The Gallery is 'On the Ropes'

Firstly, I want to thank anyone and everyone who has helped to make Stone Griffin Gallery one of the longest-standing businesses in Downtown Campbell.

With the current state of the economy, the Gallery is on the ropes, and I am putting out a plea for your support.

February is, historically, a slow month. Unfortunately, it is in this February that I find myself in dire straits to determine whether I am able to keep the Gallery open, or be forced to close my doors after 17 years. 

Stone Griffin Gallery  Inside / Outside View

Many of our customers have been pointing out artwork they are interested in and would love to see in their home or business. Now is the time to pick up that piece you've had your eye on!

Of course, I will offer some very special pricing. Up to 70% Off Selected Pieces! 

This is a great opportunity for you to own beautiful artwork at a great price, and help keep the Stone Griffin Gallery in business...a win-win!

Please come in and shop if you can, as soon as you can — and please spread the word.

I appreciate your support!

The Gallery's Wine Walk Winery is Naumann Vineyards!

Downtown Campbell's Winter Wine Walk is Wednesday, February 8 from 5pm to 9pm. The winery that was selected to pour here in the gallery is Naumann Vineyards.

Naumann Vineyards wine cork

I must admit I am not familiar with Naumann Vineyards and their wines (will be!). I visited their website, see that they are a small winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, have been in the wine business since 2001 and currently produce three varieties: Estate Merlot, Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay and a Late Harvest Merlot.

Naumann Vineyards

Downtown Campbell's wine walks are great fun — and I am sure this upcoming Winter Wine Walk will be the best ever!

The wine walk is rain or shine, pet friendly as room allows, live music on the street — and anyone can come down and enjoy the wine walk for free! Only the actual tasting requires a ticket, so bring a friend if you wish!

Local Landmark Photography

I have been getting back into photography recently. I snapped pictures as a kid, in high school I took photography, black and white shooting and developing, then some years later took some classes at the Sunnyvale Community Center.

With the gallery I have dusted off the camera and have been trying to get some photographs of our local landmarks. You must be aware of the Campbell Water Tower as photographs of it are all over this blog, the gallery webpage, and even it's own page, campbellwatertower.com! I thought to put up some of the other outtakes of other local landmarks.

Campbell Water Company

This shot above is the Campbell Water Company building. It is located just south of the Campbell Water Tower, and it (and the water tower) is part of a park in downtown Campbell. I like this shot but feel it lacks in the 'really pops' department.

California Foothills near Patterson 

I rode a motorcycle up over Mt. Hamilton and east towards the central valley and Patterson. I came across these lonely hills and took a few pictures. I really like this shot, so here it is! I think it captures the golden California hills nicely. A few oak trees or something in it would be nice — but it was quite an empty landscape.

Leo and Leona, the Los Gatos Cats

 The Los Gatos Cats are a landmark just south of the town of Los Gatos. I have a devil of a time with this subject as the the cats are bright gloss white and the forest behind the cats is deep, dark jungle green. I can not get an exposure / composition that will work. I tried sun, shade, early, late, rain, clear.

Los Gatos Oak Meadow's Fire Truck

Here is the fire truck that is a play structure in Oak Meadow / Vasona Park in Los Gatos. It is a popular playground attraction in the park and I have been practicing shooting it.

Campbell Water Tower at Twilight

The gallery has a new image of the 'famous' Campbell Water Tower:

Water Tower at Twilight

This is the Campbell water tower shot from near First Street, and shot at twilight. This photograph captured the blue dusky sky along with the tower glowing form the lights installed on the tower.

Two sizes in the gallery. "Water Tower at Twilight" 30" x 20" is $375; 12" x 8" is $175.

These are photographs on canvas, stretched onto wooden bars — ready to hang, no framing required!

Announcing Campbell Water Tower [dot] Com

What with our gallery selling art featuring Campbell's water tower — we decided to create a new, standalone website just of, for and dedicated to the water tower!

The website is campbellwatertower.com

For the Love of Campbell

The picture above is "For the Love of Campbell," an original watercolor by San Jose artist Dick Zunkel.

Campbell Water Tower Crazy Legs

This is an original acrylic by John Cloud

Campbell Water Tower Winter Day

We offer original art (oil on canvas and watercolor on paper) signed and numbered limited editions of selected originals, photographs on canvas, and digitally altered works. Most art is on stretched canvas ready to hang no framing required.

Campbell Water Tower Winter Dusk

The above is a photograph taken just as the sun set and the tower lights switched on.

The Gallery Was Featured in the Newspaper!

The Campbell Reporter has an article about Stone Griffin Galley in the January 20th edition.

As we feature local landmarks -- the newspaper thought the fact that we have the URL campbellwatertower.com and feature artwork of Campbell's water tower worth some ink! We agree!

Campbell Reporter's Article on Campbell Water Tower Website and Stone Griffin Gallery

The photographer came to the gallery last Wednesday with the assignment to get one horizontal photograph for the article. He shot about 75 pictures — and, of course — one was selected for the story.

I was interviewed over the telephone, and was also wanted information one one of the gallery's artists. John Cloud lives in Campbell and paints the water tower, so he was interviewed and included in the story — which you can read here.

Being that the web site was just put up this month, traffic was zero of course. Once I put up the site, mentioned it on this blog, on newsletters and such the traffic to the website is going up.

CampbellWaterTower.com Traffic Graph

This chart above is a graph of traffic to campbellwatertower.com. The traffic increases from zero (it's inception) and rises. The big spikes are probably when the article ran in the Campbell Reporter and ran again in the San Jose Mercury News.

Kind of fun to do the website and the marketing and watch the results!

"Mt. Hamilton Foothills" by Eileen Graham

San Jose artist Eileen Graham has just finished "Mt. Hamilton Foothills."

This is a 40" x 40" original oil on canvas.

This painting is of the California hills, dry golden brown grass and live oak trees just east of Mt. Hamilton, the Diablo Range of Northern California.

"Mt Hamilton Foothills" is on wooden stretcher bars with painted sides, so it is complete and ready to hang — no framing required!

Come on in and see this in person if you can!

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