Maria Isabel Lopez comes to the Sonoma County arts scene via an unusual path that has taken her from a Philippines barrio to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Along the way, the former actress nurtured her love of visual art.
These days, that love of art inspires Lopez to experiment with mosaics and ceramics. She’s spent the last few years in Manila and Sebastopol studying new mosaic techniques. Her work will be on display at Art at the Source’s open studio showing next week. Art at the Source is a free, self-guided tour of some 160 West County artist studios.
Lopez’s art is made up of human-made materials and stones. “It features a lot of quartz, lapis lazuli and chalcopyrite, since I’m fascinated by the color purple and its natural iridescence,” says Lopez. Religious and natural symbols—crucifixes, trees, the yin and yang symbol—are a common element in her work. “My inspiration comes from that higher spiritual source. I am so limited on my own as a human, and my art is a way of giving gratitude.”
Art at the Source runs 10am to 5pm, June 3–4 and 10–11. Lopez’s studio is at 1313 Scheibel Lane in Sebastopol. For
more information, visit artatthesource.org
