Featured artist Anika Orrock’s playful illustrations are sure to delight you, while tie dyed hair ties by featured designer Vanessa Azzarello bring beauty and function together in one colorful accessory.

Come by any time in May to see Anika and Vanessa’s work. And be sure to mark your calendar for our artist reception and the Piedmont Ave Art Walk on Thursday, May 17 from 6-9 pm when we honor local art, sip wine, feather our hair with Featherluxe, and boogie down to the sweet sounds of resident DJ SOB, all in celebration of local art and a fabulous community.

What: Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Illustrations by Anika Orrock and tie died hair ties by Vanessa Azzarello

When: Thursday, May 17 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Anika Orrock:

Anika Orrock is an illustrator and graphic designer from Santa Cruz, Ca. She draws inspiration for her whimsical illustrations from things as disparate as watching little birds scurry away from waves on the beach to stumbling across a bin of typewriter keys at the flea market. The pictures she creates are as varied as her inspirations, and she likes to think that if she’s tickled by an idea, this delight will be evident in the final product.

About Vanessa Azzarello:

Vanessa Azzarello is the creator of tie dye hair ties appropriately called The Tye. By day a nursing student, and by night a compulsive crafter, Vanessa sees these activities as deeply connected in their ability to help people and bring them health and happiness.

The act of creating is a joyful one for Vanessa:  she dances and sings in a house drenched in the colors of drying ties, making color tactile and alive. She is invigorated by the process of creating and sends these little pieces of tie dyed art into the world to be worn by you.

About Featherluxe:

Featherluxe is the ORIGINAL feather hair extension system. The Featherluxe process requires no chemicals, no heat, no glue and is easily maintainable. Featherluxe™ feather hair extensions can be brushed, washed, blow-dried, straightened and even curled. With our technique, your feathers will last 1 to 3 months and with maintenance can last up to 6 months. You don’t have to worry about dreading, or messy knots. Your feather extensions will look fantastic and flow smoothly with your hair! Natural and vegan feathers available.

April’s featured designer Sheila b’s jewelry combines  crystals and geods with shiny metals to create  a beautiful collection of down-to-earth trends.  Our featured artist Rachel Znerold evokes the essence of Spring with her vivid paintings on reclaimed doors, inspired by the wilds of her native Colorado.

Sheila b and Rachel’s work will be featured all month long, so come into Rare Bird anytime throughout April to view their inspiring collections.  Save the date for our artist reception and the Piedmont Ave Art Walk on Thursday, April 19 from 6-9 pm, when we feature local art, sip wine, feather our hair with Featherluxe, and boogie down to the sweet sounds of resident DJ SOB.

What: Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Jewelry by Sheila b and paintings by Rachel Znerold

When: Thursday, April 19 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

It’s lovely celebrating with you Rare Birds, we look forward to seeing you soon.

About Rachel Znerold:

Growing up in the Colorado countryside, Rachel Znerold knew early on that she was different—she saw dazzling beauty in decomposing logs and scrawled wild designs on her sneakers. Now, as a painter, one-of-a-kind eco-fashion designer, performance artist and writer, Rachel makes her life out of making art. With a degree in Fine Art and Advertising from The University of Colorado at Boulder, she became a resident artist at Rembrandt Yard and taught painting, fashion design, and performance throughout Boulder. After traveling to New Zealand and Mexico to complete commissioned mural projects, Rachel up and moved to San Francisco on a whim.  Now a member of the Mission District’s vibrant art scene, Rachel’s work has shown at Wonderland Gallery, 111 Minna, Secession Art & Design, Femina Potens, and Market Street Gallery. She has performed in San Francisco at the Rickshaw Stop, Dance Mission Theatre, The Box Factory and at Yerba Buena Night Out. Rachel is passionate about using art to build strong community and a culture of social activism.

About Sheila b:

Sheila b’s passion for creative and magical design is reflected in her unique and bold adornments. A former make-up artist and wardrobe stylist, sheila b brings her cosmic visions to life through her opulent and expressive jewelry pieces. Inspired by the natural and the mystical, she draws upon an array of influences from the past, present and future to bring her jewelry to life. Sheila b connects to the pieces and infuses them with her positive energy for the wearer to feel inspired and empowered.

About Featherluxe:

Featherluxe is the ORIGINAL feather hair extension system. The Featherluxe process requires no chemicals, no heat, no glue and is easily maintainable. Featherluxe™ feather hair extensions can be brushed, washed, blow-dried, straightened and even curled. With our technique, your feathers will last 1 to 3 months and with maintenance can last up to 6 months. You don’t have to worry about dreading, or messy knots. Your feather extensions will look fantastic and flow smoothly with your hair! Natural and vegan feathers available.

Rare Bird is excited to feature artist Jenn Leighton.  Jenn explores texture and design in her encaustic collages.  We are also delighted to welcome back Katie Evans, a returning featured artist and designer of reliquary jewelry that enshrines elements of the natural world.  In addition, FeatherLuxe feather hair extensions will be on hand again during Art Walk at Rare Bird, so come get your Spring plumage on!

Come by any time throughout March to browse Jenn and Katie’s work.  And we look forward to seeing you for the Art Walk on Thursday, March 15 from 6-9 pm, when we feature local art, sip wine, feather our hair, and boogie down to the sweet sounds of resident DJ SOB.

What: Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Reliquary jewelry by Katie Evans and collage and encaustic collage pieces by Jenn Leighton

When: Thursday, March 15 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Katie Evans:

An artist and designer originally from Portland, Oregon, Katie has become inspired by the year-round splashes of color her new environs in the Bay Area have to offer and has enjoyed the process of allowing this to blend with her distinct style of jewelry. She creates tangible representations of the beautiful and the visceral that are both regional and universal. Feathers, bones, snakeskin, insects, etc. are chosen for their textures, shape, and colors as much as for the roles they play in the natural world. Using glass and metal, Evans creates unique reliquary jewelry that provides a wearable snapshot of the vitality and endurance of these elements.

About Jenn Leighton:

Jenn Leighton is an Oakland, CA based artist and art educator.  She has earned a BFA in painting and a MA in Art and Religion. She teaches art at Castro Valley High School and conducts private lessons in her studio. Her current passion is spending time with her new baby boy and to explore texture and design through the media of encaustic collage.  Layers and texture are important elements in her work revealing a variety of materials. Inspiration is found within natural elements, vintage drawings and playful child inspired designs. Most of the work on display are painted on 6×6 wood panels using mixed media encaustic (beeswax, resin, pigment), an ancient media that is being revived and recontexualized within contemporary art circles.

About Featherluxe:

Featherluxe is the ORIGINAL feather hair extension system. The Featherluxe process requires no chemicals, no heat, no glue and is easily maintainable. Featherluxe™ feather hair extensions can be brushed, washed, blow-dried, straightened and even curled. With our technique, your feathers will last 1 to 3 months and with maintenance can last up to 6 months. You don’t have to worry about dreading, or messy knots. Your feather extensions will look fantastic and flow smoothly with your hair! Natural and vegan feathers available.

Our February artists are both Oakland residents. Jen Tredinnick’s otherworldly terrariums combine air plants, geodes, skulls and and other natural elements in unusual found vessels. Nancy Overton uses maps, stamps, sheet music and other found papers to create collages and papiermache figurines. And, once again, FeatherLuxe feather hair extensions is setting up shop during Art Walk at Rare Bird, so come and be-feather yourself!

Jen and Nancy’s work will be at The Rare Bird throughout February, so come take a look. And be sure to mark your calendars for the Art Walk on Thursday, February 16 from 6-9 pm as we fete local art, sip wine, feather our hair, and boogie down to the sweet sounds of resident DJ SOB.

What: Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Magical terrariums by Jen Tredinnick and collage and papiermache figurines by Nancy Overton

When: Thursday, February 16 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Jen Tredinnick: Jen Tredinnick is an Oakland resident who has created her own interpretation of the terrarium. Her work consists of various air plants arranged in unique vessels, including found glass. Tilandsia are arranged with crystals, skulls, geodes and other elements to create a miniature world. White-tailed deer antlers and a collection of crystal ball stands found at flea markets are examples of the one-of-a-kind pieces used to display her glass.

Inspiration for her work is drawn from 1970s bric-a-brac, hunting for vintage home décor, and growing up surrounded by nature. Combine this with an essence of magic and you have a living piece of art. Although her plant arrangements consist of natural materials, they seem to have a supernatural feel to them. Her eye for detail creates a harmonious balance in each piece.

About Nancy Overton:Nancy Overton’s love for paper and glue and her fondness for old recipes and love letters have inspired an artistic life of collage and papiermache. Nancy’s posters and three-dimensional creations make use of maps, stamps, sheet music and ephemera discovered on her Saturday morning outings to estate and garage sales in and around her home town of Oakland. Each design is made up of many individual torn or cut pieces of paper, secured by Elmer’s glue.

Nancy Overton is a graduate of The California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting.

About Featherluxe: Featherluxe is the ORIGINAL feather hair extension system. The Featherluxe process requires no chemicals, no heat, no glue and is easily maintainable. Featherluxe™ feather hair extensions can be brushed, washed, blow-dried, straightened and even curled. With our technique, your feathers will last 1 to 3 months and with maintenance can last up to 6 months. You don’t have to worry about dreading, or messy knots. Your feather extensions will look fantastic and flow smoothly with your hair! Natural and vegan feathers available.

Rare Bird is kicking off 2012 with two local artists: Ramsi Metzger’s singular jewelry line repurposes old jewelry and other found objects into new jewelry pieces. Paul Guido’s playful botanical drawings of human-like flowers tell a story about community, love and inter-connectedness.  And, once again, FeatherLuxe’s feather hair extensions is setting up shop during Art Walk at Rare Bird, so come and adorn yourself for the new year!

You can browse Paul and Ramsi’s work at Rare Bird throughout January, and be sure to mark your calendars for the Art Walk on Thursday, January 19 from 6-9pm. Join us to drink wine, feather your hair, celebrate local art and see what  resident DJ London Fog is spinning.

What: Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Found-object jewelry by Ramsi Metzger and anthropomorphized botanical drawings by Paul Guido

When: Thursday, January 19 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Paul Guido: In a decade when the average rainfall was higher and the temperatures were lower than those of current times, Paul Guido spent many of his winter months in true Northern California drawing surreal plant life and landscapes and reading and writing stories until he moved to the Bay Area in 1991. Over the next decade and a half he spent more time on music than writing stories and his drawings ceased all together until the winter of 2005, when a severe climbing accident left him largely immobile and, in his downtime, he started drawing again. The subjects of these new drawings were of community, family and love expressed through the forms of human-like botanicals. A trip to Paris later that year birthed an idea for a book in which the botanical drawings would be arranged into a story about the inter-connectedness of all beings. The prints on display are a selection from that book. The book is not yet published.

About Ramsi Metzger: Ramsi Metzger is a San Francisco-based artist. From her origins on the beaches and Blue Ridge Mountains ofVirginia, she brought her love for jewelry design to the West Coast 3 years ago.  With no formal education in Fine Arts or Design, her interest-turned-passion began with a few simple jewelry fixes.  Next, it was turning the mate of a lost earring into a ring because she couldn’t bear to throw it out. From that moment on, she realized she could breathe new life into any out-of-date of jewelry piece. Ramsi now has her own jewelry line, Etsy site, and tables at local craft fairs. Continually inspired by broken jewelry passed on by friends, flea market finds, or items from nature, she contextualizes one-of-a-kind items into jewelry pieces that tell a story.

About Featherluxe: Featherluxe is the ORIGINAL feather hair extension system. The Featherluxe process requires no chemicals, no heat, no glue and is easily maintainable. Featherluxe™ feather hair extensions can be brushed, washed, blow-dried, straightened and even curled. With our technique, your feathers will last 1 to 3 months and with maintenance can last up to 6 months. You don’t have to worry about dreading, or messy knots. Your feather extensions will look fantastic and flow smoothly with your hair! Natural and vegan feathers available.

‘Tis the season to shop local! The recent success of Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday warmed our hearts and showed us that our awesome customers put their money where their hearts are — in the community. With the calendar now flipped to December, Rare Bird is in full holiday season mode, bursting with magical gifts for all ages.  Join us for the next Art Walk on December 15 from 6-9pm, or come by anytime to browse our collection of playful gifts from (mostly) local sources.

This holiday season we are featuring two Bay Area artists. Diana Lovett presents a 20-year retrospective of her nature-inspired jewelry. Artist Lauren Nelson’s urban landscapes blend painting, printmaking, photography and typography — we will showcase affordable prints by Lauren, in addition to framed originals.

You can check out Diana and Lauren’s work at Rare Bird throughout December, and be sure to mark your calendars for the Art Walk on Thursday, December15 from 6-9pm. Join us to drink wine, celebrate local art and enjoy the singular spins of  resident DJ London Fog.

What: Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Nature-inspired jewelry by Diana Lovett and urban landscape paintings and prints by Lauren Nelson

When: Thursday, December 15 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Diana Lovett: A student of music, art, textile, fiber, and metal, Diana brings an unusual set of skills to her jewelry making. Using techniques such as Kuem Boo, a Korean process of fusing 24-karat gold foil to silver, Diana creates stunning jewelry that references the many facets of nature, from its seasons and textures to natural formations and finishes. These influences are expressed in her jewelry as impressions or textures of leaves, wire, metal or crumpled paper that Diana embosses on metal through a rolling mill. Art is a spiritual pursuit for her, and she calls on the ideas of many religions and cultures, past and present, to create each piece.

About Lauren Nelson: Lauren Nelson is an artist whose work reflects her love for painting, printmaking, photography, and typography.  She blends these mediums together, using her own photographs as the initial inspiration for each piece.  Her artwork depicts scenes from travels to Mexico as well as places she’s called home (San Francisco and  Los Angeles).  She is now back in San Francisco, settled with her husband and new pup, Henry. Lauren is also an interior designer and photo stylist.

Willow Solem

Born in Northwest Washington and currently living in Oakland, Willow Solem studied painting at the Claremont Colleges and the Glasgow School of Art, graduating from Scripps College with a degree in fine art. Her artwork is in several private collections.

Approximately 20 years ago, Willow’s grandfather salvaged wood from a 100-year-old barn in Northwest Washington.  For several years, these hand-split boards were stored at her grandmother’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary, which protects local birds. When Willow gained access to this wood she wanted what she painted on it to reflect its origin. With this in mind, she chose to depict birds  native to Northwest Washington. Because she now lives in Oakland, she also paints birds found in the Bay Area.

Willow’s work will be featured at the Rare Bird on Thursday, October 21, 2011.  Click here for more information on the Rare Bird October Event.

Ponder Knitwear

Ponder Knitwear bloomed from designer Jillian Claire’s loom in a cabin atop a mountain deep in the forests of Big Sur. With a heart as large as the state of California and a spirit as eclectic as San Francisco, the Ponder family creates garments that are elegant yet rustic, phenomenal to touch, and crafted with methods and materials that support our commitment to living symbiotically with the Earth.

Ponder creates garments to fall in love with. They feel and look beautiful on your body, but are utilitarian. The new Digital Native collection is a fusion of attractive elements—Native American textiles and retro computer graphics inform the design of multi-purpose scarves that can function as hoods, ties, vests, and satchels. Their eco-conscious designs use cashmere, merino wool, bamboo, seacell, sasawashi, organic eco cotton, and reclaimed yarns.

Ponder Knitwear endeavors to lessen our negative impact on the planet, and heighten our impact on design. We are pleased to introduce ourselves as young, active agents dedicated to positive fundamental change for humanity on this planet. All garments are made in California by Californians.

Ponder Knitwear’s work will be featured at the Rare Bird on Thursday, October 21, 2011.  Click here for more information on the Rare Bird October Event.

Apply to be a featured artist here.

August brings new and exciting mediums to Rare Bird! Featured Artist Ken Shelf creates whimsical, lush art with his terrariums. Drawing inspiration from nature, Ken cultivates his micro-paradises using succulents and other plants expertly arranged in glass tabletop and hanging containers.

Any lover of the natural world will have the same fondness for our other Featured Artist’s craft: handmade journals by Emily Coker. Using repurposed wood and vinyl records for covers, Emily lovingly crafts each journal as a unique creation, right down to the hand-torn paper edges. The results are books that feel personal and magical at the same time – perfect for daily journals, guest books, or sacred poem diaries.

Visit Ken and Emily’s work all month long at Rare Bird, and mark your calendars for the Art Gallery and Trunk Show on Thursday, August 18 from 6-9pm, our monthly celebration of our featured artists. Admire, shop, laugh, sip wine and, as always, marinate in the sonic grooves of resident dj London Fog.

What: Art Gallery & Trunk Show at Rare Bird and Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Succulent terrariums by Ken Shelf and handmade journals  by Emily Coker

When: Thursday, August 18  from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Ken Shelf: Ken Shelf is the co-owner (with his wife, Amy) and lead cultivator at Succulence – a life and garden store in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco that sells supplies for a succulent lifestyle.  Ken also lives in Bernal with Amy and their children, Huck and Trudy. Ken’s plant art began with the creative camouflaging of marijuana plants in his tomato garden and continues with his exploration of the disintegration and reintegration of nature with itself. In his endless quest for interesting planting vessels, he has planted teapots, popcorn poppers, electrical boxes, watering cans, shoes, bicycle rims, bird-feeders, sea shells, grain mill belts, coal cans, potato and onion baskets, and a metal Hoosier flour bin for his wife’s 40th birthday. Ken teaches classes on vertical gardening and terrarium building monthly at the Bernal Heights store. Rare Bird is privileged to offer Ken’s terrarium building workshop in September! Check out our Classes page for sign up information.

About Emily Coker: Emily Coker is a self taught multimedia artist living and creating in Oakland. Inspired and intrigued by all things vintage, Emily creates unique handmade journals from repurposed wood and vinyl records. Noticing the slow demise of old practices, traditions, and routines in this soft copy world, Emily wanted to create a tactile hard copy medium for all to enjoy. Each page of her journals is torn by hand to lend a rustic feel that evokes something familiar in the user. The books are versatile and can be used for many things,  including journals, guest books, or even photo albums.

When not making books, Emily curates and runs an art event called Oakland Under $100 in an effort to pull together the Oakland community through the arts.  She is honored to be showing at Rare Bird, which facilitates that very idea for the Oakland art community.

Both of our July featured artists are channeling summer fun with the bright greens, yellows and turquoise of their nostalgic designs. Collage artist Jamie Noriega uses vintage images to create colorful, surreal and provocative new realities. Jewelry designer Kelley Hollis takes enamel and plastic brooches, pins and earrings from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and upcycles them as modern jewelry. Their work will be featured all month long at Rare Bird, and don’t miss our monthly celebration of these local talents, the Art Gallery and Trunk Show on Thursday, July 21 from 6 – 9pm. Drink some wine or homemade chai from Café Crush and, as always, luxuriate in the aural stylings of resident DJ London Fog.

What: Art Gallery & Trunk Show at Rare Bird and Piedmont Ave Art Walk

Featuring: Vintage collage by Jamie Noriega and ‘upcycled’ vintage jewelry from Kelley Hollis

When: Thursday, July 21 from 6-9 pm

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Jamie Noriega Jamie Noriega is a resident of the East Bay. He is inspired by billboards, folk tales, cartoons, religious icons and military propaganda posters. The materials he uses for creating collages are generally culled from the pages of illustrated children’s books, atlases of anatomy, travel, cooking and fashion magazines, and periodicals. Vintage gift wrap, napkins, postcards and photographs are all considered fair game and are manipulated to construct provocative, confrontational or whimsical realities.

About Kelley Hollis The Berkeley artist’s la chat souriant line of jewelry is inspired by a life-long love of vintage jewelry, especially plastics and enamel, manufactured in the 1940s thru the late 1960s.  The color and texture of the pieces captured her imagination:  fabulous rich colors and textures of Bakelite, celluloid, Lucite, and the intricate details of enamel painting. All pieces are handmade from vintage plastic and mother of pearl buttons and vintage brooches and earrings which have been upcycled and given new lives.

Summer has arrived and it’s time to wax nostalgic at Rare Bird with vintage cameras and urban photography from our June featured artists. None other than our resident photographer, Kimberly Patterson, brings us photographic works that explore of the beauty she finds in her urban surroundings. George Polley, our second featured artist, brings a fantastic collection of rare vintage cameras to the June event.

Of course, we welcome you to browse their work throughout the month of June. Be sure to come out to meet the artists and celebrate local art at our Trunk Show and Art Showing on Thursday, June 16 from 6-9 pm.  Drink some wine or homemade chai from Café Crush and, as always, luxuriate in the aural stylings of resident DJ London Fog.

What: Trunk Show and Gallery Showing

Featuring: Urban photography by Kimberly Patterson and vintage cameras from George Polley

When: Thursday, June 16 from 6-9 pm.

Where: The Rare Bird – 3883 Piedmont Avenue – Oakland, CA

About Kimberly Patterson An East Bay native, Kim Patterson has been practicing photography for 15 years, after being inspired by her grandfather, who photographed all of his trips and created slide shows for the family.  He gave her his Minolta camera at age 15, when she enrolled in a photography class in high school and began her exploration of photography as the lead photographer on the school newspaper.  Kim now has a B.A. in art with an emphasis in photography from SFSU. Her photographic inspiration comes from everyday life, and from objects in their natural environment.  Most of her photos are of urban landscapes, capturing objects not generally viewed as “beautiful.”  Political rallies and public events also provide photographic opportunities to capture people in their most uninhibited moments.

About George Polley In 1959, at age 12, George Polley was given a Brownie Bullet roll film box camera by a kind aunt and he began taking photographs. Over the course of a lifetime working in and out of the photographic industry, George acquired a small collection of favorite cameras. In 2006, his daughter, a fine arts photographer, asked to use some of the cameras in George’s collection as props in an alternative process exhibit at a store/gallery. When people asked about purchasing the cameras, the store owner asked for some examples to sell. George has been offering a wide assortment of vintage film cameras for sale ever since.