Encinitas Artists of Excellence

Inspirations Gallery Encinitas - March 2024
Reception March 9 from 5:30 to 8:30

Encinitas Artists of Excellence presented by Surfing Madonna Oceans Project is an invitational exhibition that will run for the month of March at the Perspectives Gallery in Encinitas.  Intended as a special tribute to the exceptional artists from Encinitas, Cardiff and Leucadia who have been “Arts Alive” Banner Artists, the artists in the show are: Bob Hord, Donna Butnik, Karin Kellar, Julie Ann Stricklin, Cheryl Ehlers and Cathy Carey. The reception on March 9 from 530 - 830pm will include an exciting musical event with the Peter Sprague Trio performing.  Peter is another one of the exceptional local artists Surfing Madonna wants to honor with inclusion in this show. 

Peter Sprague is an award winning guitarist, composer, publisher, and music instructor who lives in Encinitas. He has worked with some of the finest contemporary jazz artists alive such as Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, Pat Metheny, Sergio Mendes, Hubert Laws, and Billy Childs. He runs his own recording studio called SpragueLand, and he has published several books highlighting his teaching concepts. “Peter is amazing. I have known him for years and have always thought of him as one of the best. A great musician who also happens to be a great guitar player. With Peter I always hear the music first. His amazing touch on the instrument is always present whether on electric or acoustic. The level of precision and discipline he brings to his music is something that he makes seem easy, but is in fact one of the most difficult things a guitarist can be asked to do. He is absolutely masterful at it.” said Pat Metheny in the 2019 San Diego Troubadour.

Bob Hord began his art adventure while in his senior year at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida, when he was recruited by Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. Later he worked for Mattel Toys until he decided to try freelancing as a commercial illustrator and never looked back. “I suppose cartooning is what I’m best known for having illustrated many cards, tee shirts, books. posters, etc. But I also developed a style of paper sculpting that I have used in much of my commercial work as well as fine art pieces. Besides my commercial work my other interests have been ceramic sculpting, metal sculpting, mixed media and creating musical instruments, primarily cigar box guitars, under the moniker Smokebox Bob.” Bob has a great sense of humor and it is evident in all his work. “Over the past couple of years I have worked on a series of black and white paintings depicting the daily life of robots.” Bob is currently working on creating the illustrations for the upcoming Surfing Madonna Ocean Safety coloring book to be used at their Special Needs Surf camps.

Donna Butnik is a native Californian and studied at California Institute of the Arts graduating in 1979 with a BFA. Donna studied painting - oil and watercolor, stained glass, mask making, paper maché, murals, pottery, silk screens (serigraphs) and animation. Her favorite method of painting and teaching is the drip method using enamel house paints, originally inspired by Jackson Pollack. Butnik’s painting techniques enable her to reach subconscious levels of imagery. “My inspiration is drawn from my dreams, models and nature surrounding me. My best creations are when the painting paints itself. I just stand out of the way; and let the drips turn into a visual melody.”

Karin Kellar graduated with honors from the School of Design at NCSU.  She practiced graphic design in Burlington, VT and taught Design classes at Champlain College before moving to San Diego in 2006, and Cardiff in 2009. For her 2022 banner Karin said “I painted this in honor of my Mom, Mary Ann Johnson, who passed away in April 2021. She loved to sit and watch the birds in the wetland areas where I grew up in North Carolina on the Outer Banks. Seeing the Osprey, egrets, ducks and herons reminds me of her and her smile.” The proceeds from the sale of the banner were donated to the Nature Collective in honor of Karin’s Mom.

Julie Ann Stricklin is a full time illustrator, graphic designer as well as fine artist based out of San Diego. She works traditionally as well as digitally. She graduated from San Diego State with a degree in Applied Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in design. A decade later, she returned to school to earn a digital graphics certification from the Advertising Arts College. Julie Ann Stricklin’s Meditation Rocks became a large focus in her life starting in 2012. Her Meditation Rocks can be found all over the world in shops, galleries and museum.

Julie Ann Stricklin has illustrated 20+ published books and covers for indie writers as well as publishers.

Cheryl Ehlers was born in northern California and raised in Europe for most of her formative years. Always interested in the power of creativity, she is both an award winning and published artist who works in a variety of genres in fine art painting, graphic and textile design, using a variety of mediums to express herself.

“I am fundamentally interested in creating works that call for the participation of the audience to the same extent as my involvement in it. The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery of the story, and evoke basic human emotions.”  Ehlers believes, that art can have a tremendous impact, and advises students and adults, “don’t be afraid to explore yourself, or be concerned what others might think, just be confident in your beliefs”.

Cathy Carey’s paintings express an essential connection of all things through a joyous spirit. As an accomplished oil painter, Cathy studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC and has a BFA in painting. 

“My paintings take place in an altered reality. When I travel I fill up sketchbooks with blind contour sketches, in order to create interesting and exaggerated shapes and sweeping expressive lines! Back home in my studio I work up my sketches into paintings. I choose the colors to express the way a place and time feels to me. I let my experiences percolate into memories, so I’m painting something I felt, not just something I saw.” Cathy was the past Executive Director and President of Surfing Madonna Oceans Project and is now Director of Programming for Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad. Her paintings are represented by InArt Gallery in Santa Fe NM, The Ranch at Taos in Taos NM, Wilde Meyer Gallery in Scottsdale and Tucson AZ.