Shoka is the former associate editor for Comstock’s magazine and a journalist, copy editor and photojournalist who specializes in covering arts, culture, animal rights and sustainability.
By this person
![Deborah Pittman’s professional career in the arts went beyond being a clarinetist to include ceramics, writing and filmmaking, among other endeavors. (Photo by Tony Nguyen, courtesy of Deborah Pittman)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0821_blog_artexposed_v2.jpg?1629329259)
Art Exposed: Deborah Pittman
A professional clarinetist broadens her creative output with
ceramics, writing, filmmaking, multimedia performances — and
puppets.
![Binuta Sudhakaran paints abstract minimalist pieces that are influenced by her memories and her meditation practice. (Photos courtesy of Binuta Sudhakaran)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0521_blog_artexposed_logo_1.jpg?1621962627)
Art Exposed: Binuta Sudhakaran
How this artist focuses on mindfulness over capitalism in her abstract minimalist paintings
Sudhakaran calls her work abstract minimalism, and she
applies paint to canvas in layers, creating an ethereal effect
that suggests movement and contemplation.
![Akira Beard recently became a tattoo artist so he could “go anywhere, tattoo, make money while I’m there, trying to open up doors of opportunity with my actual art,” he says. (Photos courtesy of Akira Beard)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0421_blog_artexposed1.jpg?1619544336)
Art Exposed: Akira Beard
How painting saved this artist’s life, and how tattooing supports his work
Akira Beard recently became a tattoo artist so he could “go
anywhere, tattoo, make money while I’m there, trying to open up
doors of opportunity with my actual art,” he says.
![Megan Wygant is the executive director of CLARA, the E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts. (Photo by Ryan Angel Meza)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0421_dept_discourse_ryan-angel-meza.jpg?1617396345)
For Art’s Sake
CLARA Executive Director Megan Wygant on how her nonprofit has continued to support arts organizations and provide arts education during the pandemic
“One of the things that has been so interesting about the pandemic is … seeing the way in which our tenants have risen to the challenge,” Wygant says.
![Jupiter Lockett is a Sacramento-based self-described contemporary abstract artist. (Photos by Katy Karns, courtesy of Jupiter Lockett)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/march.blog_.artexposed.jupiterlockett.1.jpg?1617040188)
Art Exposed: Jupiter Lockett
A Sacramento artist uses his paintings to address race and social issues
Jupiter Lockett paints in a free and childlike manner, but
his subject matter focuses on the Black experience and is
intended to make the viewer uncomfortable.
![LaKenya Jordan is the executive director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0321_wil_jordan_terence-duffy_lead_0.jpg?1614796214)
Women in Leadership: LaKenya Jordan
Our annual salute to extraordinary women who are shaping our future
LaKenya Jordan is the executive director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, a state government office that focuses on initiatives and programs that promote and establish equity for women and girls statewide.
![Melissa Brown is the director of legal clinics and a professor of lawyering skills at McGeorge School of Law. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0321_wil_brown_terence-duffy_lead_0.jpg?1614614474)
Women in Leadership: Melissa Brown
Our annual salute to extraordinary women who are shaping our future
Melissa Brown has been a professor at McGeorge School of Law since 2008 and director of its legal clinics since 2013.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/untitled_0.png?1592245979)
Comstock’s Talks: Camera Ready (The Next Chapter)
PODCAST: Michele McCormick sold her public relations company and became a model, actor and photographer who specializes in travel and nature photography. This profile is part of The Next Chapter, in which we check in with Capital Region professionals who moved into new pursuits or retirement after successful careers.
![Carinne Binda (left) and Ron Cunningham were co-directors of the Sacramento Ballet for 30 years until the organization asked them to step down in 2018. (Photo by Keith Sutter, courtesy of Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0221_blog_next-chapter_ron-and-carrine.jpg?1612916582)
A Different Dance
The Next Chapter: What life and work looks like for the former co-artistic directors of the Sacramento Ballet
Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda were co-directors of the
Sacramento Ballet from 1988 to 2018. Since then, life has looked
different.
![MCC Communications founder Michele McCormick is a model, actor and photographer who specializes in travel and nature photography. (Photo by Wes Davis)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0221_feat_next-chapter_michelle_wes-davis_lead.jpg?1612916551)
Camera Ready
The Next Chapter: Michele McCormick sold her public relations company and became a model-actor-photographer
MCC Communications founder Michele McCormick is a model, actor
and photographer who specializes in travel and nature
photography.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/untitled_0.png?1592245979)
Comstock’s Talks: The Next Chapter Series
PODCAST: Listen to a six-part series about Capital Region professionals who found new pursuits after successful careers.
![Octavio Valencia has been working as a professional freelance photographer for nearly a decade, specializing in lifestyle and fashion photography. (Photos courtesy of Octavio Valencia)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/jan.blog_.artexposed.octaviovalencia_img_6198.jpg?1611696613)
Art Exposed: Octavio Valencia
A photographer talks about fashion, mental illness and a close encounter with Anna Wintour
Octavio Valencia has a secret identity. Or two.
![(Photo by Tom Couzens)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/20201215_140401_0.jpg?1609179448)
Our Top Stories of 2020
Look back on 2020 with a list of our top-read stories and our editors’ favorites.
![Artist Demetris “BAMR” Washington moved to Sacramento from Stockton in 2009 to attend The Art Institute of California. (Photo by Felipe Silva, courtesy of Demetris “BAMR” Washington)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1220_blog_artexposed_bamrportrait7582.jpg?1608067390)
Art Exposed: Demetris ‘BAMR’ Washington
The Sacramento-based artist talks murals, Oak Park and the business of art
Demetris “BAMR” Washington is inspired by graffiti, cartoons and his faith in Christianity, the latter of which was also the inspiration for his alias: BAMR is short for Becoming a Man Righteously.
![Students Carmine Chen (second from left) and Christian Martinez (far right) show Jennifer West (second from right), film commissioner of Sacramento Film + Media, a short film they worked on in Shawn Sullivan’s (left corner) animation program at Sheldon High School in Elk Grove earlier this year. (Photos courtesy of Sacramento Film + Media)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1120_blog_artexposed.shawn_sullivan.jpg?1606165700)
Art Exposed: Jennifer West
The Sacramento Film + Media film commissioner shares her thoughts on the state of the local filming industry and where it’s going
Jennifer West was still new to her role as film commissioner for the City of Sacramento’s Sacramento Film + Media office when she was sent home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
![Deziree Dizon, a Suisun City-based software engineer, has spent the past few years establishing herself as a fine artist but still finds herself confronting impostor syndrome. (Photos courtesy of Deziree Dizon)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1020_blog_artexposed_1deziree_dizon.jpg?1603906146)
Art Exposed: Deziree Dizon
How one woman overcame cultural expectations, self-doubt and a motorcycle crash to become a fine artist
Deziree Dizon was dragged to art school, but she is now making fine art and showing her work at galleries.
![Helen Otow (seated) and husband Seiichi Otow took over the family farm in Granite Bay in the 1940s. Helen’s daughter, Chris Otow Kuratomi (left), and son-in-law, Tosh Kuratomi (right), have been running Otow Orchard for about 20 years. (Photos by Hector Amezcua)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1020_feat_familybizotow_hectoramezcua_lead_0.jpg?1603827793)
Family Farmers
Family business close-up: Otow Orchard extends its family farm in Granite Bay to the community
The Granite Bay farm was established in 1911 by a Japanese
immigrant and is still run by his descendants, including his
104-year-old daughter.
![Craig Martinez spent about 25 years as a graphic designer before changing career paths to teach design so he’d have more time to create fine art. (Photos courtesy of Craig Martinez)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0920_blog_artexposed.self_portrait.jpg?1601398908)
Art Exposed: Craig Martinez
An artist explores culture, religion, ritual and the human condition in his sculptures
Craig Martinez knows his sculptures, made from reclaimed materials, can be challenging, and not everyone is going to like them.
![(Photos by Rahul Lal)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0920_dept_tbs_rahullal_lead_0.jpg?1599844553)
The Bright Side: Got It Covered
Old Country Tailor in East Sacramento began making and selling
cloth face masks in April and sold around 4,000 that month.
![Designer and illustrator Benjamin Della Rosa says that in Sacramento, “Connections and your reputation play a bigger part than your portfolio does when it comes to design work.” (Photos courtesy of Benjamin Della Rosa)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0820_blog_artexposed_bdrportrait1.jpg?1598634980)
Art Exposed: Benjamin Della Rosa
The designer and illustrator’s career is all about connections
Della Rosa’s signature style can be seen in the visual branding of companies around the Capital Region, including restaurants, food and beverage brands, creative festivals and more.
![Aliyah Sidqe saw a 900 percent increase in online sales of her art during June, thanks to people wanting to support Black-owned businesses and artists. (Photo courtesy of Aliyah Sidqe)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_blog_artexposed1crop.jpg?1596053504)
Art Exposed: Aliyah Sidqe
How one Sacramento artist wants to help fellow artists understand their worth
Aliyah Sidqe, a mentee of the artist and activist Milton Bowens, uses her paintings to uplift the community.
![Nicholas Haystings is executive director of Square Root Academy. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_feat_youngprofessionals_nicholashaystings_terenceduffy.jpg?1593632846)
Emerging Leaders: Nicholas Haystings
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Nicholas Haystings, executive director of Square Root Academy, says he has had two goals since he was a kid: to become an engineer and to give back to the community.
![Rosie Dauz is president of the Philippine National Day Association and a community relations specialist for the Golden 1 Credit Union. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_feat_youngprofessionals_rosiedauz_terenceduffy.jpg?1593632636)
Emerging Leaders: Rosie Dauz
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rosie Dauz was elected president of the Philippine National Day Association, an organization that works to empower and promote equity in the Filipino community, around the time COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
![Artist Laurelin Gilmore’s studio is in Verge Center for the Arts. (Photo by Shoka)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0620_blog_artexposed.0.laurelingilmore.jpg?1593192848)
Art Exposed: Laurelin Gilmore
The Sacramento artist’s paintings show a reverence to nature, as she recognizes environmental issues are social issues
Laurelin Gilmore weaves zodiac and earthy elements to show the connectivity humans have to nature.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/comstocks_talks_final_1400pixels_1.png?1635190185)
Comstock’s Talks Trailer
Did you know that Comstock’s makes podcasts? Check out our Comstock’s Talks trailer to see what we’re about.
![Sacramento-area artist Lindsay Swearingen creates dark but whimsical embroidery and ink drawings under the name Tusk and Cardinal. (Photo by Kelly Swearingen, courtesy of Lindsay Swearingen)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/520_blog_artexposed.0.lindsayswearingenportrait.jpg?1590714881)
Art Exposed: Lindsay Swearingen
Tusk and Cardinal embroidery artist and illustrator discusses art versus craft in fiber arts
Lindsay Swearingen was introduced to needle and thread at 8 years old, when her mother taught her how to cross-stitch. She was young and didn’t stick with it, but “about eight years ago, I picked it back up around when there was a resurgence of embroidery and fiber art,” she says.
![Based in Auburn, the Common Cider Company produces around 75,000 gallons of hard cider monthly. (Photo by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_dept_itm_debbiecunningham_lead.jpg?1588615992)
In the Making: A Daring Brew
Based in Auburn, the Common Cider Company produces around 75,000
gallons of hard cider monthly. Owner Fran Toves began brewing
cider on a dare in 2012.
![Manuel Fernando Rios, who describes his art as “neo-Expressionist, neo-Chicano, mixed in with pop culture,” paints in his studio. His work is a mix of political and personal themes. (Photo by Andres Alvarez, courtesy of Manuel Fernando Rios)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0420_blog_artexposed_andres-alvarez_lead.jpg?1588104598)
Art Exposed: Manuel Fernando Rios
A West Sacramento Chicano artist confronts ethnic identity in his work
Mentored by Ricardo Favela of the Royal Chicano Air Force artist collective, Manuel Fernando Rios describes his artwork as “neo-Expressionist, neo-Chicano, mixed in with pop culture.” His solo show scheduled for May has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he is continuing to make new work.
![Grass Valley-based fine artist and professor Serena Cole explores the perception of women in pop culture and society in her mixed-media works. (Photo by Shoka. Click to view slideshow)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_blog_artexposed_lead.jpg?1585164719)
Art Exposed: Serena Cole
After 15 years in the Bay Area, Serena Cole returns to Grass Valley to make art and find community
Cole uses mixed media — watercolor, gouache, colored pencils and vinyl paint — to create vulnerable, delicate and harsh portraits that reflect the way women are viewed in art and society and how the artist digests it all.
![Alice Sauro is executive director of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_sauro_rachelvalley_lead.jpg?1585076617)
Follow Her Lead: Alice Sauro
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Alice Sauro became executive director of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in 2015, during what she calls the Philharmonic & Opera’s “dark season.”
![Cindy Messer is president and CEO of Montna Farms. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_montnavanvleck_rachelvalley_lead.jpg?1584468620)
Follow Her Lead: Nicole Montna Van Vleck
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
When Nicole Montna Van Vleck, president and CEO of Montna Farms, left the family farm to go to college and start her career, she didn’t think that she’d return.
![Eden Halbert operates her photography business, Sierra Luna Photography, from her home in Placerville. (Photo by Nicolette Lovell)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0220_blog_artexposed.0.edenhalbert.jpg?1582056998)
Art Exposed: Eden Halbert
Founder of Sierra Luna Photography used misfortune as an impetus to create her own business opportunities in the foothills
“If you had told me 30 years ago I would be a professional photographer, I’d be professionally working with dogs, I would have laughed,” Halbert says. “Now that I’m here, this is the only place I should be.”
![Mike Coldani (left), chief olive oil maker for Calivirgin's Coldani Olive Ranch, sorts olives with employee George Cecchetti at its Lodi mill.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0120_dept_itm_debbiecunningham_lead.jpg?1578609337)
In the Making: A Fresh Crush at Coldani Olive Ranch
Unlike a typical orchard with rows of olive trees, Coldani Olive Ranch’s olives are grown on trellises, resulting in dense, long walls of olives for its oil label, Calivirgin.
![Artist Stephanie Taylor sits in front of “Waterscape,” a glass mosaic she completed this year for a client’s home. (Photo by Nicolette Lovell)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1219_blog_artexposed_nicolette-lovell_01.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Stephanie Taylor
After 40 years of making art, this Sacramento-based artist isn’t slowing down
If you have been to Sacramento in the past few decades, there is a good chance you have encountered artwork by Stephanie Taylor.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1119_dept_itm_debbiecunningham_lead.jpg?1577874530)
In the Making: Where Flowers Bloom
“We are flower nerds to the max here,” Melissa Cowan, owner of Placerville Flowers on Main says. “We squeal on the daily when new products come in or when seasons change.”
![Jose Arenas works on new pieces in his home studio in Davis, California. (Photo courtesy of Jose Arenas)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1019_blog_artexposed_lead.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Jose Arenas
Davis-based artists brings migration, culture and his experience as a first-generation American into his paintings
Belonging to two places and not quite fitting into either is a familiar feeling for many first-generation Americans.
![Cousins Katherine Bardis-Miry, left, and Rachel Bardis are building The Mill at Broadway, which eventually will feature more than 1,000 homes.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1019_feat_fb_bardis_hectoramezcua.jpg?1577874530)
Brand Builders
Cousins Katherine Bardis-Miry and Rachel Bardis continue the family legacy of building homes with their own approach
A latex unicorn mask hangs on the back wall near the window of Katherine Bardis-Miry and Rachel Bardis’ shared office.
“We’re kind of weird,” Katherine laughs.
![Julie Clements worked for 15 years as a veterinarian technician in Alaska, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the San Francisco Zoo before moving to Sacramento to be a full-time ceramic fine artist. (Photo courtesy of Julie Clements)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0919_blog_artexposed_01_cropped.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Julie Clements
A veterinarian technician left behind the clinic for the studio, but continues to work with animals
Julie Clements worked for 15 years as a veterinarian technician in Alaska, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the San Francisco Zoo before moving to Sacramento to be a full-time ceramic fine artist.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0919_dept_itm_fredgreaves_lead_1.jpg?1577874530)
In the Making: At Conscious Creamery, a Good Dessert
The walls of Conscious Creamery’s commercial kitchen in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood are lined with stainless steel freezers, constantly humming loud and keeping chef Andrea Seppinni’s plant-based gelato frozen.
![Brandon Gastinell is a Sacramento-based street artist who pasted his work on David Garibaldi’s studio in 2017. Garibaldi liked the work and offered him an opportunity to participate in a show. (Photo by El Photo Maximo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0819_blog_artexposed_01_cropped.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Brandon Gastinell
From street art to corporate commissions, a Sacramento digital-mixed-media artist is finding success with his artistic clickbait
Because of some bold moves on his part and the exposure and connectivity that social media provides, Brandon Gastinell has transitioned from doing street art to work for major film studios and musicians.
![Adam Wever-Glen, a Sacramento-based fine artist, says choosing art as his profession was a necessity: “I knew I would not be happy doing anything else.” (Photo courtesy of Adam Wever-Glen)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0719_blog_artexposed_lead.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Adam Wever-Glen
Sacramento fine artist explains his business model and how the city could become a national art hub
Wever-Glen says he wants to stoke a sense of wonder in his viewers, often with surreal results — “kind of like a dreamscape.”
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0719_dept_itm_01_fredgreaves.jpg?1577874530)
In the Making: One-of-a-Kind Sound Machines
Vintage suitcases, canteens, metal carrying cases and wooden boxes of varying colors and sizes occupy nearly every inch of a ceiling-scratching shelf in Kaden Hill’s suburban Sacramento garage workshop.
![Colleen Sidey works as an art instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College and Compass Clay Studio, a ceramic studio she recently opened with her husband and fellow artist Bryan Yerian. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Sidey)
Colleen Sidey works as an art instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College and Compass Clay Studio, a ceramic studio she recently opened with her husband and fellow artist Bryan Yerian. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Sidey)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0619_blog_artexposed_01.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Colleen Sidey
A ceramist in South Lake Tahoe reaps inspiration from her natural surroundings and motherhood, and ventures into opening a studio for the community with her husband
The charming effect of the forest finds its way into her ceramic sculpture, along with her greatest inspirations, her two children, ages 11 and 7, and her formative years being surrounded by the urban environment in Southern California.
![(Photo courtesy Natalie McKeever)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0519_blog_artexposed_06.jpg?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Natalie McKeever
A video and digital media artist finds opportunities in Sacramento
Natalie McKeever creates fine-art digital video, abstract and without narrative, with analog collages that are digitally manipulated to put the viewer in a meditative state.
![Angela Tannehill began working as a mixed-media artist a few years ago, and now 17 images of her work are carried by two licensing agencies. (Photo courtesy Angela Tannehill)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0419_blog_artexposed1_lead.png?1577874530)
Art Exposed: Angela Tannehill
Elk Grove graphic designer on finding a second career in her first choice of fine art
Angela Tannehill considers herself lucky. Although the Elk Grove-based graphic designer of more than 26 years earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts, she only began working as an artist a few years ago, and now her mixed-media work is drawing the attention of private art collectors, art consultants and public-art project organizers.