CARA GREGOR and ELISE MAHAN present DREAMSCAPES IN BLOOM

A collaborative exhibition celebrating color and imagination

March 6 – 29, 2026

Bloom Party Second Saturday Reception – March 14th (5pm to 8pm)

Join us at the Axis Gallery for an evening filled with color, florals, and creative play. Enjoy a flower crown station, interactive moments, and a gallery glowing with dreamy, imaginative art. Wear something bright or floral and come ready to bloom with us.

Creative Blooms Artist Talk and Workshop – March 22nd (2pm to 4pm)

In this artist talk and hands-on workshop, Cara and Elise will share their personal creative processes while guiding you through playful exploration surrounded by their Dreamscapes in Bloom exhibition. Everyone is welcomed. All supplies included.

Please sign up ahead of time – Sign up: https://square.link/u/nC85lZNJ

Local artists Cara Gregor and Elise Mahan invite the public into a world of luminous color and imagined nature with their newest collaborative exhibition, Dreamscapes in Bloom. The show features a vibrant collection of original works inspired by places that exist somewhere between memory, feeling, and dream. Known for their vibrant palettes, intuitive process, and joyful organic forms, Cara and Elise's work transform our everyday life into something playful and emotional rather than literal. The works do not depict specific places, but instead offer a soft, glowing environment where color becomes sky, shape becomes garden, and imagination leads the way. Visitors to the exhibition can expect to see glowing color fields, botanical-inspired shapes, and abstracted places that invite slow looking and emotional connection. The work reflects Cara and Elise's common belief that art can be a form of joy, grounding, and creative escape.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Hi! I’m Cara Gregor, the artist behind Cara Emilia. I work from my home studio in Sacramento, CA.  My studio is my happy place, a cozy space where I create, teach, and share my love for art.

I am an intuitive painter and creator, meaning that I create art through a series of instinctive choices instead of a set plan. I typically create two-dimensional works in acrylic paints and mixed media. I love the freedom of working with acrylic paints and creating with the intention of cultivating joy. Using bright colors and organic forms lead me to create bold and vibrant pieces that reflect the beauty of flow, the energy of nature, the magic of letting go, and trusting in the process.

At the heart of what I do is the belief that creativity is for everyone. I want to inspire others—especially those who think they’re “not artistic enough”—to explore their creative side and experience the joy that comes with making something. Through my paintings, workshops, and intuitive classes, I hope to help people trust their instincts, embrace their unique voice, and find the magic in the creative process.

Learn more about my work and upcoming workshops at caraemilia.com or on Instagram @caraemiliaart.

Elise Mahan was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Northern California for most of her life. She received her BA in Art History and studio art at San Francisco State University. Her passion for learning more about Studio Art and Education led her to Sacramento State University where she obtained her MFA in Studio Art, May 2025.

My work involves doing rubbings at site specific places around Sacramento and along the American River, that I take and expand upon in my studio with a variety of media. I seek out marks and forms that exist in nature and translate these unique textures with graphite, oil stick, and pastel on linen. Cut tree stumps and burnt logs, downed trees, rock and bark textures all guide me in accumulating marks and shapes. Color, form, and mark making become a visual language as I expand them into large scale drawings which are an inquiry into the landscape, and a reference to life cycles, memory, and ecosystems throughout time.

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