The Chico Art Center showcased local artists in a brand new event, a patron’s exclusive preview and reception. This event was a prelude to the annual Open Studios Art Tour.

This preview was the center’s major fundraiser. Participants paid $25 to attend and receive the tour guide booklet and complete tickets to the Open Studios Art Tours this month. The gallery featured everything from paintings to handmade jewelry to glass work.

Jason Tannen’s inspiration for his photography piece was film noir, a genre of movies based on crime.

“They were about characters that were sort of pulled along by circumstance and so I did a series,” said Tannen.

“They’re always mainly set in the urban jungle and so I did this series, taking people and putting them into typical noir situations.”

Joyce Quaytman’s medium was watercolors and she explained that her process is to sketch a scene first and work from there. The scenery she painted was of the Hudson River Valley in New York City.

“I decided I would paint, started a sketch there, (then) took some photos ’cause the weather was a little iffy, so I went to the hotel and painted the rest there,” said Quaytman.

Quaytman’s painting was all watercolor, so she explained a bit about the process of how one paints in that medium.

“Wet on wet is the technique,” Quaytman said.

“What that means is that the whole page, or (sections) of it, are usually wet and then you drop paint into a wet sheet, (so) you get these soft edges.”

Jovian Mcmeans used a combination of acrylic, enamel and ink, as well as pieces of newspaper to bring his painting of Darth Vader to life.

“I started working with the shape – working with a whole bunch of colors anything from, like, splatter to moving my hands around and I really saw the Vader shape in it,” said Mcmeans.

“And as I worked on it, it seemed like Vader was being given information but from a source that seemed more empty then alive and that’s where the sock puppet came in,” Mcmeans added.

Ann Winnie, Dory Schachner and Trisha Hopkins all entered the gallery together featuring different styles of art. Winnie showing her skills with a watercolor inspired by nature.

Schachner explored a new medium of art with her graphic design artwork illustrating a song by Enya and Hopkins, putting her sewing skills on display with her Japanese industrial steampunk-style purse.

Vicki Potter, who makes fine jewelry, explained the process of making jewelry.

“If you’re making a necklace you have to figure out how long you want it, what color combinations do you want, and texture combinations or (if) you want more of a mono kind of look with color or shape – or wanna mix it up as I’ve done here,” Potter said about his displayed work.

The stones used in Potter’s work consisted of lavenderite. White pearls and Keshi pearls were held together by a sterling silver wire.

Chico Art Center’s next event will be the Open Studios Art Tour. Participants will be given a map and will get the opportunity to visit local artists’ art studios. Open Art Studios is a two-weekend event that starts Oct. 20-21 and Oct. 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Alex Coba can be reached at [email protected] or @ThatOneGuyCoba on Twitter.