Thursday, January 28, 2016

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory Drawings (1992-1993)

From 1992-1993 I was lucky enough to live in Sonoma, California (I was the last XO of the now-closed Naval Security Group Activity, Skaggs Island), in a cool house across from the Fire Station. My two daughters used to take classes at the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory, and like most of those places that are usually labors of love, they were always trying to raise funds through bake sales, etc.

I came up with the idea of doing some drawings of the students and then have an exhibition of the drawings at my then dealer (Presidio Gallery, also in Sonoma and closed many years ago).  The gallery agreed to the exhibition and that most of the profits from sales would go to the school.
Story in the Sonoma Index-Tribune about the show
Needless to say, all the work sold within a few minutes of the opening, as parents scrambled to get the drawing where their daughter was included. There was even some controversy, as the matriarch of one of Sonoma's oldest wine families had called the gallery prior to the opening and requested to buy all the works where her grand daughter was included. She faxed the gallerist a photo of little Amber (this was 1993... remember faxes?), and several of the pieces sold sight unseen!

The other parents were justifiably pissed, and I was very glad that I had nothing to do with the deal, and my poor dealer had a lot of explaining to do, especially to some of the other Sonoma wine blue bloods.

There were around 80 drawings all together in the exhibition - about 40 framed and 40 shrink wrapped in flat files - all sold! Below is a sampling of the show from some recently digitized slides.

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory (Study for the Above Piece) by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Pen and Ink on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x36 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Studies for Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Graphite Conte on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Napa, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory (Left Version) by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
16x24 inches. Pen and Ink Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
9x12 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
14x11 inches. Charcoal and on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Ink Wash on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in San Francisco, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
18x24 inches. Pen and Ink on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x36 inches. Pen and Ink, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
12x9 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Elise Campello - Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992 Watercolor by F. Lennox Campello
Elise Campello - Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
12x9 inches. Watercolor on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in San Francisco, CA