Arts Benicia Presents Jane Yuen Corich at Happy Life Pottery
An exhibition of colorful abstract oil and cold wax paintings by Jane Yuen Corich will be featured at Happy Life Pottery this month as part of Arts Benicia Presents, a program of exhibitions by Arts Benicia members in local venues. Located at 632 First Street in Benicia, Happy Life Pottery sells artwork and gifts in a colorful boutique and provides instruction in ceramics. Corich’s works will be on display through mid-February.
Corich. “Back Around” 16×16 Oil and Cold Wax
Corich has been creating in a variety of media all her life.
“I’ve made doll clothes and stuff like that since I was very young. I come from a big family with four very creative sisters, and making things was our activity.” Born and raised in Boston, Jane went to college at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She worked as a fashion designer and stylist there for 14 years, designing coats, skirts and sportswear.
Corich started seriously painting when she spent the summer in the South of France. “I was in between jobs in New York. I wanted to get into painting, so I just went and bought a set of paints. I started painting abstract. At the end of the summer, I was given a show of my paintings in a church there, and that kind of got me hooked. I continued painting while I was in New York and felt passionate about doing it, but it wasn’t something you could really support yourself on.”
Corich. “How We Grow” 12×12 Acrylic
Eventually a shoe designer recruited her to California.
When the company moved back to New York the next year, she stayed. “I met my husband here and wanted to focus on starting a family. We moved from Oakland to Walnut Creek, where I was able to take art classes at Shadelands. I was raising my family, and I could do my artwork at night.”
Jane’s works include oil, oil and cold wax, acrylic, and mixed media; her primary medium is acrylic. Painting with thin layers of color, she creates an interplay of shapes and colors in her works. “My process is one of discovery. I seek a balance of composition and color and the ability to translate a narrative that intrigues me and holds together visually. In my mind, I’m always telling a story, a story about relationships.” The works at Happy Life were made after a trip to Eastern Europe. “I’m passionate about travel. That’s where I got all the feeling of the colors for these works, I was inspired by the things I learned about where I was. I’m excited to be able to display them as a group.”
The multi-talented Corich also makes jewelry, quilts, and has been involved in costume design for local organizations.
“Quilting was an art form that I didn’t want to see go away. I used to make a couple of quilts a year, in between paintings. To me quilting is another form of painting, but with fabric, and I like the preciseness of it.” She got involved in costume designing for a local theater company when her kids were in high school, which led to a call from Contra Costa Ballet. “I don’t know how they got my name, but I’ve been managing costumes for the Nutcracker for eight years. I’m on site for every performance. One year we counted 99 different dance costumes. Some of them are 30 years old and they’re really beautiful. I keep all the costumes in good shape and when needed, I help design them.”
To see Corich’s works, visit Happy Life Pottery Wednesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Corich’s works are also on display this month at the Village Theatre in Danville and the Moxy Hotel in Oakland. She is a contributing member of the Art Guild of the Delta in Brentwood. For more information, visit artsbenicia.org, happylifepottery.com, janeyuencorich.com, and on Instagram, @janecorichlovestopaint/
