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Photograph by Vicki Thompson

More Exposure: Sara Mordecai of Willow Glen is showcasing her work at 2wenty 9ine East Main Café in Los Gatos. The exhibit, 'Three Palettes,' also features the work of Coung Nguyen of Willow Glen and Joel Yau.

'Three Palettes' spices up 2wenty 9ine in Los Gatos

By Lisa Neves Woldt

The work of two Willow Glen artists, Sara Mordecai and Cuong Nguyen, are currently being showcased, along with that of San Rafael artist Joel Yau, at the 2wenty 9ine East Main Café in Los Gatos. The exhibit, "Three Palettes," will run through June 18.

The title of the show was chosen to highlight the different styles of Mordecai, Nguyen and Yau.

The new owner of the café, Darlene Barone of Willow Glen, likes that customers notice the artwork as they enter.

"The art really complements the restaurant," she says. "I like the way the paintings are grouped--it shows well."

Mordecai's work, which can also be seen at the Starbucks on the corner of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues, shows large canvases of richly hued women at the café. Nguyen, who trained as a traditional portraitist, is featuring paintings of cut fruit. Yau's work is a series of northern California landscapes in the plein air style.

The art show evolved after Barone saw Nguyen's work at the Palo Alto Art and Wine Festival last summer. She contacted Nguyen about doing a painting for the café, which developed into the idea to showcase art.

"These young artists are so talented," says Barone, who took over the cafe about six months ago and is continuing the tradition of showcasing art.

Although the artwork of Mordecai, Nguyen and Yau is different, there is a common bond--they are chalk muralists, or Madonnari. They have participated in numerous street-painting festivals together and separately, both regionally and abroad.

Mordecai says a friend suggested she try painting in chalk many years ago. Her work in this medium led to a two-day Madonnari competition in Montova, Italy. As one of only four Americans invited to compete, she was honored with a medal of admiration for her original piece, "Madonna and Child--in Repose."

Nguyen's and Yau's extensive exposure at street-painting festivals led to a Hong Kong invitation last November to create chalk murals and share their knowledge with young Chinese artists. While the Italian-art style has been around since the 16th century, there has been a global revival of the form during the last two decades.

Twenty years ago, Santa Barbara hosted the first Madonnari festival in the United States. It has since been held every Memorial Day weekend at the local mission.

San Rafael also has an annual Italian street painting festival; this year's event is June 10-11. Mordecai, Nguyen and Yau, who have each been featured artists, will participate again this year. The festival is a fundraiser benefiting the Youth in Arts Program, which has brought arts education into Bay Area schools for more than 30 years. About 200 artists are expected to participate. The event is expected to draw more than 60,000 people. The event takes place at Mission San Rafael Archangel; the theme is the Italian Renaissance painter, Raphael.

Nguyen and Mordecai are still deciding on their art.

"The weekend before," says Mordecai, "I'll do sketches." These sketches will be enlarged and then transferred to a grid. It can take up to a whole day to transfer the picture to the street, depending on the size of the block, which can be up to 16 by 20 feet. Their participation in these festivals often brings about commissioned work from the public.

Beyond the palette

The three artists also have day jobs as illustrators for Yahoo, creating and designing icons and illustrations for the Yahoo website. Mordecai and Nguyen have worked at Yahoo for six years; Yau joined the organization last October.

Transitioning between a small computer screen and a large paint canvas can be an adjustment because the work environments are physically different. Mordecai enjoys working at Yahoo because, after years as a freelance artist, she says, "I missed the energy from being around people."

Mordecai describes her job as creative and conceptual, like solving a puzzle.

"Every day is a different challenge," she says, "so it keeps my interest."

Nguyen agrees, and says it's all about balance.

"Working at Yahoo helps me keep up with technology," he says. "There's something cool about coming home and working in front of a canvas after sitting in a cubicle for eight to10 hours a day staring at icons."

Nguyen, who received a degree in illustration from San José State University, worked for several companies before Yahoo. He was an advertising graphic designer for two years at the San Jose
Mercury News. He liked the job and made good friends, but needed more challenges.

"As a designer," he says, "you need to move on."

Nguyen would like to teach art eventually, either in a school or a studio. He has had a few opportunities to teach on the job. When international designers come to Sunnyvale, Nguyen walks them through presentations and explains programs.

Other opportunities exist at work that keep the artists motivated. Nguyen and Mordecai have hosted drawing workshops during "brown bag" lunches for co-workers.

"It all helps to feed the creativity," she says.

The three artists recently created a painting group at Yahoo called 12x12 Art. The members must submit a 12x12 painting on a specific theme every six weeks "no matter what."

Cranking out a painting every six weeks takes discipline, says Mordecai. It takes her about a week to complete an oil painting because one area must dry before another can begin. The wait time is beneficial, she says.

"It forces me to step back and take another look to see where I'm going with this painting," she adds.

Nguyen tries to paint every day. He notices a difference in his work if he skips even a few days. "If you have a talent," he says, "you have to continue to use it."

For more information on Sara Mordecai, visit www.threemoonsstudio.com.