Meet the Artists Behind Their Exceptional Work at A La Carte & Art, May 2-3 in Downtown Mountain View

Downtown Mountain View’s always bustling Castro Street will be transformed into a stunning open-air gallery of contemporary fine art and one-of-a-kind crafts during A La Carte & Art, May 2-3. Meet and buy from more than 200 of America’s top artists and craftmakers and stroll among colorful well-stocked booths filled with dazzling wood carvings, silk clothing, watercolor landscapes, shimmering glass vessels, leather goods, functional ceramics, breathtaking photography, metal sculpture, original jazz music and much more at Mountain View’s popular springtime festival of the arts.

Functional Art

Get ready for summer barbecues with sturdy outdoor cedar furniture by Steven Andersen. His products are assembled with waterproof glue and stainless steel screws. Choose from comfortable tables and chairs, planters and wooden benches. Dean Shapiro makes soothing water fountains, oil lamps and vases from nature’s raw materials. He uses high-quality slate from Mariposa, South India, South China and North Africa. Each piece is sanded, coated and sealed. Shizuko and Toshi Shichishima fire traditional Japanese ceramics. Their handcrafted bowls, vases, dishes and ornamental pieces are accented with delicate designs. In addition to creating glistening glass photo holders and jewelry, Gila Sagy flattens wine bottles into unique cheese platters. The artist is fascinated by the texture and iridescent colors of glass.

Fine Art

Contemporary abstract painter Katherine Schad lives in the Sierra foothills, where she inspired by her rural environment. Katherine prefers a bold color palette. She pays close attention to light and depth by layering paint. From cheery British pubs to charming French farmhouses, Siep Bueneker’s vibrant photography is simply breathtaking. Siep travels throughout Europe and the Southwestern United States to snap his mesmerizing images. Starry, starry night…Bill Shupp is a landscape photographer with a passion for night sky photography. His photos are dramatic and intense, and his work has been featured in The Huffington Post and Smithsonian Science. Randy Garber paints acrylic, semi-realistic Bay Area landscapes. The artist often can be spotted at Almaden Park, Loma Prieta Peak and Shoreline Park. Randy uses vivid colors and he enjoys painting large canvases.

Wearable Art

Brian Punches founded his jewelry company in 1979 after becoming a goldsmith in Florence, Italy. He mixes gold with shimmering tanzanite, gold quartz, watermelon tourmaline, boulder opals, diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Brian also designs custom-made pieces for his customers. Travel in a snap…Katrin Birkholtz created the stylish Hip Hugger. These clever belts provide a safe haven for credit cards, makeup and cell phones. Hip Huggers snap around the waist and are available in three sizes. Jane Mohr describes her clothing as “wearable art.” She is a former editorial fashion photographer whose Dress to Kill fashion line has been featured at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks. For the woman on the go, visit Lisa Candee for breezy fabric bags. Her purses are durable, washable and have plenty of pockets. Lisa’s bohemian designs are sewn from repurposed fabrics.

Sculpture and Mixed Media

During the 1960s, Joe Clifton studied the architectural icons of Space Age buildings and Frontier Village amusement park. He learned how to weld after moving to a farm in West Virginia. Today, Joe creates whimsical sculptures from recycled sheet metal that are inspired by retro objects and science fiction. Yan Inlow has practiced embroidery since she was 10 years old. Blending Japanese and Chinese art styles, she paints images on silk backing and then accents each image with silk embroidery. Yan’s work usually depicts scenes of people, animals and village life. Down to the wire…Sten Hoiland has always admired Alexander Calder’s wire art. He aims for simplicity to keep the energy of each figure light and airy. Sten’s subjects include leaping dancers, comical characters and wild animals. Dorinda Bolen recreates history through her exquisite artwork. She imagines famous characters from Renaissance art and historical novels while creating her masterpieces. Dorinda’s varnishing technique transforms pictures into cracked 3D images. Check out her extraordinary furniture, jewelry boxes, mirrors, linen chests, vases apothecary jars, pendants, pins and Limoges boxes.

WHEN: May 2-3, 2015. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

WHERE: On Castro Street, Mountain View, California; between Church Street and Evelyn Avenue.

INFO-LINE: 650-964-3395

WEBSITE: http://www.miramarevents.com/alacarte

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/mountainviewalacarteartfestival

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/miramarevents

YOU TUBE: https://youtu.be/FZ58PkJ6ZvM