Upper Lake >> When Anna Sabalone signed herself and her mother up for a joint art show at the Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS), she didn’t ask her mom first. She just put down their names, and told Jennifer Sabalone that in two years they would be displaying their work on the walls of the Upper Lake tasting room.
Even with the lengthy preparation time, Jennifer Sabalone was not enthusiastic about the idea. Although she received a BA in art from California State University, Fresno and worked for 13 years as an art teacher at Upper Lake Elementary School, it had been quite some time since she created a lot of art for herself.
But her daughter wouldn’t stand for it. “I just told her that she’s always telling her students not be afraid to share and she needs to share, too,” Anna Sabalone said. “It’s been a long time since she shared her work.”
Jennifer Sabalone was also hesitant because she tends to work slowly, creating one piece for every five her daughter whips out. But that’s just her process. Anna Sabalone tends to plan pieces in her head, while her mom likes to sketch out her ideas before starting.
“It does not make her work any less amazing or impactful than mine and I want to encourage her to share with the world,” said Anna Sabalone.
She wanted her mother to know that she supports her and that her art is worth putting out there. “I think that’s something that we both preach to our students,” Anna Sabalone added. “We sometimes forget to say it to ourselves.”
But when Jennifer Sabalone did finally come around to the idea of an art show, her daughter didn’t feel the need to give or any tips, tricks or advice. Since her teenage years, when she first displayed her work at the Main Street Gallery in Lakeport, Anna Sabalone has been relying on her mother. She’s always been there in the background, helping with matting and framing.
“I could not have done a single show without her support,” Anna Sabalone said.
She and her mother have followed a somewhat similar life trajectory. Both were raised in Lake County, then went off to college before eventually returning home. While Anna Sabalone didn’t pursue a degree in art, unlike her mother, both women obtained their teaching credentials and became art teachers — Anna Sabalone at Upper Lake High School and Jennifer Salaone at the elementary school.
Even from a young age, Jennifer Sabalone knew her daughter had a gift for art. Before even teaching her about perspective and shading and other artistic techniques, Anna Sabalone was picking them up on her own. Her mother was convinced she would go on to study art in college, and so was her high school art teacher. They were both more than a little surprised when she headed in a different direction.
“It turns out she ended up being an artist anyway,” said Jennifer Sabalone.
Anna Sabalone’s mother had a huge impact on her artistic sensibilities, but she didn’t force her daughter to pursue it. As an art teacher for young children, she’s always been focused more on encouraging creativity and appreciating her students’ abilities than honing their skills. She raised her three children in the same way.
“She never directed me. It was always open and supportive,” Anna Sabalone said. “That had a huge impact on everything I do, not just my art.”
Jennifer and Anna Sabalone’s show, which opens this weekend at the LCWS, is titled “Perspectives” and features mostly pastels and watercolors. The vision was that the show would consist of work Anna Sabalone and her mother created from the same scenes or photographs, hence the title. The idea came from wine and art classes at Olof Vineyards, where both Anna and Jennifer Sabalone were painting pictures of the same winegrapes. Those paintings are included in the show.
Over the past few years, Anna and Jennifer Sabalone have also been taking art classes at Mendocino College from teacher Lorraine Brady Arthur. They would spend nights at the kitchen table working on their assignments or creating work from a photograph Jennifer Sabalone had recently snapped.
“It was interesting to her and I how our idea from the same picture would come out quite different,” Jennifer Sabalone said.
The LCWS show features a number of these pieces, as well as a greater range of work by both Jennifer and Anna Sabalone. There’s work from wine and art sessions at Olof Vineyards and classes at Mendocino College, among other settings and inspirations. A fair few Lake County landscapes are on display, which further contributes to the Perspectives theme — each shows how Anna and Jennifer Sabalone view the place they call home.
There will be a wine and art reception tonight from 5-8 p.m. at the LCWS in Upper Lake. A second reception will take place on Saturday from 4-7 p.m. The show will be on display throughout the month of April. The wine studio is located at 9505 Main St. Call 275-8030 for more information.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
