©Karen Truesdell

Avoid the commercial with "Merry Art at Main" and regional artists in historic Redwood City. The 1857 Victorian at Middlefield and Main is full of original crafts and fine art from The Main Gallery Artists. Every item is unique art work and locally created. The venue is also distinctive, being the 2nd oldest building in Redwood City. It is festooned with lights for the holiday season. Combine a visit with lunch at Alana's Café, which shares a garden with the gallery. The Café is in another historic building from the 1880s and was restored by the Woodham Family in the 1980s.

Gallery hours are 11 to 4 Wednesday to Friday and 10 to 3 Saturday and Sunday. In December, the gallery will be open every day during those hours. On December 7th from 4 to 7, the public is invited to celebrate the holidays with the artists. There will good music by Rich Kuhns, playing jazz accordion, good cheer, and much good art.

Merry Art will feature small works, including the linoleum block prints of Jeannine Redon and mixed media paintings of Lois Parks DeCastro. Unusual and creative original works from the other twenty four members of the artist's cooperative will also be displayed in the gallery's Victorian rooms.

Redon, who lives in Atherton, was born and raised In Paris, France. She usually works in colored pencil producing large psychologically rich pictures, but the linoleum block prints offer a different challenge. She uses a reduction technique in which a single block is used during the whole printing process with parts of the block removed for each subsequent round of color printing.

Says Redon; "You need a clear concept of what you want and an open mind about the happenings in the process which can be used to make the work even more exciting. The whole edition must be printed at once. One single plate for all the colors. You must be alert. It is a wonderful stretch of the mind. I am totally addicted to it." The prints are in soft colors of blues, grays and browns with the occasional vibrant accent. Subject matter reflects her concern for the human condition and fascination for Florida.

The University of Florida is where Lois Parks DeCastro got her undergraduate degree in art. She then went on to study at California College of Arts and Crafts and the SF Academy of Art. She works as a graphic designer. DeCastro's paintings start with a textured ground of paper, string, or whatever catches her fancy, from which a shape emerges that grabs her. Representation comes in from what excites her on any given day. She says, "One of my favorites, "The Chocolate Bag", started with a grocery shopping bag. I was taken with the shape of it and combined it with my passion for chocolate." The piece is decorated with Hershey's chocolate wrappers, rich layers of paint and is largely abstract with hint of the original inspiration. The mixed-media works are finished with various mediums that give them a jewel-like finish.

The Main Gallery is located at 1018 Main Street on the first floor of the 1857 John Offerman House across from the new Redwood City Plaza. Hours are 11 to 4 Wednesday to Friday and 10 to 3 Saturday and Sunday. 650-701-1018. www.themaingallery.org.