagination and experienced the California outdoors a lot while growing up,” she says.
Bjorgum paints wine country scenes on large, five-liter glass bottles. The one-of-a-kind bottles have been among the high-bid items at several Napa Valley Wine Auctions and are collected by celebrities and art and wine lovers.
A former board member of the Northern California Arts, the Sacramento Gallery Association and the Folsom Arts Association, Bjorgum has been instrumental in initiating exhibits of local artists in business establishments.
Her art is on display in the Sacramento area and in Sonoma at the Homewood Winery. She’ll be the featured artist at Nicholson Ranch’s Overlook Gallery in Sonoma in July and August.
Landscape painter, Randy Blasquez (randyblasquez.com), uses primarily oils on linen in a modern version of a classical impressionistic style. Her eye for color, light and contrast is evident in her paintings of the wine country, the American River, Tahoe and other areas. She studied Russian impressionism under several artists who studied under her favorite artist, Sergei Bongart.
Blasquez considers herself “somewhat of a colorist. I have a love of color and color relationships and enjoy the ability to share the excitement and play of these colors in my work.” She adds, “I believe that if I can get onto canvas just some of the beauty that God has provided for us to enjoy, then that will bring joy to the viewer.”
Blasquez is a member of the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society and the California Art Club and has participated in the Martis Valley Plein Air event at Tahoe. Currently, her work is on display at the new Sacramento Art Complex.
Lisa Deniz (lisadeniz.com) works in several media (fused glass, metal and clay sculpture, silk painting, oils and acrylics), which prompts people to wonder how many artists are showing in one place. “It’s just me,” she quips. “Jumping from one medium to the next continues to fuel my creative spirit and pushes me to reach to the next combination of design elements that I haven’t combined before.”
Her work reflects her passion for color and texture with a style that is contemporary and often whimsical. She’s known for her bold-colored, life-size figures and her mosaic tiles. A series of mask-like faces reflects personalities of women she knows. Each two-dimensional, beige and copper face of steel and copper features her signature oversized, bright-red lips.
Her living room is a gallery of her metal and glass wall art, tables and large-scale figures. “When people enter my ‘living gallery’ space, there’s so much to look at, so much color and so many works. The experience is visual eye candy,” says Deniz.
Paintings and fused glass jewelry complete her portfolio. Deniz offers classes and workshops in her Folsom studio.
Brandy Hart-Ureel (hartnsoulstudio.com), who lives in Folsom and Fort Lauderdale, creates works that are modern, thought-provoking and expressive. Her large-scale oils on linen depict the human form. These, she says, “convey conceptual complexities, even oddities of life that are both emotional and intellectual.”
For Hart-Ureel, reaching viewers with this language of art is one of life’s truest pleasures. She also creates modern figure and abstract sculptures, working with low-fire porcelain and high-fire terra cotta.
Hart-Ureel, owner of the Hart & Soul Studio in Folsom, is co-founder of the EVE Experience, a national women’s group of artists, and hopes to publish The Top 100 Living Women Artists in America for the organization. She teaches classes for the Student Studio Program, mentoring young women artists, ages 9 to 18 and holds workshops for ages 9 to adult.
In addition to showing her work at the Hang It Up Gallery in El Dorado Hills, Hart-Ureel participates in approximately 10 to 12 shows a year in the Sacramento Valley.
The Living Gallery, a showcase of more than 500 pieces of original art, will be presented on May 17-18 in Folsom. The event features the artwork of Julie Bjorgum, Randy Blasquez, Lisa Deniz and Brandy Hart Ureel (collectively known as “Folsom’s Finest Artists”), as well as the works of two visiting artists, Marisa Sayago of Placerville and Allison Carlos of El Dorado Hills.
A $15,000 sculpture donated by the four Folsom artists will be on view in the new emergency wing of Mercy Hospital of Folsom. The four also will donate a portion of the proceeds from the event to help fund Mercy’s new helicopter pad.
It’s the second annual art tour, which last year drew visitors from Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, the greater Bay Area and Napa. Several area businesses are providing specialty foods, wines and services for the event, including Fat’s Asian Bistro, Scott’s Seafood, Bidwell Street Bistro, Mexquite, O!Brots, Mama Ann’s, Carvalho Family Wines, Todd Taylor Wines, Solomon Wine Co. and Peet’s Coffee.
There is no charge for the event, which begins with a VIP preview from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 17. The display is open to the public from 3-8 p.m. May 17, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday, May 18. Complimentary luxury shuttle service is available from Mercy Hospital and the studios.
For details, studio locations and directions, visit
folsomsfinest.com or call 916-989-3634.
