Redland Rambles

This year’s GrowFest! debuts the Redland ART section. Applying the same criteria as for all GrowFest! vendors, art or photography by local artists is showcased, depicting local, edible or native plant, animal or local scenes, or incorporates locally-grown or native materials.

John DeFaro is a local artist who works with natural materials, royal poinciana seed pods one of his favorite objects. All pieces are for sale at GrowFest! 50% discount prices of $45 to $75 (signed by the artist), depending on size/detail. John will be at GrowFest! until 4 pm Saturday and until 3 pm Sunday.

In his own words:

At first glance one quickly sees rich earth tones of cheery wood reds and mahogany browns hanging from copper wire. About the size of four or five hands, the forms floating are created primarily using Poinciana Tree Seed Pods; a signature material to John DeFaro’s new naturalist approach for his making of art assemblages and on site installations.

The Nightmare Catchers are smaller scaled found object, informal assemblages using wire, vintage electrical transistors, jewelry wire, plastic beads, and so on. These hanging intuitive sculptures are a deviation from the traditional Native American Dream Catchers in that they, fresh out of the artist studio ad hoc forms, are to be hung inside the home and dwellings where one might sleep. In addition to Catching, they Capture and Extinguish Nightmares FOREVER.

As part of the artist narrative, The Nightmare Catchers provide a complete monitoring of nightmares placed anywhere within the entire home. Simply the power of playful belief when and how artistic creation brings enjoyment and positive thinking. And simply an expression as an art form celebrating the re-purposing of Nature.

DeFaro’s better known large assemblages using the dried and hardened, oiled and protected pods, have garnered awards and exhibition participation such as an Artist Choice award at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, SoBay Art Exhibit at the Deering Estate in Cutler, FL, Scope Art Fair, Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, FL, and most recently inclusion in the 63rd Annual Juried Competition and Exhibition / Boca Raton Museum, Florida.

http://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/115861-john-defaro