In the Gallery -- January 2011

The intriguing January Gallery presents two exceptional artists. Pontip Berry has created ORCHIDS IN THE SNOW: An Art Clay Rendition and David Mngodo is exhibiting ORIGINS: Paintings Filled with Color and Light.

PONTIP BERRY owns and operates Berry Beautiful Flowers in Avon, Indiana, where she sculpts and hand paints flowers from specialty clay. After her son went to college, she revisited Thailand, her native country, and discovered a small flower shop where they were making clay flowers and teaching classes. On her next trip to Thailand, she learned how to create these flowers with air dry clay and was immediately inspired to share this craft in America.

It has been nearly five years since Pontip started her business and she is still in love with sculpting new flowers every week. The process of making, specializing and customizing each flower keeps Pontip fully occupied. Many hours are dedicated to the small details that are done by hand. When you first look at the flowers they appear real. The first question customers usually ask is "Are they real?" Can I touch them? Pontip answers that they are real in the sense that you can touch them and keep them forever and you don't have to water them!

Each flower is hand crafted using air dry clay. Stems are made from clay mixed with the desired color and molded over a wire armature for strength. The petals are handmade using white as the base and adding desired color. Special tools are used to get the size and shape desired. The petals are glued together to form the flower and the flowers are then attached to the stems to complete a one of a kind creation. The special imported air dry clay adds to the uniqueness of each flower which can be mounted on a treated natural wood base or vase.

Pontip often travels to arts and crafts shows to display her flowers which come in all shapes and sizes from miniature to large. She is hopeful that you will find each arrangement stunningly beautiful and amazingly lifelike. I did!

DAVID MNGODO is a self taught artist who works primarily with acrylics, but also enjoys using oil and pastels. He graduated from the Art Instructional School of Minnesota and Collins College of Design and Technology in Tempe, Arizona. He has exhibited his work in New York, Arizona, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 2007, he received the Minnesota Inventors Congress Art Festival "Peoples Choice Award."

His work has been commissioned by the Redwood, Minnesota Area Hospital and multiple individuals. His work can be found online at www.davidmngodo.com

David's view of the world comes through his paintings, most especially through the use of colors and negative space, creating an emotional feeling in each painting. This provided David with an opportunity to develop a style that always tells a story. His paintings are filled with the colors and lights that fill his memory. His abstract hard line paintings draw the observer into each painting revealing David’s creative intent to develop a particular feeling or story.
In addition to His work as an artist, David serves as Senior Pastor for Revere Christian Fellowship in Revere, Minnesota and in De Forest, Wisconsin. He is active with Redwood Falls Public Library, Redwood Area Foundation, Redwood Falls Chamber of Commerce and Big Buddies of Western Community Action.