Ecogenisis by Tom Zizzo.
Johanna Hollinga Becker’s Moonstruck Fine Jewelry on 11 Bernard Street in downtown Mill Valley continues to churn out brilliantly creative jewelry, all while showcasing beautiful artwork from artists throughout town.
Moonstruck is set to spotlight the work of Mill Valley artist Tom Zizzo (see image, at left) in September under the exhibit name, “Nature’s Dream.” The exhibit begins September 5 as part of the Mill Valley Arts Commission‘s monthly First Tuesday Artwalk, 5:30-7:30pm.
Zizzo’s works are both abstract and representational.
“Color always takes center stage in my paintings, and the natural world is an important source of inspiration,” Zizzo says. “My early formal education and training as a microbiologist helped develop a fine visual discrimination know-how. In later years my printing and graphic arts company turned my eyes to design and color relationships. I have found this unique set of skills invaluable in developing my fine arts process”.
For those not in the know, Becker’s background reveals a profound lineage in the jewelry industry that spans from Santa Cruz and the Carmel Valley to Italy and the Netherlands, as well as nearly two decades in Mill Valley. She was raised in Santa Cruz and moved in with her father, a goldsmith from the Netherlands, at the age of 15 to apprentice with him for eight years, eschewing the traditional educational path. “I learned on the bench,” she says.