Occidental artist Amanda Mae Blackmore rustles up spirited illustrations and paintings that evoke an Old West sensibility and incorporate both the natural world and imaginative surrealism.
This weekend, the young painter debuts a crop of her whimsical work when she and other local artists join a bevy of folk bands for the one-night-only “Busted Banjo” art show, Feb. 27 at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa.
Using wood as the canvas for her latest series of portraits, Blackmore imagines ghostly-looking characters from the Wild West, as well as eerily realistic illustrations of two-headed animals floating among the wooden rings of wood. Other local artists joining Blackmore on the gallery walls include watercolor painter Merisha Sequoia Lemmer, whose work often recalls her Native American heritage and her intimate relationship with nature, and Jessica Rasmussen, whose day job as an arts specialist in Santa Rosa informs her detailed drawings.
On the music side of the night is a stellar lineup of North Bay folk stars. The Bad Apple String Band headline and reportedly are planning a boot-stomping night of boy-band cover songs done in their old-time style.
The Busted Banjo art show breaks out on Friday, Feb 27, at Arlene Francis Center,
99 Sixth St., Santa Rosa. 6pm. $8. 707.528.3009.
