Q& Artist : Molly Rea by Roberta Floden Molly Rea is a well-regarded figurative artist whose paintings have been exhibited at Richmond Art Center, Marin County Fair Art Show, Gallery Route One Box Show, and currently at the Minnesota Street Project Galleries in a group show curated by Valley artist Sonny Smith, as well as the Center’s SGVCC Spring Art show. A San Francisco native, Molly and her two children moved to Fairfax in the ‘80s. At first, she worked in the Valley as a teacher’s aide for the Open Classroom at Lagunitas School. Then, for about ten years, she was the organizer behind the SGVCC annual Holiday Faire. Behind the scenes, Molly often helped her part- ner, Larry Rippee, retired SGVCC Visual Arts Coordinator, hang the monthly art shows at the Center. Their home is a gallery. From floor to ceiling, in every room, an unimaginable number and kinds of works of art surround you. They’re not only by Molly, but also by members of her illustrious family, her friends, and of course, by Larry, a pen and ink graphics artist. Q. Did you always want to be a painter? A. No, not at all, even though I grew up in a family of artists and was surrounded by art throughout my early years. My grandfather, Rea Irvin, a legendary graphic artist, was the first art director of the New Yorker. He headed the magazine’s car- toon department and created its icon, Eustace Tilley, along with hundreds of New Yorker covers. My mother, Virginia Irvin, was an illustrator for the SF Examiner, Seattle Times, Oregon Journal, KQED art department, as well as working as a free- lance artist and teaching calligraphy. Really, my being a single mother, I didn't have the time for art. Nor did I think I had the talent,compared to other members of my family. That changed when I first moved to Fairfax. I threw myself into painting a large dragon on one of the walls for my kids. It kinda scared them, but it also started me painting. Happily, I was befriended by my neighbors, Martha and Richard Shaw. Richard is a quite famous trompe l’oeil ceramicist. If it hadn't been for him, I might not have ever gotten serious about painting. He inspired me to get my degree from San Francisco Institute of Arts. Through him and Martha, I met Amazing Grace own- ers Judy Kaufman and John Pedersen, who in turn introduced me to a whole host of people playing Old Timey Music. Since I play the guitar, I now had a musical family along with my art family. And then along came Larry! He has been a huge influence and supportive person in my artistic journey.
Q. Your joyful painting in the 2025 Spring Art Show, “Amazing Grace: How Sweet the Sound,” brings together and joins your musical interests with your artistic talent. A. I was inspired by the 1566 painting, “The Wedding Dance,” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It took me five years to paint. Like Breugel’s work, it's a large painting of ordinary folks doing what makes them happy. In my painting, they’re all actually friends of mine, some still living and some dead, some neighbors and some friends from Amazing Grace Music. They’re all standing in a tree-filled courtyard -- musi- cians playing guitars, banjos, fiddles, mandolins and people dancing and clapping and having a good time. In the background is the old ‘70s Amazing Grace Music store that has since been torn down and replaced. Just to name a few that are in the painting: Rchard Shaw is one of the banjo play- ers, and his wife, Martha, is dancing joyfully in front. Judy Kaufman is also on the banjo with her husband John Pedersen by her side playing the fiddle. Mike Hagstrom is on bass along with longtime Valley musician and artist Chuck Wiley on guitar. Larry is in the painting as well. He’s sitting under the tree. l’m in it, too. We’ve been gathering together like this and jamming old timey music for more than 25 years. The painting is now hanging in the Amazing Grace Store in San Anselmo. Q. What’s next for you? A. My painting is in “The Anthology of Unknown Music” at San Francisco’s Min- nesota Street Project Gallery, which will be moving on to the Bolinas Museum this spring. In this year’s SGVCC Spring Art Show I’m submitting a portrait of a friend who has done work around our home. I took a photo of him on a ladder with the garden lit up with sunshine behind him and thought, I have to paint this. He looks so happy. I’m just finishing it. And, of course, I’ll continue painting portraits of people I know and love, along with animals -- art that you understand and identify with has been my life’s work.
Amazing Grace “How Sweet the Sound” by Molly Rea
CRAFTER-NOON WITH CONNECT THE DOTS Connect the Dots Art Studio (CTD) is excited to partner with San Geronimo Valley Community Center to present an art-filled afternoon in the newly built creative space. On April 11th from 1 pm to 3 pm , participants can try out three different art activities. We invite you to get a ticket and join in this enjoyable afternoon, where you can experi- Activity 2 Mindful Mark-Making Take your time and notice how fluid watercolors can shape your artwork on their own. The focus is on the experience itself and discov- ering the expressive possibilities of basic tools and materials.
ence one or all these creative projects guided by the talented artists from Connect the Dots. No previous art- making experience is needed and all materials are supplied. The projects are designed for a multi-generational audience, though young children should be accompanied by an adult. Registration fees support the Community Center’s arts program- ming.
We’ll explore using unconventional items to draw lines, gestures, and patterns. Together, we’ll make purposeful brushstrokes, observe how paint naturally moves, and welcome experimentation in an encouraging studio setting. You’ll leave with new techniques that promote a calm state of mind, plus a collection of papers for future art and crafting projects.
Activity 3
Natural Egg-Dying, A Fun Springtime Activity!
Activity 1
CTD artists will guide you step by step as you use stencils on eggs and transform vegetables from your garden—like red cabbage and yellow onion—into vibrant robin-egg blue and burnt sienna brown dyes. Discover how to create beautiful, naturally colored eggs. FEE: Sliding Scale $25-$35 adults, $15 for children under 12/low income/military DAY/TIME: Saturday, April 11, 1-3 pm LOCATION: Community Center CONTACT: Danielle Fogel, dfogel@sgvcc.org
Decorative Papers. Discover the art of “floating ink”—suminagashi, a marbling technique that produces distinctive papers. This engaging process lets you witness the creation as it happens. We’ll experiment with different papers, and you’ll leave with a selection to inspire your own artistic projects. It’s visually stun- ning and soothing at the same time. Participants can expect to be amazed!
Example of Suminagashi Marbling. Image courtesy of Anna Rochester.
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