New Artwork by Diana Blackwell!

One of Mignonne's favorite featured artists ... Diana Blackwell ... has just brought in several new, affordable pieces.  Diana makes monoprints and monoprint collages with bright colors and a whimsical flavor, often depicting ladies and flowers.



In addition, Blackwell does drawings, acrylic paintings, woodcuts and linocuts, collage, paper mache, and digital photography.

These framed original art pieces range from $45 - $80. And they are fabulous! Stop by soon to check out Diana's work, or inquire via the blog contact feature if you'd like to learn more about what you see here!

Holly Wach, Mignonne Featured Artist

We are so pleased to have the unique and feminine work of Holly Wach available at Mignonne!

Holly was born in St Louis, Missouri in 1971 and that is where the normal Mid-western upbringing ends. Her parents being restless souls moved around from town to town until settling in Stuart Florida. Her mom an artist and dad a storyteller created a household filled with creativity and tails of adventure. Her parents have now joined forces to craft a successful chain of children’s books. With the support of two such creative influences she couldn’t help dream of adventure and far away places.

Growing up in a quiet beach town supplied the perfect setting to sit back, dream and draw. After High school she was off. She traveled to Europe, South and Central America, Asia, and back. All the time she was filling journals with images and stories. She took a break from traveling to attend college at the University of North Florida. Where, she received her BFA in Painting. Then, she was off again until landing in New York City where she received her MFA in Painting at the New York Academy of Art. New York provided the opportunity to study under and view some of the most important figures in the contemporary art world. She has recently switched coasts to Oakland, California where she devotes all of her time to making art and exploring a new place.

We are featuring original works, prints and cards of images by Holly Wach. We have a selection from her "Ink Ladies" and "Lions" to choose from.

Her Ink Ladies images evoke another era of vintage erotica, tastefully rendered. The Ink Lions reflect the many sides of this magnificent 'king of the jungle'.

Stop by and check out these wonderful pieces for yourself.

Speaking of Artists.

"delauers" - Valerie J. Cochran, photographer

We recently introduced our other featured artist at Mignonne, Valerie J. Cochran.

Valerie's photography has been featured in print publications as well as many online sites including the BBC, Photoblogs Magazine and SFist. She has also self-published a photography book.

Valerie's work received rave reviews during our recent Oakland Art Murmur art reception.

At Mignonne, not only do we seek out compelling local artists to provide a venue for their work...but we are committed to helping our customers bring beauty and art into their homes by finding affordable options to meet a wider variety of budgets.

Valerie's work can be purchased at Mignonne at $50 per print. Her work explores the relationships between people and places in an urban landscape, and utilizes only film photography.

Treat yourself and your home environment to the added dimension original artwork can provide.

If you'd like another chance to see her work in person, mark your calendars for December 11th when we will be hosting a Closing Reception for Valerie's art. More information on the event will be shared as the date draws near.

Welcome Back Gary Comoglio!

We are thrilled to welcome back, by popular demand, the works of local artist Gary Comoglio.

Gary's art captured the imagination of many of our customers and we are delighted to feature his paintings again during the holiday season. Here's a bit about Gary and his process:

Since graduating from San Francisco Art Institute, Gary's main creative focus has been acrylic painting and Japanese wood block printing.

By changing colors and constantly challenging his completed works, Gary Comoglio is able to create a body of prints that captures the interplay of light to evoke different moods and emotions in the viewer.

He employs European, American, and Japanese techniques to produce the final printed image. Using linoleum as the base material, Gary hand prints all his own prints, the majority of which are one-of-a-kind.

"I am dedicated to creating unique images drawn from my surroundings, and mastering precise technical skills in carving and hand printing. My art is inspired by images from my daily life: I focus on simple beauty, brilliant colors, and strong composition."

When he is not painting, carving or printing, Gary is enjoying one of his other passions which include playing golf; cooking with fresh produce usually purchased at local farmers' markets; spending time with family and friends; motorcycling along the magnificent Bay Area's roads; drinking Sonoma County zinfandels and pinot noirs, New Zealand sauvignon blancs; eating fine cheeses and chocolates; watching British Comedies; and traveling.

A sampling of his works on display and available for purchase at Mignonne, through the end of the year, are shown in the slide show below:

Mignonne Featured Artist ~ Valerie J. Cochran

Mignonne is pleased to introduce our latest featured local artist! Valerie J. Cochran grew up in Missouri and arrived in the Bay Area on January 1, 2001. She currently lives and works in Oakland. Valerie has been shooting photography since she was a young girl and began with Polaroids of her family. She took her first photography class at the age of 15 and studied for a few years at the Savannah College of Art and Design although she did not obtain a formal degree.

In 2004, Valerie began her photoblog, YourWaitress.com. Her return to photography was documented in the early days of the website which has become a home to her now usual suspects of street photography and portraiture. Valerie's images today explore the relationship between people and places in the urban landscape. She shoots only film photography with various 35mm, disposable, and toy cameras.

Valerie's photographs have appeared in print publications such as JPG magazine and PhotoJournal Southwest. Her work has been featured in numerous other publications online including the BBC, Photoblogs Magazine, FILE magazine, Flak Photo, Filmwasters.com, and SFist. In February of 2007, she self-published her first photography book collection, your waitress | 2004-2005.

Valerie's work will be featured in our next Oakland Art Murmur late night reception.

Mignonne's New Featured Artists

For our next round of featured artwork, we wanted to offer affordable original work by strong female artists. We are lucky to host two local artists that fit the description. We'd like to introduce them to you now:

Diana Blackwell

Dahling

Diana Blackwell makes monoprints and monoprint collages with bright colors and a whimsical flavor, often depicting ladies and flowers. In addition, Blackwell does drawings, acrylic paintings, woodcuts and linocuts, collage, paper mache, and digital photography (see www.flickr.com/diana_blackwell/).

Blackwell's work has no typical style and expresses no particular vision. Her work ranges from obscene underground cartoons to devotional Christian paintings, and from non-representational formalism to traditional realism. About the only thing her works all share is an avoidance of impasto.

Blackwell has had a little formal art instruction but is mostly self-taught. She works as a figurative art model and publicist with the Bay Area Models Guild. She lives in Berkeley with her husband and two cats.

We find Diana's work evokes a sense of the strong female spirit with an ethereal aesthetic.

Paige Camerino

Coco Chanel

Paige Camerino is an emerging local bay area artist. Note her artist's statement below:

"I am a self-taught artist aspiring to be a linguist. Born in the South Bay, and raised in the Easy Bay, people watching, jazz, and the extremities of life have greatly inspired my work long since the days of my tender infancy. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I would sit cross-legged before a stack of scrap-pieces of paper on top of this tiny-haggard coffee table, and I would literally draw for hours at a time. Like Mignonne and its two owners, I have submitted myself completely to the francophile community. I am studying French in school, and I plan to one day live there. I am however open to more than just France, and as as an absolute linguaphile, I plan to one day expand my horizons and exercise the modest albeit growing knowledge I have of other languages. My goal is the learn as many languages as I possibly can and utilizing them in all of the world's 195 countries, leaving behind meaningful traces in my name. Watch out for my flags on mountaintops, world!"

We loved the youthful exuberance of Paige's art and were excited to share it with the Mignonne community!

Both artists will be featured in a Friday night late hours reception during the upcoming Oakland Art Murmur. As a gentle reminder, the Oakland Art Murmur event features a group of galleries and boutiques in Oakland that have openings every first Friday of the month.

We are proud to feature the original works of these artists at affordable prices that make owning an original piece attainable for our customers. Feel free to stop by the shop, or use our blog contact feature to get more information.