NEW Heron Hall Art Exhibit “Birds of the Laguna”

This beautiful exhibit features local artist Diana Majumdar’s mixed media and encaustic paintings of birds and landscapes of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. In this show Diana explores the connections between humans and birds in Sonoma County. “Birds are all around us. We live together. My works are inspired by their beauty and our coexistence.” Gathering materials and inspiration from hiking the Laguna trails and from the grounds around Heron Hall, Diana paints the birds from photographs she takes. She combines various media into the finished painting: watercolor, ink, graphite, collage, and chine cholle. Then she seals the surface with wax and paints on top of it with oils. For this show she also incorporates articles from the local paper on local bird watching, texts on common bird populations in Sonoma County, and research on bird population decline. 

About her process, Diana explains, “Combining media is not only fun but intriguing. Sometimes I start a painting knowing exactly what the goal is, and sometimes I start with one image or object that catches my eye. While hiking along the Laguna, I’ll see red winged blackbirds sitting on branches -- the image just stays with me and I’ll start working from that impression.  I was initiated into bird watching by my younger son’s natural interest in birds. He and I went on hikes armed with binoculars and camera. Watching and photographing birds then lead me to sketching and then painting them. Appreciation of birds offers moments of beauty and inspiration. I’m more interested in the birds that we find among us rather than exotic species from faraway lands. Estuaries, rivers and wetlands are places to look for birds, but we often take for granted the wealth of birdlife in our backyards. As the urban and suburban areas keep growing and replaces natural habitat, some disappear but some choose to stay and become part of our lives.”

The Heron Hall Art Gallery at the Laguna Environmental Center exhibits multiple shows per year of nature-themed art, sales of which supports the educational and conservation efforts of the Foundation.  Heron Hall is open Monday through Friday 9am-5pm, but because of the various uses of the hall, please call in advance to ensure it will be open for viewing the art, 707-527-9277, ext. 110. 

For more information, see www.lagunafoundation.org,

The Heron Hall Art Exhibits Webpage http://www.lagunafoundation.org/learning_art-exhibits.html,
Or contact Anita Smith, Public Education Manager, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation

(707) 527-9277 x 110, anita@lagunafoundation.org