December Issue No.7

Editor’sNote

With 2022 coming to a successful close, a lot has happened since the first issue of Epiphany was released in June. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and capture memorable moments with many great people. I have worked with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs spanning several niches. And every artists has their own unique ideas, styles, concepts, and motivations every creator marches to the beat of their own drum, and it’s truly inspiring.

Over the last 6 months Epiphany has seen many improvements, and has grown significantly from the number of monthly readers to dedicated subscribers.

The support Epiphany has received is sincerely appreciated. But even more importantly, the support that Sacramento has shown its fellow artists is a true testament of the

ity holds. I would like to thank all the artists and entreprenuers who took the time to share your gifts with me. You are all appreciated and with much say thank you. May your New Years be prosperous

power the creative commungratitude I would like to and abundant.

- Eddie Walker

Katerina Graziosi graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 2021 and currently works as a freelance journalist. Having majored in journalism and minored in sociology, she is passionate about storytelling, social justice, progressive politics and the arts. A first-generation U.S. citizen, Katerina has been living in the City of Trees for the past 14 years and her work appears in The State Hornet, the Sacramento Business Journal and now Epiphany Magazine.

Contributor

Katerina Graziosi

The best way to predict your future is to create it.

Mammxth in the late 80s & and early 90s.

Jon Westling at 13 years old.

- Abraham Lincoln

Edition

Part 1

Crafts From the Past

-By EddiE WalkEr

1. Friendship Braclets

Friendship Bracelets go as far back to the 1970’s. These bracelets were fashionable and versatile because any colors could be combined making the bracelets unisex. The awesome and surprising thing about Friendship bracelets is kids today still nurture their friendships by giving their besties these timeless tokens of friendships.

2. Etch A Sketch

Talk about survival!

Etch a Sketch has been around since the 1960’s. Its red frame and two white knobs have been a household favorite for decades and will continue to be.

3. The Bedazzler

The Bedazzler was invented in the 1970’s and gained some traction in the 80’s. In the 90’s the buzz died down, but in the late 90’s to early 2000 bedazzle made an inevitable comeback and now with celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Dua Lipa sporting the shinny rhinestones this retro fashion statement is back again.

4. Bead animals

Bead pets were popular in the 90’s and early 2000’s. These simple yet cool animals were everywhere and took less than 45 minutes to make. They were designed to be keychains but were mostly attached to backpacks and pant loops.

Origami

Spirograph

Spirograph was invented in approximately 1886 by a mathematician named Bruno Abdank-Abakanowicz. However, it wasn’t until 1960’s that Spirograph gained notoriety. The art work from the tool is amazing, everything is geometric and symmetrical and in perfect alignment the end result heavily resembles formations of sacred geometry.

Origami is an ancient Japanese art that involves folding paper into beautiful works of art. It is said that the word “Origami” comes from the japanese words for “folding” and “paper.” Origami artists can make anything from cranes to flowers to animals by creatively folding and creasing a piece of paper.

TransformaTion of CarToon CharaCTers

Cartoons have come a long way, they have gone from colorless 2D figures—to stunningly bold HD human like replicas, read on to see why.

-By EddiE WalkEr

One striking change in the cartoon world

is how much they’ve evolved over time. In the beginning, cartoons were fairly simple. They were often hand-drawn and had only a few colors. But as technology has improved, so have cartoons.

Today’s cartoons are more realistic than ever—and not just because they look more like real life; they also have a better understanding of what audiences want them to do. Take Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, for example: both characters were created in the 1930s and have been around for several decades.

This change happened because audiences began to expect more from their cartoon characters. Also, because creators learned how to give their viewers what they wanted.

Looking back it’s quite shocking to believe that some of our favorite characters were once hand-drawn with a basic pen-and-paper technique, but they were!

Nowadays, animators can create far more realistic and diverse characters than they could before—and audiences love it. Here are a few examples of cartoon characters who have undergone progressive transformations over a decades of time, thanks to our advancing technology.

But while Bugs Bunny remains true to his roots as a prankster, Mickey Mouse has evolved into a friendlier character who’s less focused on pranks and more interested in helping humans solve problems together.

Scooby Doo has been a part of American culture for decades, and it’s no surprise that the show has changed quite a bit in its time. Over time animations have come a long way since the first episode of Scooby Doo aired in 1969.

The vintage Scooby Doo characters appearance’s were inspired by Hanna-Barbera’s previous series: The Flintstones. Scooby Doo‘s characters were very basic in their design with minor facial expressions, and very subtle body language to convey their personalities.

Animations in 60’s were hand-drawn, but as technology progressed, so did the animation process. Today’s animations are 3D instead of 2D and are computer generated using CGI (Computer-generated imagery.) Ultimately resulting in a more realistic quality and higher resolution than ever before. Today if you wanted to create an animated project here’s a simplified version on how that process looks: First, an animator uses a computer

program like Adobe Photoshop or Maya to create a digital frame of whatever they want their character to look like—whether that’s an animal or a person. Then they’ll use another program called Adobe After Effects (or another similar program) to add color and texture to that image so it looks more realistic on screen. Finally, they’ll import all their images into a video editing program like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, so that they can put all of those frames together into one cohesive video.

So as you can see animation is a very technical process but it is a lot less time consuming than in the past. It’s going to be amazing to see how animation progresses again in the near future.

Toys that will Unlock Memories

Back in the day was a time of big hair, bigger glasses, and even bigger toys. Think back to the Tamagotchi or the Furby—they were huge hits. They may have been silly little things, but they were so much more than that. The toys from the 90s had a lot going for them: they

were collectable, they were great for play, and they were often used in pop culture references (like in movies and TV shows). But what made these toys so popular? What do you remember about your favorite toy from those days?

Let’s revisit the past and look at all-time classics:

Tamagotchi

First released in 1996, the toy was designed to simulate the experience of caring for a pet—The pet lived inside a digital egg until you hatched it by pressing a button on the front of the egg. Then you had to take care of your new companion by feeding it, playing with it, cleaning up after it, etc. If you didn’t take care of your pet properly, it would die!

Furbies

If you grew up in the late ‘90s, you probably remember the first time you saw one of these robotic teddy bears in your McDonalds Happy Meal. They were everywhere! You’d see them on TV shows, in commercials, and even in stores like Walmart and Toys R Us. Some say Furbies are actually meant to be Mogwai’s from the 80’s classic “Gremlins.” So whatever you do don’t feed your Furby past midnight!

Game Boy Color

The Game boy Color was the third version of Nintendo’s handheld gaming device, and it was released in 1998. The previous versions were the original Game boy and the Game boy Pocket. which began with the original Game boy in 1989 and ended with the Advance SP in 2003.

The Game boy Color had some pretty cool colors available when it first came out: red, blue, green, yellow and clear. But now there are a lot more colors available and they still run on 2 AA batteries.

The Talkboy & Talkgirl

The Talkboy and Talkgirl were portable cassette recorders that let you record and play back audio from anywhere. It was first released in 1992, and gained popularity after appearing in Home Alone 2. The device was used for prank calls and recording lectures, If you didnt have one more than likely someone you knew growing up did. Recently the Talkboy and Talkgirl have become increasingly popular again for its nostalgic value.

The ViewMaster My Secret Diary

A view master is a toy that lets you see the world in miniature. It uses cardboard discs with images on them, and you can turn the wheel to advance to different images.

The first view masters were invented in 1939, and they were originally used for military training. The idea was that soldiers could use the view master to learn about new places before they had to go there for real. Nowadays, we use them just for fun—but there’s still a lot of nostalgia around them because they remind us of when we were kids and how much we used to love looking at all those little landscapes and worlds.

If you were a girl in the 90’s, you probably had a My Secret Diary toy. It was a simple little box with a lock and key, but it came with stickers, diary pages and even a pen for writing down your secrets. It was the perfect way to keep all your deepest, darkest feelings hidden from prying eyes.

If you had sisters they probably owned a diary and would decorate it with stickers, or write pages about their crushes and even their bff’s. My Secret Diary was even used to keep track of your favorite songs or TV shows. Hopefully, these beloved toys will make a comeback.

Jon J Westling W

Young and ambitious Jon Westling Y

is creating his oWn opportunities in life.

Meet 21 year old Jon Westling a Rancho Cordova native who’s sights are set on the film industry. Jon’s interest in making began when Jon was only four years old— his dream to be a cinematographer is now unfolding as he embarks on his career.

Jon’s passion and drive to create films is unmatched. Jon has taken on almost every role from writing, directing, producing, acting, editing, to sound directing he has already made several independent films including “Wake up Blake”, “Fire Boys” , and “Road Trip Runaway.”

Jon’s devotion to create also extends into music as well. Jon plays the guitar and piano and is releasing his first EP “O’Marie” a folk album on December 25th, 2022.

With time on his side and a strong desire to bring his visions to reality Jon Westling is confidently walking his own lifes path.

IntervIew I wIth Jon westlIng w

Take a look into Jon’s driving factors and see what inspires this young film maker.

What’s up, Jon? For the readers who don’t know you, go ahead and give them a light intro.

I am a 21 year old artist from the Sacramento area. I’m a lover of movies, music, basically all kinds of art. I love Breaking Bad. I’m also a maker of movies and music! My new film “Road Trip Runaway” is streaming now on Prime Video. A sort of documentary. Ironically, it is mostly writing about myself. Well, it’s more complex than that.

So when does your journey in cinematography begin?

When I was four years old, I realized genuinely for the first time that making films was something you could do.

Obviously, I think on some level I always knew that the moving images I was seeing in front of my face had to have been assembled by somebody with some kind of intention. But when it clicked that this was something people were getting to do every single day, as their jobs? It blew my mind. Why would anyone ever want to do anything else, but create? From that moment I knew.

Jon Westling doing what he loves most.

I know filmmaking has a lot moving parts what exactly is your primary role when making a film?

I’ve had the good fortune to be surrounded by a lot of very talented people that contribute to the projects. I’ve gotten to wear many different hats depending on what was being worked on. For ‘Road Trip Runaway’, though, I worked on essentially every aspect. Writing, directing, sound design, producing, editing, musical direction. Nonetheless, I couldn’t have done it without just an insane amount of help.

Have you had any successful breakthroughs lately?

Yeah! I’m working on a few different screenplays that I’m really liking the shape of. They’re all early in the process, but I’ve got one in particular that I totally love. It’ll probably be the next feature I make, if all goes according to plan. I’ve got a few contacts that I’ve been talking with to try and see if I can get the film produced, but again, uncertainty. Either way, there’s always more to come.

Can you touch on your past projects and what those meant to you?

How do you come up with ideas for your new projects?

Dude they just appear in my brain, I can’t even explain it. Like they literally just come to me, in a bolt of lightning. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’ve got aggressive ADHD, so my brain is always wandering in a million directions. Being able to direct my focus onto this stuff allows it to travel in a cohesive direction. Now that I’ve worked on a few different films, it’s also gotten a lot easier. It’s become a process of applying what I’ve learned and trusting my instincts.

I think each project is a sort of reflection of what you’re going through when you make it. Or at least, I find that’s true for me. On ‘Wake Up Blake’, I was spending a lot of time reflecting on the dichotomous nature of my childhood. ‘Fire Boys’ came from a terrible identity crisis. “Road Trip Runaway” was a lot, too much than I have space to describe here. Usually I can’t fully process or comprehend what each film means to me/what they meant at the time until they’ve been done for a while.

Other than film making do you have any other creative passions/skills?

Yeah! I love music, I’ve been playing guitar and singing for about eight years, and noodling on piano for about two. Actually, I’ve got my first EP “O, Marie!” dropping on December 25. It’s a folk album, I’ve been writing it for about two years now, and to have it out of my skull and in the real world feels so good, I can’t even describe it. Even if people think it sucks, I’ll still be satisfied knowing I put out a project that was true to myself.

I understand it took a year and a half to edit the footage from your latest documentary “Road trip runaway”? What was that process like for you?

When you were traveling alone on the road and filming “Road Trip Runaway” did you have any eye opening experiences? How?

It sucked. I love editing, it’s the part of the process I’ve been doing the longest. I got my start making video game related content on YouTube when I was like, eleven. This was without the slightest competition, the most extensive project I’ve ever worked on. There were over 1600 assets in the project file by the end, and my computer was basically pouring steam out the ports. I can’t tell you the amount of twelve hour days, all-nighters. I’m super proud of it but also so happy that it is done.

Yeah, I had a lot of time to think about myself and the person I was at that point. I also found that I really didn’t like that person and being around them, so that was pretty difficult honestly. I think that’s where this film materialized from, it was so hard to be myself on camera at that point because I genuinely had no idea who I was anymore. There are scenes in RTR where I repeat the same monologue over and over, obsessively trying to get it right. That wasn’t faked, I was kinda losing it.

What are your overall aspirations and dreams with filmmaking, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

I would love to turn this into my full-time living. Like, this whole micro budget niche indie filmmaker thing is a blast, don’t get me wrong. But it would be amazing to stand on a huge set, with a whole bunch of amazing talented people running around trying to help the vision come to life. But it’s not about the money at all, I don’t need to make twenty million dollars to be satisfied. As long as I can keep making

in some capacity, I will find a way to power forward. I can’t stop. I won’t.

If the year 2022 was a chapter in the book of “Your Life”, what would you title the chapter reflecting back on the year up to now?

I’d probably call it “Patience is a Virtue” or some cringe pretentious thing like that. For the past couple years, trying to pursue this professionally has been like pounding with my fists on a brick wall. I think last year, with the minor success of “Wake up Blake.” I got some real wind under my sails and it began to feel like I was going at the wall with a chisel. But now, things are starting to align. The possibility of real work. It doesn’t feel like a brick wall anymore. More like an obstacle course.

Any last thoughts you would like to share?

Please keep creating! I am constantly most inspired by work from small artists, and real people. I promise you I am paying attention. I’d love if people would check out “Road Trip Runaway”, available now on Prime Video & BugTV. Half documentary, half narrative, but full good! You can follow me @dadsradplaid on most places, I’ve always got stuff coming out. “O, Marie!” will be streaming on all platforms 12/25/22. Thank you for reading.

Feet up and focused Jon is in learning mode.

Par t 2

Retro Futurism

Art that took a unique glimpse into yesterday’s tomorrow.

-By Eddie Walker

Retro futurism is an art movement that was at its popularity in the 1950’s. This genre of art originates from past decades that predicts how the future will look, operate, and evolve. Speculations depicted in retro futurism include future technology, fashion, economic development, and space exploration. As artist Bruce Mccalls says, “retro futurism is looking to see how yesterday viewed tomorrow.”

Retro futurism was a major influence on the Art Deco movement, it was conceived in the 1920’s and flourished well into the 1930’s. Read on to travel back to the future’s past and explore the visionaries behind the genre that still inspires artists today.

lies Beyond”

By Robert Mccall

“What

Artist: Boris Artzybasheff Title: “Executive of the Future”

Description: Boris is known for his whimsical and surrealist designs that were often used on book covers and movie posters. Artzybasdheff’s work has been featured on the cover of dozens of books, including works by Marcel Proust and James Joyce. In addition to his book covers, he designed and illustrated a cover for time magazine and even wrote and illustrated his own book “As I see.”

Artist: Charles Schridde Title: “House of the future”

Description: In 1962, Motorola contracted artist Charles Schridde to paint a series depicting a “Motorola Future.” Schridde imagined these dreamy homes with striking angular architecture, happy families, and of course, the newest Motorola technology.

Artist: Robert Mccall Title: Metropolis 2050 #4

Description: Robert Mccall was born in 1919 in Ohio, he attended the Art Center College of Design in the 1940’s. Mccall’s art was heavily influenced by science fiction & space exploration. His art has been featured in movies, murals, & posters for NASA. He even painted the official poster

for the 1969 Moon Landing.

Sci-fi artist: Syd Mead

Syd Mead is a legendary artist who helped shape the sci-fi world. His work can be seen in movies like Blade Runner, Tron, and Aliens, as well as video games like Sid Meier’s Civilization IV. Mead was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1933. He studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, and graduated with a degree in industrial design. After graduation, he worked General Motors where he designed cars for them until 1965 when he decided to focus on his own work full-time. Mead’s first major project was concept art for Blade Runner (1982).

The success of this project led him to work on other science fiction films such as Tron (1982), Aliens (1986), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), & Mission Impossible.

While these are just some of his many projects, they serve as examples of the impact he has had on cyberpunk, sci-fi, retro futurisct art and design over the years.

3 THINGS THAT ARTISTS TRANSFORMED INTO ART

In the past every artist & creative customize these things It was ineveitable.

By Eddie Walker

Back then certain things were like big welcoming signs for artists and creatives to absolutely unleash their creative skills without hesitation.

Whether it was illegal or not it didn’t matter—when the urge to create begins flowing, it’s time to get going!

And these items weren’t canvasses but to artists they were close enough. The list below are things from the distant past that artists made theirs.

Pay Phones

Not quite sure what it was about pay phones but they were free game for graffiti artists!

Every square inch from top to bottom was covered in graffiti or stickers. The phone conversations must of been mega whack. Nonetheless R.I.P. Pay Phones.

Burnt CD’s

Listening to a burnt CD from the early 2000’s is like hopping in a Time Machine and living out your carefree days again. But the best part was the creative doodles that people drew on the on CD’s. Some of those sketches are complete masterpieces. R.I.P. Burnt CDs.

Clothing & shoes

This one is one for the ages, every generation has gotten their hands dirty customizing their clothes. Most of the time it was shoes and back packs but hats, shirts, and belts have been done before. In the past every school had at least one kid that was the go to kid for best hand drawn custom gear.

80’s Gadgets that shaped Todays Multimedia

By Eddie Walker

Imagine: The year is 1980 something...

You’ve just exited your local shopping mall clothes are colorful, women are wearing shoulder pads under their shirts and to top it off Michael Jackson showing everyone “Who’s Bad!”

You begin looking around, and you don’t see iPhones fused into people’s hands with their eyes glued to the screen. Instead, you see a pay phone to your right and another across the street at a gas station.

Freddy Mercury, check it out!” and immediately dashes off with their sights set on something in the distance.

Shaking your head and smirking, you place the cassette tape in your jacket pocket, Thinking

I’ll plug this into my Walkman when I get home.”

You look to your left and notice a couple taking selfies together but they’re not using an iPhone. There using a big blocky Polaroid camera— Then to your surprise, your friend taps you on the shoulder and hands you a cassette tape and says “Hey I recorded this last night, I sound better than

As you struggle to remember where you parked your car in the jam packed mall parking lot.

Gaming Industry

1. Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo has been a force in the gaming industry since its release of the NES in 1985. The NES sold over 60 million units, making it one of the most successful consoles in history. The NES paved the way for modern consoles like the Playstation and Xbox by creating a market for home gaming systems. Today’s consoles are more powerful than computers from 20 years ago, and virtual reality will be mainstream in homes by 2025, but it all began with the NES.

Cassette Tapes

As technology advances, we often forget about the innovations that came before. But when you think about it, cassette tapes helped change music forever. Cassettes were used to record songs, distrib ute them, and listen to them on portable devices. They made it easier than ever be fore for people all over the world to share their favorite music with each other.

2.

Music Industry

3.

Photography Industry

Polaroid Camera

The Polaroid camera was invented by Edwin Land in 1947, The first models were expensive and bulky. They quickly became more portable and affordable as time went on. In the 1960s, Polaroid cameras started becoming popular, they were favorited by artists because they allowed them to see how their work would look before committing it to film. This allowed for experimentation. Without a doubt Polaroid cameras contributed to the vast and verstile cameras on the market today.

Apple Macintosh

The Apple Macintosh computer was released in 1984, it was the first computer with a mouse, graphical user interface, and color graphics which was non-existence before. All of those feautures made the Macintosh user friendly for everyone. Today apple is now praised for the iphone. Which is literally this whole list in one pocket sized computer. Almost every 80’s gadget is now obsolete or one of many iphone features.

4. Computer Industry

Mammxth

Mammxth: The Man of MagniTude

Andre Shaw more commonly known as Mammxth is a man of many talents. In 2016 Andre got his big breakthrough when he posted a caricature portrait he did for a friend on Instagram.

After the caricature portrait found success, Andre’s foundation and style was solidified and the artist “Mammxth” was born. These days Mammxth is reaching milestone after milestone all while being a full time Husband, father, artist, and man of God.

Within the last seven months Mammxth’s growth and progress has been absolutely incredible. One might wonder how he’s able to keep up his creative endurancebut when speaking with Mammxth he said what pushed him day after day was “being able to release all his burdens to God. “

Like the portraits Mammxth paints, his journey too has been a steady unfolding process, Mammxth’s faith & determination is unwavering. With a new year approaching, 2023 is sure to be yet another breakthrough year for Mammxth.

“Knowing I paint for more than just myself and that there is purpose behind every brush stroke, keeps me going.”

-Mammxth

All smiles. Mammxth is in his element.

Mammxth’s Family, his pride and joy

IntervIew wIth

Ma MMxth

What’s good Mammxth? Go ahead give the readers a little insight on who you are.

What’s up! Welp I’m Andre Shaw, but many know me as MAMMXTH which comes from the name of my brand previously, but then become my nickname. My brand is Paint In Full, I like to think of myself as the Ace Boogie of art. I’m 36, married to a beautiful blessing of a wife, Karla, and I am the father to 3 amazing children: Lily (or as I’ve called her since she was a baby “Monster”) 11, Kairos 8, and Kalel 4. We also have a German Shepherd, Lola.

When and how did your journey in art begin?

I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. The desire to always get better has always been apart of me when it comes to art. I made a little name for myself in high school doing backpacks and shoes but nothing after graduation. Art became a career within the past 6 years when I drew and posted my first finished caricature piece on ig. I’ve been getting requests ever since.

What would you say your style is?

Detailed caricatures is I guess what I’m known for. Cartoon-ish art but with depth. Every so often I play

No Happy Meals

Eryka

around with the technique. I love trying new things when it comes to art. I’ve been heavily influenced by graffiti characters although I’ve never been a graffiti artist.

What does your creative process look like?

like painting so I don’t, BUT when it’s crunch time and I’m not feeling it, I lean on the fact that my family needs me to keep going. My ability is a God given gift and I do my best to use it before I lose it. Knowing I paint for more than just myself and that there is purpose behind every brush stroke keeps me going.

A ton of procrastination. I’ll start with the subject but no plan of execution. I just add as I go lol. Some paintings take hours, some days, some months. All I need is music, no particular genre, just depends on what I’m in the mood for or what the weather is like.

Has becoming a full-time artist improved the quality of your life? (In what ways)

More recently, How have you been able to grow and seize new opportunities with your art?

Live paint, live paint, live paint. I’ve been taking any opportunity I can get to paint in public because you never know who is out that day or at an event. Ever since I started live painting I’ve been thrown so many amazing opportunities like my first solo art exhibit, live painting at Concert In the Park, and murals with Wide Open Walls.

On the days you don’t feel like getting to work, what motivates you to keep going?

I’m all honesty, some days I don’t feel

It definitely has. My entire life is now faith driven, it’s really proved to me that God is real. I’ve survived situation’s that many people would quit in especially knowing the risk it put my entire family in. I believed that God had us, like Jesus said I’m Luke 12:28- But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! My gift made room for me to enjoy the relationships in my life.

What advice do you have for the artist looking to become a full-time artist like yourself?

If you feel that’s what you’re being called to do then consult the one calling you to do it. I have no tricks or one size fits all advice, I trusted God and watched him take an impossible

situation and a broken man and turn him in to MAMMXTH of Paint In Full. It all started with my choice to surrender to Him or surrender to my circumstances that at the time we’re headed to self sabotage.

If the year 2022 was a chapter in the book of “Your Life”, what would you title the chapter reflecting back on the year up to now?

2022 was the story of the Widows Olive Oil. Look it up if you don’t know it 2 Kings 4:1-7. This year has taught/is teaching me to use what I have and it will be enough.

What underlying message do you want your art to portray to the world?

No underlying message. I hope that my art is a vacation to the viewer away from all of the problems that await us each morning we wake up. I love to see people smile and display joy when they see my work. There are plenty of serious artists that want you to think. I’m your Saturday morning cartoons.

Anything else you would like to add?

I want to take them time to really name drops some people who have been extremely instrumental in my journey and by no means is it everyone: God 1st, my wife, my family in general, my big sis Shawntay Gorman, Alexx Gold, Vik Pryor, Omar Gonzalez, Rique Torres, Orlando Claudio, Matt Petri, Rob HighDef Detail, GsUltimatic, DustOne, Barbara at Brickhouse Gallery. This isn’t everyone but these are some who impacted my journey in some amazing ways that I will never be able to pay back. God Bless.

Believe in God

Trial by Fire

Merry Christmas

Christmas Movie Night Favorites

It’s A Wonderful Life:

This classic film has everything—a small town, an evil banker, an angelic figure who comes to earth to guide a man through his life choices. It’s a great movie for the whole family!

The Grinch:

Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? This is one of the best holiday stories ever told—and it has Jim Carrey playing the Grinch! What more could you ask for?

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation:

This classic comedy follows Clark Griswold as he tries his best to make sure everything goes smoothly during the holiday season for him and his family.

Elf:

Will Ferrell plays Buddy, an elf who travels from the North Pole to New York City in search of his biological father. This movie has tons of laughs—Elf will always be a Christmas favorite.

Miracle On 34th Street:

This classic film is about a store Santa who claims he’s really Santa Claus— but no one believes him except a young child.

Home Alone:

This classic family comedy stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy who gets left behind when his family leaves on a Christmas trip. Kevin’s dream of being alone, quickly turns into a nightmare when Kevin is forced to battle 2 buglars.

Bad Santa: This 2003 comedy has everything a good holiday movie needs: great writing, hilarious characters, and just enough darkness to keep things interesting. Definitely NOT a family movie!

Home Alone 2:

Lost in New York - The sequel to Home Alone has everything we love about the original movie plus more laughs and more heartwarming moments!

Eight Crazy Nights:

In this comedy Adam Sandler plays a hot-tempered Davey who has lost everything, but gets one last chance to make thing’s right in his life.

The Santa Clause: This 1994 film stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, who accidentally kills Santa on Christmas Eve and has to take his place.

In today’s society a large number of human beings are spending countless

hours working a hardly tolerable 9-5, just to make an earnest living. To remain copacetic and de-stressed, arts and crafts can drastically relieve anxiety and stress.

And adept artist Paige Mccafferty’s workshops are just what the doctor ordered.

Paige’s workshops provide a fun yet calming experience in her resin wave charcuterie board workshops. Paige’s participants range from veteran artists to couples looking for a productive date night.

Paige is a full-time artist, so majority of her time is spent creating and hosting workshops. Luckily, Epiphany had the chance to catch up with Paige and she expressed, “In 2019, I thought people would love to learn and attend a workshop, where they could come and create and not have to worry about buying all the materials needed just to try it.“

PAIGE WITH THE HEATING gun At her workshop.

Along with wave charcuterie boards, Paige also offers Floral charcuterie boards, Lazy Susan’s, and ceramic trinket dishes. The choice is completely yours. And with Christmas approaching, a personally designed charcuterie board “wood” be the perfect gift.

Outside of art, you can catch Paige spending time with her kids, paddle boarding, or learning new styles of art.

Read the full interview to grasp the genius of Awkwood things founder Paige Mccafferty.

Paige Mccafferty Interview

Hello Paige, can you briefly give the readers an introduction as to who you are.

I’m a mom of two, and one chubby pup. When I’m not at markets and events, I am creating new designs and regularly making art. Some things that are just for fun and experiments that don’t always make it to markets. In the warmer months I love to go paddle boarding with friends. I was born in Maine, and have lived in 10 different states, but California is one that I’m happy to have come back to with my kids. We’ve been here for about 6 years.

When did you first begin creating art? And who or what influenced you to start?

I’ve been creating art ever since I was tiny. My Mom used to color with me every night, and definitely sparked my creative nature as a kid.

How did you learn and develop the skillset you have in art and woodworking?

I was creating art on wood & making things for children. My step dad works in the custom department at Martin Guitar, and I started learning about all of the different wood grains, and natural finishes and techniques. He started giving me wood scraps, and encouraged me to try to make whatever I could think of with the materials he gave me. At that time I also saw resin, and had never used that material. So I taught myself with what limited info I could find back then.

I see you have quite a bit of experience in different crafts, what are all the crafts you’re proficiently skilled in?

That’s a hard one to list. I’ve felt a bit like a jack of all trades when it comes to different art and craft mediums.

I used to have a small business creating children’s illustrations and educational materials with watercolors years ago. Way back, I was a tattoo artist, but that feels like a lifetime ago. Currently I’m working with wood and resin the most. I have been getting back into my painting roots just for fun. As well as bringing back some pyrography into some of my pieces.

Do you plan on learning new styles in the near future?

I have some new styles that were presented to me recently that I’m very interested in learning. It also includes a bit of a new medium, which is always exciting. I’m always open to learning new styles, techniques, and mediums.

How long does it take to create a Charcuterie board?

They can take two to three days, depending on how many layers of resin they need. I make large batches all at once, so I’ve never broken down how many hours one takes on its own.

What does your creative process look like?

Being a mom is the most rewarding and equally stressful things I’ve ever done. So it is easy to start my creative process, and then stop, and start again. Typically I make and prep wooden pieces, and flow with how they will come into form as whatever they are going to be through the process of each piece. Once I get into the flow of adding flowers and colors with the resin, I’m in my zone listening to music. Typically at night when everything else slows down.

California Wave Charcuterie Board

What’s one pet peeve or one weird habit you have when creating?

Since I’m working with resin these days, I have to remember to block the dog out of the area. Having something that I love, and discovering there’s a dog hair in it the next day is the worst! I also really can’t stand sanding resin. It’s satisfying to watch, and I use a full face respirator, but the clean up is worst than sawdust. I try to avoid it as much as possible.

I understand you host workshops in which you teach attendees to make Charcuterie boards, what motivated you to start workshops?

When I discovered resin, it was very hard to learn how to use it and work with it. I realized that others were also fascinated by it and how I was making wave boards. So in 2019, I thought people would love to learn and attend a workshop, where they could come and create and not have to worry about buying all the materials needed just to try it. Then quarantine happened, and resin art blew up on social media. Which has been amazing to get to teach others that are equally as excited to learn!

On the days you feel overwhelmed with work, what motivates you to keep going?

Floral California Bear Charcuterie Board

Being a mom is very motivating to push through the overwhelm, but also the gratitude I have for being able to be an artist. All I ever heard growing up was that I could never be an artist as a career path. Being grateful for not letting that stick is really what gets me though. As well as paddle boarding on really hard weeks. Which I don’t do in the cold months, but laughter is another great way to get through the overwhelming times.

What advice would you give to a new artists looking to follow in your footsteps?

Find your passion, keep exploring mediums and enjoying the creative process. Follow what you feel called to do, and don’t let anyone make you give up.

If the year 2022 was a chapter in the book of “Your Life”, what would you title the chapter reflecting back on the year up to now?

Oh that’s a deep one.

Anything final thoughts you’d like to express else?

I’d love to teach anyone interested in creating a resin accented charcuterie board, or more. No artistic experience is needed! I’ve had some people say they aren’t at all artistic make the most amazing pieces! That’s always a favorite to see.

embracing the fall vibes with paige.

“Following the call.”

Welcome to the City of Chrsimas trees

by Katerina Graziosi

As Sacramento dusks, homes twinkle with the soft glow of string lights, a telltale sign the holidays are in full swing. Epiphany’s rounded up two of the most popular neighborhoods to visit for light seeing this season.

Photo credit: Eddie Walker

Fab 40s Neighborhood, east sacrameNto.

Steve Lovotti, a self-proclaimed “bah humbug,” lives in the most decorated house on the 46th block of the Fab 40s neighborhood. Dozens of wooden cutouts depicting cartoon characters adorn the lawn surrounded by candy canes, snowmen, Christmas trees and 20 or so spotlights. Gigantic ornaments hang from a maple and higher still, above the portico, sits “Star Wars’” Millennium Falcon. The glittering scene seems straight from a hodgepodge fairytale of sorts, far from anything curmudgeonly. “It’s not for us at all,” Lovotti said about the elaborate set he and his wife, Pamela DiTomasso Lovotti, have created. “These kids make it all worthwhile.”

Each year the historic neighborhood – developed in the 1920s – attracts thousands of visitors with its display of decorations, making it a popular hotspot for holiday light seeing.

Photo credit: Eddie Walker

In the grid created by 38th through 47th streets, between J Street and Folsom Boulevard, visitors can stroll or drive through the approximate 20-block neighborhood, each with a slightly different style of decor.

On 42rd Street, dangling lights hang both across the street and up and down between the houses on either side, while on 43rd Street multicolored lights continue running parallel up the block but not across. And on 47th Street, the trees that form an archway overhead are wrapped in lights at their base.

Fab 40s resident, Donna Crabbe, told Epiphany Magazine that while a coordinated effort was initially made years ago to establish the lighting patterns throughout the blocks, the installation and maintenance of the lights are down to individual efforts. DiTomasso said many of the characters in her own yard have been requests by visiting kids and handcrafted by the couple. She added that an eclectic mix of figures has amassed organically since 1990 when the couple began their decorating tradition. “When we put these up, it’s a labor of love,” DiTomasso said, adding that it is a team effort often with the help of some of the kids in the neighborhood. “The first day we light it, the first kids that run up, the smiles on their faces… that’s what keeps us going.”

Photo credit: Eddie Walker

Pebble Creek Drive, Rocklin.

A 20-mile drive from the Fab 40s, in Rocklin’s Pebble Creek neighborhood, residents Laura and Dave Eaton also prepare for holiday visitors. Like the historic community to its southeast, Laura Eaton estimates the tradition of decorating the Pebble Creek loop became popular in the early 1990s. Here, too, wooden characters reign supreme. “A lot of them have been passed down,” Eaton said about the painted cutouts dotting the lawns. “As people have moved they’ve left them behind.”

Resident Gina Turner said that along with a towering 10-foot polar bear, her family sets up characters from Disney’s “Tangled,” based on the classic fairy tale “Rapunzel.”

“We use bright yellow lights for her hair to make it look like it’s glowing,” Turner said.

Turner suggests visitors allow for a 2-hour window to get through the neighborhood during peak season as it has no shortage of fans. “People start [coming] around 5:30 pm and they’ll even go past midnight on the weekends,” Turner said, adding that some residents sell hot cocoa or treats from their garages. “It’s very festive.”

Photo credit: Eddie Walker