PAL’s Pals Judges

Middle School entries will be judged by:

• 

  Jen Huber, Acrylic, Watercolor, Mixed Media

  
  Jen Huber – Art by bike is Jen Huber’s motto. Whether painting in her studio at the Bothwell Art Center or capturing the rolling hills of the tri valley area, Jen Huber travels on her orange eBike, The Muse. She paints landscapes along the bike trails when she can; portraits and figures in her studio during inclement weather, and whimsical pen drawings at home. Classically trained in Fine Art at University of Santa Cruz, she brings her experience and education to new artists of all ages and abilities through uniquely designed art camps during the holidays and creative art classes in the evenings. Check out both her paintings and classes at www.JenHuberArtist.com.

• 

  Ranjini Venkatachari

  
  Ranjini Venkatachari  – Ranjini is a fine artist working primarily in the medium of colored pencil. She has been working with this medium for more than 12 years and draws inspiration from her rich cultural heritage. She works out of her home studio in San Ramon, California. She also teaches colored pencil classes locally and all across the US. Her colored pencil art has been juried into several National and International shows across the US & UK, like the Salmagundi Annual non-member exhibition, Leading masters of Contemporary Realism (International guild of Realism), California State Fair, Women Painters of Washington and Colored Pencil Society of America’s International shows and UK color pencil society International show. Ranjini’s works has also been published in the Strokes of Genius 4&5, American Artist, International Artist, American Art Collector, Southwest arts magazine, Ann Kullberg’s COLOR Magazine & Art Guide Northwest. http://vividpencils.com/

High School entries will be judged by:

• 

  Usha Shukla

  
  Usha Shukla – A PAL Board member, Usha is a full-time professional artist who works out of her studio in Pleasanton. She creates vibrant, nature-inspired abstract paintings. Usha also serves as the Treasurer of the National League of American Pen Women, Diablo/Alameda Branch. For the last two years, she has served as a juror for the National Congressional High School Art Competition for Congressional District 15, represented by Eric Swalwell. In 2019, Usha started a new Pleasanton chapter of Dining For Women, a global charitable organization and is the Co-Chapter Leader. Her artwork has been featured in solo and group shows at various locations. Her work is collected nationally including at Sutter Hospital in San Francisco and at Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA. She is a member of San Francisco Women Artists, and Global Art Project, an international art collaborative across sixteen countries. She was an invitational artist at the “East on West ” Art Exhibit at the Office of State Senator Scott Weiner, San Francisco. https://www.ushashuklaart.com/
• George Garbarino – A PAL Board member, George Garbarino is a multi-disciplinary artist who creates watercolors, drawings, pastel paintings, and photography. George majored in art at the California College of the Arts in Oakland, California and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Art and his Teaching Credential from California University East Bay. George taught Fine Arts, Black & White Photography, and Digital Imaging in the Fremont Unified School District in Fremont, California, for 35 years. Additionally, he teaches the Marshall System of hand color tinting of black and white photography throughout Northern California. George’s artwork is an exploration of various styles and techniques from Realism, Impressionism, and Surrealism. He has won numerous awards and has been featured in several galleries and venues in the region, including the Firehouse Art Center, Olive Hyde Art Gallery, BoaVentura Vineyard, and Charles R Vineyards.