Artscene: Two Menlo Park women pursue art as second career

By Sheryl Nonnenberg | Special to the Almanac

Elyse Dunnahoo and Krishna Mitra have a lot in common. They live within a half mile of each other in West Menlo Park; they enjoyed successful first careers and are now dedicated to pursuing second careers as artists; and their artwork is on display in a two-person exhibition in the Caldwell Gallery at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City.

Until recently, the two had never met. But given how similar their life stories are and the fact that it is a small world, their intersection was probably inevitable.

“Still Lifes: Two Visions” features their oil and acrylic paintings and will be on view until Dec. 31. The corridor gallery is sponsored by the San Mateo County Arts Commission and is located on the first floor of the building at 400 County Center (a place familiar to anyone who has been called to appear for jury duty).

Visitors must pass through a security checkpoint, but once inside, they are rewarded by a fabulously rich and colorful display of flowers (tulips, sunflowers, orchids and bird of paradise) by Ms. Mitra and exquisitely rendered still lifes by Ms. Dunnahoo.

Krishna Mitra

Ms. Mitra was born in Sydney, Australia, and holds advanced degrees in physics and computer science. After 20 years as a software engineer, she left high-tech and decided to pursue a lifelong interest in art.

Although she had never taken a formal art class, she credits a biology teacher “a stickler for detail” who made students execute very exact drawings for giving her the discipline needed to create art.

She began taking art classes and workshops through Stanford’s Continuing Studies Program and found that she was hooked.

An avid gardener and hiker, she found that inspiration was close at hand. Flowers are a favorite subject matter and she begins by taking photographs. From there, she prepares a drawing and then mixes her paints. She says she prefers working with acrylics because they dry quickly and she likes the way “the colors pop.”

She is very clear about the fact that she is not trying to replicate nature; most of her work is a stylized version of reality.

“I like to play around with color, to plot things out,” she says. “I guess it is just the engineer in me.”

Her floral studies are lush, bright evocations and the perspective is that of a close-up view, reminiscent of the work of Georgia O’Keefe, an artist she greatly admires.

Ms. Mitra now works full time on her paintings and has created a studio in an alcove of her living room. She regularly participates in juried shows and South Bay Open Studios. She enjoys showing and talking about her current work and her plans to experiment with landscapes. She explains: “I have become more creative in many different aspects of my life, as a result of my passion for art.”

Elise Dunnahoo

Ms. Dunnahoo also came to art after years as an entrepreneur, and a full-time mother. Born in New Mexico, she studied biology at UC Irvine and originally intended to become a doctor.

She had taken a lot of drawing classes in college and her skills came in handy when she decided to design a line of biking apparel geared toward women. Explaining that “it was a niche that had not been filled,” she said her clothing was sold in stores such as Nordstrom and REI, and even internationally for 12 years.

She decided to end the business as her demands at home (she is mother to twins) became greater and “I just wasn’t doing anything well.” She became, she says, “a closet artist.”

A workshop on portraiture served as reminder of how much she enjoyed art and she decided to devote herself to drawing, often for hours a day. She sought out instruction with Ted Seth Jacobs and Anthony Ryder and immersed herself in the study of classical realism. This genre focuses on table-top still lifes, much like the work of Dutch masters that capture the serenity of natural north light.

Ms. Dunnahoo says she often spends 30 hours on one small painting, using oil paint and glazes to create her quiet, intimate views of vases, butterflies and flowers. She strives, she says, “to mimic a brief moment in time, a quick glance, portrayed through the strength and stillness of form resting with quiet ease.”

Her studio is a curiosity cabinet of butterflies mounted on boards and uniquely shaped bowls and vases that she finds in thrift shops. The windows of the room are darkened by black curtains, except for the all-important north-facing window where her easel is mounted. She recently had her portfolio critiqued at the San Francisco Art Institute, and plans to enter more competitions in the future.

Teresa Silvestri, curator of the Caldwell Gallery, says she paired the “bold, contemporary” style of Ms. Mitra with the “soft, traditional” style of Ms. Dunnahoo because she thought their diverse approaches complemented each other. While their techniques may differ, both are enjoying a fruitful and creative second act.

Sheryl Nonnenberg is an art researcher/writer who lives in Menlo Park. nonnenberg@aol.com

‘Still Lifes: Two Visions’

The Caldwell Gallery, at 400 County Center at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact elysedunnahoo@gmail.com or Krishna@jakubson.com.