Page 84 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2022

Gallerie Karon & Gallerie Menagerie
feature | art tour
TODD LOVETT

Specializing in African and Asian art, furniture and the animals in Ashland
you have grown to love over the past 20 years. With early encouragement from his artist mother, art has defined
Todd Lovett all his life and was his major at various schools, including
Gallerie Karon has Moved: 300 East Main at Second, Ashland California School of Professional Fabric Design. Initially trying oils in
college, he switched to watercolor and fell in love with it. His style
changed as well – from cubism to more traditional.

His early career was in retail, though he always made time for art, never
considering it a hobby. At one time, he worked with a wallpaper com-
pany that used two of his projects for period production wallpaper in a
Steven Spielberg movie. Todd once saw an artist painting in a shop she
owned and thought, I want to do that! That dream became reality when
he and Mark Sutter opened Artist & Gardener in Jacksonville. Mark
focuses on his gardening business, but also invests his skills and time in
the store and is a big part of its aesthetic.

Much of Todd’s painting features florals and antiques, including archi-
tectural and antique elements and the use of pattern. He currently is
working on a watercolor series called his "woven" series, motivated by
his pattern design background. He has created a card line, pillows, and
scarves, along with prints.

Artist & Gardener also carries other artists’ work, with items varying
in size and affordability. Todd brought in items from various periods of
his creativity, adding an eclectic element. He’s pleased that his art has
graced several covers of the Jacksonville Review.
541-482-9008 |

SHEILA MASON

At age five, Sheila Mason knew she wanted to be an artist. Her parents
were supportive, to the point her mother didn’t scold her when she
depicted a scene on a lampshade. She took classes along the way, but it
wasn’t until her children were grown and she retired from a medical
career that she truly followed her passion. She first explored sculpting
N The Café jects stood waiting in the forest where she lived. She captures realistic
— but moved on to painting. Unsure what to paint, she realized her sub-
A
D
— scenes for today and for future generations, acknowledging the fragility
of old growth forests.
Delicious organic options made to Sheila employs a unique technique by sculpting a mixture of plaster and
glue that’s been applied to the canvas, creating a 3-D effect. Part of a
order and ready to grab and go. tree trunk or a patch of boulders might protrude 1/4-1/2 inch, creat-
ing the sense you’re walking into the painting.

Her work is on display at the Southern Oregon Guild Gallery in Kerby,
945 S Riverside Ave • (541)779-2667 where she is a member. She’s delighted that her work is selling, but
medfordfood.coop/cafe admits it’s sometimes hard to let go. For her, art has become a coping
mechanism considering today’s chaos. “With painting I can escape into
a wonderful world.”

Sheila is 75, proof that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. “I’m
dedicated to it because it’s a passion for me.” She has no plans for retire-
ment from the art world.

82 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2022