Communities | Central Coast Impressions

03/25/2015
by skleedom 1 Comment

Descending Light Ojai

What Central Coast community is shadowed by the Topatopa Mountains, has no chain stores (except some gas stations), and is know for a culture which emphasizes ecology, health, organic agriculture, music and local art? Why that would be Ojai of course. And among the many art galleries in Ojai, Tartaglia Fine Arts houses a breathtaking collection of oil paintings from Richard Schloss. Capturing light so realistically in his impressionistic portrayals of the Central Coast, if feels as though you can inhale the atmosphere from the huge canvases. Richard has a very large number of followers, with some collectors owning more than 20 of his paintings! Richard Schloss is also an original member of The Oak Group; a band of plein air artists committed to preserving local lands for wildlife, recreation, ranching, or farming; and there is still time to catch The Oak Group Exhibition at the Faulkner Gallery of Santa Barbara’s Central Library through March 29th. Forty-five percent of proceeds from sales will support the work of the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County!

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02/07/2015
by skleedom Leave a comment

Branch Mill Road

In the California Central Coast some communities are built around beaches, and other communities are centered in agricultural regions. 5 minutes from Pismo Beach, and surrounded by farmland, the city of Arroyo Grande encompasses both of these features, as well as a gateway to the popular recreation area, Lopez Lake. Recent rains have turned our dry hillsides to green, and soon fields of poppies, lupin and mustard flower will make us forget about those long summers. In Branch Mill Road, Morning artist Dotty Hawthorne gives us a peek of that special dewy, flowery kind of day on a rural road near Arroyo Grande. Dotty has captured so many Central Coast images in her work and Gallery at the Network in San Luis Obispo is a great place to enjoy them. Also, don’t miss the Brush Strokes 2015, Best of the West exhibit at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art beginning March 20, 2015 because Dotty and other west coast artists will show us the best of our west!

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01/31/2015
by skleedom 1 Comment

Where’s CC? #6

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01/17/2015
by skleedom 1 Comment

Blue Agave on Mission Ridge

If you turn away from the Santa Barbara beach and travel towards the Mission, then continue into the hills by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and then on toward the trailhead at Rattlesnake Canyon; you will discover the wild side of Santa Barbara. Hippies and millionaires coexist in a labyrinth of winding roads and colliding ecosystems. “Blue Agave on Mission Ridge” reminds me of day trips to the Gardens and the trails. Artist Cheryl Ambrecht, who currently exhibits at Gallery Los Olivos, started her career in 1968 at Northrup Corporation in the art department, drawing unmanned drones, airplanes and their parts. Today her canvases reflect the beauty of the Central Coast! Cheryl notes, “We are blessed to live in Santa Barbara. So many views are worth capturing on canvas for the artist eye”

Where’s CC? #5

10/25/2014 by skleedom 1 Comment

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Where’s CC? #4

10/16/2014 by skleedom 4 Comments

Moon Vines

09/18/2014 by skleedom Leave a comment

The Ojai Valley resides about 15 miles northeast of Ventura; and was originally named by the Native American Chumash, “Awha’y” meaning “moon”. The city of Ojai may be small, but it has plenty of personality to make up for its size. The focus of the community is driven by an appreciation for the natural beauty of the environment, arts, health and spirituality. Chain business, by design, are largely extinct here in favor of small local businesses. This unique community has two big events coming up which feature the arts. In October don’t miss the Ojai Studio Artists Tour; and in November the Ojai Art Festival runs in conjunction with the Ojai Film Festival. Could you say that Nancy Horwick’s oil painting, Moon Vines embodies heath, environment, spirituality and love of nature? While you are getting your fill of fresh air and culture, don’t forget to stop by OVA Gallery to see more works from Nancy and her fellow local artisans.

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Off of HWY 1

09/10/2014 by skleedom 2 Comments

Marie Gabrielle, originally from Paris, France and now living near Santa Cruz; charmingly captures both France and California in her vivid watercolor paintings. Here is Farm on Swanton Road, which displays a quintessential farm in the coastal area north of Santa Cruz. The Swanton area is named for Fred Swanton, who built the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Currently the town of Swanton is the home of the Swanton Pacific Ranch campus of California Polytechnic State University. The Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences uses this ranch for education and research focusing on sustainable agriculture including livestock and forestry. Cal Poly also operates the Swanton Pacific Railroad, a small-guage steam locomotive, originally from the San Francisco Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915. See more of Marie’s watercolors, as well as works from other artists who reveal our Central Coast, during the Santa Cruz Open Studios Art Tour from September 27th to October 19th!

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Central Coast Downtown

07/28/2014 by skleedom Leave a comment

You know where we are, right? A city on the coast and framed by mountains; Santa Barbara is beach volleyball, downtown shopping, Spanish-style houses and year-round vermillion bougainvillea. Arlington at Sunset, an oil painting by local artist Sharon Schock, displays the hazy effect of the Pacific sunset in downtown Santa Barbara. The Arlington Theater on State Street was built in 1931 and restored in 1976. The inside of the theater is designed make you feel like you are sitting in a Spanish plaza; complete with houses, porches, and stairways,. It’s not your typical theater venue for watching Star Trek. Sharon is a prolific painter who brings to life the colors of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and other nearby communities on the Central Coast. Regarding her inspiration for this piece Sharon says; “I think what drew me to this scene was the way the light was hitting the tower of the Arlington. I loved how golden it was, and how it contrasted with the purple shadows.”

http://www.sharonschock.com/

http://thearlingtontheatre.com/

Los Alamos, The Invisible Town

07/21/2014 by skleedom 1 Comment

Between Santa Maria and Buellton, you can’t see it from the freeway, but it’s there. A historic yet vibrant town of great restaurants, art galleries, venues, wine bars, and antique stores in antique buildings. Los Alamos (Spanish for “cottonwoods”) was founded in 1876 by two ranchers from San Francisco. Back in the day it was a stop on the stagecoach route, as well as the narrow-gauge Pacific Coast Railway. Today you can still walk down Bell Street on wooden plank sidewalks. One local character, Los Alamos photographer Jeffrey Bloom, avidly captures his town via the Visit Los Alamos Facebook page; and a published book called Characters, which includes photos of many of the residents. Recently Connie Rohde at The C Gallery in Los Alamos invited us to peruse the pages of her Characters copy and explained how the community uses the book like a school yearbook, signing each others’ books next to their pictures. The next time you’re in these parts, veer onto Hwy 135 for a glimpse of something special! The local characters are proud of how they keep their town 138 years young.