Alliance of California Artists

Art imitates life in Buchanan teacher's experience 

Carol Lawson-Swezey

The walls of Albert Van Troba's home speak not only of his talent as an artist and illustrator, but tell the story of his life. Watching over him are portraits of his family at the beach, his father-in-law casting a fishing line into a rippling river and the lyrical, magical images of a family of animated cats.

For the Buchanan High School art teacher, there has been little separation between art and life since Van Troba won his first state art contest while a third-grader in Idaho.

"Ever since then, that's all I did was draw and paint," he said.

In high school, his passions were track and art and he ultimately managed to do both. He was a track coach for 19 of the 36 years he has taught art. In his third year teaching at Buchanan, he now teaches four beginning and one advanced drawing and painting class.

Van Troba, his wife, Michele and their daughter, Aubry, a Reyburn Intermediate School eighth grader, were inspired to move to Clovis by the stories of a childhood friend who had relocated from Washington State and had great things to say about CUSD. Van Troba also has two adult children, Kimberly and Jeff.

"We would come to visit and talk about the Clovis educational curriculum, standards and policies and found it was superior to what we had in Washington," he said.

With his vast experience as a professional artist in many mediums, Van Troba has infused his students with competitive fervor. His intent to showcase student work in the community has resulted in accolades and awards for the past two years in the countywide Fresno Metropolitan Museum billboard contest and many ribbons, including Best of Show, at the Fresno County Fair.

In addition to drawing and painting, Van Troba has taught stained glass, ceramics and advertising art. He has shown and sold his work professionally for the Eddie Bauer Portrait Studios in Seattle, specializing in wildlife portraits, has freelanced as a medical illustrator for a series of plastic surgery journals and illustrated a collection of 44 drawings of two cat families for "Cat's got your Tongue." The book, published in 1998, was a family venture, illustrated by Van Troba, and written by his wife Michele and her brother and sister-in-law.

He is gathering a collection of artwork to show in a gallery in Carmel, among them his favorite water scenes, still lifes and wildlife. He has also been commissioned to do portraits, which take an average of three months to complete.

Van Troba's day begins before dawn, when he prepares for his school day, and ends late at night after several hours working in his home studio.

"Part of my success as an art teacher is being a professional and mastering the mediums I work with. I bring that expertise into the classroom and students know that and it brings credibility to the program," he said.

Van Troba focuses on basic art fundamentals. "If they learn the principals and elements of design, basic painting and drawing skills and understand the value and temperature of color, they can be successful." He also mentors a volunteer after-school program with select students who show promise.

"As a teacher, the reward is seeing a student land a scholarship or winning a contest," Van Troba said. "But especially I like helping students realize they have a talent. That results in an overall revitalization of interest in school and they start engaging themselves in all their studies. Some students have a natural God-given gift but even the non-creative student can be very successful."

Some former students have continued their passion in art schools and computer graphics and as illustrators.

Van Troba has been nominated three times for "Who's Who in American teachers." The honor is prestigious in that only students who themselves have been named in "Who's Who in High School" or the National Dean's List can nominate one teacher from their entire academic experience.

Van Troba has found his teaching at CUSD to be enhanced because of the district's strict dress and behavior standards, which directs focus on being in school for education.

"Having a dress code eliminates a lot of discipline problems and creates the right attitude for learning," he said.

Although Van Troba loves teaching, it is his ultimate goal to be a professional full-time artist. "It all boils down to being in the right place at the right time," he said.

Although he credits some of his achievement to a natural talent and inclination, he has had to overcome major obstacles to be successful. He left home at 15 and suffers from dyslexia and ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

"No one's ever sent me a check for having a disability or given me a free ride," Van Troba said. "You cannot use a disability as an excuse to fail. I tell my students that I have turned my disabilities into positive things. I focus on the strengths that I am blessed with which have made me strong and successful, and art is one of them."

Claudia Fletcher specializes in western art, horses, western scenes, western posters, animals, pets and their owners, children's fantasy, vintage cars, motorcycles, landscapes and holiday themes. Claudia has clients nationwide for her commissioned artwork and beautiful portrait paintings. Portraits of animals and people are in Watercolor, Pastel, Acrylic and Pencil. "Claudia captured the exact personalities of our beloved pets in beautiful lifelike paintings." Barbara Archer, Coowner, Target Constructors, Inc.

Claudia is best known for her paintings, drawings and wall murals of Western-themed art.

Her murals have received national acclaim and include a 21-foot-by-60-foot exterior wall mural of a grain thresher pulled by 24 horses for the town of Exeter, a 10-foot-by-20-foot billboard depicting a steamboat

filled with people for Kerman's Historic Gateway Mural and life size figures across the front of Kerman's historical blacksmith barn. She was honored with the Spirit of Clovis at the 2004 Clovis Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Dinner to acknowledge her contributions to the city of Clovis. Claudia is the commissioned artist for the Clovis Rodeo Poster since 1992. “Claudia's work was chosen because of her

realistic portrayal of animals “says Vince Genco, Past President, Clovis Rodeo Association.

“The power and magnificence of the horse was my first channel for the expression of my talent in drawing and painting.“ Portraits of animals and people are in Watercolor, Pastel, Acrylic and Pencil. Claudia has clients nationwide for her commissioned artwork and beautiful portrait paintings.

Claudia is the commissioned artist for the Clovis Rodeo Poster since 1992.

For 10 years, Joan has owned and operated a gallery and art school in Oakhurst, and teaches classes at the Art Center in Coarsegold. She is a featured artist at Brumley Art Gallery in Bass Lake. She is known for her use of transparent watercolor in a bright fresh manner and is considered one of the finest Water-colorists in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Some of her works include large corporate collections including the Kaiser Hospital Clinic, Saint Agnes Clinic in Oakhurst and all of the paintings in the corporate offices of Robert L Young Corporation in Oakland. She has been commissioned by the Ripe Tomato Restaurant in Fresno and Ducey's Restaurant at Bass Lake to do their menu covers, and by Fresno State University for a poster for the viticulture wine tasting. She also provided the artwork for the ATM and Visa card for the Fresno County Federal Credit Union.Joan does commissions by appointment.

She has painted many homes and likes to specialize in painting the entry-way or a portion of the home. These paintings can then be printed on note cards or Christmas cards.

The Brumley Art Gallery is located in Bass Lake, California near the world famous Yosemite National Park. At the Art Gallery, you can purchase original artwork by a variety of artists in the form of paintings, sculpture and jewelry.

At 20, a year’s study in Florence, Italy was life-changing - living within the culture, seeing the great works of art first-hand. She traveled through Iron Curtain eastern Europe(Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia and Hungary). School holidays were spent traveling through Europe, Greece, and Israel.

Upon completing both a BA and MA at Fresno State, Sally was hired to teach in Australia. Ever adventurous, she made the trip “top to bottom” twice, climbed Uluru (Ayers Rock) twice and saw much of the continent.

After returning to the U.S. her varied work schedule finally allowed time to reconnect

with art. Valley artists: James Soares, Sam Rae, Millie Pepper, Gay McCline, and Paul Buxman added layers of instruction and inspiration. A watercolorist to the core, Sally won awards, had several one-woman shows, served on art association boards for many years, joined the Door Art Gallery, and was a co-founder of the Art Stand.. She considers it an honor to have been asked to judge art shows. Twice she

was part of a selected group who’s works typify Fresno County. She is an acknowledged contributor to the plan for Highway 180 to be designated as a scenic highway. Sally is a charter/signature member of ACA, (SWA), and an associate member of Plein Air Painters of New Mexico.

Another life change was in store in 2007 when she stopped in Truchas, New Mexico to paint, en

plein air with oils. She was invited to return, stay, and paint. For the past three years, she has returned for

months at a time, bought a house, entered shows, and helped form a plein air group. This year the move will be permanent. Her residence will also be her studio/gallery in the mountain village of Truchas, midway between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico on the High Road. Look for her in the PAPNM ad in June’s issue of Southwest Art Magazine.

Website: www.sallydelap-john.com

A native Texan, Suzie has lived most of her life in California. She was an art major in College and pursued a career in interior design for fifteen years. Once her children were grown and on their own she began to paint full time. Suzie works mainly in pastel, but has painted in oil, and watercolor. She strives to put the viewer into her paintings, by evoking a memory, an experience, or just the beauty of a day. Her subject matter varies greatly, which may be inspired by a ray of light, an interesting shadow, or even a fleeting thought. Whatever the source, being able to transform it onto a piece of paper brings her great satisfaction. “I love sharing my enthusiasm for a subject. I just hope they feel as much joy in viewing my work as I had in creating it.”

Suzie is a nationally recognized painter of firefighting scenes. Two of her paintings have graced the cover of “Wildfire Magazine”, an international trade magazine, and another on the cover of a national firefighter bookstore catalogue. Her painting of the 911 disaster in New York was the cover of the program for a memorial service at Pelco Inc. in Clovis, CA. She sells her prints off of her web site www.fire-art.com to fire personnel throughout the United States.

Her paintings have won many awards, and hang in private collections as well as public buildings. She does workshops and demonstrations for art groups. Loves Plein Aire painting, and exhibits her work at the Gallaria Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, The "Art Stand Gallery" in Sanger, CA, which is a co-op gallery, and at her studio in her Fresno home.

She is the past president of the Society of Western Artists (SWA), and past membership chairperson of the Alliance of California Artists (ACA). Suzie is a signature member of both groups.

Paul and his wife Ruth host an annual event during the two days after Thanksgiving at his Sweet Home Ranch. It’s an Art Show and Local Handcrafted foods tasting event. They’re open 9-5 on Friday