Principal Instigator, Make It Main Street
Meet the Artists
I’m excited to be in the group of artists launching the new Art Vault Gallery, Half Moon Bay! Thanks for viewing my photography.
I’m always happy to hear from you. My personal challenge is to create the most striking photography on a personal level, then be able to share that vision with others and enjoy their reactions!
My photography either represents the subject realistically, or is an artistic interpretation from the original where I digitally create something imaginative. A personal interest is to be excellent technically, while building a strong foundation that enhances the media selection or placement of the artwork. I want to photograph subjects for the challenge of it, and mastery of the vision. I enjoy being creative. It’s all fun!
I like to shoot coastal scenes, landscapes, travel, and more! I prefer vibrant color, showing the subject with the best light. I offer my artwork in a variety of media choices. Contemporary favorites are metal print, acrylic finish, wood, canvas and framed art.
I feel fortunate to be a local Coast-side resident for the last 38 years!It’s been a joy to be part of the H.M.B. community, participating in various organizations, work and school volunteer activity over the years. The ever-changing natural surroundings and the local friendships have enriched me, and my family.
Barbara Masek Photography has also been a commercial photography business since 2010, working with clients in head-portrait, event, promotional assignments. During the past year, I opened an online shop with prints, media, & merchandise offered.
Shop local and please enjoy, Cheers, Barbara
Casey is a lifelong, Half Moon Bay local. She created Layers Of Intention during the beginning of her Master’s degree program in Mind-Body Medicine nearly three years ago as a grounding tool, through the creation of jewelry and her Reiki practice. Now as she enters her Ph.D. program in Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University, she still finds comfort in creating pieces of jewelry that are layered with intention through the metaphysical properties of crystals.
Glass artist, Douglass C Brown, is on a personal mission to share hot glass experiences with all those want to see/learn what they can about the process of blowing/sculpting hot glass. Using the time between classes, he creates glass art that is a mix of his takes on nature and functional glassware. He is currently operating 2 glass blowing studios in The Bay Area, Half Moon Bay Art Glass and Mare Island Art Glass. He has also created the Glass Troubadours, which is a mobile glass blowing studio designed to do single events like parties/or craft shows or medium to long term stays on corporate campuses. Look for him at the local Make it Main Street Thursdays in Half Moon Bay blowing glass on the street.
Originally from New Haven CT, Android majored in sculpture and ceramics. Interested in the ideas and philosophies of perspective; how each individual experiences their own reality- he moved to photography as a conceptual medium in 2008.
Influenced by artists such as William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, Droid began studying and shooting full time in 2010. Shortly thereafter, he became the California segment’s Operations Manager for a small production company based out of TN. Both directing and producing videos and stills for local commercials and real estate, Droid then went to full time freelance photography in 2012. Now with more than 13 years behind the camera, he continues to contract for realtors, architects, and interior designers. His work can be seen throughout California, both in print and digital form.
Erika Adkins creates two-dimensional works in both acrylic and encaustic. Her pieces rely on layering colors, textures, and meanings, often the result of multiple paintings on a single canvas. As a third-generation artist, Erika grew up assuming everything can be viewed for its aesthetic merit. Recently her work has explored conflict: between humans and the environment, between her dogs, or between history and individuals. Her current subject matter explores borders, barriers, and bridges. Born in Pittsburgh, PA and now based in Half Moon Bay, Erika holds a degree in Fine Art from Yale University and an MBA from the Leavey School of Business. She has spent the last 20 years working in Tech, while keeping her “Batman” art life alive and well.
Hello, my name is Helen,
I’ve lived along the coast in El Granada for the past twenty years. My pieces are hand-crafted and inspired by this beautiful coastline and its treasures. Various jewelry pieces and trinkets include beach findings such as sea glass, shells, pebbles and driftwood. Some of the glass was made from recycled bottles using a glass tumbler. I hope you enjoy these pieces. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions:
Cell: (408) 803-1905
E-mail: helenrog@yahoo.com
Helen (she/her) is a 22-year-old female artist and wood recycler. Born and raised in Half Moon Bay, Helen began working with wood while attending Half Moon Bay High School. She began her art work creating gifts for loved ones. Since that time, her work has become well-known in the coastal community.
Beginning in early 2021, she began working with local wood cutters and sawyers who reclaimed wood from fallen trees destroyed in the CZU Lightning Complex wildfires that burned in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties August – December 2020. The fires started at 6:41 AM on August 16, 2020, the result of a thunderstorm that produced close to 11,000 bolts of lightning and started hundreds of fires. Two days after the fires began, a change in wind conditions caused the Santa Cruz and San Mateo County fires to rapidly expand and merge, growing quickly to over 40,000 acres. It was later discovered that the fires were not completely extinguished and trees continued to smolder well into 2021.
Helen chose local redwood, walnut, and cypress for the Vault but also works with maple, acacia, and oak trees reclaimed from the 2020 fire complex. Outside of the Vault, Helen also commissions art working with numerous woods, sometimes provided by customers. She can work on virtually any wood surface–including barn wood, benches, surfboards, signs, earrings and so forth. In addition, she is a calligrapher for weddings, events, and store signage. Helen has donated proceeds of her profits to CoastPride, Black Earth Farms, American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region, Stop AAPI Hate, Coastside Hope, First Nations, Wounded Warrior Project, UNICEF Ukraine, AAUW (HMB Branch), Andreotti Family Farms Barn Fundraiser, and more.
Read more about the artist in a recent interview with the HMB review: https://www.hmbreview.com/news/coastsider-burns-for-her-artistic-expression/article_ad46a6f2-aacf-11ec-8d24-fb20e80c7813.html
Follow along her artistic journey, ask questions, or commission a piece through the links below:
I am an eclectic creative. I’ve spent my life in the arts, first captivated by sculpture, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in this tactile discipline. Later, I developed a deep affection for painting, serving the immediate impact that color has on me. I’ve been an arts educator at the University level for the last 30+ years, building and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in color theory, painting, and design.
For me, teaching is a meaningful way to touch the lives of the creators of the future. What inspires me? The people I encounter and Nature: the ocean, the air, the terrestrial. I strive to create living works of art, providing sources of mystery, meaning, and joy. After the challenges of the last couple of years, it is a delight to exhibit and share my work alongside other artists.
My art studies include painting, sculpture, and printmaking at the Emily Carr University of Design in Vancouver, Canada.
I was sponsored into the United States as an interior design artist and muralist in 2000, in Burlingame California, by Tribecca Home and Design. I love to work on mixed media abstract paintings combining papers, paints, pigments, and enhancers, that give rich color and density. I want my paintings to feel like the jewelry piece on the walls they are placed on.
My influences are my travels, fashion, and interior design. Currently, I live and work in Northern California and Southern California Orange county. I work for several interior designers including Bliss Home and Design in Newport Ca. The focus of my mixed media paintings in Southern Ca. is abstract coastal using shade variations of blues, whites, and grays. If I’m painting artwork for the Los Angeles area, interior designers currently like the deeper blue colors and whites. I’m also painting for clients in Palm Desert, California. The paint colors are very strong and colorful in the desert interior design. An extreme contrast of palettes from coastal areas.
My work is mostly commissioned artwork in various sizes and palettes made to suit the specs I’m given for each painting.
I currently live on the beautiful coast, but I grew up in Pennsylvania where my love of art began as a child. I am a creative person who is inspired by nature and the world around me. A lot of things I see in nature show themselves as something else in my mind’s eye. A rock looks like a face, a piece of wood with a hole is an owl’s eye, a spikey tree nut on the ground is a hedgehog. I like to collect these items and use them in my nature inspired collages. I have been collecting bits and pieces from nature since I can remember. I incorporate these pieces of nature into mixed media collages that represent landscape scenery, people, animals or just about anything that is relevant in my life. My most recent work is a collage of an angel that represents a teenage girl who was taken from the Earth too soon. The flowers from her funeral are in her wings and dress, there is sheet music and cats and crystals, and nature, and so many things that she loved incorporated into the piece.
I love to teach art classes for my two kids and their friends and classmates. This enables me to share my love of creativity and hopefully inspire others to create along with me. I’m always being introduced to various forms of art and I love to experiment and see what transpires.
Recently, I have been included in the following themed juried exhibits:
San Francisco Women Artists Gallery- 647 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
Mistlin Gallery, Central Ca Art Association- 1015 J Street Modesto CA 95354
SIY Gallery- 1026 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Siberian-born, San Francisco-based artist Lubov Ovtchinikova- Art combines imaginative and realistic presentation of the world into surreal paintings and drawings that are diverse in both style and form. Education in Architecture and Digital Arts influences Lubov’s artistic practice; her paintings and sketches of the imaginary world, urbanscapes, landscapes or still life often include architectural details, with the layout of completed artwork resembling a digital poster with visuals and text.
Lubov’s artworks and murals have found homes around the world. In 2020 one of Lubov’s paintings were included in The de Young Open, a juried community art exhibition at The de Young museum of San Francisco.
Lubov is an active member of the San Francisco and Bay Area art scene participating in Live Painting events, competing in the Live Art Tournaments, exhibiting her art works in a variety of the Bay Area Art Galleries and donating her time and art to the charitable organizations.
Northern California-based artist, Marie LaCour, explores shape, texture, color and storytelling through an array of media including drawing, painting, digital graphics, paper and sculpture. Born in Southern California, she spent most of her childhood moving from one state to another which has contributed to diverse perspectives and many landscapes & people to observe and embrace.
As an avid gardener, beekeeper, farmer of 1200+ fruit trees and a 25yr. professional graphic designer she captures the beauty and form found in live plants in her larger-than-life sculpted flowers – invoking emotion and connection to nature’s most vibrant and softest moments.
Marie works with interior designers, event planners and home décor retailers designing textured art that can connect you to your personal space or celebratory event creating an environment that has depth, dimension, interest and story.
Expansive sculpted floral wallscapes can whisk you away to an enchanted and vibrant fantasy world or calm one’s mind as if in a peaceful meditative garden. The journey is all your own.
Art is an expression of soul. It is a blend of real and fantasy, the subject matter depicts places, people, objects and events from life.
Marilyn’s early art: sketches, paintings, and prints and her more recent art expression through fabric and glass are glimpses of life events and are driven by a need to express self. Current glass , as seen in The Vault is a dynamic medium of light interacting with the art object. It serves to enhance and move focus bringing a life to the art itself.
Marilyn has worked for the art department of Mira Costa Junior College and the Art and Lectures Department at University of California, Santa Cruz on work study grants. She has been a member of art communities in Venice Beach CA, Santa Cruz CA , the Inland Valley, Riverside area, and in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Marilyn is a member of the Sanchez art community, Cradle of the Sun stain glass studio, and a community arts program at the Pacifica Senior Center. She is a resident of Pacifica CA. and works as an Occupational Therapist at an acute hospital setting.
Awards:
Window Scape artist, Riverside CA
Artist Recognition, Sanchez Arts, Member Show
Shows:
Mountain Ranch Resource Center, CA
Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA
Mira Costa Junior College, Oceanside, CA
Art Displays:
Ocean Yoga, Pacifica CA.
Born in San Francisco, Nancy entered the ceramic field as a kid playing in the freshly excavated clay hills of the San Francisco peninsula. She explored the textures, colors, patterns and flow of nature, developing a passion which is evident in the rich textures and natural colors of the pieces that you see today.
Since 1974, the curves and textures of coastal hills and grasses as well as the cool colors of the sky and ocean surrounding her home in Montara, California are her inspiration. She has enjoyed sharing clay forming with children and adults in local schools and her studio.
This is a spring group of work. Her colors often progress with the seasons: more vivid colors in the summer, toastier colors in the fall and winter’s deep iron reds, blacks and snowy whites.
Her work has been shown in numerous galleries in Half Moon Bay and Pescadero, and at local craft fairs including Kings Mountain Art Fair and the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival.
“We can feel secure and grounded by rekindling our awareness of Nature’s strength and beauty by using everyday items made of the earth itself.”
Images, more information and her contact page can be found at QuickertCeramics.com.
I was born & raised in the Bay Area & feel so blessed to be able to call The Coastside my home for the last 18 years. My love of this area and the ocean began on trips to Fitzgerald Preserve as a child and continued throughout my college years at UCSC. My practical scientific mind & love of animals led me to a degree in Biology and my first job as an educator at a nonprofit teaching science & natural history. The bonus for me were the animal educators I was privileged to work with. While I’ve had many jobs over the years, none of these exactly prepared me to become an artist.
My first real art class was an art history course in college that allowed me to explore the museums in San Francisco as well as learn about the masters. The opportunity to create my own art wouldn’t come until much later. Years later, I was able to participate in my children’s Art in Action lessons as a docent & the spark was rekindled. Creating examples of the lessons for the students forced me to confront my insecurities regarding creating art. It also allowed me to remind students as well as myself that everyone is an artist in their own way and the only person who needs to like your art is you.
When I began to contemplate a return to the outside workforce, the practical scientist in me began taking classes at my community college including a career exploration class. Now if I had only read those evaluation results a little more thoroughly…. I went back to my roots in science and was able to gain an acceptance into a Dietetic Program when the Universe threw me a curveball. After some health challenges forced a suspension of my carefully laid plans, the Universe nudged me again. A chance video in my YouTube feed introduced me to my current art form & life has been much messier & much fuller as a result.
During my exploration of this art form, my use of painting surfaces has expanded from river rocks to canvases, to jewelry. I’m currently delving into the recycling and upcycling of items that can be redesigned through my painting. I find myself drawn to everyday items such as wooden bowls and boxes that seem to cry out for a makeover. Oh, and that evaluation test result… the one that listed possible careers… the number one profession, ahead of all my scientific career choices…craft artist.
Noemi Manero was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain. She moved to the United States two decades ago, landing in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Noemi is a Balance Body Comprehensive Pilates instructor and intensely studying and teaching Pilates since 2016. She is also a registered teacher with Yoga Alliance since 2013.
One of her biggest passions is to paint. Today her paintings hang in private collections throughout Europe and California. Her work is known for its movement and emotion shown in it.
Many pieces have been sold to local and international collectors. Several of her paintings have been featured at Silicon Valley art shows, in addition to several private exhibitions. And two of her Barcelona pieces won in Barcelona, Spain.
When not painting at her studio, Noemi spends her time teaching yoga and pilates at her privately owned studio. She has a passion for deepening her knowledge of anatomy to better support her clients.
Noemi earned her Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Tourism University of Barcelona. Her early professional career was spent in consumer marketing at some of the best known companies in the world, including Virgin Airlines, GAP and Visa.
Contact her to receive updates on Noemi’s work via email. She also regularly posts pictures of her paintings and other information on Instagram at #noemaneroart.
Websites, social media links
www.noemimanero.com
@Instagram; noemaneroart
I’ve been in the creative arts all my life. First it was in the performing arts, then graphic design and teaching and now, many years later, painting. Although I was a “Sunday Painter” in watercolor media for many years, I’ve now transitioned into acrylics! (Life is about never-ending change, after all!) So I now find myself completely immersed in acrylic media —both pigments and textures — and absolutely enjoying the adventure. I love to go into my studio and just follow my muse on any particular day —wherever that takes me. I don’t always know where I’ll end up, but it’s all about the journey, right?
When Covid hit, I just couldn’t get the image of the Heart out of my mind’s eye. I felt we all just needed a little more Heart during that difficult time to lift us up and give us courage and hope. My ongoing heart series was a result of that challenging time. I also envisioned that dogs were probably struggling during that time too. They undoubtedly wanted to go out and play just as badly as we did during quarantine, so those wonderful pups were the inspiration for my Covid Canine series. (I’m currently working on a Post Covid Canine series and I’m happy to report that the pups are looking much happier now.)
Along with my smaller pieces of fruits, veggies and flowers, I’m always working on larger pieces filled with various textures and vivid color in which I try to capture the joy and gratitude I feel in each and every moment of life. Thank you for letting me share my artwork with you!
Patt Sheldon is local—born in San Francisco and raised on the Peninsula. She taught mostly middle school English and Health Education in Belmont for 35 years, and never considered herself artistic, though her flair for color aways showed.
Patt became a knitter, then a weaver after moving “over the hill” in 1999. Experiencing two summers of heavy coastal fog, she realized she needed indoor sports to combat the fog. She took a few weaving classes and many knitting technique workshops, learned ice dyeing one afternoon, and is self-taught in jewelry design. She creates unusual pieces and prefers being ahead of the crowd rather than part of it. Her works are one of a kind.
Hanging woven or fabric pieces on walls soften the hard edges of rooms, and after hearing how her dyed fabric and weavings should be showcased, she began creating wall hangings.
Ice dyeing natural fibers became a passion, preferring its soft patterns to deliberate designs. She dyes clothing and large array of home goods, as well as fabric for walls. The most exciting part of her ice dyeing has been collaborating with a former 6th grade student, now a fashion designer in Los Angeles.
Realizing how isolated artists can be, particularly after retiring from teaching and working at home, Patt started a group called Colony of Coastside Artists in Feb, 2010. The group is open to any level artist living on the coast interested in socializing, art discussions, and group projects, and is currently 100 members strong. Prior to 2020, CoCA met monthly, and has resumed annually sponsoring Open Studios in November, which is available to all coastside artists.
Besides selling through CoCA’s Open Studios, her diverse work sells in stores, and several in-person shows, mostly on the coast. Her website www.pattsheldon.com highlights her vivid colors and textures. Patt also sells through Harvard Market, Make It Main Street, SVOS, and Etsy and GoImagine online under the name Patt711.
She is very excited to be part of The Vault’s inaugural art group.
Since moving to Half Moon Bay I have devoted my time to pastel drawings and poetry. I have had an exhibition of coastal pastels with haikus at the Cafe Society in 2017 and the Ebbtide Cafe in 2018 of Half Moon Bay surroundings. Currently I have an on-going exhibits at the HMB Coffee Company as well as at the Cafe Society showing pastels of “Kenyan Skies”. I also published a book of pastels and haikus “From Pigeon Point to Point Reyes” – pastels drawn over a 20 year period while exploring the coastal environment. Two poetry books have been published and are available on-line as well as three books of fiction and two books of translation – a poetry book of my father’s work and my mother’s journal written during the second world war.
During the previous years before retirement, I had a chance to delve into many creative areas – writing novels, watercolor painting, pastel drawing, songwriting, designing furniture and toys and studying architectural trends.
When I was living in Detroit I taught introductory Humanities courses at Wayne County Community College. During this time I also worked on wood cuts, silk screen prints, poetry and songs and was able to bring these into the curriculum when appropriate.
Formal Education:
University of Utah – Bachelor of Science degree in Business 1969.
Wayne State University – Masters of Arts degree 1974.
The published works can be viewed on my storefront at: lulu.com/spotlight/rneumann.
I can be reached at: onhighwayone@gmail.com
Thank you for your interest in my work.
Susan Carkeek is a coastside artist that has had major shows at Oakland Museum, 333 Bush, Bart Headquarters, the Hallmark Building as well as galleries in San Francisco, LaJolla and locally. Susan believes strongly in the power of art to create insight, connection, tolerance and healing in our culture and communities. Her work of the last fifteen years has focused on the Noise that bombards us from all fronts; political, psychological, environmental, popular culture, social and economic noise. Conversely, she sees Quiet in nature and often juxtaposes the two. In her own words…“I started to define Noise as everything that gets between us and caring. I saw the Noise pulling us apart…it seemed connected to the increase in mental illness and the environmental crisis.” She asks, “How can stressed out people possibly make mindful decisions about the environment…or themselves?” To this end, much of her work is the actual process of mindful quieting by slow, careful observation that retains the spirit of discovery and wonder. A process that allows nature to speak its truth rather than asserting human assumptions. Another approach she uses is the building up of paper Noise layers and then carving and painting the surface to physically quiet the Noise. Susan teaches creative workshops and mentors adults in private classes at her home studio in El Granada.
Art That Makes a Difference
Each season, Ocean Blue Vault selects a deserving local non-profit to support through the sale of donated artwork. This season we’re proud to support CoastPride.

CoastPride offers a safe space online and at community events to gather the diversity of our voices, raise awareness of LGBTQ issues, and address the needs of our LGBTQ youth, families, and adults.