A delicate dome-shaped wooden birdcage, completely dipped in wax until no light shines through the bars, resembles marble more than wood. This is but one example of Robert Ortbal, Sacramento State art professor, changing the ordinary to the unusual.

Eighteen pieces of his latest work will be shown at the Weigand Gallery at Notre Dame De Namur University in Belmont, Calif. from Jan. 23 to Feb. 28. The show is titled, “Benign: Growth and Neglect.”

Paul Bridenbaugh, acting director of the gallery, has been a long time admirer of Ortbal’s work, and jumped at the chance to have his art displayed at the Weigand Gallery. In describing Ortbal’s work, Bridenbaugh shows his affinity for Ortbal’s fresh approach.

“There’s honesty, an integrity and power. A lot of artists go for gimmicky themes to set themselves apart, but his work is pure exploration,” Bridenbaugh said. “In a way, he has developed his own way that doesn’t feel contrived.”

Ellen Howard, Weigand Gallery coordinator, talks about Ortbal’s upcoming exhibit. “It’s a beautiful show- the materials he uses, and the way he places them on the walls. It’s very organic in style. It reminds me of the sea a little bit,” Howard said.

“I make objects and create installations to explore the distinct and interrelated worlds of natural phenomena and human nature. The process of regeneration is a theme I continually return to, as I search for the hidden growth within real and imagined spaces to evoke a connection to a larger system,” Ortbal said in a press release.

Ortbal’s art usually consists of household items ranging anywhere from chicken wire to paint, super balls, packing foam, Styrofoam and plastic golf balls. He prefers to use these types of materials because they allow people to relate to his work from the moment they see it.

In high school, Ortbal became interested in art when his counselor suggested it to fill an open time slot. Ortbal went on to a community college in Santa Clara County to pursue the field of cartography, or map making. “It was there that I had an instructor that was very influential, and I started realizing I was spending more time in the ceramics and art lab,” Ortbal said.

His passion for art does not stop at the studio. However, he wants his students to experience the same process he does while creating.

“The way I teach, I try to teach by example; so when I ask them to consider their work, they can get a sense that I’m asking those very questions of myself when I go into the studio tomorrow,” Ortbal said.

Matt Rascher can be reached at [email protected]