Cartrippin' to Cactus Gallery and the "Dollmakers" Show

Dropping down into LA, we sidetracked to Eagle Rock to check out Cactus Gallery. This little gem is off the beaten LA track for galleries and it's brightly colored exterior only hints at the art inside. The owner, Sandra Mastroianni was a sweetie pie, showing us around with obvious enthusiasm for her space and artists. The inventory in the shop and gallery includes a plethora of hand made items, folk art & crazy local flavor, Day of the Dead objects, mosaic works and fine artisan crafts. Definitely a place to shop for gifts and yourself. The current exhibit - "Dollmakers" features art dolls by many artists, some which are very familiar to Eclectix visitors and readers - Christine Benjamin, Sheri DeBow, Kurtis Rykovich and Carisa Swenson and some wonderful new discoveries. All were fantastic, felted, sewn, carved and/or ceramic, each with their own individual style and footprint on doll making.
The place was packed wall to wall and floor to ceiling with eclectic art, every little nook and cranny. Even the tiny back rooms had killer pieces. A great place to explore and support. Below are just a few tasty nibbles - from the exhibit and the shop, enjoy!

Carisa Swenson

Sheri DeBow

Kurtis Rykovich

Christine Benjamin

Sheri DeBow

Christine Benjamin

Cactus' next upcoming exhibit looks promising as well, a tree themed show which opens April 9th.

Collection and Exhibit of Day of the Dead Art, Eclectix Volume 5

Lady of the Dead by Edith Lebeau

For Eclectix Volume 5, we've put together a spectacular selection of Day of the Dead art and related topics. Just  a few selections are posted here. This collection will continue to grow with new additions.

Enjoy all the deadly art here.

Artist: Jessica Ward

Day of the Lady Bird by Patrushka

Strange Brew Exhibit Reception & Mask Demo at Eclectix

Mask Making & Strange Brew Closing Reception
Artist Diego Rios will demonstrate his mask making skills for the Day of the Dead in the gallery from 4 to 5 PM. Come enjoy his artistry and celebrate the last day of the Strange Brew exhibit at the closing reception from 4-6 PM,Sunday, Nov. 2nd.

Exhibit Dates: October 3rd thru Nov. 2nd, 2008

The "Strange Brew" show features fantastic & strange art by strange artists, celebrating Halloween and El Dia de los Muertos.
Artists included are:-
Tricia Anders, Michael Arbulu, Barry Barnes, Therese Brown , Chris Buzelli, Chris Coles,Gary Comoglio, Kristen Cumings, Alicia DeBrincat, David Habben , Randall Heath, Rey Hernandez, Aaron Johnson, Eric Joyner, Aunia Kahn, Kerry Kate, Craig LaRotonda, Paul Lewin, JB Lowe, Erin Mayo, Katie McCann, Seth McClenahan, Iggy Medeiros, Marco Mejia, Valery Milovic , Mark Mothersbaugh, Patricia Mitchell, Fletcher Oakes, Eric October, Pfeiffer Sisters, Bradley Platz, Diego M. Rios, Joshua Robinson, Michael Roman, Saratoga Sake , Junkyard Sam, Isabel Samaras and Chris Trueman.

For more information about Eclectix wares and/or exhibits; or for opening day info & hours, please visit the website at http://www.eclectix.com.