Ojai Studio Artist Weekend ~ Art and Antiquing With Old Friends!

Enjoy the little things.

for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things.

~Robert Brault 

As with every year, the second weekend of October brings the Ojai Studio Artist tours. I don't make it every year, but when I do it's  always fun and inspiring! This year, for the 32nd annual tour, there were 6 new artists to visit.

What made this year an extra fun and a special event, is that our old friends came into town. They lived on our street  when I was growing up. The family had two sons, Stephen and Matthew who were a little younger than me, and when I was 10 or 11 their sister Amanda was born. It was Amanda and her mom Carol (who was like a second mom growing up) that came down for the weekend. I hadn't seen either of them since 1999! (Except for Facebook, of course.)

Figure Drawings by Vera Long

Vera Long

Vera Long was new to the tour this year, and we were so happy to have stopped at her studio! You can't make it to all of the artists (there are about 50!) so you have to pick and choose, which is not easy, when you also want to see some of your old favorites.

Like I said, we were so happy to have stopped at Vera's studio. Not only was her work wonderful and inspiring but she was also just a lovely person! 

Plus, I love figure work ... and color!

This piece, below, was one of my favorites.

Color is joy.

One does not think joy.

One is carried by it.

~Ernst Haas 

Amanda, with the artist, buying one of her prints!

Here is the print ... kind of retro/vintage with a modern take. Cool, right?

Just outside the studio ...

We made about 7 or 8 studios on Saturday, and a couple on Sunday. One we were able to make, was the studio of Ted Gall. Here is one of his sculptures, below. Many of them have masks that open and close ...

Sunday after pumpkin pancakes (!) we hit up Treasures of Ojai ...

We felt like they had so much more than usual but maybe it was a festive mood ...

 

Different sellers rent space, so the prices have quite a range depending on who's doing the selling.

The handmade ventriloquist dummies were classic! Apparently, a grandfather made them to do puppet shows for his grand kids. So sweet, huh?

If I win the lottery, I'm coming back for the old Victrola, below! It had a collection of records that were being sold along with it, as well. When you open the upper doors, it ads volume! My friend Mark has one he inherited from his grandparents, from the turn of the century, which I've always admired.  He has an amazing collection of vintage and antique items. In fact he was kind enough to sell me his Captain Fantastic pinball machine which now lives in Ojai with my parents!

I actually have a small collection of 78 records (that crack if you hit them) but they are hard to find these days!

To the right, under the chicken (above photo) was also a cool music box with a collection of music scrolls! Also a great purchase for when I win the lotto! ;)

Second weekend of October, in Southern California, a perfect time for a BBQ!

Fun memories from our weekend!

Here is Amanda when I used to babysit her! :)

For Vera Long's website, click here

For Ted Gall, here

For the Ojai Studio Artists site, here

And Treasures of Ojai, click here

Sometimes the most ordinary things

could be made extraordinary,

simply by doing them with the right people.

~Elizabeth Green

Blessings and light!

Ojai Studio Artist Tour part 3 -Bert Collins

Not only is this part of the studio tour where Bert Collins has her home, studio and gallery room ... it's also where I happen to take my pastel class once a month!

Within an hour of the Studio Tour starting, all her pieces had sold and most had left with their owner. A few nice patrons left their pieces so people would have something to see. As you can see they still have protective plastic on the frames to keep them from getting banged up on their way home!

There was so much glare, I couldn't get a shot of those pieces ...

But here is an unfinished piece she was working on ...

Her pastels ...

And here are a few, ready to head off to the framer, for her next show. (Which is my show too, for the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast! More on that soon!)

I love this place. It's such a creative space and has Bert's amazing positive spirit, infused into every inch of it! 

When you come into class and ask "How ya doin' Bert?" She always answers with something like, "I'm just fantastic!" 

And while we are all in class doing our paintings, she always says, "Who has more fun than we do?!"

And you know? I really couldn't say. :)

Here is Bert over the summer at a show in Thousand Oaks with her Best of Show seascape.

If you want to see more of my posts about Bert Collins, click Here.

If you ask me what I came to do in this world,

I, an artist, will answer you:

I am here to live out loud.

~Emile Zola

Blessings and light!

Ojai Artist Studio Tour 2012 ~ part 2 ~Duane Dammeyer

Another great artist to visit on the Ojai Studio Artists tour was Duane Dammeyer. I had parked out on the main road then realized he was back on a lovely side street ... one of many in Ojai. This was another studio I'd never visited but I am so glad I did. Take a look!

As you can see he is a sculptor, creating "Nature-inspired abstract and representational pieces."

Pinniped

Alabaster on Marble

Ribbon II 

Alabaster on Marble

(this was my favorite!)

I love the way the stone captures the light so beautifully!

Calla Lily

Alabaster and Calcite on Basal

Slice of Life II

Calcite on Marble

Snorkel

Soapstone and Wood on Travertine

I love this, it's a video of Duane I pulled from his website and it explains his work much better than I could! :)

Geometric Balance

Calcite and Pipestone 

This was another lovely place to visit and see art. There was something so magical about it. 

To find out more about Duane Dammeyer and his work, check out his website Here.

To Find out more about the Ojai Studio Artists, their mission and who they are,

click Here.

Inspiration exists but it has to find you working.

~Pablo Picasso

Hope you are all having a beautiful week!!!
Blessings and light!

Ojai Studio Artist Tour (part 1) Studio of Eilam Byle and Carlos Grasso

Every year the Ojai Studio Artists have their Studio Tour the second weekend of October. For various reasons, I have missed the last couple of tours, and though I could only do one of the two days this year, I managed to make it to 10 studios! I had water, homemade trail mix and some serious motivation to see as much art as  possible to refill my well of inspiration.  ... Mission accomplished.

There is such a wide variety of styles of art and different mediums, I try to take advantage of that. As unique as the artists are, so are they're studio spaces. I will only be sharing a few, but here is one that I think you will love.

The space is shared by abstract painter Carlos Grasso, who also does mixed media pieces and Eilam Byle, who does woodturnings and fine furniture with reclaimed wood. 

I am housesitting and forgot to bring the titles with me, so will try to fill them in later. I'm so behind on blogging that I wanted to get these up!

Enjoy!

painting by Carlos Grasso

This space has such wonderful energy and the artists were such great guys, very friendly and happy to talk about their work.

beautiful wooden vessels by Eilam Byle

This piece, below, was so lovely and I loved the shadow it created as well!

by Eilum Byle

painting by Carlos Grasso

The piece above and below left remind me so much of Kandinsky's later work. They are so musical and beautiful!

from Carlos' website ...
"My visual world is about color. The colors of my infancy, the carnivals, the fireworks, latin flavors, colors of all cultures met while travelling, from the soft, dramatic greyish british landscapes to the colorful explosion of hindu religions... 
Becoming completely transparent to the creative process is my technique.
The present perception transforms itself into the narrative, the music of a visual symphony... or a song."

                       ~Carlos Grasso

Isn't the furniture gorgeous too? Love that it's made with reclaimed wood, too! 

To find out more about these wonderful artists (and very interesting guys, born in Israel and Argentina!) click on their names and check out their bios and see more of their wonderful work!

Eilam Byle

Carlos Grasso

Thanks Eilam and Carlos!!!

For past studio tour posts click HERE and scroll down past the current post. :)

Sorry for the conversational whiplash but I have to talk about the hurricane. My nieces are both at NYU so things have been very crazy for them, as they have for so many thousands of people. I finally talked to my niece, Rachel, this morning, who just moved to NYC for her freshman year. Her dorm is the only one with power so it's become something like a refugee camp. 

The night Sandy came in, Rachel wasn't at her dorm. She was babysitting in Soho and the family's housekeeper got stuck in the elevator with the dog (she got out) and like so many, they lost power. My other niece, Elizabeth, was in her little apartment at the Southend of Manhattan. Long story short, she made it out the next day to Brooklyn and rented a zip car to go back in and "rescue" (her words) her sister who'd made her way back from the dorm, where kids are sleeping everywhere including sleeping bags in the basement.

Thankfully, my nieces are safe, though exhausted and they think school will resume Monday. I am just so grateful they are OK!!! It was a relieve to be in touch with them. Still haven't heard from my friend who works at Mt. Sinai Hospital, but I saw they were getting evacuees from NYU Hospital so I'm sure things are crazy over there too.

So ... I am thinking of all of you on the East Coast, in the middle of so much devastation and loss. I am sending love and prayers for healing and recovery, as I am sure we all are. It's just unbelievable seeing the homes flooded or leveled and boats tossed like matchsticks. Thousands of families out of their homes ...  

There will be recovery, there will be healing, and we hope and pray it will come soon. To donate to the Red Cross disaster recover click here.

Whether it’s a tsunami or an earthquake or a hurricane or any kind of natural disaster, 

it brings out our true nature, our original nature as Lao-tzu calls it, 

which is reverence for all life, kindness, simplicity, caring, and serving. 

We show our love for God by serving one another. 

~Wayne Dyer

Love and hugs!!!

Blessings and light,

Lucinda