Not all who exhibit at the Witt Gallery come from the art world. Some even have degrees in chemical engineering but “moonlight” painting snapshots everyday life in muted, natural colors.

In the Moonlighter’s Group Exhibition, Sac State alumni Stephanie Mainwaring, Everett Penn and Mathew Seal-Mayr will be showcasing their work through a collaborative effort in the Witt Gallery which will run from April 11-15.

Mainwaring, who has her master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in art, says art professor Tom Monteith approached her and the other artists, asking them to exhibit their work.

“We were all students in Monteith’s class,” Mainwaring said. “When the question (was) posed for us to show our work together, it just seemed like a natural thing for us to share the experience together.”

With her focus on scenery, Mainwaring said she will be showcasing oil paintings based on what she sees in the world around her.

“I paint what I see when I am driving in my car or when I’m out at the barn,” Mainwaring said. “Trees are my main focus &- I try to show the seasonal change through the light and foliage in my paintings.”

Penn said his oil paintings also revolve around objects he sees in his everyday life.

“I am featuring people doing ordinary things,” Penn said. “From soccer games to everyday objects, I want to showcase what people see around Sacramento.”

Unlike the other two artists, Seal-Mayr said he is making his art more abstract by using watercolor on a special kind of plastic paper called yupo.

Since the paper does not absorb the paint like traditional canvas, Seal-Mayr said he gets some neat effects from the watercolor sitting on top of the surface.

“The other artists are working with scenery with life as their subject – while mine is a little more abstract,” Seal-Mayr said. “I am just putting a different spin on the typical painting.”

Even though his career in art education is having trouble taking off, Seal-Mayr said he continues to enjoy creating his own pieces.

“This is called the “Moonlighter’s’ exhibit because we all have different careers but still create art,” Seal-Mayr said. “We’ve been making art at Sac State for some time and want to get it out there &- we are proud of our work.”

Penn said he continues to create art alongside his career. Though he has a degree in chemical engineering, he continues to make time to paint.

“It’s like we have two lives &- juggling our career and our passion for art,” Penn said. “Art is our other life outside of our career choices.”

For all three students, Penn said this is their first experience with having their own exhibit in a gallery space.

“I have never had the opportunity to do my own show and I thought this was a good of a chance as any,” Penn said. “The whole process of putting on a show is a full-time job in itself.”

All artists said they enjoy working with each other because group exhibitions have something for everyone.

“It’s really great to hear feedback and be involved as a group as opposed to solo exhibitions,” Mainwaring said. “We have worked together to transform the gallery into what we call our own little art community.”

Since some of the artists have already received their art credentials, Seal-Mayr said this is not a typical student show.

“By attending the exhibit, people can look forward to seeing paintings by artists who take work seriously and know how to produce a strong piece of art,” Seal-Mayr said.

Students and other members of the Sac State community can view the artists’ work during gallery hours in Kadema Hall at no cost.

“We are three pretty distinctive individuals who complement each other’s work nicely,” Mainwaring said. “Art is a way for people to continually see something new and I hope viewers who visit the gallery will enjoy our work.”

Erin Rogers can be reached at [email protected]