Sonoma husband-and-wife artists to open exhibit at Bump Cellars

The August show at Bump Cellars will feature two local artists, Theodora and Kevin Elston, who will exhibit works of painting, drawing and sculpture. The artist reception is on Friday, Aug. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The husband-and-wife artists have lived in Sonoma more than 25 years. They say they met as freshman at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, majored in graphic design with fine-arts degrees earned in 1965 and 1966 and have been together making art throughout their more than 50 years of marriage.

Theodora Elston described changing mediums from fiber to paint:

“I am challenged to learn a new language with paint. My paintings sometimes traverse between spontaneous combustion in the moment and hints of subject or story as a tease and still leave room for the imagination to roam,” said Theodora. “Some current paintings reflect inspiration from fiber artwork such as the details in stitched, pieced and quilted fabrics.”

Adds Theodora: “What remains a constant is a fascination with color, texture, pattern and layers. Nature has always been a powerful influence.”

Kevin Elson, meanwhile, says he enjoys the process of “goal-blind pursuit” rather than “intended outcome” in his art. “For this reason I usually start in a corner and let things play out,” he says.

“If the viewer is stifled to make the connection between the forms in my work, that is just ‘ducky’ to me,” says Kevin. “I believe that prescriptive predictability can close doors. “