----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The More the Merrier IV

My art was on display at Art Ark's fourth annual The More the Merrier show. The exhibition showcased the work of 51 Bay Area artists working in variety of media and styles. In the tradition of the French salon-style exhibition design, participating artists were encouraged to install as much art as they could within their allocated spaces. The gallery was packed with art to dazzle the eyes and stimulate the senses. Visitors came to see the art, meet the artists, mingle with friends and family, listen to live music performed by local musicians and enjoy the food, fun, and festive atmosphere!

Opening Reception on Friday, November 1, 6-9pm.
With live music by Mark Davis Accordion Duo.

Closing Reception on Friday, December 6, 6-9pm.
With live music by Dirty Cello.

Participating artists: Carol S. Aaron, Alan Bayudan, Andrew Bayudan, Laura Callin Bennett, Marconi Calindas, David Canavese, Shone Chacko, Jason Challas, Nauhxa Chavira, Dotti Cichon, J. Duncan Cook, Nathan Cox, Susanna Davy, Roberto Fierro, Peter Foley, Sonia Garcia, Gilbert Gonzales, Larry Harrell, Karen Holaday, Colleen Hubbard, Gloria Huet, Laura Kachelmeyer, Barbara Kirst, Malia Landis, Christine Latta, Elaine Lujan, Karen McCann, Gwen Mercado-Reyes, Peter Moen, Andrew Muonio, Christine Oliver, Avery Palmer, Michael Pauker, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Elizabeth Patrician, Lee Petty, Nora Raggio, Valerie Raps, Chauncey Rasmussen, Aimee Santos, Dana Seeger, Rtystk Shavers, Mashaal Sheik, Joseph Skowrinek, Robbie Sugg, Silvia Taylor, Zoe Todd, Roxanna Walker, Jeff Wilson, Gayle Yankee, and Emily Yin.

- at Art Ark Gallery
- 1035 South 6th Street
- San Jose, CA 95112

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tiny 2013

A flock of my brightly-colored bird drawings were at Studio Gallery in San Francisco. The show was full of itty-bitty little artworks, each less than 7x7 inches in size, made by a variety of Bay Area artists.

Opening Reception on Sunday, November 3, 1-6pm.
10th Anniversary Party on Sunday, December 1, 1-6pm.

- at Studio Gallery
- 1815 Polk Street
- San Francisco, CA 94109
- (415) 931-3130

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dia De Los Donuts
A Psycho Donuts Halloween Extravaganza!

Art by Steve Caballero, Nik Caesar, Woody Miller, Christine Benjamin, Murphy Adams, John Cloud, Beth Robinson, Carlos Villez, Michael Foley, Gilbert Armendariz, and Laura Callin Bennett.

Reception on Sunday, October 13, 10am-2pm.

- at Psycho Donuts Campbell
- 2006 S. Winchester Blvd
- Campbell, CA 95008

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each year, Psycho Donuts displays one-of-a-kind paintings for the Valentine's Day season. Some of the art in the Love / Hate Art Show, like my painting Love Frog Four, celebrated the sweet and romantic side of the holiday. On the other hand, there were also some downright demented anti-Valentine paintings in this show!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of my colored pencil drawings, titled Green Winged Rabbit, was part of a group show called Vital at The Usuals. You can see photos of the show on the San Jose Metro website.

This show included work from 52 local artists! Oscar Lars, Fernando Amaro, Mike Stefanski, Julie Barrett, Sonia Orban-Price, Ricardo Bonilla, Peter Carey, Matty Klemanski, Max Johnson, Kori Thompson, Christina Henneuse, Jeremiah Herada, Karmen Vigor, Amine Rastagar, Joseph Skowrinek, Shawn-Paul Gilbert, Erica Atreya, Shannon Amidon, Joshua Quinonez, Actual Rafiq, Joel Ruiz, Michael Montoya, April Burton, James Vidal, Edgar Godinez, Chauncey Rasmussen, Sid Enck, Josh Marcotte, Antonio Castro, Michelle Waters, Steven Suiter, Al Preciado, Anthony Black, Sara Tomasello, Kevin Cornejo, Hope Kusy, Steven Rubalcaba, Mary Anne Gerhardt, Michael Foley, Susan Babbel, Christine Rasmussen, Frances Marin, Chris Patton, Nancy Ahn, Jennifer Ahn, Jai Tanju, Francisco Zarate, Ikke Greca, Bryan Lopez, Danny Valencia, and Yubey Delgado.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love Frog Four was part of the HARK! annual holiday art show at Kaleid Gallery. HARK! included hundreds of small and affordable works by Kaleid member artists, as well as works by some invited artists from the greater San Jose area.

Participating artists: Murphy Adams, Frank Aguilar, Jaclyn Alderete, Fernando Amaro, Shannon Amidon, Mariana Barnes, Christine Benjamin, Sandi Billingsley, Julie Bilyeu, Mike Borja, Lacey Bryant, Keith Bunnell, Nicolas Caesar, Shone Chacko, Kim Christman, Mark Damrel, Joe Decker, Charis DeRemer, DonBon, Cari Ferraro, Michael Foley, Kim Gordon, Michele Guieu, Katie Gutierrez, Andre Hart, Jeff Hemming, Leah Jay, Dylan Kelly, Oscar Knutsson, Leeonista, Katrina Marie Loera, Drew McSherry, Joshua Marcotte, Frances Marin, Kimy Martinez, David Mejia, Mariya Milovidova, Yumi Miyagawa, John Paulson, Joe Perea, Anabella Piñon, Al Preciado, Amine Rastgar, Steven Reece, Jen Renzel, John Renzel, Leslie Ann Rice, Blaise Rosenthal, Valerie Runningwolf, Karen Carlo Salinger, Miha Sarani, Matthew Seigel, Steven Suiter, Courtney Thiesen, Kori Thompson, Amanda Triplett, Michelle Waters, Jeanne Yee.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Science Friction show at On The Corner Music.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cliffhanger show at Canvas Ghost.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day of the Dead Donut show at Psycho Donuts in Campbell.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

San Jose Creatives One Year Anniversary Group Exhibition at Kaleid Gallery.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exquisite Corpse show at Kaleid Gallery.

Exquisite Corpse is based on the Surrealists’ techniques exploiting the mystique of spontaneity and collaborative creativity through a visual parlor game.

Each participating artist was given a blank piece of paper on which they created one third of a figure (head or torso or legs, assigned at random). KALEID Gallery staff then collected and arranged all the unique works of art into a fantastic exhibit of unexpected visual mayhem.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bug Show exhibit at Psycho Donuts in Campbell.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Momentum Leap show at Art Object Gallery , 592 North Fifth Street, San Jose, California, 95112

The Silicon Valley Artists' Collaborative's bi-annual group show, "Momentum Leap" features works by:
Johane Amirault, Tessie Barrera-Scharaga, Laura Callin Bennett, Phil Bongiorno, Della Calfee, Susan Carnahan, Sydney Dunton, Andrea Ewald, Erica Goss, Yolanda Guerra, Richard Gillion, JayCee, Faye Kala, Robert Knight, Jon Kwak, Vince Liu, Therese May, Marcos Montes, Kim Munson, Les Nielsen, Archil Pichkhadze, Sue Rankin-Pollard, Inna Razmahova, Tim Ryan, Susan Taylor Brown, Deborah Mills Thackrey, Elizabeth Unpingco, and Nancy Walters.

Events during the run of the show include an Artist's Panel Discussion and Reception Friday March 9th, 7 to 10pm, on Japantown's Second Friday Art Walk.

Closing Reception:
Saturday, March 31st, 7 to 9pm, featuring a poetry reading by Erica Goss introducing her new book "Wild Place"

www.SVArtists.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was interviewed by Shannon Amidon for San Jose Creatives, a blog that showcases the artistic community of the South Bay. I am always curious to learn how other artists make their work, so went into some detail about my own materials and methods in the interview.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My paintings Squirrel with Acorns and Love in the Forest were in the tiny show at Studio Gallery in San Francisco.
The show was full of itty-bitty little artworks, each less than 7x7 inches in size.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two of my paintings were in Beyond the Comic Strip at Canvas Ghost. "Comics bring a sense of adventure, a sense of escape. They are larger than life and far more exciting than the existence we endure." The show was up for two days, including food and live music.

The other artists in the show were Anthony Barbaria, Christine Benjamin, David Hartman, David Mejia, Deborah Barba, Denny North, Diana Hartman, Eddie, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Glenn Domingo, Gonzalo Luna, Jared Konopitski, Jaya King, John Cloud, J.B. Kelly, Kathy Blackburn, Katrina Marie Loera, Kimy Martinez, Omar Barba, Lacey Bryant, Matthew Bailey Seigel, Michael Foley, Rajiv Nair, Sonja Caldwell, and Tommy Demeuth.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am a member of the Silicon Valley Artists Collaborative, which formed in 2008 as a group dedicated to increasing the visibility and success of professional artists in the South Bay area. Our third annual show of fine art, Momentum 2011, took place at Firehouse North Gallery in Berkeley. The show featured paintings, sculpture, photography, poetry, ceramics, fine woodworking, textile arts, jewelry, mixed media, and installation art from award-winning Silicon Valley artists.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This little news entry is just here to help my website show up in Google search results when people misspell my name. I admit that Callin is not a very normal middle name, so I don't mind if people aren't sure how to spell it. So far, I have seen my name spelled in all of these interesting ways:
Laura Bannett
Laura Benett
Laura Bennet
Laura Bennett
Laura Caitlin Bennett
Laura Calin Bennet
Laura Callin Benett
Laura Callin Bennet
Laura Callan Bennett
Laura Callen Bennett
Laura Callln Bennett

Kaleidospoke at the Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe.

My painting Bluebird in the Summertime was in an art show called All the Time. The painting is the second in a series of bluebirds. For this one, I used dusty colors like grayish blue, sage green, and the color of dry grass to represent the way the land looks in California in the dry summertime. The show was at On The Corner Music, a nifty little vintage vinyl record store in Campbell. The show was organized by Anthony Barbaria and included art by Sonja Caldwell, Rebecca Shucart, Trina Merry, Mel Jimenez, Katrina Marie Loera, April McGuire, Monika Rose, Nathan Byrne, Sarah Cruz, Jaime Hoffman, Nik Ceasar, Rich Bustamonte, John Hageman, Jared Konopitski, Erika Cigler, and Dylan Evans.

Two Buck Tuesday was busy as usual.

The improv group Party Fowl entertained everyone by making up scenes and games with suggestions from the audience, sort of like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?".

Cipacteo gave a dramatic demonstration of traditional Aztec dance. He also showed us how to make and decorate a gourd-and-leather bag. He explained how gourds have been utilized by native people around the world as water containers, eating bowls, and bags for carrying sacred medicine.

Laurel will decorate people with Henna! Laurel will be offering traditional and non-traditional small henna tattoo designs. They are all natural and last about 5-10 days. She'll also have a small collection of hand made greeting cards.

Nathan’s Juxle Puzzle: “How to go from 3 simple lines to complex, ‘shape changing’ art pieces…in twenty minutes.” This is Nathan’s personal answer to NOT playing Sudoku. The idea came in a moment of pure inspiration while he was drowning in a cup of black coffee. The Juxle Puzzle is an imaginative and challenging Strategy Game you can play at three different levels of difficulty. All you need is a pencil, paper and your brain. Complete the game and you can go to the Ultimate Next level and make Art. Come join him and learn how to play the Juxle Puzzle Game. See some of Nathan’s completed original pieces. Make your own pieces! It’s a whole thing…

Matthew Seigel's tips4lovers helps you write a lover letter. We supply supplies, you bring an address, love, and $2. While visiting our table, check out our latest zine: How to Get a Boyfriend.

Join cheapskates Courtney and Jo Anne for another free project using recycled materials. Design a hanging lantern with a battery-powered LED and fused plastic shopping bags for your evening summer patio party. Visit craftingforcheapskates.blogspot.com for more projects to make on the cheap.

Jodi will host a Sugar skull demo. Make your own mini skull for $2! Free for kids.

Plants are amazing sprouts of energy rising from the fertile soils of the Earth. Learn a little about plants from Lara Sophia and buy some young plants to raise as your own and possibly eat later. Seed Packet Raffle, no entry fee, one entry per person. Must be present to collect.

Our resident portrait artist David Mejia will be here to draw your portrait while you wait.

Michael Denning will be making his collage buttons. Denning is an artist with the Heart of Chaos Artisan Collective and a volunteer art instructor in Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. He will be creating art buttons out of his "Zen" drawings as well as helping others to create art buttons out of collage and drawings for Two Bucks. Each button is 2.5" and will cost you Two Bucks to make and take home. Proceeds from his sales will help to benefit non-profit Project Knew Groove, a charity art organization based in Half Moon Bay.

Live artists: Andre Hart, Kori Thompson, Mike Borja, Jehoiakim Santos, Morgan Richardson, Steven Recce, Nik Caesar, John Hageman

Beautiful music will be made by Gianfranco on the accordion & Jessica on the piano!

Sugar & Spice will be selling their delicious sweet and savory creations for only $2.

LOTS to DO at this TWO BUCK Tuesday May 17th! KALEID Gallery presents
Two Buck Tuesday. You're invited to join us for our monthly $2 art sale and quirky people get together! We have another great lineup of art, demos and hands on activities! Joanne Yada and Courtney Thiesen show us how to reduce, reuse, and recycle without taking the can to the curb. Fuse together plastic shopping bags and make your own wallet. No sewing, no tape, no hard labor- just iron your creation and make it a useful work of art using the printing on the bags and your own scribbles. Free! http://www.craftingforcheapskates.blogspot.com/
Jessica Spencer will wow us with pirate-themed cross-stitch embroidery! Arrrrr! Julie Jacobs will demonstrate her exquisite wire-wrapped jewelry. Laura Callin Bennett will teach us how to print a Peregrine Portrait with a hand carved linoleum block. Take home your very own Peregrine Portrait! Troy Sims will show us the amazing art of customized paper embossing by hand. Alan Hackler will guide us in the creation of the ultimate paper airplane. Complete with a paper airplane contest at the end of the night! David Mejia, our resident portrait artist, will draw your portrait for a small fee while you wait! Nathan Vargas will host a drawing game he invented called Nathan's Juxl Puzzle. It's very easy to learn and really engages the person's brain and imagination. Nathan was bored one night and wanted a visual game that was a challenge but didn't seem like I was doing math....this is his answer to Sudoku. When the puzzle is completed, it can be easily turned into a piece of art. (The image above is a completed puzzle that has been taken to that next level.) Come learn how to play and take home your own piece of Juxl Puzzle art! FREE Heirloom Tomato Plants! While they last. Six varieties grown with love by Lacey. Live Artists: Jennifer Cordiglia, Steven Reece, Jehoiakim Santos, Suhita Shirodkar, 
Al Preciado, and Andre Trigueiro Hart. Music by DJ Coco. Treats By Sugar & Spice – Two lovely ladies with cupcakes and savory snacks! As always, $2 art will be on sale throughout the evening! 
Free & all ages welcome! Would YOU like to get involved with Two Buck Tuesdays? Let us know!

I was one of 35 Bay Area printmakers who showed their art at the Print Fair, an open portfolio sale of prints at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. The Print Fair was part of ArtHouse, a whole weekend of events at the ICA. Master Printer Fanny Retsek led "Printapalooza!" printmaking workshops. Sculptor Llisa Demetrios led a lunchtime talk about the ICA's presentation of Powers of Ten, a film created by Demetrios' grandparents, Charles and Ray Eames. There were printmaking demonstrations by Tony May (whose retrospective exhibit Old Technology filled the ICA last month) and Modesto Covarrubias (former ICA artist-in-residence). Gail Wight, Terry Berlier, and Christina Seeley talked about their art, which looks at the environment from microscopic to macroscopic scales: from spreading slime mold, to growing tree rings, to sprawling cities. The other printmakers were Kathy Aoki, Kathleen Biersteker, Ewa Gavrielov, Inge Infante, Liz Maxwell, Barbara Morris, Andy Muonio, Luz Marina Ruiz, Curt Schauer, Adele Seltzer, Vladimir Sepetov, Maryly Snow, Mary Souza, Livia Stein, Kerry Vander Meer, Theodora Varnay Jones, Karen Von Felten, Sukey Bryan, Michael Cutlip, Betty Davis, Michal Gavish, Spencer Hale, Dana Harris, Gloria Huet, Kathryn Kain, Ann Knickerbocker, Bob Lamp, Sydell Lewis, Erik Madsen, Mollie McNeil, Donna Orme, Carrie Ann Plank, Sieglinde Van Damme, and Katherine Warinner.

Another fun Two Buck Tuesday ($2 art sale and quirky people get-together) at Kaleid gallery. We had a great lineup of art, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Sandi Billingsley showed how to make recycled styrofoam picture frames. Maria helped people design and make their own buttons. I showed folks how to make pysanky (Ukrainian-style Easter Eggs). These were not your typical pastel dyed eggs! Participants drew intricate designs in wax on the eggs and used brilliant dyes to create one-of-a-kind artwork. It was great to see how after people learned the basic technique, they let their creativity run wild and came up with all kinds of interesting designs. Deb and Omar Barba showed how to construct Diddley Bows, simple musical instruments from the early days of the Blues. They are basically made with a block of wood, a nail, a single wire or guitar string, and one more part that you can slide to achieve a full range of notes. Joanne Yada and Courtney Thiesen taught how to turn plain ol' photos into surreal ol' photos using a bleach pen. They created new reds, oranges, and glowing whites by drawing with a Clorox stain-removing pen directly onto photographs. Alan Hackler taught how to tie white sage incense smudge sticks, using deer grass cordage. He also sold white sage and deer grass starter plants, so participants could create smudges from materials in their own gardens. We had live painting by Kori Thompson, Jehoiakim Santos, and Morgan Richardson. DJ Coco provided music. The Two Buck Crew provided Peeps and other Easter candy, and Sugar & Spice brought adorable mini cupcakes.

My drawing Salad Bunny will be up for auction, with a starting bid of just $1, at the Avant Garden event. It's a fundraiser for a fun urban farming group called Veggielution.
- at Kaleid Gallery
- 88 South Fourth Street
- San Jose, CA 95112
- (408) 947-1785

If all goes according to plan, one of my paintings will be in the Works Benefit Auction 2011. If you've always wanted to see what an art auction is like, but didn't quite have enough cash to visit Christie's or Sotheby's, I recommend checking out this fun and accessible event. Confirmed auction artists: Barbara Allie, Shannon Amidon, Craig Anthony, Kathryn Arnold, Richard James Arredondo, Brande Barrett, Theta Belcher, Laura Callin Bennett, Teya Beradze, Brenda Berg, Lydia Rae Black, Carla Bohnett, Jeff Bramschreiber, Daniel Brunk, Lacey Bryant, Ryan Carrington, Diane Cassidy, Antonio Castro, Vivian Chen, Steve Cooley, Tim Cottengim, Binh Danh, Kathryn Dunlevie, Jared Duran, Karen Fleming, Michael Foley, Kay Fontana, Gloria Gardner, Bea Garth, Waitman Gobble, Karen Haas, Emanuela Harris-Sintamarian, Annelise Hartley, Hedwig M. Heerschop, Pat Huboi, Erikka Hugger, Jai, Will Johnson, Dave Kempken, Sandra Khoury, Robert Knight, Nina Koepcke, Derrick Koh, Anna Koster, Susan (SZN) Kraft, John Kurtyka, Bob Lamp, Katherine Levin Lau, Rita Lewis, Mark A. Lightfoot, David Lippenberger, Francesca Lovecchio, Sheila Malone, Kent Manske, Joshua Marlotte, Kimy Martinez, Ken Matsumoto, Tony May, Darla McKenna, Stephanie Metz, Joe Miller, Jesse N. Molina, Clayton Moraga, Andy Muonio, Maya Munoz, Angelica Muro, Vanessa O’Hanlon, Alajandro A. Olim, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Leroy Parker, Jane Peterman, James Pollard, Carol Ponsaran, Al Preciado, Deva Priya, Grace Purpura, Melina Alexa Ramirez, Valerie Raps, Elke Reis, Rueben Reyes, Jeff Richards, Ally Richter, Steven Rubalcaba, Victoria Ruff, Rueben Rutledge, Ann Ryals, Tim Ryan, Karen Carlo Salinger, Victoria A. Sasselli, Joe Saxe, Matthew Seigel, Troy Sims, Jean Skamra, Keith Southern, Becca Smidt, Sam Smidt, Bonnie J. Smith, Shana Sundstrom, Deborah Mills Thackrey, Lynne Todaro, Gary Tolomei, Jack Toolin, Timothy Tsun, Tom Walsh, Julia Weber, Barbara Weiss, Stan Welsh, Flo Oy Wong, Nanette Wylde, JoAnne Yada, and Karel Youssefi.
- Reception: First Friday March 4 from 7pm to 11pm
- Exhibition: March 4 through March 19
- Auction: Saturday, March 19 with final preview starting at 5pm and Auction at 7pm
- at Works/San Jose
- 451 South First Street
- San Jose, CA 95113
- (408) 286-6800

This feels a tiny bit redundant, but since Two Buck Tuesday does happen monthly, here's a listing for the March Two Buck as well. There will be $2 art, intriguing speakers, and probably live painting by yours truly.
- 7pm-9pm
- at Kaleid Gallery
- 88 South Fourth Street
- San Jose, CA 95112
- (408) 947-1785

I'm now a part of the Two Buck Crew, the folks who organize the monthly Two Buck Tuesday event at Kaleid Gallery. If you would like to do live painting, an art-making demonstration, or some other artsy thing, send me an email with a brief description of what you would like to do.

You can make, sell, or buy tiny art for just $2 at Two Buck Tuesday. If all goes according to plan, I'll be there making itty-bitty art. A series of quirky folks will also be giving interesting speeches on a variety of topics.
- 7pm-9pm
- at Kaleid Gallery
- 88 South Fourth Street
- San Jose, CA 95112
- (408) 947-1785

Kingfisher will be on display at the Tiny Art Show 2011 out in North Carolina. I am happy to see my little art traveling to such a faraway land.
- at Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge
- 404 South Evans Street
- Greenville, NC 27858
- (252) 551-6947

I now have a wall of my own at Kaleid! I am super-excited about it. The art on my wall will continually evolve and change.
- at Kaleid Gallery
- 88 South Fourth Street
- San Jose, CA 95112
- (408) 947-1785

I'll have three paintings of small furry animals at the Benefit for the Humane Society at Axis Art Gallery. For every sale, a percentage of the price will be donated to the Society. The best time to visit will be during the Destination Downtown Open House (date to be announced). At other times the gallery is generally open by appointment. Don't be afraid to call to make an appointment - gallery manager Deborah Mills Thackrey is friendly and will be happy to hear from you.
- at Axis Art Gallery
- 38 North Almaden Boulevard
- San Jose, CA 95110
- (408) 623-9888

Better Luck Next Time. Have you ever heard this phrase? It is defined as "an expression that comforts someone for a minor disappointment." Whether it’s a matter of the heart, life experiences, work or leisure, there is almost always a time when this applies. It might be that piece of art that is loved but just didn't fit the bill. Engaging in a conversation, examining social or political issues, creating humor, capturing history or chronicling a new work—this exhibition will reveal the artistic expression for the meaning behind the phrase. These artists are making the choice to be lucky this year, presenting some great art that will empower time and again while discovering hilarity in Better Luck Next Time.

Presented in collaboration with South Bay Area Women’s Caucus for Art. This exhibition is comprised of members of South Bay Area Women’s Caucus for Art with invited artists from Silicon Valley Open Studios and Silicon Valley Artists’ Collaborative. Guest curators: Mariana Barnes, PhD, SBAWCA Exhibitions Chair, SVOS Steering Committee; Ally Richter, PhD, SBAWCA Vice President, SVOS Exhibitions Manager, Palo Alto Art Commissioner; and Susan Kraft, SBAWCA President.

Reception with the artists: First Friday February 4, 7 to 10pm
- at Works/San Jose
- 451 South First Street
- San Jose, CA 95113
- (408) 286-6800

At the Lovesick show, a plethora of snarky anti-Valentines artwork adorned the walls of the world's weirdest pastry shop, Psycho Donuts in Campbell. Art by Murphy Adams, Carlos Villez, Christine Benjamin, Sheri DeBow, Kurtis Rykovich, Lacey Bryant, Michael Foley, Jenifer Renzel, John Renzel, Isaac Farfan, Laura Callin Bennett (that's me), Michelle Waters, Nicolas Caesar, Christian Cinder, Katrina Marie Loera, Deborah Mills Thackrey, and Jared Konopitski.

Studio Gallery in San Francisco decided to have an impromptu Year of the Rabbit show in between their regularly-scheduled exhibits. Three of my bunny artworks were in this fun and informal celebration of the lunar new year.

I did live painting at a jam-packed Two Buck Tuesday event at Kaleid Gallery. J. Marie & Mike Dvorkin of Surgery.Art hosted a Q&A about their show at Kaleid, “Dark Matter.” Joe Decker demonstrated how to photograph paintings and other artwork, talking about lighting and filtering issues, avoiding reflections, getting the color right, and coping with digital issues. Reiji Hirayama taught us how shoes are made and how to identify quality shoes, then gave a demo on how to properly clean leather shoes to make them last. Richard James talked about his love of collage and the endless possibilities presented by the art form. Shannon Amidon gave a live demonstration of encaustic (wax) painting and mixed media techniques. Lisa Mejia created beautiful henna designs. Sonoma Walden Pond hosted a vegan tea, complete with cucumber sandwiches. J Swizza spun some sweet indie records, David Mejia drew portraits, and Marilyn Rowe recruited yarnbombers. There was live painting by Kimy Martinez, Erikka Hugger, Jehoiakim Santos, Steven Reece, Jimmy Oliver Halverson, Jean Davis, Jo Anne Yada, Courtney, and Mariya Milovidova.

I was part of the Bah, Humbug! show, which featured a multitude of one-of-a-kind artworks all somehow squeezed into On The Corner Music, the tiny vintage record shop at the edge of downtown Campbell. Participating artists included Anthony Barbaria, Joe Campagna, Kori Thompson, Hellaphants, Steven Sczepanik, Nic Caesar, Antwon Paulino, Eduardo, Tyson Johnston, Israel Acosta, Musk, Porko, Alda Mendoza, Bob Rosenthal, Jessie Jane, Noggin, Michelle Barbaria, Hannah Barbaria, Sonja Caldwell, Melanie Jimenez, Whitney Barbaria, Anthony Trayer, Katrina Loera, and more.

HAVE YOURSELF A CRAZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!
Sunday, December 12
Psycho Campbell
10:00am - 3:00pm

Holidays got ya going crazy? Join us for our annual Christmas insanity at Psycho Donuts Campbell. Pick up some original off-beat holiday art starting for as little as $40 and meet some truly psycho artists like Christine Benjamin, Deborah Barba, Carlos Villez, John Hageman, Sheri DeBow, Kurtis Rykovich, Lacey Bryant, Laura Collin Bennett, Michael Foley, Michelle Waters, Nicolas Caesar, and Christian Cinder! You can also pick up the 2011 Psycho Nurse Calendar for only $13, and score 2011 coupons worth $66!

And what Psycho event would be complete without Psycho karaoke - from our crazy friend Bruce Rogers of Korkaraoke!

Why should Psycho Campbell get to have all the fun? What about some good times for our friends at Psycho San Jose?


Have Yourself a Crazy Little Christmas
-Psycho Donuts
-Campbell, CA

My painting The Madman Sees His Nurse with Stars will be part of a show called Ring in the New. It's the South Bay’s most inclusive and eclectic exhibition - the 2010 members' show at Works/San Jose, your community art and performance center. The opening and closing receptions coincide with the monthly South First Friday Art Walk.
- Friday, December 3: Opening Reception 7pm-10pm.
- Friday, January 7: Closing Reception, Member Party, and Annual Meeting all 7pm-10pm.
- at Works/San Jose
- 451 South First Street
- San Jose, CA 95113
- (408) 286-6800

San Francisco's Studio Gallery displayed three of my cute little paintings: Star Thistle Rabbit, Middle Sister Rabbit, and Green Lizard. The paintings were part of the annual Tiny Show, where all the art is smaller than 7"x7". Click here to see some of the other art in the show. The other artists included Joshua Yerby, Christine Benjamin, Lacey Bryant, Michael Foley, and Sheri DeBow.

I participated in the Foothill Art Society's Holiday Miniatures Sale.

You can make, sell, or buy tiny art for just $2 at Two Buck Tuesday. I'll be there making itty-bitty art, and a series of quirky folks will be giving interesting speeches on a variety of topics.
- Tuesday, November 16: 7pm-9pm
- at Kaleid Gallery
- 88 South Fourth Street
- San Jose, CA 95112
- (408) 947-1785

My painting Falling Roller Girl was up for bidding at the Silicon Valley Roller Girl Wine Tasting, Art Auction, & Costume Party at The Grapevine in Willow Glen. The event helped the feisty ladies of our local teams, the Dot.Kamikazes and KillaBytes, raise money to pay for everything a roller girl needs: airfare to kick butt in other cities, a lousy motel room when she gets there, gear, uniform, x-rays, corn pads, arnica, and nutritious, energizing snacks to bring home trophies. Other artists who donated art for the auction included Joe Fox, Trina Merry, Diego Marcial Rios, Jim Cottingham Photography, and Gil from NDVR Comix. In keeping with the Halloween theme, one of the highlights of the auction was a sculpted zombie shark by Jef Wind.

I made itty-bitty art amongst the many other Halloween-themed activities at Kaleid Gallery's monthly Two Buck Tuesday. Jodi Mascarenas led a very popular sugar skull workshop: children and adults received blank sugar skulls and decorated them with colored icing and gems to make beautiful creations for Day of the Dead. Clayton Lawrence, Scenic and Theme Designer for California's Great America Halloween Haunt, described the work that goes on behind the scenes to create the park's Halloween attractions. Artist Mariya Milovidova did face painting and temporary tattoos as well as painting live on canvas. Kyle Ames, a professional caricature artist at Great America, was on hand to draw fun caricatures of visitors.

I was part of the Day of the Dead art party at Canvas Ghost, which featured work by 29 artists from the growing San Jose art scene: Aunt Jane's Creations, Deborah Barba, Omar Barba, Christine Benjamin, Tony Blends, Nik Caesar, Kathy Blackburn, Lacey Bryant, John Cloud, Cindy Couling, Christopher Elliman, Michael Foley, Haley Goodlett, Talia Gragert, David Hartman, Diana Hartman, Jared Konopitski, Katrina Marie Loera, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Inna Razmakhova, Reuben L. Rutledge, Kurtis Rykovich, Matthew Bailey Seigel, Troy Sims, Carlos Villez, Michelle Waters, Darren Wiebe, and Celeste Young. We listened to intriguing live sitar music by Fontain's M.U.S.E., accordion tunes by Gianfranco & Friends, and more music by Paul Relvas. It was great to see how the common theme of Dia de los Muertos brought forth a compelling and harmonious show from such a varied group of artists. My contribution was an intricate new painting honoring dead (extinct) species, titled Peregrine Falcons Hunted Passenger Pigeons.

Momentum 2010 was the second annual show of the Silicon Valley Artists Collaborative, of which I am a member. I had four paintings in the show at Art Object Gallery. The other exhibiting artists were Tessie Barrera-Scharaga, Phil Bongiorno, Ellen Brook, Della Calfee, Anrea Ewald, Syd Dunton, Yolanda Guerra, Clark Gussin, Nancy Hines, Julie Jacobs, Robert Knight, Lori Krein, Archil Pichkhadze, Inna Razmakhova, Patricia Rich, Ally Richter, Tim Ryan, Deborah Mills Thackrey, Elizabeth Unpingco, Cristina Velazquez, and Donald Bruce Wright. We had three events throughout the show. First was a Small Reception on October 1. Next was a Big Reception on October 8, when visitors could stroll around the neighborhood to see several other art events: Streetbot, glass-blowing at Casa Fuego, a reception at Cukui, and the opening reception for Beans at nearby Empire Seven Studios. We finished up the show with a Halloween party October 30, when visitors could also stop in to see Art Object Gallery's new neighbors, Sparkplug Art.

My painting Middle Sister Rabbit is on display as part of the The Nature of Art show at Axis Art Gallery.
- 38 N. Almaden Blvd
- San Jose, CA 95113

I was a featured artist at the Two Buck Tuesday live sketch session at Kaleid Gallery. I made little drawings on the spot.

I was part of STREET MRKT, an urban do-it-yourself art fair with live music.
- 6pm to midnight
- South First Street between San Carlos and San Salvador (in front of Anno Domini gallery, 366 South First)
- San Jose, CA 95113

Donuts and Nurses and Art, Oh My! General wackiness ensued at this art show at Psycho Donuts. Two paintings by yours truly were included. The other artists in the show were Eric Joyner, Murphy Adams, Christine Benjamin, Michael Borja, Lacey Bryant, Nik Caesar, Sheri DeBow, Michael Foley, John Hageman, Valery Milovic, Simon Salas, and Michelle Waters.

My painting Middle Sister Rabbit was part of the Furs, Feathers & Fins exhibit at the Pacific Art League Main Gallery. This was a juried show featuring art chosen by Karen Kienzle, Director of the Palo Alto Art Center.

My painting Bird Flu was one of many works by local artists sold at the annual Works Live Benefit Auction. It was a fun way to support Works/San Jose, an artist-run gallery that's been making things happen since 1977.

I made art as usual at Kaleid Gallery's "Two Buck Tuesday" $2 art sale and quirky speaker event. Featured Artists Shannon Amidon and Centa Schumacher talked and answered questions about their current solo shows, Efflorescence and Preconscious (respectively). Amie Frisch, the director of Veggielution, a nonprofit Community Farm on the East Side of San Jose, talked about the importance of growing our own food in the city, and the trials and tribulations that go along with it. Avery Burke and Kate Saturday presented A Night of Zoological Edification. Burke expounded upon strange and unusual animals whilst Saturday illustrated them before our very eyes! Omar & Deb Barba of Canvas Ghost Productions presented How to Throw your own Art Party- the ins and outs of organizing, publicizing and hosting an art event in your own home. Cherri Lakey & Brian Eder of Gallery Anno Domini answered questions about the future of art in San Jose. Shannon Amidon provided an interactive demonstration of her camera-less photographic process, giving us a chance to learn how her unique lumen prints develop. The San Jose Yarnbombers hosted a stitching circle. More live art-making was done by Michael Foley, Michael Borja, Chris Kisler, Michelle Waters, Lara Sophia, Matthew Bailey Seigel, and underground comix artist Joe Thompson.

I talked about my art with visitors during Silicon Valley Open Studios. For this event, fellow artist Lori Krein kindly let me display my art in part of her studio at The Alameda Art Works in San Jose.

Visitors to Kaleid Gallery stepped inside the minds of artists at the Sketchbook Show, where viewers could see finished paintings and the sketchbooks that inspired them. My paintings and sketchbooks were featured in this show, along with work by Murphy Adams, Ivy Atoms, Shirine Azimianaraki, Christine Benjamin, Julie Bilyeu, Michael Borja, Lacey Bryant, Chemix, Drew Clark, Mark Damrel, Emonic, Michael Foley, Ivan Gonzales, Miguel Machuca, David Mejia, Trina Merry, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Pellet, Annabella Pinon, T.h. Pug, Kate Saturday, Matt Seigel, Yarick Semich, Lara Sophia, Ben Shuts, Jasper Thomas, Dax Tran-Caffee, and Michelle Waters.

Three of my white rabbit paintings, along with the work of 30 other artists all inspired by the story of Alice in Wonderland, appeared in a show called Wonderland 2010 in San Jose.

My tiny drawings featured again at Kaleid Gallery's monthly Two Buck Tuesday event.

My zine Little Animals Quoting Oscar Wilde was part of the Art of Zines 2010 exhibit at Gallery Anno Domini.

You are invited to Connections, a two-person art show featuring yours truly along with Lori Krein. Lori is an eco-friendly collage artist, art instructor, and host of the how-to art TV show "Lori Krein's Open Studio."

Where: Barefoot Coffee
5237 Stevens Creek Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(on the northeast corner of Stevens Creek and Lawrence Expressway)
(408)248-4500
Mon-Fri 7am-9pm
Sat-Sun 8am-9pm

My tiny drawings were on sale at Two Buck Tuesday at Kaleid Gallery in San Jose.

My painting Aurora was on display at Red: Berkeley Art Center Artist Members Showcase. "An annual tradition, the showcase includes work in all media, presented salon-style in BAC's beautiful gallery space nestled in Live Oak Park. Featuring a wide array of perspectives, this exhibition celebrates the diversity and vibrancy of our cultural community."

More of my tiny drawings were on sale during Two Buck Tuesday at Kaleid Gallery in San Jose.

I participated in the monthly Live Sketch Session at Kaleid Gallery. Along with other local artists, I made quirky little art on-the-spot and offered it for sale at $3 each. One of the featured artists at the event was Andrew "The Slow Poisoner" Goldfarb.

I drew for five hours during the Noon2Noon drawing marathon fundraiser at Works/San Jose. Later that day, I was part of a reception for art@axis, which included five of my paintings.

I was a featured artist at the Live Sketch Session at Kaleid Gallery, along with Fernando Amaro, Robbie Lopez, and Timothy Tsun. If you missed it, check out the Phantom Galleries blog.

Three of my paintings were in the "Allusion or Illusion" art show at Canvas Ghost in San Jose.

My painting Anagram was on display at Works/San Jose as part of "All For One!...", their 2009 members' exhibition. It's been described as "the South Bay's most inclusive and eclectic salon style exhibition." The show was a great success for Works, attracting a record 3,000 visitors.

Art@Axis opening reception, Axis, San Jose CA. Read the article on Examiner.com.

Zine Party Tonight! at Kaleid Gallery, San Jose CA.

More of my extra-tiny artworks were on sale for $2 at Two Buck Tuesday, noon-8pm, at Kaleid Gallery in San Jose.

Many of my extra-tiny artworks were on sale at Two Buck Tuesday at Kaleid Gallery.

Axis, the luxury condo high-rise in downtown San Jose, has started displaying work by local artists. My painting Columbine Kelp is part of the on-going exhibition. It is curated by Deborah Mills Thackrey.

An article about my art was published on Examiner.com: "Laura Callin Bennett: Profile of the Artist." It was written by Erica Goss, a fellow member of the Silicon Valley Artists Collaborative.

This may have been the first month I went to Two Buck Tuesday at Kaleid Gallery.

Five of my paintings were on display at The Good Shop, a nifty little vintage clothing store + gallery in San Francisco's Mission District.

One of my drawings was featured in the exhibit "Contemporary Woman 2009: Small Works, Little Treasures" at the Chico Art Center.