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Images from dreamtime By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Night is a fertile time for the imaginations of two artists now showing work together at the Hanson Howard Gallery. Denise Kester of Ashland has been faithfully recording her dreams for years, and even belongs to a group that discusses participants' night-time visions. Visitors in her dreams are translated into imagery in her mixed media prints. "Crows started showing up in my dreams," said Kester, who is exhibiting several pieces in which crows appear. "When they start showing up in my dreams, they show up in my artwork." Etna, Calif., artist Richard Fox lets his imagination roam when he frequently finds himself unable to sleep. "I stay awake two or three hours late at night. I try to turn it to a creative endeavor," Fox said. In both artists' work, animals and the traditions of other countries figure prominently. "Animals are metaphorical to me," Kester said. "I'm interested in mythological stories and history and what animals mean to different cultures around the world. I'm also interested in the native cultures of our area." Her monoprints and collages feature bears, dogs, cats, birds and other animals that carry a wealth of associations. In "Crow is Lifted up by Her Higher Self," a white crow rises behind a black crow. Each of the black crow's wings is adorned by a red circle on a white field, reminiscent of a Japanese flag. Thin bamboo tied with string frames each field, completing the Asian reference. Kester said the Japanese imagery is intentional, but the twin red circles also signify a woman's mother and daughter. She returns to the theme of motherhood in "The Inevitable Release of the Heart's Desire," which features a haloed baby held by a mother. Butterfly-type wings in the shape of a broken egg open around the baby's body to reveal a woman's shape within. "It's about letting go of my daughter, who's now 19. It was done a year ago," Kester said. "Even as a baby, we hold the seed of our own independence and freedom." Like the haloed baby, much of her work resembles spiritual iconography, frequently with a Latin American flare. This is most evident in "The Divine Healing Power of Choice and Change," a densely layered piece Kester worked on for more than a year in reaction to health problems. The work recalls Latin American shrines with its profusion of objects and bright colors. Charms of a dragonfly, lips, foot, car, key, arm and other symbols are affixed to the piece, along with tiny artificial roses, dice and seeds. Kester said people in Mexico traditionally leave charms, or milagros, on altars in their quest for healing. Fox also lets other cultures inform his sculptural pieces made of clay, wood and metal. In "Temple," a meticulously sculpted clay frog tops one structure made with Japanese architectural accents. Two fish - agglomerations of freshwater South American cichlids and Pacific lionfish - float in the interior. Combining features of the two fish species is unusual for Fox, who prefers to sculpt animals that are true to nature using images from his library of photographs as guides. "I try to be as honest as I can with the animal. I read about the animal and its lifestyle and its habitat. I feel I owe it that," said Fox, who shares a rural lifestyle with hares, squirrels and other wildlife near his remote home. Although his animal sculptures are realistic, his overall creations are highly imaginative with an element of the surreal. Two woodpeckers and their suspended egg occupy a three-level, open framework structure with a painted sky blue roof in "Bird House." With "Toy," a clay rhinoceros can be wheeled about on a meticulously crafted trailer-like contraption complete with metal accents. Fox is so adept with woodworking, painting, clay sculpting and metalworking that things may not be what they seem. His structures that appear to be made of wood are at times made of clay; copper-looking accents on "Toy" are painted steel; rocks in the piece "Bridge" are actually painted clay. "I want people who appreciate my work and look at it to come away with feelings of being delighted, even if they're not necessarily understanding all the materials and processes that have gone into it," he said. Fox and Kester's works are on display at Hanson Howard Gallery, 82 N. Main St., Ash-land, through June 29. The gallery is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. LINKS: REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. DAILY TIDINGS: Main | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -