Lompoc & santa ynez valley MAY 2020
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS NatureTrack
The Cypress Gallery - LVAA 119 E Cypress Ave, Lompoc p. 805-737-1129 www.lompocart.org
Fostering a lifelong fascina on with nature
PO Box 953, Los Olivos p. 805-886-2047 sue@naturetrack.org www.naturetrack.org
Elverhøj Museum of History & Art
Standing Sun Winery
Gallery Los Olivos
Sugarless Treats, non-fattening jewelry and glass
1624 Elverhoy Way, Solvang p. 805-686-1211 info@elverhoj.org www.elverhoj.org
2920 Grand Ave, Los Olivos p. 805-688-7517 gallerylosolivos@gmail.com www.gallerylosolivos.com
Lompoc Mural Society PO Box 2813, Lompoc p. 805-733-4282 www.lompocmurals.com
Lompoc Theater Project p. 805-380-6777 info@lompoctheatre.org
Vicki Andersen
www.vickiandersen.com
92 2nd St - Unit D, Buellton p. 805-904-8072 john@standingsunwines.com www.standingsunwines.com
Joellen Chrones p. 805-588-2261
Wildling Museum of Art & Nature 1511-B Mission Dr, Solvang p. 805-688-1082 info@wildlingmuseum.org www.wildlingmuseum.org
T&T Local Artisans Enterprise p. 805-680-8911 laegallery@gmail.com
Neil Andersson
www.neilandersson.com
The Lompoc Valley Art Association is closely monitoring the outbreak of corona virus and have as our top priority the health and safety of our visitors to the Cypress Gallery, artists, and our community. We are taking steps to comply with all mandates from our health officials. Please check our Facebook page often as things are changing swiftly. We will post updates in regards to our events and exhibits as they unveil.
Check out the Lompoc Valley Art Association Website at www.LompocArt.org
SUBSCRIBE HERE to MONTHLY eZINE
We are proud to count non-profit organizations and businesses as community partner members. Together, we advocate for each other, local artists, and collaborate on projects to create an enriching environment for the Arts Community within Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley.
Then COVID-19 hit and the world as we know it changed, but the mission of NatureTrack has not.
virtual hikes and activities that motivate kids to get outside, when and where it's safe, to explore nature in their own "backyard". We all have been "Called-to-Action" these last few months; NatureTrack is no exception. When future generations look back at 2020 they will find our commitment to the students and the environment never waivered.
I didn't know nature could be that FUN!!! 3rd grader, Los Berros Elementary
Artist Chat: Carol Kemp
Art Hunt
Fostering a today, lifelong fascination with nature Your donation will help us "track" by film or field into tomorrow! By the way, come "track" with us; volunteer and enjoy nature like never before. NaturaTrack
Watching life change and still stay the same.
Lompoc Mural Society
What is going on with our members Lompoc Valley Art Association
LOMPOC
SOLVANG
Message from LVAA Board Member Turtles Watching Life Change and Still Stay the Same Cypress Gallery Featured Artist Artist Chat Lompoc Mural Society Lompoc Art Hunt
Wildling Museum of Art & Nature
ON THE COVER
LOS OLIVOS NatureTrack & NatureTrack Film Festival
Christine Jeszeck Featured Artist - member of the Lompoc Valley Art Association. All Artwork and Photos shown remain the sole property of the artist. No reproductions are permitted without express permission from the Lompoc Valley Art Association and/or the artist.
Lompoc Valley Art Association 119 E. Cypress Ave Lompoc, CA 93436 805.737.1129
The Lompoc Valley Art Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, supporting the arts within the Lompoc & Santa Ynez Valley through affordable opportunities for artists to show and sell artwork, collaborations with non-profits and businesses on programs and events, investment in higher education for high school art students through scholarships, and a variety of outreach avenues, such as this digital arts magazine, that bring greater awareness to the cultural heart beat of the area.
MESSAGE FROM A LVAA BOARD MEMBER “With life being so different, I haven’t felt like doing the normal work” Bonnie Gibson, Master Gourd Artist, in her May newsletter. When the Covid-19 stay at home began I thought, well at last I will spend more time in my studio. I will try out new carving techniques, new designs on my gourds. But for some undefined reason I kept putting it off. The focus was not there neither was the excitement. Then I received Bonnie Gibson's newsletter. Bonnie is a master gourd artist that lives in Arizona. Her work sells worldwide and I have had the opportunity to take several of her classes. She was asked, what are you creating while you are staying home. This is what she said, " I have worked on a few gourds as well, but with life being so different, I haven't felt like doing the "normal" work." So, I realized, I was not alone in what I was feeling, and I began to wonder what my fellow LVAA artists were doing in their new daily routines, Creating? Baking? Binge watching? So, I asked 2 question of our artists.: "What are you doing to cope with the Covid-19 stay at home? And How is it impacting and/or helping you create your art? What I found was: Some of us are working on new ideas, others are catching up on inventory, and some of us are just “stalled”. But over-all we seem to be working hard to stay healthy, be with our families, help others and remain positive. Kathy Badrak - Board Member Lompoc Valley Art Association
Turtles!
The Turtle Show I hope you are working on your turtles! Watch our Facebook page “Cypress Gallery” for the notice of when we will have the Turtle Show and when you can pick up more blank turtles!
OUR MEMBERS RESPOND
Claudette Carlton Liz Alvarez Believe it or not, this is my studio during the quarantine.... my son is currently home from college, so he is in the second bedroom!
Bob and I keep busy with our grandkids. His hobby, barbershop singing, has been yanked because of the virus quarantine, but he is enjoying pursuing a lot of his genealogy. I'm painting (sold my most recent - a very nice surprise) and getting a few house projects done. Otherwise, we're pretty quiet. Praying that whatever our new normal (as a country), turns out to be, it is not so different than the old normal! The coronavirus has certainly given me more time to paint!
Diane Atturio Agave. Watercolor. 17x21. $250.00. I have been busy creating art for my August Native Plant show at the Cypress Gallery. Also much of my time is spent gardening, cooking and walking. Luckily this virus has not caused too much of a change for me. I am blessed!
Image above: Beach Birds at Sunrise, 20x16. $170. It's currently unframed, but I have the black frame for it.
Tom Heslop "Finding" stuff to do that has been put off, but that list is about gone . . . ! THEN WHAT??
Beverly Messenger 1. Staying in tune with BEAUTY! 2. Motivating me to embrace change & brainstorm new ideas! 3. Creating my hand made books – made to order $80
What I'm surprised at is the stuff I'm not doing . . . don't seem to have the energy! And surprise-surprise painting IS what I'm not doing! Maybe it takes more energy than I thought?? I thought I painted to "relax"!??
Valerie DeMille I have not gotten the cleaning or artist spirit. The only art work I have done is a drawing of the coronavirus.
Tammy Evans Working and creating away!
OUR MEMBERS RESPOND CONT.
Blue Heron
Duck Reflect
Rosalea Greenwood I have been playing golf a couple of times a week (The Mission Club is open.)
Egrets
I finished the “Peonies” watercolor painting NFS. I have been painting watercolor note cards and Post Cards.
Hydrofoil
Tom Chrones Like a lot of you I can’t wait to be able to start getting back to normal and to start traveling again. Since I’m in the over 65 crowd (well over) and supposedly more susceptible to the covid19 virus I’ve been staying home as much as possible with short forays out for food and a couple of drives out of town just to relieve the boredom, always wearing my mask when around others. Prior to the lockdown my wife and I made a short camping trip to Morro Bay (my favorite camping spot) and I was able to try out a new lens for my camera. It’s a long 200-600mm zoom lens and weighs a few more pounds than I’d like, but it gives me a lot longer reach to seek out objects that for one reason or another (skittish birds or areas inaccessible by foot) aren’t approachable. I’ve included a few photos from that trip. I’m still learning how to adapt to using the lens, using a tripod more than I usually do or making adjustments in shutter speed to eliminate blur due to camera movement while handholding the camera/lens. For the photographers out there the technique I’ve found most beneficial is setting my lens aperture and shutter speed manually and allowing the camera to automatically adjust the ISO. This technique works very well as long as I keep my ISO (film speed) under 1600 to avoid too much grain or digital noise. I hope everyone stays well and we’re back to normal soon.
Bill Morson We're doing fine here, also. I picked up Zak on March 12th when they "temporarily" closed down his school. Since then it's turned into a "shutdown until further notice" so now he's taking his SFSU classes remotely online from home for the rest of the semester. Maybe longer. Nice to have him home again. While I now have the opportunity, I am also trying to build up a portfolio of images with a stock photo agency out of New York. Nothing too artistic. It's purely images for editorial use. So far I've had 94 sales from buyers around the world. The income is modest, but it's been enough to keep me motivated to continue to increase my portfolio with them. Their technical guidelines and procedures for submitting images are strict and complex (I've had a lot of rejections for various reasons) but I'm getting the hang of it the more I work at it. It's been a challenge...and something to do.
Mitra Cline To cope with staying home during the Covid-19 global pandemic I am trying new things. Participating in community ‘virtual’ art events is a big source of motivation.
Dragon's Lair
Being home impacts my art as I find new powerful emotions to process. A few weeks ago, I participated in a virtual art event. The local Lucidity festival people did 2 days of live video events. I did a live model figure painting workshop, yoga, dance, and cooking. Currently the focus is with a Summer Solstice ensemble and we are looking for more artists to join us. Our first meeting is Friday May 1 at 7 pm. It’s Q and A for the Solstice Virtual Parade and Tarot Ensemble Discussion and sharing of creation of costumes, masks, head dresses and props. We will be meeting in our Facebook group and zoom video conference. My art is also on sale online. In this time, I’ve organized my past sales by years. It is a rewarding project to work towards a complete collection of major paintings, by years and major influences. If anyone has a slide scanner, I am looking to borrow one. They say home decoration will be a growing area in sales as people spend time at home. ( https://foreverbird.com/shop ) I look forward to hearing about what’s keeping people creative at LVAA. We have such an amazing and talented community in this beautiful place.
Moonrise Water
Polar Plunge
Angie Hamlin I and my family are all healthy and doing well, Pray the same for yours. 1) I am coping with Covid-19 by staying as positive as I can. Doing as much as I can while following guidelines to stay safe and healthy. I continue to sing on Lompoc Foursquare Church's pared down Worship team as we livestream services each Sunday (with safe distancing and sanitizing). Walk around our beautiful neighborhood with friends and family daily (again following guidelines to maintain safe distancing). Work on projects at home that have been waiting to be finished, and help others less fortunate. 2) The impact Covid-19 has on me, is actually helping me create my art. Instead of doing inventory and production to restock local businesses that carry my art, I have finally been painting every week which is rare! I am having a blast painting and drawing seascapes, beaches, baby turtles, sea life, and wildlife. Moonrise Water- 8x10 embellished poured acrylic-white frame $40
Barbara Willey
Polar Playground- 8x10 embellished poured acrylic-white frame $40
Having fun taking Zoom Yoga Classes 3 times a week!
Dragons Lair- 9x12 embellished and glittered poured acrylic $50 wrap around (dragon has metallic paints)
Vicki Anderson
Polar Plunge- 11x14 embellished on vinyl AP of poured acrylic $50 white mat with 16x20 black frame.
Haven’t been in the studio – maybe a bit of cleaning done.
WATCHING LIFE CHANGE AND STILL STAY THE SAME BY KAREN OSLAND Ten years ago, not long after we moved into our home (my parents old house), I planted a Chaparral Yucca. It came from the Botanic Garden in a one gallon can. We had replaced the septic system and the backyard was bare. We wanted to plant those plants that did not take much water and more importantly thrived on neglect. We put in lavender and rosemary, white sage, black sage, and California buckwheat. I planted a Catalina Cherry. There were already orange and lemon trees that my Dad had planted sixty years ago, along with the apple and the apricot. There were also two volunteer Elderberry shrubs, that over the years had become “trees”. Why did a I plant a yucca? Kathy vocally wondered. Its leaves are very long, pointed, and sharp -tipped. It can hurt when you get too close. Why did I want a Chaparral Yucca? Because I like fibers and from the yucca leaves fiber’s I make baskets, cordage, and nets. The yucca would provide me with all of these and more. Besides, where the Yucca grows naturally it provided the people living there with food from the flower buds and fruits and fiber from the leaves for cordage, rope, sandals, nets, and a bundle for basket foundations and the relationship between plants and people has always fascinated me. So, I placed the yucca in the far back corner of the yard, underneath the Elderberries and over the years I carefully harvested leaves and watched it grow.
Yucca cordage
Yucca basket, plaited. Image from internet
Top of growing stalk - April
Yucca fiber basket start
Yucca fiber sandal. Image from internet
Yucca basket, coiled. by Gabriel Antone, Tohono O'dham
Plaited yucca leaf tray. Image from internet
Chaparral Yuccas are part of the Agave Family. The leaves are slender, stiff and gray-green. They can be from a foot to three feet long. They radiate from a central base and have needle-like tips. The leaves contain an abundance of strong, white fibers. The plant has a single flower stalk, which is covered with fragrant, creamy white flowers. Night-flying moths pollinate the flowers. The fruit is a capsule containing numerous black seeds. After fruiting the plant dies. What? It dies? Yes, after six to ten years the plant sends up single thick flower stalk from the center of the cluster of spiky leaves. The stalk can be up to ten feet high. Large white flowers cluster around the upper half of the stalk. The dying flowers are followed by fruits resembling gourds or small bananas. After flowering and seeding, the plant dies. This April I looked out the back window Yucca leaves in yard - April 26 and saw something different behind the rosemary and under the elderberries. The Yucca was sending up its flower stalk. Over the past two months we have had the unique and one- time chance to see the growth of the flower stalk and the striking blossoms close up. By June the yucca will have died, and the stalk and leaves will dry. This is OK, this is normal. I can harvest the dried stalk and make it into small containers and use the dried leaves for baskets. For the last ten years we have tended the yucca and other plants in our yard. We have watched them grow, bloom and sometimes die. In the house, we have had a wedding, Christmases and Thanksgivings. We have watched parents age too fast and lost children too soon.
Start of flower stalk - April 14
Still, we are fortunate. We have a roof over our heads and food on the table. We have our yard, and our lives, that are always changing and still stay the same. Flower stalk - May 4
Unopened flower bud - April 23
Blossom closeup
Flower stalk - April 25
Vicki Andersen Vickiandersen.com My work can be seen at:
Cypress Gallery, 119 E. Cypress, Lompoc, CA Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, CA
Alexander & Wayne/ Arthur Earl Wine tasting rooms, 2922 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, CA My studio by appointment, 805-588-3459
Follow me on – Instagram – @vickiangelo Facebook - @VickiAndersenArt
Neil Andersson neilandersson.com
"Vista Near Lake Cachuma" oil on linen 20" x 26" $2,250 - contact Gallery Los Olivos
"Samois-sur-Seine, France" oil on canvas 30" x 48" $3,500 - contact Jeffrey Moose Gallery
neilandersson@icloud.com
gallerylosolivos.com jeffreymoosegallery.com lompocart.org americanartco.com
CYPRESS GALLERY FEATURED ARTIST CHRISTINE JESZECK
Coming Soon!! We hope!! or as my Grandma used to say... God Willing and the Creek don't rise!
Cypress Gallery's June Featured Artist will be Christine Jeszeck It really depends on guidance from the Governor's Office, Public Health, and what safety procedures need to be put in place for the Gallery to open.
Pigment of my Imagination Chris' earliest memory of creating art goes back to about 5 years old, with a "Learn to Draw with John Gnagy" drawing kit. "I still have a couple of the drawings I did as a child, documented with the date by my mother. I treasure them because they transport me to a simple time in my life when I was so eager to learn. I still am; in fact, the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know much of anything!" Chris took a few art classes in school as electives and always enjoyed drawing and painting over the years, but it wasn't until a few years ago, after retiring, that she really delved into art more intently. "I've taken many classes in person and online, and I collect and sometimes actually read art instruction books. I love to experiment with different mediums and that experimentation lead to my fascination with fluid art." Though Chris thoroughly enjoys the realism obtained with pencils and oil paints, it's the abstraction of fluid art and it's melding with realism that has really peaked her interest of late. "That fascination is mercurial...I have a love-hate relationship with fluid art. It's a messy process and I often tell myself I'm done with it, but I'm lured back by the possibility of creating something unique and beautiful, that can be carried a step further by enhancing with whatever subject I feel like painting." Her goal is always to get the viewer to take a closer look, to see the humor or beauty that lies beneath the initial look. "Hopefully they can connect on some level with my art and walk away with either a treasure of their own, or at least a smile."
CAROL KEMP ARTIST CHAT
The Cypress Gallery "Artist Chat" articles feature members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association in each eZine.
Bloom
Biking Bird
Studio
5 QUESTIONS What has been an important experience for you in your development as an artist? My formal training was as a designer, specifically as a costume designer for theatre. I have always been interested in fashion, mythology, philosophy and history. I took a costume history class in college and realized theatre offered an opportunity to study history, along with art, design, psychology, sociology, science, philosophy, etc. Unbeknownst to me at the time, theatre proved to be an excellent training ground for my inquisitive mind, offering me an opportunity to dip my toe into many different mediums of expression in both 2 and 3 dimensions. As a theatre designer, one has to be flexible, creative and inventive to meet whatever challenge comes up, within the short time frame of executing a design from idea to stage. Although I only spent a few years working in theatre, I was lucky to have been the designer for enough shows to experience the creative process beyond just theoretical design. As both a student and professional designer, I created and made costumes, which included, clothes, shoes, hats, hair, makeup, and whatever costume props needed to be created. A great example of my experience as a theater designer was when I costumed a children’s show, Perseus. The work required 18 costumes, a few pair of sandals, including one with wings, 4 masks, and other items. I had a budget of $150. I was good at finding period items at thrift stores, but this show required Himation’s- the Greek equivalent to the Roman toga. I needed yards of fabric. Someone told me that the hospital changed their linens periodically, which a group of nurses would take to Mexico. I asked for a donation of cotton blankets, sheets and towels and was able to dye all of the costume’s beautiful pastel colors for the Greek clothing required. The whole process was an excellent learning experience in many respects because it required me to stretch my artistic muscles. I feel that my formal education has never been wasted. I use what I learned in that time, building on it over the years, in every job I have ever held. Flexibility and being able to see outside of the box are traits of an artist. Running an art studio was also a very important experience in my evolution as an artist. With Syd McCutcheon, I had the privilege of having a working studio, The Art Clinic, which was a fantastic experience. It was a place to create, but also a place to teach. I hold that time in my life very dear to my life journey, especially as an artist. Art making is about doing, constantly. You cannot sit and wait for the Muses to grab you into creating. By running a studio, it was like running any business. We had open hours, and we had to use our time and space to create, even if we didn’t feel like it. I was able to practice and refine my skills, create an abundance of work, and expand the scope of my art because it was my job. Every day, I had to show up and work. It was great until it wasn’t anymore. We all evolve and grow.
Contact: website/blog www.lifsart.com instagram lifs.art facebook Carol A. Kemp
Travel Cactus
ARTIST CHAT CONT What do you feel is core to your work as an artist? My spiritual philosophies and the creative mind let loose are core to the inspiration for themes, and to my art life. If you came to my house, which at present is my studio, I could show you how the thread of an idea from one project or series of projects leads to another. Paper is a great example. I love paper, and have spent a fair amount of time working with it in collage, printing, watercolor, making books and journals. When I was working with metal, making jewelry, I would try to mimic the qualities of folding paper- with the metal. I would use paper mâché as an armature for working with metal clay, which would offer the texture of paper. I could weave paper and metal, so you can see how using one medium could inform another. Working with fabric lends itself to the same sort of exploration. I get lost in the designs of fabric. I will cut up the different fabrics into little pieces, and sew them together in a patchwork sort of way to create my own fabric to make things from. I started to fool around with taking my art images- which I created on paper, scan them into the computer, play around in the digital medium and send off the design to Spoonflower, the only textile printing company in the USA. Spoonflower digitally prints cotton and other materials. You can imagine my excitement when I was able to take my designs and sew with them. It lends itself to a whole other creative exploration and new ways of creating as textiles demand a specific way to design, considering repetition, direction of design etc, - I love it!!!
How has your practice changed over time? When I started my path as a theatre designer, I wasn’t happy with my drawing abilities. Following graduation from college, I picked up a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards and taught myself how to draw. It was revealing to discover that I, and anyone, could learn how to see as an artist. Speaking from a realistic point of view, an artist has to be able to interpret the 3-dimensional world, in a 2dimensional format. Some people have a natural ability to understand foreshortening and perspective, but some of us have to be shown. That was eye opening, literally, and helped me, I believe, to be a good teacher, because I understood that everyone sees differently. I naturally understood color, and composition, and other design tools, but I needed to be trained to see in order to draw realistically. That was revealing. As I moved away from working in the collaboration of theatre, with the advent of children, I needed a creative process that didn’t demand the internal process of painting. It was made clear to me when my 3-year-old son blocked me from entering my studio that I needed to satisfy my creative soul in another genre – i.e., jewelry making When I was painting, I would go into my own space, that nonverbal place in my mind some would call the field or the void. Although I thought I was answering my son’s questions and interacting with him, it did not meet his needs. Therefore, a change was needed! Jewelry making satisfied my creative self, while allowing for that interaction with my son, as I worked. Plus, jewelry sold better than my paintings! It was a win win! As my son grew, I was able to dip back into drawing and painting. With the birth of my daughter, my art making became more about storytelling, a lot of it inspired by my spiritual life, my desire to understand the world both externally and internally. My psychic visions became more pronounced and I discovered that when I tuned into another person’s energy (with their permission of course) I would see symbolic worlds. Soon it became clear to me that these impressions where compositions that could be physically painted (soul portraits). Another activity that was instrumental in my art practice was teaching, because it forced me to delve into all kinds of art making genre and technique. A sort of Jill of all trades, I know a little about a lot of approaches to art making. I admire artists who are able to delve deeply into one medium and genre enabling them to master technique and subject. For me, there are just too many shiny objects for my crow eye. Faces and birds have been a mainstay in my repertoire. Eyes. I love eyes, maybe because they are the window into the soul! In addition to painting and jewelry making, writing, fabric and sewing have also been my medium for creation for the past few years. Sewing has become a meditation practice, teaching me patience and to slow down. Sewing a straight seam is an art! Besides making wallets, purses and bags, I‘ve been cutting up wool sweaters and making coats and blankets. Lately, I have been making masks and teaching others how to sew. You just never know where you will end up when you follow the flow!!!
Velvet Crow
The Power of Now Crow
Hawk Power
Woman on White
ARTIST CHAT CONT What would be a dream project for you? My dream project is to write a book. For a long time I have been writing my thoughts about life, spirituality and what it means to be human, why we are living this life, and how we are creating our heaven or hell right here, right now. These are deep subjects, which I have been contemplating and writing about for many years. I have all these puzzle pieces of thoughts, ideas, realizations, and lessons from my life that need to be put together into a cohesive composition. Communication through words is tricky, as the gestalt of ideas cannot truly be interpreted to their finest essence. My internal visions are proof of that. Spirit communicates through symbols, sometimes literal, sometimes figurative, maybe to leave room for an evolution of interpretation. Visual artists have been attempting to communicate the eternal essence of existence for as long as people have been creating. Attempting to interpret ideas so precisely with words is the writer’s inclination. I feel as though my art work has been a tool for delving deeper into my ideas about life, and now feel the need to paint with words. I have a lot of distractions, however, that keep me from the venture, and if I am to be honest, fear and inertia have kept this project at bay. Fear of rejection, fear of disapproval, fear of failure, fear of success? The inertia is the resistance to discipline. The dream project would be to ignore the fear and organize my writings into a book - and to find the perfect editor and publisher to help make the dream a reality.
In your opinion, what is an "artistic" outlook on life? Keeping one’s judgments at bay. In my opinion, you have to be able to see many views to keep things fresh. Also, play is important. I am grateful to have come to a time in my life where I do not have to worry about selling my art. There was a time when I augmented my income with what I sold, and that was stressful, always thinking about what would sell. That can be a sure death cry to one’s creativity!!! Being able to follow the thread of one idea to the next is refreshing and liberating. It is a lifestyle, no doubt. My own perception of what it means to be an “artist” has changed over the years. I didn’t even call myself “Artist” for years because I didn’t think my drawing was up to par, erroneously thinking you had to be able to draw like Michelangelo in order to call yourself artist - but when I did start calling myself artist, I found the label useful as it gave me more leeway within a social context. “You know how those artists are…” Ultimately, everything comes from a thought. We are all creating our worlds, our lives from our thoughts, words, and deeds. You are given the gifts of the gods, you create your reality according to your beliefs. Yours is the creative energy that makes your world. There are no limitations to the self except those you believe in. Seth, through Jane Roberts The greatest art is to create a life that brings joy and contentment. Part of that comes from living with gratitude and being of service. Each of us have creative abilities- some show it through gardens or cooking, organizing, caregiving, teaching, leadership, engineering, entrepreneurship. All humans are creative beings, artists to some extent. Carol Kemp
Art is life and Life is Art.
Joellen Chrones
Sugarless Treats, non-fattening jewelry, glass Soon the following
galleries will be open again and carry a few of my things: The Wildling Museum in Solvang. The Cypress Gallery, 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc.
T & T Gallery in Los Alamos. If you have a question about any of my work, contact me directly at 805-733-2801 or 805588-2261.
LOMPOC MURAL SOCIETY www.lompocmurals.com BY KAREN OSLAND
Finished mural from north view
Title: Flowers of the Valley Mural Year: 2001
Lobelia on ally wall
Location: Behind the Cypress Gallery at 119 East Cypress Avenue. The flower seed industry in Lompoc Valley began around 1909 when W. Atlee Burpee bought farmland in the Lompoc Valley. The flower fields were centered around Floradale Ave. This location soon became the West Coast Headquarters for Floradale farms. The first flowers grown commercially for seed were Sweet Peas. By 1913 the Lompoc Valley Journal was reporting that flowers were replacing vegetable crops and the flower seed industry was becoming the largest agricultural crop in the Lompoc Valley. By 1916 all of flowers now depicted in The Flowers of the Valley mural were being grown in the Valley. At the start of World War 11, Lompoc and Santa Maria Valleys were the largest producers of flower seed in the world. After the war the industry continued grow and in 1956 thirty million people bought flower seeds. Marigolds, petunias and zinnias were the most popular bought. Growing flowers from seeds was so popular that large companies such as General Foods and smaller local companies would put free flower seed packets in promotional advertising brochures. The sales manager for Burpee’s, one of the major growers in the Valley, said “no matter what message a company wants to get across there is a flower that can help them say it “ (Christensen:18) Free seed packet
From 1920 to 1985 the Flower Fields and flower seed production prevailed in the Valley. Hundreds of acres of flowers were grown and harvested for their seeds. Then buyers’ habits changed from buying seed packets to buying starts from nurseries for their gardens. After 1985, flowers, such as stock for the “cut flower” trade, were grown in smaller amount and most fields in the Valley are now used for vegetable growing. In 2000, the Lompoc Mural Society sent out a Request for Proposals to local artists for the creation of a commissioned Mural. The title of the Mural was “The History of the Flower Industry in Lompoc” and the Mural was to be “reflective of the development of the flower industry in the Lompoc Valley. “
Original garage doors
Original garage doors painted
Lobelia line drawing
Lobelia paint start
The location chosen to display the Mural were the eleven garage doors that face out into the alley directly behind the Cypress Gallery. The garages are part of a complex of apartments on the corner of South G Street and East Cypress Ave. They were built in 1927 by a Lompoc building contractor, Anton Slatten. In 1928, he sold them to Mrs. William McGee of the McGee furniture store for about $16,000. In 1928, these apartments were considered to be very up to date and contained many amenities. According to the Lompoc Review,” The apartments each contain three rooms and breakfast nook, with large clothes closet and bath. All are of stucco and are plastered on the Interior. Special tile covering all cornice gives each an attractive appearance. Especially attractive features of the apartments are the built-inconveniences and the compactness of the rooms. The kitchen and breakfast room are equipped with convenient devices and built-in cupboards. These features also are in the bathroom. In one of the apartments, which Mr. and Mrs. Slatten are occupying a new hot water tank with asbestos and redwood insulation has been installed as an experiment. The results have been exceptionally good, Mr. Slatten said, water remaining hot in the tank for more than 24 hours.” (Lompoc Review, May 22, 1928) In the request for proposals the Mural Society suggested “that each of the eleven garage doors be painted as a different flower grown in the valley over the years---or as flower seed packets. The wall surrounding the doors may be tied together with a vine such as passion plant or Bougainvillea.” The Flowers chosen for the murals were Nasturtium, Delphinium, Shasta Daisy, Petunia, Larkspur, Sweet Pea, Lobelia, Marigold, Stock, Bachelor’s Buttons and Pansies.
MURAL CONT... The request for proposal stated that the dimensions of each individual panel of the mural were to be six feet by six feet and were to be painted on MDO board. These panels would be mounted over the garage doors. The Artist could paint on site or off site and then bring the panels back for installation. The artist, Vicki Andersen, chose the old Ford Dealership (now the Solvang Brewery) to use as her studio. The owner, Mr. Beattie allowed the Mural Society to use the property for painting and storage. It took her several months to complete the eleven paintings. In the studio the MDO boards were mounted upright on supports and the six- foot by six-foot flower displays were drawn onto the panels. Vicki then applied a yellow undercoat before painting the flowers. After completion, the paintings were installed the on the prepared garage doors. In addition, she also painted the red trim around the door frames and window frame, painted a flower box underneath the windows with flowers, and painted hollyhocks and vines on the garage wall. Her artwork also included painting the girl peaking around the south corner of the back-entrance way to the apartment complex (along with the cat) and the muralist information on north wall. In 2016, Vicki along with two other local artists, Ann Thompson and Sharon Boelhouwer spent several months doing restoration work on the murals. Restoration work is periodically needed on all of the local murals due to weathering. Restoration included replacing the framing along the bottom of the garage doors and touch up painting of the flowers. Vicki Andersen is a local artist who creates vivid impressionistic paintings using a palette knife as her tool. You can see her work at the Cypress Gallery and the Gallery Los Olivos. In addition to her work on “The Lighthouse at Point Conception” mural, Vicki’s mural work includes the murals “Mission Vieja (Lompoc’s Lost Mission),” “Flowers of the Valley” and the “History of Agriculture in the Lompoc Valley”, created with artist Carol Oliveira. Vicki’s work can be seen at https://vickiandersen.com/ References: Christensen, Bess Gedney, 2006 Acres of Loveliness: The Flower-Seed Industry of the Lompoc Valley. Lompoc Valley Botanic and Horticultural Society. www.lbvhs.org The Lompoc Review, Lompoc Ca. May 22, 1928. California Digital Records Project accessed online April 29, 2010. California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, <http://cdnc.ucr.edu>. The Lompoc Review, Lompoc Ca. March 8, 1932. California Digital Records Project, accessed online April 29, 2010. California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, <http://cdnc.ucr.edu>. Lompoc Journal, January 1913. California Digital Records Project, accessed online April 29, 2010. California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, <http://cdnc.ucr.edu>.
Girl and Flowers of the Valley
Vicki Anderson and Gene Stevens
Waiting to be Hidden! Ar t
Art
Art Hunt is Happening!
Wanting to be Found! k or w t r A
Although we had to postpone the Spring Art Hunt, and put the Artwork in storage, we will bring it out this fall.
Once again, The Lompoc Valley Art Association will invite the community to “find” over 200 pieces of artwork that will be “hidden” throughout the community of Lompoc. Participants can keep the artwork that they find! This Fall, for three days, our Facebook page will be used to give people clues as to where the art pieces can be found. This event is open to everyone and to all ages. This event is free. Please plan to join us in the Community Event!
Visit us online at: www.wildlingmuseum.org/virtual-visit
Enjoy this virtual look at Remembering Bud Bottoms: A Legacy of Art and Activism, the Wildling Museum’s inaugural Tower Gallery exhibition honoring renowned Santa Barbara artist and environmental activist James “Bud” Bottoms (1928 - 2018). Bottoms became a committed environmental activist in 1969 following the devastating Santa Barbara spill that polluted the ocean and ravaged local beaches, killing sea birds and marine life. He helped establish the small, but influential group, Get Oil Out (GOO) that organized immediately following the tragic spill and helped pave the way for the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. In the 1980s, Bottoms created the iconic “Dolphin Family” sculpture atop the fountain at Santa Barbara’s Stearns Wharf and created many other works at locations across the globe, including installations in Ireland, Japan, and Mexico, as well as throughout the United States. The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature presented Bud Bottoms with the Wilderness Spirit Award in 2015 to honor his incredible legacy of art and environmental advocacy. He was a friend to the local indigenous Chumash tribes, as well as a voice for the marvelous creatures of the sea. Special thanks to Carole Ann Bottoms and the Bottoms Family for their support of this exhibition. All artworks featured in this video are by Bud Bottoms and are courtesy Carole Ann Bottoms. For more information about the exhibition, visit: www. wildlingmuseum.org/news/remembering-bud-bottoms.
Keep following the Wildling Museum on social media for more #MuseumFromHome moments and a regular #MuseumMomentofZen. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Wildling when we are once again able to gather together in celebration of art and nature.
Since 2011 NatureTrack has made
learning outside, where science literally comes alive, a reality for teachers and their students throughout Santa Barbara County. This Los Olivos based 501(c)3 nonprofit was providing 1/2-day field trips to K-12 students at NO COST to schools. Then COVID-19 hit and the world as we know it changed, but the mission of NatureTrack has not.
NatureTrack has pivoted operations from field to film and continues to foster a lifelong fascination with nature through the use of virtual hikes and activities that motivate kids to get outside, when and where it's safe, to explore nature in their own "backyard". We all have been "Called-to-Action" these last few months; NatureTrack is no exception. When future generations look back at 2020 they will find our commitment to the students and the environment never waivered.
I didn't know nature could be that FUN!!! 3rd grader, Los Berros Elementary
Your donation today, will help us "track" by film or field into tomorrow! By the way, come "track" with us; volunteer and enjoy nature like never before.
NatureTrack Film Festival 2020
Postponed UNTIL OCTOBER 9-11 Los Olivos, CA
After careful consideration and consultation with multiple stakeholders, the NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) has made the difficult decision to postpone our March 20-22, 2020 event to October 9-11, 2020. Our primary concern is the health, safety and welfare of our guests, filmmakers and volunteers. Recent federal, state and county public health advisories have stressed the critical importance of avoiding crowd contact (“social distancing”) during the global Covid-19 crisis. We take these advisories very seriously and want to do our part to reduce risk for all parties connected with the NatureTrack Film Festival. We greatly regret any inconvenience and disappointment this causes for everyone who was looking forward to joining us in Los Olivos just eight days from now. This was a very hard call and we did not make it lightly. We are greatly looking forward to our rescheduled dates in October when we will proceed with the same incredible slate of films we had cued up for this month. We invite you to continue to follow the NTFF on social media and check our website for updates. We thank our amazing filmmakers from around the world for their patience and understanding as we shift our focus to October, and we look forward to welcoming them back in the Fall. All passes and tickets currently held by patrons will be honored at the rescheduled October 9-11, 2020 NatureTrack Film Festival. We wish everyone a safe passage through this uncertain time as we all do our part to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities healthy and safe. We at NatureTrack believe one of the very best ways to relieve stress, and practice self-care, is to get outdoors for a quiet and rejuvenating walk in the restorative beauty of nature. We thank you for your continued support, and we will see you in October for a wonderful weekend of “igniting passion for nature through film.”
NatureTrack FILM FESTIVAL
CURRENT Passes & Tickets VALID FOR OCTOBER NatureTrackFilmFestival.org
Detail: Elizabeth Alvarez. Oaks, Vineyards, and Fields