Did you know we have Oyster Catcher birds on the Central Coast? I didn’t until last weekend when I asked Barbara Rosenthal about her zinc etching with watercolor paint on rag paper. Barbara captured these Oyster Catchers having a meal in Montana de Oro near Los Osos. Barbara explains; “Along the bluffs you may hear the oyster catcher before you see it. They are usually on the rocks away from people, as seen here. You will recognize them by their bright orange beak contrasted against their shiny black feathers.” Instead of oysters, these birds actually dine mostly on mussels and limpets. To me, our friends here seem to be content that the sun is shining over their sea-soup of tasty tidbits.
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With permission from Jill Targer.
What’s on your “mind-scape”? Artist Jill Targer of Tepusquet Canyons says; “I use the term “mind-scape” to describe landscapes and other scenery that I make up from my impressions/memory, rather than from an actual photo or plein aire experience. So it’s more from my imagination than from what’s really out there.” To me, this silk on canvas painting personifies the magic of watching the big moon rise over the hills to the east. The moon peeks between the mountains, illuminating the Central Coast before it towers into full view. Regarding her artistic style, Jill says “In expressing my ideas, I like to let the paints do the work, then stop a bit short and invite your imagination to take over.” With this mind-scape surrounding us at night, sweet dreams definitely follow!
Jill teaches classes on how to make silk scarves at Allan Hancock College; see the Fall Spectrum for details. You can also enjoy her work at Gallery Los Olivos, Ron’s in Grover Beach and the Los Padres Artists’ Guild Open Studio and Garden Tour on June 14th.
http://www.jilltarger.com/
http://www.gallerylosolivos.com/
http://ronsingroverbeach.com/
http://lospadresartistguild.org/
Stacy Martinelli braved poison oak to snap this photo of tiny dew drops on leaves near Cambria. Lupin leaves perhaps? Stacy, a social worker and photographer, explained to me that she likes to capture diminutive detail in her photos which reveal scenes that would normally be undiscovered.
http://tinycuecard.deviantart.com/
Stacy.Martinelli@gmail.com
Last week during a visit to Salinas Valley Art Gallery I spoke with Jim Willis about his oil on canvas painting, Black Mountain. Mike and I had driven along the Santa Lucia Mountain Range earlier that day and this work with it’s bold colors and familiar forms immediately caught my eye. Jim explained that this is the view he has from the front door of his house in Spreckels, a small town just south of Salinas. This image captures the mountain with green foliage and yellow wildflowers. Rolling over the top of the mountain is the coastal fog from the Pacific Ocean. What a fantastic view!
http://salinasvalleyartgallery.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PaintingsbyJimWillis?ref=br_tf
I have an excuse for indulging in another Julie Dunn Tempera Batik post. This Saturday, May 10th, is Day in the Shade Art & Wine Festival at City Park in Templeton. Julie will be there with her art, along with many other local artists. Drink a little wine, buy some art, drink a little wine, buy some more art . . .
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https://www.facebook.com/templetonpark?sk=timeline&app_data
I have a 30 minute daily commute to work. Occasionally, along the way I’ll need to slow down to allow a covey of quail to cross the road. Experiences like that make it all worthwhile! One of my favorite local artists is Julie Dunn who captures Central Coast imagery in her tempera batik paintings on paper. The tempera batik process (in a nutshell) involves making a line drawing on colored paper with black permanent marker, painting between the lines with tempera paint, drying thoroughly then covering the entire work with India ink, drying again and then carefully rinsing off the desired amount of India ink. This painting can also be found in the artist’s Central Coast Landscape II triptych which includes Valley Oak and Owl’s Clover & Tidy Tips. The “abstract and representational” qualities of Julie’s work definitely add an alluring magic to her depictions of our area.
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http://www.galleryatthenetwork.com/
If you have ever driven from Buellton to San Jose on Hwy 101, you are well aware that the California Central Coast is very much about agriculture . Cold crop veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and those good ole leafy greens grow all year long in our moderate coastal climate. My husband Mike is long-time operations manager for Plantel Nurseries. By starting vegetable seeds in a nursery like Plantel, less water is used and more of the seeds develop into viable plants. Planting “transplants” offers farmers greater vegetable yield and a shorter growing season. This means more vegetables per acre per year. Are you up for some veggie appreciation? This Saturday the staff at Plantel invite you to a tour of their nursery on Telephone Road in Santa Maria. You may even be able to take home a transplant or two for your yard! See the notice below for details.
Plantel Open House Event
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Did you know we have Oyster Catcher birds on the Central Coast? I didn’t until last weekend when I asked Barbara Rosenthal about her zinc etching with watercolor paint on rag paper. Barbara captured these Oyster Catchers having a meal in Montana de Oro near Los Osos. Barbara explains; “Along the bluffs you may hear the oyster catcher before you see it. They are usually on the rocks away from people, as seen here. You will recognize them by their bright orange beak contrasted against their shiny black feathers.” Instead of oysters, these birds actually dine mostly on mussels and limpets. To me, our friends here seem to be content that the sun is shining over their sea-soup of tasty tidbits.
Central Coast Impressions 