Charlotte Valestra will be featured in an exhibit entitled “Anything Goes”. Valestra chose the title to express the range of materials that inspire her. Natural materials such as fur and bones, artifacts, ceramics, cast and fabricated metal work, as well as conventional artists’ materials, all find their way into her intricate and exquisitely crafted artwork.

A jeweler for thirty years and a fine art painter for ten years she began in 1998 experimenting with the art of assemblage. Valestra is known for her distinct and elegant style, and her work has a dreamlike quality.

Content and meaning are very important to her work, Valestra said. Process is perhaps the most important aspect of her work as she devotes much time to learning the technical skills required by the materials that inspire her.

“My background as a jeweler gave me familiarity with metalwork, but later I found that I wanted to work with steel. So I trained with Richard Yaski at the Mendocino Art Center and learned to weld.” A purchase of ceramics from Dresden , Germany inspired Valestra to explore this medium, creating ceramics of her own, which she also incorporates in her assemblages.

Location: 302 E. Cota Street (805) 884-0459 ext. 15, Santa Barbara, CA

The assemblages and mixed media work of  at the AFS Gallery from August 2 through September 6, 2008. An artist’s reception, open to the public, will be held on August 2 from 5 to 7 pm.

AFS Gallery is located upstairs at the Art From Scrap warehouse, 302 East Cota Street , in downtown Santa Barbara . The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, and on Thursdays from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. Art From Scrap, call (805) 884-0459. artfromscrap.org