Autopia
is
a small, independent, woman owned
Eco-Store and Biodiesel Filling Station in San Mateo California that
sells locally made and sustainable “green” products and high quality
commercial biodiesel that meets B100 ASTM standards.
We strive to sell only biodiesel made from
recycled vegetable oil.
Art pieces are for
sale
Donnasue Jacobi
Fred Roessler
Beautiful, colorized
back and white photographs
Bronson Gengezha
Handcrafted Shona Sculptures
from artist Bronson Gengezha of Zimbabwe.
"Zimbabwe"
means "great stone house". It is fitting that stone sculpture is the art that most represents the people of Zimbabwe. It is also
referred to as 'Shona Sculpture'.
In nature,
nothing exists in isolation. The most interesting scenes are simple visuals
that most people pass by. There is great beauty and rich textured details in
every day things in our environment. My day job as a dog trainer and dog walker
allows me to see many neighborhoods up close and personal. I often let the
dogs I’m walking help me find really interesting places – based on their
sniffing desires. I focus on a shot of an everyday object that inspires
closer examination, and then continue my walks until the next discovery.
I express
the impact nature has on me through photography. I paint with both my camera
and brushes to experience the joy of being in the moment with my subjects. I
use traditional silver gelatin processes in a darkroom to create photographs.
I then add various treatments to the prints, such as sepia toning or painting
with a heavy pigmented oil paint. The goal is to produce a print that is true
to the details of the original subject.
I enjoy
making close-ups of details in plants, animals, and architectural elements.
Objects of vital color and texture receive extra attention to the smallest of
details, like roses on the side of an 1870’s barn, or the pollen inside a
calla lily’s folds. My photographs say “really look at me.” --DonnaSue
Environmental
Statement
The beaches and coastal forests I photograph are beautiful places. What
interests me most about them is what they have revealed to me through long
encounters over the years. The quiet beauty offers a steadiness and calmness
that can only be experienced in these quite areas. When I am working with my
camera in places like Butano Creek, I feel a
renewal of energies, and a sharpness of vision that does not exist except in
these places. I call this my “Zen of photography.” I hope that my images
inspire people to want to experience this same renewal, whatever the area
offers to them through the quiet and stillness of many long encounters. --
Fred
Bronson Gengezha
Handcrafted Shona
Art
Sharing a Piece of Zimbabwe with
the World
Bronson was born in 1981 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
He attended Ellis Robbins Boys’ High School where he excelled in every subject
but took special interest in art history. Bronson credits his father,
Temba Gengezha, as his greatest inspiration to create beautiful works. From
1975 until his untimely death in 2001, Temba Gengezha’s sculptures were
immensely popular and celebrated both locally and abroad for their style and
artistry.
As a child, Bronson played with
stones on the floor of his father’s workshops but it wasn't until 1998, at the age of 17, that
Bronson began to sculpt stones and hone his artistic vision under the
tutelage of his father. Bronson’s inherent creativity is evident in the
skill, originality and attention to detail which is characteristic of his
work and is so often lacking in the pieces produced by formally
trained young people who study the Shona sculpting tradition in art school.
Bronson looks up to sculptors like and
because of their unique style.
Bronson is most often inspired by
nature, everyday life, and the bonds of family. Presently, Bronson’s pieces
can be found in galleries and private collections in Germany, Canada,
Australia, Holland, Japan,
South Africa, and most
recently, the United
States.
Bronson travels to the Kwekwe
mines located 2 hours outside Harare
to hand select raw stones which are then transported to his home workshop. He
prefers to work with colorful stones such as Kwekwe serpentine,
fruit serpentine, verdite, and opal stones. As with most stones collected for
the purpose of sculpting, they are mined without the use of automotive
tools. The raw stones are then transformed using handmade tools such as the
traditional mbezo, rasper, and various handmade chisels and files. No
electric tools are used in the creative process.
Common themes in Bronson’s work include the mother and
child, looking to the future, introspection, and lovers. When talking about
his relationship with the medium of stone, Bronson says, “There is a hidden
spirit inside the stone that can be drawn out. Sometimes just by looking at
the stone it can tell a story and guide your hand.”
