Memorable creations by local artists will fill the Harrington Gallery this autumn as the Pleasanton Art League Fall Members' Show returns to the Firehouse Arts Center.

The annual PAL exhibition formally debuts this Saturday (Nov. 4), including an opening reception and awards ceremony from 1-3 p.m., and continues in the downtown Pleasanton gallery through Dec. 16.

"Featuring approximately 85 works of all mediums, this yearly group exhibition will showcase the diverse and talented work of PAL's members," league officials said. "Awards will be judged by watercolor artist, Jeannie Vodden. She is known for her floral works, still-life paintings, portraits and graphite drawings."

The awards, to be handed out by Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown, are set to include one Best of Show, two Merit Awards and four Honorable Mentions, according to PAL.

Throughout the exhibit's run, PAL members will also present art demonstrations on select Saturdays in which the local artists will show and explain their creative process.

The demonstration schedule will feature Natalie Soboleva (Nov. 18, oil painting of sunflowers using palette knife), Lorraine Wells (Nov. 18, landscape painting in watercolors), Wei-Ting Chuang (Dec. 9, East Asian brush painting of a winter scene), Susan Helmer (Dec. 9, painting on stretched silk with liquid French dyes), Nancy Roberts (Dec. 16, recreating plein air landscape experience using bold and colorful acrylic painting techniques) and Tuan Karsevar (Dec. 16, dynamic portrait painting).

For more information on the exhibit or demos, visit www.pal-art.com or www.firehousearts.org.

Meanwhile, the lobby space in the Firehouse is hosting a separate, solo exhibition of works by Bay Area painter Germaine De Luca entitled "A Journey Through Grief: Finding Serenity Between Light and Shadow".

"Primarily a still-life artist, De Luca's exhibition showcases the self-taught artist's prowess of the oil painting medium. The artist captures the subdued and somber atmosphere of a moment frozen in time -- reminiscent of the works of Old European Masters," Firehouse officials said.

A New Jersey native who moved to California for graduate school, De Luca is a trained and licensed mental health therapist and retired supervisor after 28 years with the Alameda County Child Protective Services. She discovered art as an outlet for stress and creativity 13 years ago and works primarily in the alla prima style (painting in one sitting), Firehouse reps said.

De Luca, whose exhibit opened Oct. 25 and runs until Dec. 16, will be on hand for a meet-and-greet at the Firehouse from 1-3 p.m. this Saturday at the same time as the PAL opening reception.