members of month – Rocklin Fine Arts (RFA)

Meet our Members of the Month

Meet our March 2026 Member of the Month

MARY CHRIS HINES

Mary Chris Hines

Mary Chris Hines is a mixed media artist residing in Auburn, California.

Living in this gorgeous Sierra foothills area has been an inspiration.

She has followed many artists on YouTube who constantly provide new ideas for her art.

She has a unique style and by combing papers, tissues, string, acrylic paint .

and whatever else she happens upon to make something.

She hopes that a piece might transport you, if only for a second, to another place and time ... either in memory or imagination.

facebook.com/mary.c.hines.7

Mary Chris is a member of Rocklin Fine Arts

Mary Chris Hines

facebook.com/mary.c.hines.7.

RFA MARCH Member of the Month

Meet our April 2026 Member of the Month

ED & SALLY BOSTLEY

Our favorite time is when we introduce our Member of the Month. For April/May we are delighted to showcase another of our couples!

How FUN that couples share a common interest in creating art! So, here are Ed and Sally Bostley...our Couple Members of the Month!

Ed and Sally Bostley met at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. They are both French horn players so spent a lot of time together in college.

They married the day before Sally graduated. Ed was already in the U.S. Coast Guard Band in New London, Connecticut where they made their first home.

When Ed was in grade school, he loved drawing and was always the one chosen to do blackboard scenes in his classroom.

By high school blackboard scenes were left behind for his interest in music.

He made music his career but when he retired as Professor of Music at California State University-San Bernardino, he began watercolor painting as a hobby and talked Sally into joining him.

Sally was the proverbial child who couldn't draw a straight line but loved music and playing French horn and taught music at nearly every level from grade one through university for thirty years.

When Ed retired, he persuaded her to join him for watercolor lessons and it's been a much-loved hobby ever since.

Their first art teacher was Arturo Escamilla.

Eds painting interests are mainly buildings and landscape scenes from his travels in Europe which he has exhibited at the Rocklin Fine Arts and WASH member shows. .

They love to travel, especially to France and Italy, to paint and to photograph subjects for more paintings. Sally started an Open Studio at St. Johns Church near them and they have a talented group of artists who meet every Wednesday morning to paint and encourage each other.

Meet our May 2026 Member of the Month

PATRICK OSBORNE

2026 ARTIST'S STATEMENT AND OVERVIEW:

In my artistic journey, Ive always believed that artwork should not only provide answers but also pose questions.

My focus is on the unobserved parts of an image, where I intentionally create a tension between elements, ultimately drawing the viewer's eye, likely suggesting a unique story or connection in the viewer's imagination.

My process involves digitally deconstructing an original photo and reassembling it, deliberately omitting certain aspects while incorporating unlikely elements from entirely different images.

I layer textures from my image library, which includes stone, concrete, peeling paint, fabric, and surfaces that are rusted, crazed, or crumpled.

As the image begins to take shape, I let the emerging elements guide me.

I've learned to recognize when the final image has revealed itself, signaling that it's time to prepare for the final printing process.

In recent years, my work has evolved to include elements of irony, implausibility, and a touch of mystery.

I find joy in viewers reactions when I explain how I created the montages, often revealing that there is no actual message or meaning intended.

I encourage viewers to weave their own narratives about the atmosphere, shadows, and intrigue they are seeing--interactively connecting with the art in a personal and unique way. .

EARLY INFLUENCES, AND GRAPHIC DESIGN: 1950s – 1960s

Growing up in the San Francisco Peninsula, most of the earliest art that I remember creating in the 1950s was mostly sketching hot rods and custom cars. .

By 1960, my interest in art became secondary to another passion, music and guitar.

I formed a band in 1963 that performed nearly every Friday and Saturday through high school. .

By 1965, I was 16, and began frequenting San Francisco's original Fillmore Auditorium concerts, and was captivated by the graphic design styles in the poster art emerging from that music scene.

My new focus and interest in graphic design was strongly supported by a mentoring art teacher, that led to being called on to design posters and flyers for school events, including the program handout for my own graduation in my senior year. .

It was 1967 and having developed a distinctive style by then, and I entered a contest to create the official emblem or 'seal' for DeAnza College in Cupertino, which would open in Fall.

Students from seven regional high schools had submitted designs. .

My pencil and India ink design was selected, much to my surprise, considering that the font I created was definitely 'non-institutional' looking in style!

That exposure led to my being hired to create several graphic design projects prior to the Fall semester opening. .

HIATUS FROM ART, 1968 – 1990s / 1995 DIGITAL SOFTWARE:

I needed to leave college within a year to work full-time, only doing occasional traditional graphic design projects. .

My exploration of digital art began in the mid-1990s when I purchased a good scanner that came with a simple, early demo version of Photoshop.

It didn't take long for me to realize the possibilities of experimenting and manipulating scanned images. .

This cathartic moment opened a new door for me – I could synthesize moments in time that were malleable, create montages using multiple photo elements, and change atmospheric tonality in seconds.

Having a background in painting, graphics, and photography, I began creating framed art prints of my images, exhibiting and selling at outdoor art festivals in the Bay Area. .

Almost no other artists were using this technology to create art, and I was gaining recognition in several parts of the Bay Area for my atmospheric depictions of historic landmarks in the East Bay, South Bay, and the San Francisco Peninsula.

I had also begun performing digital photo restorations for clients, and I still maintain a thriving restoration business since moving to Lincoln 24 years ago..

Meet our June 2026 Member of the Month

BELEN SAWYER

As long as I can remember, Ive been a photographer.

While Ive explored a variety of creative mediums --

including running a mural and decorative painting business for over a decade

photography has always been my true passion.

From the very beginning, I was drawn to photographys ability to capture a moment in time -- to preserve the memory of a person, an event, or a place.

I also admit, it was always a little fun sneaking candid shots of people.

As a child, I loved looking through photographs and organizing them; they helped me feel connected to something larger than myself.

As I grew older, that fascination deepened.

I got my first SLR camera at 19 and taught myself how to use it.

From that point on, my camera became a constant companion -- a role it still holds today. .

Hiking with my camera remains one of my favorite pastimes.

I consider myself a nature photographer at heart. .

Landscapes, wildlife, coastal scenes, and flowers -- all are part of the natural world that inspires me.

Over time, photography has brought me closer to nature, and in turn, my appreciation for nature has grown even deeper through my lens. .

I believe nature is Gods art, filled with a sense of hope that I strive to capture.

These fleeting moments in the natural world evoke wonder, respect, and a desire to preserve and protect it. .

My hope is that my images inspire others in the same way.

I began exhibiting my work several years ago at an RFA show, where I received both a First Place and a Jurors Award. .

That recognition was incredibly encouraging.

Since then, Ive participated in numerous shows and galleries, earning additional awards along the way. .

My work has been accepted into the California State Fair, and Ive been honored to have my photography displayed in homes, cafes, businesses, and medical clinics.

Ive also participated in the Placer Artists Tour, where I connected with a local hotel owner who commissioned artwork featuring our beautiful region. .

Most recently, I was honored to provide nearly all the artwork for the new La Quinta Inn & Suites in Lincoln.

Currently, my work is on display at Persimmon Gallery in Auburn and featured in other local exhibitions. .

My photography is also available online at: belensawyer.pixels.com

For new pieces not yet listed or for special inquiries, I can be contacted directly at: BelenSawyerPhotograph@yahoo.com.

https://www.facebook.com/belensawyerphotography

https://www.instragram.com/belensawyerphotography .

Meet our July 2026 Member of the Month

SHANNON GRISSOM

I have been called the Sock Monkey Lady. That could be because I had a line of Sock Monkey golf club headcovers carried on tour by six LPGA pros. But that is only one color in my crayon box, and I like to create with them all.

I better start at the beginning. I grew up in a musical household, and I spent my youth participating in all manner of musical activities.

I did not discover painting until I was 33. I took a tole painting class and painted an apple. I remember thinking that someday I would paint an entire scene! Anyway, after that class, I was hooked! I got up every day and painted a few hours before work. This demanding schedule was worth the effort. By 1999, I left my day job and launched my full-time art business. And thus began my Forest Gump-like ride…

At 44, I began producing the television series - Give Your Walls Some Soul - as a fun way to expand my teaching (My teaching style is Bob Ross meets Emeril.) My instructional painting show grew from an audience of one station to over 50 stations across the country and over 10 million households and won numerous awards.

At 46, I wrote, illustrated, and self-published my first childrens book,Monkey Made of Sockies. From that book grew a line of licensed merchandise. The popular Monkey Made of Sockies - golf club headcovers - became a global bestseller and LPGA players even carried them on tour.

At 50, I needed music to accompany my video work, so I began songwriting. At that point, I had come full circle.

Today, I am an award-winning artist, television producer/host, songwriter, and author. My artwork is licensed and sold globally. My most recent creation, The Sock Monkey Oracle, by Beyond Words Publishing, combines my sock monkey artwork with my painting and metaphysics.

Lately, I have been having fun creating work with the palette knife. But no matter what medium I use, my mission is for folks to feel the love in all my creations. I see art, music, writing, and multimedia as movements in one harmonious joyful symphony. I hope you can feel the love in all of my work