The Hi-Desert Art Beat

Tina Bluefield

2011-11-12T07:00:00.001-08:00

Tina Bluefield is a newer face on the Open Studio Art Tours. She has been a resident of the high desert since 2006, and this year marks her fourth year on the tour. Bluefield is an oil painter who focuses her attention on painting large scale abstractions and the desert environment surrounding her home.

(by Pepper Wagner)

After traveling a few miles on dirt roads that crisscross the open desert of the Mojave, I arrived at Tina Bluefield's home studio. Pulling into her drive, I couldn't help noticing her cabin's unique architecture and welcoming desert landscape. I knew instinctively this was the home of someone special. Bluefield's studio is well lit with the natural desert light through large windows. It was her desert landscape paintings that caused me to pause. It was like she had captured the heart, soul and essence of our beloved desert and concentrated it onto the canvases, bring all your senses alive.

"Early Light," oil on linen. 8 x 10 inches

Bluefield has traveled the world extensively and lived and studied art in Colorado. After a decade of designing passive solar homes in Colorado, she bought a homestead cabin in the Joshua Tree area in California and began renovating it in 2006. She added her passive solar studio, where she paints her exquisite desert landscapes and inspiring colorful abstracts. As you walk into her home studio, you can feel a true artist's energy.

"Heart of Fire," oil on canvas. 60 x 36 inches.

"Red Square 9," oil on canvas. 8 x 8 inches.

Long before Bluefield's arrival to the Mojave Desert, she was painting large watercolor desert scenes of Arizona and New Mexico. Like to many of us, Bluefield is drawn to the rustic beauty, peace, and the ever-changing moods in our desert surroundings. Tina has shown her paintings in galleries and art exhibitions from coast to coast, having had her second solo show of abstract paintings in New York, NY at BoxoFFICE Projects this past April. For more information on Tina Bluefield and her paintings, visit tinabluefield.com. Be sure to visit Bluefield this October, during the Hwy 62 Art Tours. She will have her studio open the second weekend of the tours, October 30th and 31st.

The Hwy 62 Art Tours 2011

2011-09-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the tenth annual Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours are about to take place. This year, the first weekend of the tour will take place from October 21st through the 23rd, while the second weekend will be October 28th through the 30th. In addition to special gallery exhibits, many area artists will be opening up their studios to the public from 9 to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday of each weekend. There will also be music, site-specific installations, performance art and even an aerial circus! Please take a moment to visit the newly launched website at www.hwy62arttours.com.

October is the most fabulous time of the year in the high desert. Please join us for this exciting event!

Rosa Poulsen in Morongo Valley and four artists at the Purple Agave Art Gallery

2010-10-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Rosa in her studio.

This is the last weekend of the 2010 Hwy. 62 Art Tours. If you have not yet gotten a chance to grab a map and drive around in the high desert to look at art, this is your last chance! There are many artists who are showing both weekends, and many artists who didn't show last weekend. One artist who is showing only this weekend is Rosa Poulsen.

Rosa has lived in Morongo Valley her entire life. She began painting at an early age and came to it naturally - or maybe it was in her genes. Both her Grandmothers were artists as well as her Father. Rosa is self-taught and has a wonderful style. Initially she shared her paintings with family and friends and they encouraged her to share with the rest of us. She considers the nature of life is to be able to share. The joy in nature is worth nothing if it can’t be shared with someone.

For Poulsen, art is important as a way to express one’s self. It requires imagination and inventiveness. She also says it is therapeutic. It is important as a record of time (what is happening at that moment in time.)

This is her first time on the art tour and is very excited to be part of it. She has prepared a wonderful walk through her property and garden with stops showcasing a different theme for her painting. She paints in oil and acrylic. Her most recent theme is musical instruments blended with nature. The mural on the beauty parlor in Morongo Valley is one of her creations. She has shown her work at the World Guitar Show as well as at Joshua Springs. She has also prepared a computer slide show of her past paintings set to music, and it is very well done.

In addition to painting she is a degreed gemologist, enjoys making bead work jewelry, is a musician and makes collages using tile and mirror.

Rosa with her son

Rosa is number 61 in the program, so be sure to mark her studio as a must see.

written by Terry Hone

Artists at the Purple Agave Art Gallery

written by Karine Swenson

Another stop to mark on your program in Morongo Valley is the Purple Agave Art Gallery at Cactus Mart. Number 62 on the Hwy.62 Art Tours program is a stop where you will have a chance to see the work of four artists: Cheryl Jordan, Valerie Davis, who was interviewed here, Wally Pacholka, and Jennifer Ruggiero.

Cheryl Jordan is a photographer, as is Wally Pacholka, who is well-known for capturing the night sky. Valerie Davis will be showing jewelry, her glue paintings, and her mixed media sculpture. Jennifer Ruggiero is showing photography.

To see some of Ms. Ruggiero's photography, please visit her website here.

I had a chance to email Jennifer Ruggiero some questions this summer, so here is a little more about this talented photographer.

How long have you been in the high dez?
Where did you move here from? (where did you move from and what brought you here?)

I moved from NYC to Los Angeles in the late 70’s, and discovered the high desert in the 90’s. It took me 20 years before I changed my NY mindset and ventured out to what I thought was a barren lifeless landscape. After my first trip to Joshua Tree park on a very hot day in August, I realized that the desert was a verdant garden full of life where I could reconnect with my creative passion. I discovered Wonder Valley three years ago during Art Tours and fell in love so I bought a small cabin on 5 acres of land where I come to reconnect with my passions. I have a special connection with the desert and enjoy the stillness, silence and little creatures that visit me at my cabin. The night sky filled with stars and the sunrise and sunset help me to achieve the balance I need to create. I live in two communities Los Angeles and the high desert. You might say that the desert is my MUSE.

How long have you been an artist? All my life.

Where else do you show your art? Los Angeles NoHo Festival and galleries, My photographs have been published in Utne, Spin and Clamer magazine.

Why do you think art is important? (or why is art important to you?)

Art is a method that I use to communicate using music and visual images. Art is a medium that I understand and feel connected to. I use photography to communicate through color and frequency. Art is non-linear and can take you to a higher level of consciousness. Art is a communicator of feelings, beauty, ugliness, likes and dislikes. For me creating art opens a window of opportunity to experience a higher level of discourse that can stimulate change. Art has always been a part of me…the art of raising my children, the art of daydreaming, the art of capturing an image or creating a sculpture out of clay that I dug up from the earth with my hands. Art is an unconditional love that nurtures the soul and heals the spirit.

What are you working on for the Tours in October? What can people expect to see from you that isn’t here now? (or that they haven’t seen from you before?)

I am working on a series of 13 x19” fine art prints that tell a story and allow the viewer to experience the moment. This year I decided to print my own work and experiment with fine art paper. I got tired of sending my images out to be printed by a print house. I missed the flow and connection of printing my own work and wanted more control and a more affordable selection of paper for my images. I am very happy and proud of the results. All of my prints are printed on hi-resolution fine art paper using archival inkjet inks. The results are worth the effort. I am also using a new frameless hanging method suggested by an artist friend, that gives my work a 2D effect and reduces my cost and the final cost of the print. I can sell my images at a more affordable price. This year I am planning on including a series of fine art cards. Lots of experimenting with materials, presentation and light. I can’t go into too much detail without a long boring explanation…come see the show.

Most artists have more than one outlet for their creativity, what other outlets do you explore/have you explored? I was a professional musician in NYC before I moved to LA. My instruments are silver flute, Native American flute and sometimes Djembe. My genre is jazz, classical, Latin, and creating environmental sounds. The frequency of sound has always been a healing experience for me. Transferring that frequency into color was a natural next step into the world of imaging.

Spelman Evans Downer, Stephen Jennings & Robert Morris

2010-10-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of the Art Tours has come and gone, and we are gearing up for the final weekend. Mike Lipsitz writes about one of the venues this coming weekend.

Turquoise South - Spelman Downer's studio.

Spelman Evans Downer sits at or very near the top of Morongo Basin’s art scene. This is true both figuratively and literally as anyone who’s ever had the good fortune to visit Turquoise South his hilltop studio on the Mesa will attest. Downer traditionally exhibits a sampling of his most recent works for Hwy 62 Art Tours, and he taps one or two of the area’s most promising, newer artists to spotlight as well. Showing alongside Spelman Evans Downer at location #39 this year are Robert Morris and Stephen Jennings.

Spelman Evans Downer

A visual artist, art educator, and mentor, Professor Downer is head of the Copper Mountain College Art Department. His creativity is expressed through his paintings, photography and large-scale earthworks; some pieces are a combination of these. They are priced between $100 and $4,000 with most pieces falling in the middle of that range.

To label his stunningly beautiful and original paintings “landscapes” would be misleading. Landscapes connote an interpretation of the world seen at ground level. Downer has spent more than 30 years studying and photographing geography and topography from the air and then expressing his impressions in poured enamel.

Spelman Downer. Proto Colorado River, poured enamel.

The results are reminiscent of high altitude satellite images. They connote organic landforms that simultaneously appear both static and fluid. I am reminded of looking down from a passenger plane and experiencing the illusion that rivers, highways and cities appear both completely still and dynamic.

Downer spends summers at his studio and gallery, Turquoise North, on the banks of the Kenai River in Cooper Landing Alaska. Among the newer pieces he’ll show on the Hwy 62 Art Tours are poured enamel paintings inspired by running and fishing Alaskan rivers. They are studies of deep blue currents, cool and swift; so intense is their attraction, the waters seeming flow off and away from the medium. Among other recent work is a grouping inspired by the Transverse Ranges, coastal mountains of southern California than run from Santa Barbara to San Diego in an East-West orientation. They are part of what he envisions will one day be anchored by enormous, museum scale works.

Spelman Downer. Southern California, poured enamel.

Spelman is also showing new pieces from his widely admired ‘Earth Mother’ body of work, photographic nudes in framed collages that encompass expressions of his earthwork techniques. Prolific, beautiful and technically superior, do not overlook this stop.

Stephen Jennings

Stephen Jennings is one of two guest artists showing this year at Downer’s Turquoise South. A recent student of Professor Downer and two-time winner of the Copper Mountain College Art Department’s RGB Multimedia Competition, photographer Stephen Jennings began exploiting his creative aspirations only last year. He has never shown in the Hwy 62 Art Tours; aside from the college, he’s never exhibited his work at all. He says he’s experiencing some pressure associated with this first exhibition.

The 58-year-old recalls his early artistic expressions, “I used to ditch high school to go down and paint the beach,” says Stephen, who was raised in Huntington Beach. “I always wanted to be an artist,” he adds.

A carpenter by trade, he moved his wife and daughters to Joshua Tree in 1981 and made a living working his craft mostly in the lower desert. The progressive effects of rheumatoid arthritis forced Jennings to retire a year ago. He saw the sudden luxury of free time as an opportunity to explore his interest in art more deeply.

“I’ve always taken photographs,” Jennings explains. “But now I can concentrate on it.”

Steve Jennings. "Duchamps." Digital photography

He has completed two of Downer’s digital photography courses. He uses a Digital Nikon D80 and shoots nearly every day. He then uses Photoshop to stitch individual frames of nature into great panoramas, some of them in vertical format, an execution we’ve not seen before. "Photoshop amazes me,” says Jennings. “Part of the plan is not to be obvious.”

Among Stephen Jennings beautiful photographs is a mixed media collage he calls “Worn Tools.” It is hideous, fascinating and is in juxtaposition with his photographs. The piece incorporates a severed arm, construction hardhat, worn hand tools and other unfinished elements. He tries explaining the concept.

“I want to capture natural beauty, but there’s so much baggage contaminating it,” he explains. “I can’t ignore that. The piece is an expression of the contamination I find in everything beautiful.”

Steve Jennings "Worn Tools" Assemblage.

At the time of our interview, his works had not yet been hung for the exhibit. Jennings tries again to explain the contamination theme. For me, the concept remains elusive; perhaps I am too thick to get it. The plan is to “contaminate the exhibit with other elements” prior to the studio tours. Perhaps you will “get it,” I remain quite content with the beauty of Stephen Jennings’ photography prior to contamination.

Robert Morris

Robert Morris is the other guest artist invited to show this year at Spelman Downer’s Turquoise South. A lifelong resident of Santa Barbara, Morris relocated to Joshua Tree five years ago when he retired. He takes pictures in a standard medium format which he scans, adjusts using Photoshop, and prints at home on an Epson 2200.

Robert Morris. Digital Photography.

His technical skills are self-taught; while his love of art and his degree in art history are reflected in his photographs. Robert Morris has done some freelance work for publication, and has previously shown at The 29 Palms Inn and at the offices of the Hi-Desert Water District. This is his first time exhibiting on the Hwy 62 Art Tours; he will show two series all representing subjects photographed throughout California and Arizona over the last five years. All of his works are matted and framed in a 16 x 20 format and are offered for about $250 apiece.

The series he calls “Singular Structures” is a delightful collection of architectural oddities, mostly structures built between the 1930s and 1950s. The subjects include mostly exteriors of cocktail lounges, theaters, motels, and gas stations. Many are art deco style, all share brilliant, still and capture cool color motifs of the period.

Robert Morris second series are works that he calls collectively “Idiosyncratica Deserta.” Inspired by his regular hikes in Joshua Tree National Park, this is a series of composites.

His own description captures their essence quite well:

I see things that other people don’t. Not infrequently have I discovered artifacts such as stone temples, tombs, statues, pleasure palaces, or even industrial buildings, some of them intact and some in ruins. The sound of splashing water might lead me to a lovely fountain adorned with sculpture. Occasionally I’ll come upon a naked goddess in her glory, a nymph lurking amongst the rocks, or perhaps a priestess performing strange rites. Saints, angels, and other portentous personages peer down at me from their perches in grottos hewn from granite walls. ... Sometimes these desert visions recall myths of various cultures, or they bring to mind themes from well-known or obscure works of art or literature.

Robert Morris. Digital Photography

Morris goes on to explain how he sees it his social responsibility to expose these apparitions to others in hopes they will offer others “a modicum of edification, bewilderment, or amusement." He says that "some are sublimely spiritual whilst others are supremely silly.” He stresses that he must leave it to the viewer to decide which ones are which.

Spelman Evans Downer, Stephen Jennings and Robert Morris will show their works on the second weekend of the Hwy 62 Art Tours, October 30^th & 31^st. Don’t let the final weekend pass you by without treating yourself to the delights that hang in Turquoise South, stop # 39.

written by Mike Lipsitz

Michelle and Troy Pence

2010-10-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the start of the first weekend of the 9th Open Studio Art Tours! We can't believe it's here already. For those of you who are without programs, you should be able to pick one up at many of the local art galleries and shops. There will also be an ample supply out in front of the Donation=Creation Art Store, located in Joshua Tree, slightly east of the Joshua Tree Post office. The address is 61325 Hwy. 62 in Joshua Tree. Welcome to the Hwy. 62 Art Tours, everyone!

One stop you will want to mark on your map this weekend is the studio of Michelle and Troy Pence, #17 in the program.

Troy and Michelle Pence

Michelle and Troy Pence have found their version of paradise in Joshua Tree. Their fenced-in property is home not only to the two artists, but also to a dog or two, a timber wolf, a bullying rooster, three tortoises, and a hungry sheep who ate part of my notes. The studio, which sits in front of the main house, was a homestead cabin. It has now become the birth place for the unique art of these two charming people.

The sheep who ate part of my notes.

Michelle Pence works in styrofoam. She carves and paints the styrofoam, sometimes even adding texture with coffee grounds or sawdust mixed with paint. Michelle has a way of transforming something as ordinary as styrofoam into fascinating bas-relief paintings. Most of the materials Michelle uses are recycled. The styrofoam comes from a company that makes pool covers. She uses a variety of different paints, including house paint. Michelle has been working in styrofoam since 1999. She loves animals, flowers and designs, and will sometimes look for ideas on the internet.

Michelle Pence. Styrofoam tortoise shell.

Michelle in her studio.

Michelle has shown her work at Metro S.C.R.A.P. gallery in Indio, and both she and Troy show at the 29 Palms Gallery. They have both taught art and music at Angel View in Joshua Tree. They have been in the high desert for one year. Troy and Michelle have been married for six years. They met at S.C.R.A.P., where Michelle worked. For their wedding invitations, they made the paper and envelopes the invitations were printed on. They included seeds in the hand-made paper, so the invitations could be planted. I admire the way these two artists lead a life that is so integrated with art. Not only are they both artists, but they both sing and love music.

Troy Pence is a painter and metal sculptor. He paints in oil, watercolor and acrylic, and has been painting since 1990, when his aunt gave him his grandfather's oil paints and brushes. Troy comes from a family of artists. His uncle and grandfather were both oil painters, his mother paints on porcelain, and his father is a cabinet maker. His interest in art began in high school. His family opened an art gallery to sell his uncle's paintings, and because of the gallery, Troy's painting became even more important to him. Troy is a self-taught artist. His art has been exhibited in the libraries in Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, the Indio Museum, and 29 Palms Gallery, to name only a few venues. He has had his work purchased by people all over the United States, Canada and Europe.

Troy Pence. Abstract painting in one of his metal frames.

Troy Pence. Abstract painting.

Troy's metal assemblage sculpture is shown in Laguna Beach at the Mint. He has an avid interest in recycling, and you will be surprised at what he does with objects that have been discarded. His approach to all of his art, whether it be painting or sculpture, is to focus on the basic shapes. This approach seems to be working well for him. In addition to his metal sculpture, Troy also makes his own frames out of metal. Many of his paintings are frames in this unique frames.


Troy Pence, metal "shovel" tortoises.

More of Troy's metal assemblage sculpture.

Karine Swenson, Marjorie Franklin, and John Lauretig

2010-10-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Number 25 on your Art Tours program will bring you to the home studio of Karine Swenson. For the second year in a row, Swenson has teamed up with several other artists. You will have a chance to see the paintings of Karine, Marjorie Franklin and Nora Lousignont, in addition to some really cool crochet hats created by John Lauretig.

Karine Swenson, written by Bonnie Kopp

Karine with Pono and Brody

Considering all the time Karine Swenson has spent interviewing most of the artists for this blog, it’s a wonder that she had any time to paint this year. Miraculously, she is only twelve paintings short of her goal to produce one hundred new paintings in 2010. What that should tell you is that Karine is a serious-as-a-heart-attack, full-time artist who would rather be in the studio than just about anywhere else. Except maybe running the trails with her trusty dog Pono, or occasionally dancing in her living room with the music up loud.

Swenson. Balancing Act. Oil on Canvas, 24 x 18 inches.

Born in South Dakota into a family of musicians, Karine played the violin in a family string quartet that included her sisters on cello and viola and her father on piano. She became interested in the visual arts while attending Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, studying sculpture and painting.

After her marriage to a commercial pilot, Karine found herself moving around the country, from Evergreen, Colorado to Maui, Hawaii and then to Salida, Colorado where she owned a successful art gallery called Cool Mountain Art. They loved Salida, a small town full of artists and surrounded by 14,000 foot peaks. But when her husband took a job with Cathay Pacific which flies out of Los Angeles, they made the move to California. Originally they had hoped to buy and restore a Palm Springs mid-century home, but they were house-hunting at the top of the market and asked their realtor to show them something more affordable. He took them to the high desert, and after her first glimpse of Joshua trees, Karine was hooked.

For this year’s Art Tours, Karine was determined not to put restraints on her creativity, so the resulting body of work on view is incredibly diverse. There are figurative desert paintings in all media, including some exquisite pastels. She has also continued her exploration of abstraction by painting to music and attempting to portray what a painting would look like if it was a song. The result is both dynamic and calligraphic. Her more familiar abstracts focus on the relationship between shapes.

Swenson. Cleopatra's Realm, Oil on Canvas. 40 x 30 inches.

Karine’s work is currently on display at JTAG, the cooperative gallery in Joshua Tree. She also exhibited at the True World Gallery in 2008. She has exhibited her work in galleries in Colorado and Hawaii before moving to California, and has had her work collected by people all over the United States, Canada and Europe.

A View of Swenson's studio in its natural state of controlled chaos.

Visitors to Karine’s studio will have their pick of watercolors, pastels, oils, drawings, monotypes and other prints, T-shirts and hand sewn journals featuring her artwork.

Marjorie Franklin written by Karine Swenson

Marjorie Franklin with a studio assistant.

One of the first things Marjorie said to me was that she has lived a peripatetic life. Her wandering ways are exhibited not only in the fascinating life she has led, but also in her art. She is one of those artists who has not forced her creativity into one corner, but allowed it the same wandering freedom she herself has enjoyed. She worked for many years as a computer programmer. Her love of math and music was transferred to art in a gradual way. When her son was born, she loved the way he looked, and drew a picture of him. That was her first drawing. At the time, she was a computer programmer for UCLA. She bought a camera when she met her husband Alex, which was another significant moment in her life as an artist. She developed an interest in making independent films, and created films on the side, while continuing to work as a computer programmer. One film she made was accepted into "Movies 'round Midnight" and was shown all over the country.

Works in progress in Franklin's studio.

She grew tired of making films, and moved on to installations and video in the early 1980's. It was about this time that she realized she wanted to refresh her art practice with new ideas, and so she decided to pursue an MFA. It was about this same time that the Amiga computer came out. The discovery of this computer was the first time the artistic side and the computer side of Marjorie's life came together. The Amiga computer had the color she liked and computer enhanced video could be created with it. After working with the Amiga for a year, Franklin was able to create interactive installations with it. These installations were a precursor to the Wii.

Franklin. The Fall, acrylic on watercolor paper.

After completing her MFA at San Fransisco State, Marjorie went to teach at NIU. Franklin's next creative foray was into the world of 3-D animation. For many years, her art focused on how technology was changing human beings. People have a digital self that has an impact on real life. (Think about how your social security number affects your ability to get a job or a loan, for example.) She continued to do interactive installations. She also taught at the University of Minnesota for seven years. At both Northern Illinois University and the U of M she set up a program for electronic art.

Franklin, Untitled. Acrylic on Watercolor paper.

The last significant shift in Franklin's life came when her mother became weak and died. It changed Marjorie's way of looking at life. She had been ambitious and wanted success as an art professor, but she left that life to come back to California, where she was born. She decided she wanted to live in the desert and be in the physical world, rather than spending so much time in the virtual world. For six years, Marjorie has been living in Joshua Tree with her husband Alex, and she is now focusing on painting and drawing. For Marjorie, painting is a mystery. She doesn't know where it is leading her, but she is happy to go, where ever it leads. Franklin has always been ahead of the curve, and she says she still feels that way. She loves the physical qualities of paintings - how they look so much different in person than they do on the web.

John Lauretig written by Karine Swenson

John Lauretig, modelling one of his HaMBAM crochet hats.

This is John Lauretig's first year on the Art Tours. He an his wife, Nora Lousignont have lived in the high desert for ten years. They moved here from Maui, HI. It was John's work that brought them here. Lauretig remembers one of his first creative endeavors fondly. When he was a child, he made a hand-painted necklace for his mother out of macaroni. Every now and then, as John was growing up, she would wear it. He thought it was really cool that she wore it. Perhaps it was that fond memory that keeps drawing John back to art.

Karine, in one of John's hats.

While living on Maui, John worked in ceramics. It was there, at the Hui no'eau, a center for visual arts located on Maui, that John had his first adventure throwing ceramic pots on a wheel. Lauretig had work in several juried shows on Maui. One ceramic bowl, an "offering" bowl, had his hand prints in glaze was especially memorable. It was also while living on Maui that John and Nora met and were married. As gifts for the wedding guests, John gave ceramic bowls that he had made. Lauretig also explored sculpture on Maui. He created a found object sculpture called "Under Siege" about Man's destruction of Nature.

John in another crochet creation.

Life pulled John away from art after they moved to the desert. It was his wife Nora who re-centered him by introducing him to crochet on a trip to Florida last year. He has been crocheting ever since. Lauretig has crocheted over 100 hats, mostly in wool. Many of John's wool hats are felted, which is a process where the wool hat is washed in hot water to shrink the wool fiber and make it more dense. You will also see hats in acrylic, nylon and even ribbon in this collection. John has created many custom hats, and will be taking orders for custom hats during the Art Tours. These "HaMBAM" (Hand made by a Man) hats are warm and stylish.

Karine, in another HaMBAM.

So venture down the dirt road that leads to #25 on the first weekend and experience the vision of these three artists. They are showing for the first weekend only, so don't miss them!

David and Lorelei Greene in Wonder Valley

2010-10-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

As the Art Tours draw closer, I (Karine Swenson) am finding my time for interviews has vanished. So, this week, two of the "wonder-ful" Wonder Valley artists helped me out by writing their own blog posts. David and Lorelei Greene will be showing the first weekend of the Art Tours, October 23rd and 24th. Be sure to make their studio a stop on your Art tours this year.

David Greene

Big Skies, David Greene

Tarantula Oil, by David Greene.

David's blog:
....................
"My wife and I moved to the desert four years ago from Columbus, Ohio. We had visited on a few occasions prior to the move and had fallen in love with the environment and people. The fact that there is widely dispersed but cohesive artist community was and remains a big attraction.

At an early age , about kindergarten, I would copy the Peanuts characters. My older siblings accused me of tracing them , so I drew the images again in front of them to prove them wrong. Their surprise and subsequent support sold me immediately. Doing artwork has always been a way of finding the calm eye in the storm of life, it helps me process everything else and serves as a form of unintentional diary.

Just today I was reminded of an idea I’d had about a year ago simply by finding a rusted tin can while walking the dog. I’ve gathered a variety of cans with the intention of doing paintings of some sort on them, desert themes, my Hy-Desert stuff, something...all of the above.

My work can usually be found at the 29 Palms Creative Center and True World Gallery in Joshua Tree."


Wonder Valley. David Greene

Lorelei Greene

Lorelei's blog:
......................
"I moved with David, from Columbus, Ohio in late October 2006. Our friendship with Mikal Winn and Jeff Hafler is what brought us here, originally. We soon fell in love with the desert. Once we moved, we found we were surrounded by artists. Quite literally!...Our closest neighbors are both artists.

At 4 or 5, I remember becoming completely absorbed in drawing & making things. My teachers usually had to remind me a 2nd time that art class was over; I just love(d) being in that creative mindset!

I began my adventure in jewelry-making in 1989. I am primarily self-taught. I sell my handmade jewelry directly to boutiques in the US & Canada at trade shows. I show at public art events throughout California, as well.

Recently, I began working in a new medium, paper maché clay. To introduce my new work, I arranged a group show, “Raised by Stars (not by wolves)” at the 29 Palms Creative Center that runs through Oct. 16th. I have done drawings, collages & sculpture since childhood. The new medium allows me to tie all those forms of expression into one.

New items for art tours...the paper maché clay pieces, along with the jewelry, of course.

I believe showing & observing art is a way of relating to one another. Some ideas are communicated best in a dance, a piece of music, a painting, a jewelry piece, etc. I get a lot of inspiration from music & books; along with Sparky, they are my constant companions, while creating.

Romancing the Red Baron, Lorelei Greene.

True World Gallery in Joshua Tree, CA carries some of my jewelry pieces.”

Rainbow Pyrite Bracelet. Lorelei Greene

High Hopes, Lorelei Greene

Cree Rivera & Joan Vangieri: Gourds, Jewelry, Acrylic Paintings

2010-10-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Cree Rivera and Joan Vangieri work out of their home studio a very short distance off Highway 247. The studio is a wonderful Southwest inspired structure nestled between giant rock formations and perched high above Yucca Valley. Drawing in the scenery that unfolds out and away from their workspace is likely as close as one can get to the world as seen through the eyes of some magnificent raptor. It’s little wonder that so much of their creativity is expressed through organic materials.

They begin with gourds which, when selected, are covered in loose soil and loam. Back at their workspace, they peel away the dirt and detritus to reveal fantastic shapes - from whimsical, silly or phallic to an earth mother engorged with natural beauty.
“I’ll be cleaning a gourd,” says Joan. “And as I scrape away the layers ...”
Cree finishes, “Its shape begins to tell you what it wants to be.”

Rivera and Vangieri met 25 years ago. Their works of art are displayed in every part of their home, from which they also operate their business, Four Directions Printing. In the fall and winter, Cree holds a yoga class there. Their nest is not at all cluttered. Their sculptural art pieces are separated not according to whose hands crafted them, but in groupings based on characteristics known only to them. They operate quite naturally like birds of a feather; one need not ask if they are ‘together.’ They have been working with gourds for more than ten years. The impetus for their artistic passion came in the form of a gourd decorated for an anniversary gift.

Once a gourd has been preened and its aspirations revealed it is taken to its full potential. They use a multiplicity of materials ... horsehair, crushed turquoise, hawk and turkey feathers, leather, rabbit fur, beads and stones, denim and dyes, and they create intricate reliefs, carving designs into the skin of a piece, or distinguishing it through pyrography. The results are brilliant.

They do not work on individual pieces together. Each artist has her own style and unique vision. The differences are reflected in their works. Joan, who has created art and painted since childhood is accomplished with a brush. Visitors will find many fine examples of her talent painted on the gourds, but also on wonderful canvases exhibited throughout. She works mostly in acrylics, but is equally adept with oils. All of her work is freehand, some of it dreamlike, much of it intricate.

One of Vangieri's paintings.

Joan Vangieri.

Many of Cree’s pieces are more three-dimensional. She may marry a gourd with formed clay to conjure an image; many are feminine characters with indigenous features, a natural expression of her native Cree ancestry. The three-dimensional aspect of her work also manifests in her jewelry. She seems a free spirit ... open, expressive, warm and unedited. That she is a skilled and popular Hatha Yoga instructor somehow seems completely consistent with who Cree Rivera is. Joan Vangieri seems the perfect complement ... deliberate, complex, contained and kind.

Cree Rivera.

One of Cree Rivera's paintings

Rivera and Vangieri are #44 on the HWY 62 Art Tour, showing the second weekend, October 30th and 31st. This is their first time on the tours; in fact, their works have only ever shown during an annual art auction fundraiser they host. The gourds, which are offered from $5 to $300, have generated a lot of funds for the Humane Society. Visitors to their hi desert perch will want to add their name to the guest list for Joan & Cree’s Holiday Fundraiser.

written by Mike Lipsitz

Perry Hoffman and Mayah Martin

2010-10-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

One wall in the Tile House.

Perry Hoffman

An early morning drive east into the rising sun led me to the Tile House in Wonder Valley and the wizard of “AHHHHH’s”, Perry Hoffman. Perry Hoffman is number 2 on the Hwy 62 Art Tours. You will find Wonder Valley a perfect starting place for your first weekend of art adventures. From the entry chain link fence adorned with desert finds, past the trail of broken pottery and tile, and through the multicolored gate, visual stimulation never stops in this eclectic studio/home/retreat. A work in progress, The Tile House is a never ending story that Perry and his husband, Doug Smith, keep adorning, augmenting, and embellishing.
A mosaic artist, Perry began his art directions in 1st grade with a crayon drawing of a female nude and after getting in trouble for this he never looked back and has been exploring artistic directions ever since. A student at Cal Arts in the 70’s, he and fellow classmates created a graffiti wall in the dormitory which resulted in admonishment from the administration ~ today Cal Arts has an entire wing dedicated to the art of graffiti.

Living part time in Santa Barbara and part time in Wonder Valley, Hoffman has established a well worn path of inspiration and draws on the wonder of nature from the desert to the sea. He collects Mexican hand made tiles, smalti (Italian small tile), broken pottery, ceramic figures and other “treasures” at yard sales, thrift stores, the beach, and desert back roads. From these finds he creates mosaic shrines and wall art that also incorporate his own handmade ceramic tiles and sculptural pieces. Each work draws from daily meditation and then without the hindrance of sketches or plans he allows the pieces at hand to influence his designs.

When he is not creating he is teaching (two or three times a year Perry gives Mosaic Workshops in Wonder Valley and Santa Barbara) or learning (he recently returned from a trip to Utila, Honduras where he studied glass fusion under Neil Keller of Jade Seahorse). Glowing from a recent 1st place garnered at “Lantination” , a show at the Metro Galleries in Bakersfield, Perry Hoffman feels that he is the recipient of an incredible amount of good fortune and takes this as a constant reminder that he is going in the right direction. This is his 9th year on the HWY62 ART TOURS and this year he shares his space with fellow mosaic artist and sculptor Mayah Martin.

Perry Hoffman. Paper weights.

Mayah Martin moved to the desert from Maine where she was a rustic furniture craftsman. Trained at the Omega Institute by Daniel Mack, she used birch bark, bent willow and other materials culled from nature to repurpose antique furniture. After moving to the desert she began working at The Pottery in Yucca Valley and turned her focus to ceramics. An attendee at one of Perry Hoffman’s mosaic workshops she then began incorporating tile into her work.

Mayah Martin, At Prayers

Mayah Martin inspecting greenware.

Inspired by her spiritual path Mayah’s pieces are all deity related, drawing from all religions. In shrines, mosaics, incense burners, and small sculptures her attention to detail is evident in the faces of the deities and the placement of the tile. She works on several pieces at a time, and surrounds herself in a circle of work; mosaic, sculpture, or combinations of both. She enjoys the fun of working in clay and likens it to sandbox therapy. Mayah has had shows at the Glass Outhouse Gallery in Wonder Valley and at Crossroads in Joshua Tree. This year, her third on the Art Tours, she will show the first weekend with Perry Hoffman and the second weekend at the studio of Eric Muller in Pioneer Town (number 57).

written by Mita Barter

Anahita King and Walter Lawson

2010-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Anahita King

This will be Anahita King's second year on the Hwy. 62 Art Tours. She has also participated in an open studio tour in Topanga, California. King works in watercolor and she is a gifted ceramicist. We sat outside on a comfortable back porch while Anahita told me about her art. A few chickens were eavesdropping, hoping for more of the table scraps they had been given shortly after my arrival. King has been in Joshua Tree for two years. She came here from Topanga to take care of her mother. She and her husband still have a house in Topanga, so she often finds herself going back and forth between the two places.

One of the chickens.

King says she has been an artist "forever." Her family didn't have television when she was growing up. Her mother had a strong design sense, and her father was an engineer and designer. King's dad had a shop in the garage where he worked on cars and was always "tinkering" with something. He was notorious for absconding kitchen utensils for his own purposes, driving her mother crazy. Anahita remembers a teacher she had in the fourth grade who had the students do murals of the desert. King had painted roadrunners as part of the mural. It was this experience that made her realize that art was what she wanted. King went to college in Flagstaff after picking the school out of a catalog. Northern Arizona University had a great ceramics department. They have a huge anagama, or wood - fired kiln. King's college experience undoubtedly paved the way for her to study ceramics in Japan for three months. She lived in a village called Shigaraki, where the entire population is centered around ceramics. The anagama kilns there fired for three days continuously, and pine had to be fed into the fire every three minutes. There is no glaze used in an anagama kiln. The wood and ash creates the color and textures on the ceramics.

One of Anahita's slab-built teapots

King's Datura teapot with cups

One of the ceramic sinks created by King.

King's main focus in ceramics is slab building, where slabs of clay are used to form the vessels and objects. In addition to beautiful sets of teapots and cups, Anahita also makes Joshua Tree plates, cups, sinks and ceramic shrines. The shrines or altars Anahita creates are made so that a person can put candles or photos in them. They were first inspired by King's meditation teacher. Her teacher gave her dolls and these dolls have found their way into King's shrines. Spirituality has become such a big part of King's life now that she wanted to create something to reflect its importance in her life. Her shrines are the result. The sinks Anahita creates are a wonderful way to customize a bathroom or kitchen. She does take custom orders on sinks. She and her husband have even collaborated on a shower in their Topanga house. She created 900 ceramic tiles for the shower, and he installed the tiles.

One of King's watercolors. "Dally contemplates sneaking into the garage."

This year for the Hwy 62 Art Tours, Anahita King will be showing her ceramic teapots and teacups, her other ceramic wares, her shrines and a collection of watercolors featuring the above mentioned chickens. You will have a chance to feed the chickens yourself, if you decide to make this a stop on your tour this year. I highly recommend it. Anahita is showing in Joshua Tree the second weekend of the Art Tours, October 30th and 31st.

Walter Lawson at his easel.

The next artist we visit this week is Walter Lawson. Lawson is an oil painter who has been in Yucca Valley for twelve years. He and his wife moved here to be near his son Ian. Lawson's grandmother was an artist, and he remembers all his life he loved visiting galleries and museums. His grandmother taught him to draw figures when he was young. It wasn't until he turned 86 years old, when his wife bought him paint and a easel for his birthday, that he finally began his artistic journey. He portraiture is his main passion, although he has painted a variety of other subjects, including seascapes, landscapes and local scenes.

Lawson's oil painting of Water Canyon Coffee.

Lawson was actually born in California, but he was still an infant when his family moved to Canada, where he grew up. His father was a pastor, and his grandfather had a printing business. Walter learned the printing business from his grandfather. It was the printing business that enabled Lawson to come to the US and finally move to California, the place of his birth. Lawson's grandfather was also the person who introduced him to sailing, another of his passions. Walter owned a 30 foot sailboat in Long Beach, which he finally had to give up because he no longer had the strength to wield the mast and sails. Lawson is a citizen of three countries: the US, Canada and the UK. He went to boarding school in Canada and England when he was growing up, and served in the British Army and fought with the Highlanders during WWII. (He switched to the Highlanders because his grandmother wasn't happy that he was serving with the British Army.) I could sense that there were stories in Lawson that were just waiting to be told.

A self portrait in oil.

Walter will be showing from 15 to 18 paintings for the Hwy 62 Art Tours this year. There were paintings stacked against the wall and filling every inch of wall space in his studio, but he hopes to have a few more finished for the Art Tours. Lawson is showing in St. Joseph Arimathea church in Yucca Valley, and whatever paintings sell during the tours, he plans to give the proceeds to the church. Walter loves the feeling of accomplishment that painting gives. He is always thrilled when people ask him to paint them. Please do stop by St. Joseph's church in Yucca Valley to meet this fascinating artist and see his oil paintings. Lawson will be showing the second weekend of the Art Tours this year, October 30th and 31st.

written by Karine Swenson

Ellen Hill, Dali Mama and Elizabeth Green

2010-09-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

This week's visit takes us up a winding driveway to the home and studio of Ellen Hill. Ellen will be showing with Louise Akin (a.k.a. Dali Mama) and Elizabeth Green this year. Unfortunately, Elizabeth could not join us for this visit. My visit with Ellen and Louise was a visit I won't forget. While sipping saft - a Swedish drink made from Elder berries - both Hill and Akin regaled me details of their rich and fascinating lives.

Louise Akin (on left) and Ellen Hill

Ellen Hill grew up on the Dxwlilap (Tulalip) reservation in Western Washington state. Her first art teachers were the "grandmothers", the older women of the tribe who could still speak the Dxwlilap language. She fondly recalls sitting under "story poles" as a child, listening the the stories of the tribe. The children learned basketry, dance and a myriad of other handicrafts. She learned that art is sentient, and has something to teach us. Hill spent eleven years on the reservation. Many of the skills she learned on the reservation have stayed with her to this day. She has a deep love and great appreciation for hand made goods of any kind. She still makes porcelain bead jewelry. The beads are usually strung on cotton or silk. The Tulalip people used dog fur as "wool" and were renowned for their weaving and knitting. Hill knits, and even taught her son to knit.

Ellen Hill, Burning Bush

Art was always a part of Ellen's life. Her mother knitted and did embroidery, and her father was a woodcarver. Hill's father made his living as a logger. The family moved to Vancouver, WA because her brother had cerebral palsy and was deaf. He needed more care than what was available on the reservation. They later moved to the logging town of Stevenson. Ellen went to the University of Washington on a scholarship. Even though she was interested in art, she was unsure if she could make money as an artist. She started school as a pre-med student. She then immigrated to Canada, where she had to choose her major. She chose to continue studying medicine. It was about this time that her brother was killed. She took time off from school and began "trekking" and painting. Painting was therapy for her - a way for her to deal with the loss of her brother. She spent time in Yosemite, hiking, climbing and painting. Ultimately, she found herself in Ojai, California with no money. She found out about an art show in Ojai. She didn't even enough money for the entry fee. However, she managed to show her paintings to someone in charge who told her she could show her work and if she sold some paintings, she could use the money to pay her entry fee. She hung her art on a clothesline, and did end up selling some work. She remembers how the art community encircled her and helped her. She then found out about another art festival in Ventura. That was the beginning of her career as an artist.


Ellen Hill, Echo Canyon

Ellen Hill, Inland Sea

Ellen Hill, Colors of Life

Hill has shown her art at outdoor art festivals as well as art galleries. She has traveled a lot, settling in the desert in 1979. She still has connections in Canada. Hill's approach to her paintings is unique. She mixes her own paint, using high quality materials she has researched. She then creates a traditional watercolor painting, usually with strong landscape elements, and then cuts the painting up. The pieces are manipulated with medium and then re-assembled. This process of cutting her paintings began in college, as a way to break free from trying to make her paintings too perfect. The resulting images feel like abstracted landscapes, and have rich texture. Ellen has been a self supporting artist her whole life. Money from the sales of her art even enabled her to study homeopathic medicine. She has a doctorate in homeopathic medicine, and has used her knowledge of homeopathic treatment to help "incurable" patients free of charge. Ellen Hill will be showing her distinctive paintings, original art note cards and her porcelain bead jewelry for the art tours this year.

A collection of Hill's porcelain jewelry and animal totems.

Louise Akin has been working since she was 18 years old. Louise shares Ellen's appreciation of handmade goods. Her mother did embroidery and other handwork, while her father was a tin smith. He created metal sculptures for community centers. Akin studied at an LA trade technical school for two years. While she was in school, she won a "Gold Thimble" award for an evening gown she designed. She always felt at home in fashion. When she finished school, she went to work for Tadashi. Louise was hired to do a couture line there. She remembers the challenges of working in couture. At that time, there were no computers and every thing was hand done. The work was both creative and technically challenging. They were given a drawing at the beginning of the day, and by the end of the day they were expected to have created gowns in different sizes finished and in a box, ready to ship to New York. In addition to her tenure at Tadashi, Akin also worked for Catalina and Platinum. Akin worked in couture until a rotator cuff injury prevented her from continuing in fashion. It was because of her injury that she started learning to paint fabrics and learn the techniques she uses now to create her hand-painted and hand-dyed silk clothing.

One of Dali Mama's silk shawls.

Dali Mama and a silk jacket

Many of the techniques used to make Dali Mama's silk paintings were discovered through trial and error. Louise was first inspired to dye silk when she saw some beautiful sarongs from Bali. She wanted to find a way to emulate the beauty of those batiks. She has studied Japanese techniques, such as "shibori" which is the Japanese art of "memory cloth." The cloth "remembers" what you do to it. She has discovered that natural dyes are quite toxic because they contain heavy metals. The dyes she uses are French dyes. They are expensive, but high quality dyes. Apparently, these French dyes have quite a history. Originally, they were from Russia. After the fall of the royalty in Russia, the dyes went, along with the women who knew how to make them, to Paris. The secrets to make these Russian dyes were finally sold. Now, the same secrets are used to make watercolors as well as high quality silk dyes. Akin says she has "fallen in love" with wax, and uses beeswax for her batik work.

Louise Akin with another luscious creation in silk.

Each silk piece in Akin's collection begins as a piece of white silk. She applies color using sea sponges, stiff bristle brushes and other tools, some of which she makes herself. The layers of color are preserved with beeswax. Once the painting on fabric is complete, the silk is put in a steam cooker to set the color in the fabric. She has the pieces dry cleaned to remove the wax. The beautifully painted silk is then cut and sewn. Each piece is painted, cut and sewn by Akin, making it a wearable piece of art, unlike any other. Louise has been working for herself as an artist for twenty five years. For the Art Tours this year, she has hopes to introduce pieces painted and dyed in Indigo. Working in Indigo dyes sounds complicated, as the pots of indigo dye must be checked every day. I wait with anticipation to see what this artist does with indigo dye and silk.

Elizabeth Green is a gourd artist who is currently living in Idyllwild, but has lived in the desert for a long time.


Elizabeth Green, Jasper Swirl Vase

Elizabeth Green, The Road Within

Elizabeth Green

Make sure one of your stops this year is reserved for a visit to Ellen Hill, Elizabeth Green and Louise Akin. You'll be glad you did.

written by Karine Swenson

Allen and Mita Barter

2010-09-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Allen and Mita Barter truly live the good life, and they prove that you don’t have to be a millionaire to do it. With an eclectic, former homesteader in Twentynine Palms, a cabin in Big Bear and a beach shack in Baja, they have achieved the perfect locational triangle for high desert living.

They moved to Twentynine Palms thirty-two years ago, when Allen accepted a position teaching art at Twentynine Palms Continuation High School. Mita worked for the school system as well, starting as an instructional assistant for severely handicapped students and then becoming a library technician at the Twentynine Palms Junior High. Along the way they raised two sons: Nicholas, now a Waldorf teacher in northern California and Markland, a purchasing agent for Southwest Airlines. The boys were willing accomplices in many of Mita’s early art/home renovation projects.

The Barters took full advantage of their school vacations and summers off to travel extensively throughout the years, and continue their peripatetic lifestyle in retirement. In fact, this interview was scheduled at least a month in advance, to coincide with a brief intermission in this summer’s wanderings.

Allen Barter in front of his artwork.

Allen has been making art since his college days, and is no stranger to the sometimes controversial nature of artistic expression. In the late 70’s, he erected a temporary half-bridge across Chico Creek (with the permission of the president of Chico State University) which landed him in hot water with the Sierra Club (of which he was a card-carrying member at the time). Later, some of the old guard in Twentynine Palms found a nude triptych offensive.

The female form continues to be a dominant motif in Allen’s work. Currently, he is working with cement to create three-dimensional nudes which also incorporate metal and other found objects. He is inspired by the work of Jackson Pollack, and seeks to emulate the fluidity of Pollack’s canvases in his assemblages.

Allen’s work has been shown in the Tanno Gallery, a juried show in San Felipe, the gallery at Chico State, and in a joint show with Mita at Wonder Valley’s Glass Outhouse Gallery, entitled “Allen and Mita in Wonderland”.

Prior to retiring in 2003, Mita considered her primary artistic expressions to be the creation of her amazing home and her cooking. Now, Mita has gone from shelving books to cutting them up for use in her tiny assemblages, which she calls “Rusty Bits”. Each of these works starts with a rusty can, often a sardine can, and a background, which could be anything from an old piece of roofing tile to an antique map fragment. Words cut from books drive the theme of the piece, which is then embellished with ornaments and fragments of found objects. Phrases sometimes are discovered fully formed in books, but often come together mysteriously in a way that gives Mita goosebumps. Her studio is a wonderland of tiny castoffs, the gleanings from yard sales and swap meets, friends’ junk drawers and jewelry boxes. When asked to describe her art, Mita once said, “I make things out of nothing”, to which the listener replied, “No, you make things out of everything!”

Mita at work, cutting words for her assemblage.

Mita’ work has been shown at the Twentynine Palms Inn, and currently can be found in two Joshua Tree galleries, The True World Gallery and Woods in the Desert. Come and visit their wonderful studio on the first weekend, October 23rd and 24th.

written by Bonnie Kopp

Christy Anderson, Tami Wood, Mary Kinninger Walker and Judy Wishart

2010-09-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Christy Anderson in her well-organized studio.

Many know her as the "license plate lady," but there's more to Christy Anderson's art than just her license plate signs. As we are discovering, most artists allow their creativity to lead them in many directions. Anderson is no exception. The thing that is so wonderful about Anderson is that everything she creates is recycled. She makes leather wrist bands out of old leather belts. She makes larger sculptures out of old rusted metal and "junk" she finds. She is currently working on a commissioned piece that includes "Old Chrome", a rearing horse made from a variety of found objects, including what appears to be the rear tire of a motorcycle. Christy told me "Old Chrome" was fabricated entirely from things that had survived the fire in Pioneertown a few years ago. Anderson also makes bird houses, which is something I didn't know until my visit to her Yucca Valley studio yesterday.

Anderson's "Trailer Tags" - signs made from old license plates.

Old Chrome

Wrist cuffs made from recycled belts.

Anderson is a native of the desert. She was born in the low desert, and just "kept moving up." She has been an artist for 15 years. Before becoming an artist, Anderson ran heavy equipment. She remembers digging up all kinds of amazing things at a dump site. Finally, she could not resist the lure of picking up some of these treasures and making them into something else. She started with bottles and glass. When asked about a defining moment, she talked about an art challenge held by Coca Cola called "Waste to Wonders." She entered a piece made of glass and copper tubing called "Cut my Eye." Her piece won first place in her division, and she received a check for $1000. It was at that moment that she knew she could make it as an artist.

Anderson's bird houses.

Anderson will have plenty of new work for the Open Studio Art Tours this year. We can expect her license plate signs as well as larger metal sculpture, her leather wrist cuffs, bird houses, and bottle cap snakes.

This year, Christy Anderson has opened up her studio space to three other eclectic artists. One of those artists is Mary Kinninger Walker. Walker has been on the Art Tours for three years now. Her vibrant paintings are often combined with intricate bead work and collage. Walker has a strong interest in people, relationships, and symbols of society. You will often see religious themes in her work. She is always looking for the mother, because she was abandoned by her mother. She has always worked in a variety of mediums, but one medium that seems to stay with her is acrylic paint. Walker says she works quickly. She likes to take chaos and re-organize it into what she likes. Reflecting, she says she tries to do the same thing in her life: take chaos and re-organize it.

Mary Kinninger Walker with some of her paintings.

A "Madonna" painting with beads.

Kinninger Walker has been in the high desert since 2004. She had lived in San Diego for 30 years prior to moving here. It was a huge adjustment for her, going from a place where she had lived for so long and knew so many people to being in the desert, where she knew only one person. She came here to recover from being the caretaker for both her mother and then her husband, both of whom passed away. She told me she came out to Wonder Valley to "sit on her porch in her pajamas and recover." Mary has been an artist since the forth grade, and has always had an interest in fine art, the healing arts and religion. Those things remain the healthy practices that keep her from slipping into depression. This year on the tours, Kinninger Walker will have jewelry in addition to her colorful paintings. I am sure you will love meeting this lovely lady and seeing her art.

Two of Kinninger Walker's necklaces

Another amazing woman who will be showing with Christy this year is Tami Wood. Wood is new to the Art Tours this year. She lives in Morongo Valley, and has been there for five years. She lived in the Coachella Valley prior to her stint in the high desert. Tami uses acrylic paint to render her lively, joyful vision on wood. She likes to use found wood for her paintings - things like old doors, ammunition boxes, etc. She loves old wood. Her paintings are not pre-meditated. She told me that she used to "go against the grain" when she painted, and fought the images she saw in the natural grain in the wood surface. Her more recent paintings use the grain of the wood to give her some of the forms and shapes visible in the finished painting. Wood loves the outdoors and thinks American Pride is important. You will see many playful versions of the American flag in her work.


Tami Wood with her artwork.

Wood was born in Texas, and loves "everything country." Her work is visible evidence of the things she loves and holds dear. She uses colors that become 3-dimensional in her paintings, and if you buy a painting, you will receive a pair of 3-D glasses. She has been known to paint on benches and stools, and is interested in commission work. She says she drew a lot, growing up, and remembers a grandmother who painted. In addition to participating in the studio tours, Tami has shown her work at the 29 Palms Inn, and has work at the Purple Agave in Morongo Valley. You can also see some of Tami's work on her new website: tamiwoodcreations.com. Make sure you walk over to this tall blonde, say hello and enjoy her playful paintings, while you visit Christy Anderson's studio.

A sampling of Wood's paintings.

The fourth artist showing with this light-hearted group is Judy Wishart. Wishart paints on bowling balls and globes. Acrylic paint comes alive on Wishart's bowling balls. She told me it all got started when she went to a Lakota sweat lodge. After the sweat, she saw a bowling ball in a thrift store and while looking at the ball, she began to see Hopi imagery. She still uses Hopi imagery on most of her bowling balls. She has been adopted by Shamens, and is inspired by Native American Imagery. The painted globes are recent work for Wishart. She said about a year ago, she suddenly just needed a globe. She looked all over the high desert, and finally did find one. Once she had painted her first globe, globes began to just come to her. She also receives bowling paraphernalia as gifts. She is not an avid bowler, although she has bowled.

Judy Wishart

Painted bowling balls by Judy Wishart

One of Wishart's globes.

Wishart has been in the High Desert for thirteen years. She moved here from Orange County, where she worked on TV shows and managed music bands. She came here to take care of her mother, and stayed after her mother passed away. She and Christy met about six years ago at the Camper Van Beethoven annual camp-out at Pappy and Harriet's. Judy says she likes to keep her art reasonably priced. She just wants people to enjoy them. This will be Judy's third or forth year on the Art Tours. In addition to her painted globes and bowling balls, she will have mandalas painted on canvas, and hopefully a beaded bowling ball.

A close up of one of the bowling balls.

Four creative minds in one fantastic space! Please do take the time to stop at Christy Anderson's studio this year. These four will be showing the second weekend, October 30th and 31st.

written by Karine Swenson

Valerie Davis at Purple Agave, Brian Jonasse at The Landscape Mosaic Studio

2010-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Valerie Davis is a resident of Joshua Tree, and has been living here for the past twelve years. Davis is originally from Yuma, AZ, but she moved here from Scottsdale. This multi-faceted artist creates "glue" paintings, using acrylic paint and hot glue, wood sculptures, mobiles and even wire-wrapped jewelry. Her interest in translucent color is a unifying theme in all the work she creates. The wood sculptures are mixed media pieces, combining wood with glue, glass, selenite, and acrylic. She tells me that the sculptures are not pre-conceived, rather, she responds intuitively to the shapes in the wood. The intriguing shapes could be either plant like, animal shaped or even mineral like, once they are completed. Each unique wood piece has a strong connection to shapes found in the natural world. In addition to the more sculptural pieces Valerie creates using wood, she has also explored painting on cross-sections of wood. In these works, Davis bases the composition of the painting on the annual growth rings of the tree. The wood grain itself is inspiration for animals and figures Davis brings out in the paintings. The design is burned into the wood, and then Davis uses acrylic paint to add the color.

A painting on a cross section of wood.

The jewelry that Davis makes is something she does "just for fun." She colors fragments of selenite, which is a near transparent and colorless mineral in its natural form. Selenite is an alternate name for the mineral gypsum. Once Davis has colored the stone, she wire wraps it and makes earrings and pendants. Davis also uses selenite in combination with glass and wood to create mobiles.

One of Davis' mobiles, created with selenite and wood.

Davis' glue paintings also make use of transparency and color. She builds up layers of glue, often layering the glue over a base layer of iridescent pigments. The final layer is translucent acrylic paint. Unlike the wood sculpture, Davis usually does begin with a design or drawing before beginning a painting. She starts with the geometry, usually a circle, and builds a design with abstracted figurative elements. Her themes are centered around man's interdependent relationship with the earth. She starts with the framework of a mandala, and is inspired by southwestern rock art as well as pre-Columbian art that she has seen in her travels. She uses nature, natural themes and elements to connect with the spiritual in her work. Even though her paintings are figurative, they are also enjoyable from a strictly abstract sense. In fact, when looking at one of her paintings, I did not at first notice the figures, and saw it as being purely non-representational. It was only after spending more time looking that I saw the figures. The textures created by the glue layers becomes an important visual element in the finished paintings.


Valerie Davis in front of one of her glue paintings.

Another of Davis' glue paintings.

Valerie Davis has been an artist all her life. She has an uncle on her father's side who is a wood turner, and creates beautiful wood turned bowls and vessels. Before she had the studio she works in today, she worked in a tiny walk out closet, with just enough room for a desk and a single light bulb hanging overhead. As she says, "I came out of the closet -literally- with my art." I think you will agree that she has definitely emerged when you visit her on the art tours this year. Valerie Davis will be showing with Cheryl Jordan, Jennifer Ruggiero, and Wally Pacholka at the Purple Agave in Morongo Valley this year. You can see them the second weekend of the tours, October 30th and 31st. If you don't want to wait that long, Davis does have a collection of her paintings and mobiles on display at Crossroads Cafe in Joshua Tree. Hurry - the show comes down the end of August.

Brian Jonasse

Brian Jonasse next to one of his landscape mosaics.

Our next artist is new to the art tours this year, and relatively new to art. Brian Jonasse is a retired school principle and educator. Originally from Rochester, New York, Jonasse has wanted to live in the west since he was 11 years old. He had gone on a trip to the Adirondacks, and fell in love with the mountains. The mountains of the western United States had a strong pull on him since that first mountain experience. Finally, after graduating from high school and a four year stint in the Air Force, he was able to make his way out west. Jonasse went to college at the University of California in Santa Barbara. He loves Southern California, because here mountains, ocean and desert are all within a short day's drive. Jonasse has been living in Yucca Valley since 1972. He worked as a school principal for seventeen years at nine different schools. After 17 years as a principal, he decided to go back to teaching and working on staff development and teacher training. He even wrote online courses for Chapman University in Orange, CA.

This mosaic was created using glass beads and stone.

Now that Jonasse has retired, he has devoted his time to developing his art and reading physics. For Jonasse, there is a strong connection between physics and art. Jonasse creates landscape mosaics using tiny glass beads on bluestone. He is greatly influenced by the impressionist painter Georges Seurat, who created paintings using small "points" or strokes of color, carefully placed to produce color harmony when seen from a distance. This way of painting became known as "pointillism." Jonasse sees a parallel between the ideas of quantum physics and the sub-atomic world and the way of working with tiny points of color used to create a cohesive image. The landscape mosaics created by Brian are southwestern inspired designs created from tiny beads bonded to bluestone slabs. Jonasse has also created works in a similar vein with glass tiles on bluestone. He has even combined stone with the glass beads in some of these mosaics. These colorful works can withstand the heat and freezing outdoor temperatures we experience here in the high desert. They can be displayed on patios, embedded in masonry work, in planters or indoors on a stand. For more ideas on ways one can display Jonasse's art, please visit his website at www.landscapemosaic.com.

A mosaic created with glass tiles on blue stone.

The intricate and painstaking work of placing each bead on the surface of the stone.

Jonasse is inspired by the desert and the outdoors. An avid hiker and backpacker, he loves to explore the mountains of the west with his son. Jonasse has been working on his art and an indoor/outdoor showroom to display his art for the past four years. He has even designed and built a beautiful waterfall outside the home he shares with his wife. I urge you to make time during the second weekend of the Open Studio Art Tours to visit this artist and his unique works of art.

written by Karine Swenson

Mike Fagan and Suzzann Macleod

2010-08-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Suzzann Macleod and Michael Fagan

Today's visit takes us to Magic on the Mesa, the studio of ceramicist Michael Fagan. This year, Mike will be joined by photographer and sculptor Suzzann Macleod. Mike and Suzzann will be showing the second weekend of the art tours.

Mike Fagan with a pot, still hot from the pit fire

Fagan is a southern California native, born in Englewood, CA. He and his wife Cyndie lived in La Quinta before moving to Yucca Valley a year and a half ago. As Fagan eloquently puts it, "we traded the high life and low country for low life and the high country and are the happier for it." Fagan and his wife are avid collectors of American paintings and pottery from the first half of the 20th century. It is Mike's love of the simplicity of the Arts and Crafts movement in the country that inspires him. Fagan never thought he had talent to create art on his own. In fact, his move to begin making pottery began when he found he couldn't afford to collect the pottery of the Arts and Crafts movement, so he decided to make one of his own. That vase became the first in a long line of clay vessels. Fagan has been making pottery for about 7 years.

When Mike and his wife moved up to the high desert, he was able to learn about traditional pottery making techniques from Tony Soares. Even though Mike learned techniques from Soares, he has developed his own style. He claims the pots tell him what they want to be. Fagan digs his own clay, processes it at his studio and makes the vessels using traditional techniques: by pinching and with a paddle and anvil. The rock or anvil is on the inside and the stick is used to pound on the outside to shape the clay around the rock. Once the pot is completely formed, Fagan will pit fire it. The colors of the finished pottery come from different colored slips rather than glazes. ("Slips" are just watered down versions of the same clay used to make the pottery, and the color comes from different minerals in the clay itself.) I was fortunate enough to be there when Fagan removed two vessels from the pit fire. This is always an exciting moment in the process of making pottery.

Mike, lifting the cover of his pit fire.

Hot out of the fire.

The straw bale studio

Fagan loves the process of making something using only earth, fire and water. He considers playing in the dirt a zen experience. He talks about coming full circle - he played in the dirt with toy cars and trucks as a boy, and now that he is retired he is once again playing in the dirt, making pottery. To fire his pots, Mike will use dead Joshua Trees from his property, various hardwoods, and sometimes even charcoal. Fagan adds caliche to the clay to get the red color many of his vessels have. (For those of you unfamiliar with caliche, it is a desert gardener's bane - a concrete hard layer of calcium carbonate found in the desert that is nearly impossible to dig through.) It is a pleasure to meet an artist who literally uses the desert to create art.

Suzzann Macleod, holding one of her sculptures.

Suzzann Macleod is another California native. She was born in Redlands, while her family was visiting an aunt who lived there. (They lived in Joshua Tree at the time.) Her father, a civil engineer, worked in the Salt Mines, and liked to race cars on the salt flats. Her family vacationed in Northern California, and in 1964, Macleod moved with her family from Joshua Tree to Smith River, California, which is near Redwoods National Park. In Smith River, her family had a seven acre farm. She learned how to can food from her mother, who was a nurse and a veteran of WWII. Her father loved the fishing near Redwoods National Park, and she remembers he used to smoke the salmon that he caught. Macleod is a descendant of the Keys family; her mother is the eldest Keys daughter. Suzzann is writing a Keys Ranch cookbook, and she and her brother are in the process of creating a film documentary about the Keys Ranch.

When she was 12 years old, Suzzann was given a camera for a vacation the family was taking to Crater Lake and Yellowstone. That was the beginning of her life as a photographer. Most of Macleod's work is now digital, but she still uses film, especially for black and white photography. Many of Macleod's photographs are of the rusted cars on the Keys Ranch. She worked for Joshua Tree National Park for a while, giving tours of the Keys Ranch. Many of her photographs from the Ranch and the park were taken while she worked there. (Who better to give tours of the Keys Ranch than a descendant of Bill Keys himself?) She continues to take photos in the Joshua Tree National Park and surrounding areas. Macleod is also interested in macro shots. She has a love of texture and patterns. She photographs the designs found in peeling paint, rusted old cars, and in particular, the glass in old cars that have sat out in the intense desert sun. The abstract qualities of this sun-baked glass hold her interest.

Suzzann is also a sculptor. She has worked in bronze, copper and steel. She had a friend up north who had a foundry, and the first time she saw the melted metal, she was hooked. She loves to weld, and hopes to have some smaller metal vegetables for the art tours. Suzzann uses recycled metal and found objects in her metal sculptures. She is planning to have framed prints of her photographs along with note cards and unframed prints. You will also be able to look through a catalog of her other photographs.

Macleod's bronze and copper pea pod.

This is the first year on the Art Tours for both Suzzann Macleod and Mike Fagan. Your visit to Magic on the Mesa is sure to be a rewarding one.

written by Karine Swenson

Vigall Arts, Barbara Wells-Roberts and Arts Contemporary

2010-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ric, Tim, and Molly Vigallon

This year, there will be a number of venues on the tour where you will get to see several different artists who are showing together. One venue where you get more "bang for your buck" is the studio of Vigall Arts. The metal art created by the Vigallons is distinctive. The Vigallons work as a contemporary artisan workshop. Ric Vigallon, his brother, Tim, and his daughter Molly all contribute to the creation of the distinctive metal sculptures that Vigall Arts is renowned for. Ric's wife Susan is primarily the business manager, keeping track of the books, upcoming shows, and correspondence. It is not often that you see a family working together as a team, and it is something that sets the Vigallons apart.


The beautiful colors and patinas of Vigall Art.

The metal sculptures made by the Vigallons are primarily representational sculptures. The specialty of the studio is wildlife, especially aquatic wildlife. The colors, textures and patinas are what really sets these metal pieces apart. The sculptures are all created from Stainless steel and aluminum. Dyes and acid are used to create distinctive finishes that gleam in the sunshine. Most of the sculptures are hanging sculptures that can be displayed outside, where the translucent qualities of the colors can be fully appreciated.

The Vigallons work seven days a week. They truly love what they do, and are happiest working for themselves. They travel throughout California, Nevada and Arizona, selling their art and doing commissions to make their living. Ric Vigallon has been doing his metal sculpture professionally for about 16 years. Prior to working as an artist, he worked in a sheet metal fabrication shop, where they made metal casing for computer cases, medical equipment and the like. When he was laid off from the fabrication shop, it was a blessing in disguise, because that is when he first began working for himself, making metal sculpture.

When you visit the Vigallons' studio during the art tours, you will probably have a chance to see demonstrations of some of the processes used in the creation of one of these special sculptures. One of the things that makes the Open Studio Art Tours so special is the opportunity it presents for us to have an insider's look at how and where art is created. This is something that no other art venue offers.

Ric Vigallon using a plasma cutter to cut out a seahorse.

Molly, polishing the surface.

Treating the surface with dye. (I can't remember whose hand this is - Tim? Is that you?)

Barbara Wells-Roberts

Barbara Wells-Roberts, holding one of her handmade quilts.

Wells-Roberts is a photographer and a quilter, but her creative interests also include jewelry-making, painting, and sculpture. She was an art major in college, and taught art for many years before she and her husband retired in the desert. Now she finally has the time to pursue the things that have always interested her. Barbara's quilts are mostly her original designs, although she does sew some of the more traditional patterns. She has sewn since she was a child. Her mother taught her to sew. Now she is an award-winning quilter, creating quilts that are considered "innovative quilts." In her quilting, as well as in her photography, it is color that is exciting for her. She enjoys exploring color and the way the different colors interact. Intense color especially motivates her.

Wells-Roberts' photographs are primarily photographs of the desert and photography of China. The photographs of China were mostly taken when her husband worked in China. They lived there for three years. She has been taking photographs all her life. She sells notecards of her photographs at Purple Agave in Morongo Valley.

Young Coyote by Wells-Roberts

Arts Contemporary

Arts Contemporary is representing the work of two artists, William Allex and Vida Allex. Their son, Chris, wanted a chance to show the art of his parents, who are now deceased.

William Allex, an artist who worked primarily in oil, grew up in Philedelphia. The influence of abstract expressionism is evident in his paintings, which have strong landscape and figurative elements. William earned a BFA and MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts/University of Pennsylvania, and has work in the collections of General Motors, Century Paramount Hotel and even Kaiser Foundation. Both William and Vida Allex have had their work exhibited widely in New York and California. They worked on their art independently, but frequently exhibited together. They are both represented by Abney Galleries in New York City.

Vida Allex worked in acrylic painting, poetry and wood sculpture. She was born in New York City and was also influenced by the Abstract Expressionists. Vida was self taught. She was involved in theosophy and mysticism, and her art is a reflection of this. Her intent with the sculpture was to define man in relation to the universe. Chris Allex hopes to have a book of Vida's award-winning poetry ready in time for the October Art Tours. William and Vida Allex lived in Apple Valley for over twenty-five years. There will not be originals for sale during the Art Tours, however, limited prints of the work of these two prestigious artists will be available.

This group of artists at Vigall Arts will be showing the first weekend of the Art Tours, October 23rd and 24th from 9 to 5 pm.

written by Karine Swenson

Liz Lawliss Jorgensen and Jenifer Palmer-Lacy

2010-08-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

"Our job in this lifetime is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.
If we were born to paint, it's our job to become a painter." - Steven Pressfield, The War of Art.

This week's visit takes us first to the beautiful home studio of Liz Lawless Jorgensen. Jorgensen's studio space is every artist's dream, with a studio space detached from her house, another workspace inside, and a third easel set up outside with a blank, large scale canvas propped upon it, waiting for the next creation. Jorgensen is a native of the desert. She lived in Palm Springs and Indian Wells before moving up to Yucca Valley eight years ago. Jorgensen worked for eighteen years as a graphic designer in the low desert, with clients like Sun World, the Palm Springs Desert Museum (now the Palm Springs Art Museum), country clubs and other corporate clients. Her experiences as a graphic designer helped her utilize her artistic talents in many different ways, from painting murals, designing ads, logos, and even creating museum shows. One museum show she designed and created work for was an exhibition about the wind turbines at the Desert Museum in the 90's. Most of what Liz has learned about drawing and painting she learned on the job, while working as a graphic designer. She did not study art in school, although she did have one painting class in college that was influential. While working as a graphic designer and raising her children, Liz did not paint much on her own. It was in 1996 that she was finally able to do art for art's sake.

Liz is well traveled, and has a passion for ethnic people and tribal costumes. She has had a strong connection with Africa ever since childhood. Even though she has never visited Africa, it is a life-long ambition of hers to travel there. When she was about four years old, she remembers dreaming that she was sitting on a river bank with her arms crossed in front of her, and as the dream progressed, she realized she was in Africa.
Jorgensen's passion for Africa is evident in her paintings. The first artwork she remembers doing in Junior High had zebras in it, and she remembers doing pen and ink drawings of other African wildlife. Now she loves to paint African people. Her watercolor paintings are skillfully rendered portraits, landscapes and birds. She carefully researches the costumes and other details, because authenticity is important to her. Jorgensen's acrylic paintings are vibrant contrasts to the careful detail of her watercolors, where the figure is treated with more freedom and exuberance. When you look into the faces of the people she paints, Jorgensen wants you to believe you are seeing her, looking through their eyes.

Like many of the artists we have met on this blog, Jorgensen does not limit herself to painting alone. She also has explored sculpture, and has created a series of carved concrete lizards. Each lizard is carefully mounted on a rock in the most convincingly lifelike manner. Jorgensen explained that her family seems to produce two artists every generation. She knew she was an artist from an early age. Liz is one person who seems to have succeeded in being who she was meant to be, and her work clearly shows it. This will be Jorgensen's first year on the Art Tours, and I encourage you to drive the few blocks from Hwy. 62 to have a look. Jorgensen will be showing the second weekend of the tours.

Our next visit today was to the homestead cabin studio of Jenifer Palmer-Lacy. Jenifer will also be showing the second weekend of the art tours this year. In addition to being a painter, she also makes papel picado, which is Spanish for "cut paper" or "perforated paper." Cut paper is a traditional Mexican folk art, as well as an ancient art form in China and Japan. Jenifer cuts the paper by hand with an exacto knife, and most of her cut paper pieces are portraits of people. The other impressive feature of Palmer-Lacy's papel picado is the size of her pieces. Not knowing much about papel picado or of Palmer-Lacy's art, I was expecting small, delicate works of cut paper, but she had several pieces that may have been 2 or 3 feet across. Palmer-Lacy spray paints many of her finished papel picado works, which is also a departure from the traditional art form. In the traditional Mexican art form of papel picado, the artists would use scissors and fold the paper to cut the designs. More recently, a hammer and chisel are used to cut tissue paper, and several sheets of tissue may be layered and cut at one time with this technique. It is a treat to see one artist's own twist on this traditional art form.

In addition to her papel picado, Palmer-Lacy is also a painter, working in acrylic and luminous paints. (Luminous paints will glow in the dark.) Her paintings mostly focus on the desert landscape, and are done in plein air. Palmer-Lacy usually begins her paintings with prisma color pencils. Once her drawing is complete, she will use water to darken the painting before adding acrylic paint on top. Jenifer grew up in Houston, Texas, and even though she began her college education in Idaho, she actually did not complete her degree until she was 52 years old. She earned her BA in art and interdisciplinary studies from Cal State Dominguez Hills, and has gone on to earn her Master's in humanities. Her house in Joshua Tree, which is not far from her studio, was a gift to herself for completing her degree. Palmer-Lacy is not a full-time resident of Joshua Tree, but does manage to come out on weekends from the home she shares with her husband, a musician, in Silverlake.

Jenifer currently has a show of her work at the Adult Center in Griffith Park, and it will remain up until the end of August. For the Art Tours, Palmer-Lacy is planning to have live music in addition to an interactive piece of art. Visitors will have an opportunity to contribute art of their own to a "Peace" banner made by her son, Charlie. There is much more to Palmer-Lacy than her art, as I discovered today. She is an accordion player, and worked as a disc jockey for Pacifica radio in Houston for ten years. Jenifer is also a newcomer to the art tours. I am excited to welcome both of these fascinating artists to the Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours this year.

written by Karine Swenson

Ellie Tyler, Cheryl Kandel and Terry Rothrock

2010-08-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

This morning, I traveled just one block to visit the sparkly new studio of my neighbor, photographer Elle Tyler. Tyler will be opening her studio to two other artists - Cheryl Kandel and Terry Rothrock. This diverse group of artists will be showing both weekends of the tours this year.

Ellie Tyler, a longtime desert dweller, is a landscape photographer. Tyler is one of the few photographers shooting with film, rather than a digital camera. Tyler believes patience and truth are important to her work, which is why she prefers to shoot with film. She likes the sharpness and clarity of film photography, and says she knows when a photo is film rather than digital. She believes film will always be around because of the richness and color quality of the final image. Tyler's first publication of her photography was in 1981 in Wyoming. She counts this as the beginning of her life as a photographer. (She and her husband lived in Wyoming prior to coming to the desert.) She loves to photograph natural subjects. She just wrote a book, which she hopes to have ready in time for the Art Tours. In her book she writes, "...it is in nature that I find connection to order, beauty and meaning." She has a masterful way of handling negative shapes in her work. She focuses on placement and making order out of chaos. Tyler likes to take photos that give a sense of place, but aren't necessarily site-specific. She is always seeking a new way to shoot well-known, frequently photographed locations. Tyler likes to wait for God to "paint" the natural world and then be a witness to this masterpiece.

Relationship

El Nino

In addition to her photography, Tyler has recently begun creating collages from natural objects like leaves, bark, moss, and twigs. This new work came about after she moved into her new studio this past February, because now she says she "has room to play." The "natural treasures" are a way for her to arrange and play with color. She has even begun to combine the photography with the found natural objects, and it will be exciting to see what new things she comes up with for the Art Tours.

Ellie has been on the Open Studio Art Tours for six years. She has exhibited her work in Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico. Her photography has been published in Sierra Club books, National Geographic Books, Sunset Magazine, and Wyoming Wildlife Magazine, to name a few. She is also a member of the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA). Tyler has taught photography through the 29 Palms Art Gallery, and now that she has her own studio, she is considering teaching again.

Ellie Tyler

Cheryl Kandel is an artist with multiple facets. She runs her own business, called Stitch Art Studio, specializing in embroidery digitizing. She has been in this field since 1991. She and her husband are "escapees" from L.A. They have lived in Joshua Tree for seven years. They felt like they had been "pushed out" of L.A. by the crowds, traffic and other problems of such a big city. Before they moved here, they had come to Joshua Tree National Park several times a year to camp. Kandel had spent three summers in Denali National Park, working for a back-country lodge. It was ultimately these summers in Alaska that finally prompted the move out of the city. Joshua Tree feels like a world away from L.A., but they like that they are still close enough to see their families.

Marina del Rey, a fully stitched landscape.

Kandel's embroidery art is an extension of her business, because she utilizes the digitizing software and embroidery machine to create her own original designs. She has won awards for her embroidery designs, and has been featured on the cover of Stitches magazine. The embroidery designs she creates are often mandalas, but she also has done fully stitched landscapes that are amazing. (see above photo) In addition to her embroidery art, Kandel also paints Joshua Tree landscapes in acrylic on canvas. Kandel is strongly influenced by expressionism and the Fauves, and her strong color palette is indicative of this. She loves the juxtaposition of boulders and trees in the Joshua Tree area, and is inspired by the serenity she feels in the Park. The uniqueness of the Joshua Tree draws her, and she loves it when there are clouds in the sky. (Which any desert resident can tell you is not an every day occurrence!) Kandel also considers photography to be a hobby, and uses her own photos as reference material for her other art.

Kandel has been an artist all her life, and even went to a private art school in grade school. She was always doing crafts as a young girl, and fondly remembers winning an award for art in kindergarten. She has a BA in illustration from Cal State Northridge. This year marks Kandel's third year on the Art Tours (she tends to participate every other year). She has shown her paintings at the 29 Palms Inn and will have a show of her work at Crossroads next year. You will find denim jackets, purses, hats, and patches with her embroidery designs at Joshua Tree Outfitters year-round.

One of Kandel's embroidered mandalas on a pillow.

Cheryl Kandel in front of her recently completed studio.

The third artist showing with Ellie Tyler and Cheryl Kandel will be a ceramicist named Terry Rothrock. Rothrock currently resides in Idyllwild, but was a resident of the desert for many years. He teaches ceramics at Idyllwild Arts Academy. Rothrock shows his wheel-thrown ceramics at the Joshua Tree National Park Art festival every April. He was not at the studio today, so I did not get a chance to meet him, but you will not be disappointed in his ceramics, which he creates with his wife Chinlee Chang.

written by Karine Swenson

Vera Topinka and David McChesney

2010-08-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

This week takes us to the studio and residence of Vera Topinka. Topinka will be showing with fellow photographer David McChesney this year. It just so happens that these two photographers are neighbors in Joshua Tree, so it made sense that they pair up and show together for the Tours. The work of these two photographers blends beautifully. Topinka focuses primarily on portraits of people, while McChesney's photographs are portraits of wildlife.

Vera Topinka has been in the High Desert for nearly five years, coming from Marin County ( in the bay area of San Francisco.) She grew up in small towns in Idaho and Oregon, having immigrated from Germany shortly after the war. Topinka has been a professional photographer for about 25 years, with a portrait and wedding business being the primary focus. She is inspired by light, beauty, and the expressions of people. Topinka feels fortunate to have stumbled onto something that will never grow old to her, since there is always so much to learn. The camera she had at the beginning was "crappy," and since she wasn't able to capture what she saw with it, she was spurred on to get better and better photographs. Vera considers herself to be mainly a portrait photographer. She loves it when she can really capture what she calls the "deep essence" of a person; that quality which shows through when people are just being themselves. Often, her favorite shots occur when the person is not aware of being photographed. Like most photographers, she does shoot whatever captures her eye, and of course the desert has been a source of inspiration for her. Topinka often uses metal, bits of cholla skeletons, tin cans, and old wood to frame and display her photographs. She says the idea came about as a result of living in the desert. She finds the "funky junkiness" of the desert beautiful, and has found a unique way to incorporate it with her photography.

Topinka has had an ongoing show of portraits at the Wonder Garden Cafe for the last year, which was just changed to represent all new work. Two years ago, she had a show at True World Gallery in Joshua Tree, and has also showed at Starbucks in Yucca Valley. For the tours this year, she will show new portraits in addition to smaller works with other desert-related photos on metals that people might like for their homes. Art, for Topinka, is important as a means of expressing feeling, beauty, weirdness of mood, color and inspiration. She loves to look at art, or listen to art as a means of being inspired by others. She feels its one of the deepest kinds of communication. Topinka enjoys biking, running and hiking as ways to open her up to the natural world. As she elegantly puts it, the exercise "centers me and helps me create my life, which is my most magnificent artwork."

McChesney has been visiting the desert since he was a baby, as his grandparents lived in Snow Creek. He bought a home in Joshua Tree in 1998 and visited on weekends from Orange County. He finally made the desert his full time home in 2008. (A move he does not regret!) Spending time in Snow Creek as a youngster, his grandmother would put food and water out for the wildlife. This is where his fascination with wild animals first began. When McChesney was a teenager, his parents divorced. As he puts it: "They split up and I got the camera!" That was the beginning of his foray into the world of photography. He first photographed rock and roll - capturing the likes of Bob Dillon, the Who, and other famous acts while working for KROQ radio in Pasadena. It was in 1973 that McChesney began to visit National Parks, which led him into becoming the wildlife photographer he is today.

McChesney is drawn to the grandeur, waterfalls and wildlife in our National Parks. He has traveled to 54 different National Parks, from Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands to Alaska. In addition to the wildlife he has captured through the lens of his camera while traveling to other places, he has photographed 120 different species right outside the window of his house here in Joshua Tree. This makes our desert the ultimate home for McChesney. The neighborhood where he and Topinka live is only 1 mile from Joshua Tree National park, providing them proximity to an abundance of desert fauna. McChesney feels that a lifetime of loving nature and the wildlife in it are what have driven his passion. He loves the lessons he learns every day, living here and observing nature.

McChesney, like many of our creative minds, has another outlet for his creativity besides his photography. He also plays the harmonica. Performing for 30+ years as "hurricane" David, he was crowned a National Harmonica Champion in 2008. There is certainly more to this artist than meets the eye. McChesney has written and published a coffee table book of his photography, called Muir Roots: at One with the Wild. The book is available at several locations in the Morogo Basin, including the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, Hi-Desert Nature Museum and California Welcome Center. He is also releasing three new lines of bird cards this year, "American," "Gulf Coast," and "Desert" Bird life. The "Desert Birdlife" cards will be released in November during his birdlife exhibit at the Covington Park Gallery in Morongo Valley.

Vera Topinka and David McChesney will be showing both weekends of the October Art Tours this year - October 23rd and 24th and October 30th and 31st.

written by Karine Swenson

Tony and Bobette Milici

2010-07-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

As a Joshua Tree gallery owner and a longtime attendee of the Art Tours, I’m familiar with many, if not most, of the participants. When I volunteered to interview artists for this blog, I thought it would be fun to visit some folks whose work I’d never seen. That’s why I recently found myself driving through the mystical landscape of Burns Canyon to meet Bobette and Tony Milici. With no preconceptions about their work, I turned off Ox Yoke Pass and immediately knew that no matter what I might find inside, the house is art. The graceful, arched two-story steel structure soars like a wing from the desert floor, surrounded by Tony’s ceramic/concrete sculptures, steel outbuildings, a funky travel trailer and Bobette’s amazing greenhouse.

The house, which incorporates an airy, double height studio, was designed by Tony. It is completely off the grid and utilizes both solar and wind power. Despite the blast furnace July heat, it was pleasantly cool inside without air conditioning or swamp cooler, thanks to the extensive use of Structurally Integrated Panels (SIPS) and spray-on insulation on the outside of the steel structure. The interior makes use of many green finishes, such as cork flooring, recycled glass tile and sustainable Belizean hardwoods.

Prior to moving to the Pioneertown area, the Milicis were long-time residents of the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles. They had originally planned to retire in Belize where they owned 200 feet of beautiful oceanfront property, but changed course after the birth of grandchildren and the over-development of the once-idyllic Central American hideaway.

Tony received his MFA in Clay Art from Claremont College and enjoyed a fulfilling career teaching ceramics, photography, painting and drawing in Los Angeles public schools, including Fremont High. His personal definition of art, which he passed along to his students, is that art should be novel and idiosyncratic. His own work reflects this dictum, and spans a wide variety of media including assemblage, photography, ceramics and painting. He is currently working on a series of talismanic assemblages which were inspired by the practice of voodoo which he encountered during his time in Belize. Visitors will also be able to see his painterly photographs of Belizean and Guatemalan walls, a lifetime’s work of ceramic objects, and just maybe, something incorporating a box of naked Barbie dolls.

Bobette is a self-taught stained glass artist who, when not busy creating art, is likely to be found working in the garden, sewing or cooking up a gourmet meal in the second-floor kitchen. Her work has been sold at the Purple Agave Gallery and Route 62 Antiques, and she also sells through her website: www.bobettesglassact.com. She is equally adept at delicate, jewel-toned jewelry boxes and large stained glass windows. However, the real standouts of her collection are the intricate Tiffany-style lamps, which often incorporate salvaged and refinished antique lampstands.

This will be the Milici’s second year in the Art Tours. Visit them on October 30th and 31st and enjoy viewing art inside a work of art.

written by Bonnie Kopp

Michael Bedilion and Helen Matoush

2010-07-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

The best part about writing this blog is that getting to meet new artists every week. This week took us to 29 Palms to visit two artists, Mike Bedilion and Helen Matoush.

First stop: the home of photographer Mike Bedilion. Mike and his wife, Teri, have been part time residents of the high desert for the past four years. Before they bought their house here, they would come out from Orange County to spend time in the desert, specifically Joshua Tree National Park. They would camp and hike, sometimes staying at the 29 Palms Inn or the Homestead House. There finally came a point at which they felt they needed to spend more time out in the desert. When they are not in 29 Palms, they live in Westminster, California.

Mike Bedilion

Mike has been interested in photography for nearly all his life. In high school, he had a choice between taking a yearbook class or taking machine shop, and he chose yearbook class. That decision turned out to be a good one. Bedilion has worked as a professional photographer since 1980. He worked for the Department of Education in Orange County, shooting school board photos and still photos to be included in a video for helping children learn to spell. He worked as a public relations photographer for Disneyland Hotel part time, where he got to meet the Lone Ranger and the Wrathers, who owned the Disneyland Hotel. He even worked as a photographer for Sororities along the West Coast and Arizona, shooting portraits. Bedilion has also worked as a producer for various professional photographers.

The photography that Bedilion does for himself varies in subject matter, but his most recent interest has been with Urban Landscape. He has an interest in local history, and he will actually drive up and down alleys, looking for urban scenes that capture his attention. He likes "funky stuff." Bedilion does not really consider himself a documentary photographer. His work is about seeing things change. He will photograph something like Al's Swinger in 29 Palms, which was first a church and then it became the black marine bar. Oftentimes, when things like this change, the changes are forgotten. Having a photograph of the original state of things will remind us of what was before. Bedilion's photography is centralized around observation.

In addition to his photography, Bedilion also plays bass for a surf band called the Goofy Foots, is a woodworker, and has even begun making lamp shades with images from his photography and scenes of the desert. Like many creative individuals, Bedilion doesn't know where his imagination will take him next. One thing is for certain, wherever his muse takes him, we will be waiting to see the outcome. Bedilion will have postcards, photographic prints, both framed and unframed, magnets and pins for sale during the Art Tours this year. He is also hoping to have more lamp shades.

One of Bedilion's photographs, made into a lampshade.

Our next visit today was to the home studio of basket weaver and gourd artist Helen Matoush. This year will be her third year on the Art Tours. She and her husband Joe have been in 29 Palms for 20 years. They first came here when he was a Navy Chaplain and was stationed in 29 Palms. Matoush is originally from Queens, NY. She lived in North Carolina for 20 years with her first husband before coming to the high desert. When they first moved to the desert, she didn't like Southwest Art. After living in the Southwest, her feelings about it have changed considerably. She loves the colors and the tribute to the Native Americans that is found in Southwest Art. Many of her gourds are created in the Southwest style, and she executes it beautifully.

A finished gourd with waxed linen weaving.

A finished gourd with horsetail on top.

Helen Matoush has sewn her whole life. Crafting comes naturally for her. Matoush began basket weaving first, while living in North Carolina. She learned the Appalachian style of basketry, which is utilitarian rather than decorative. She has since branched out from the Appalachian style. The baskets are woven using processed rattan vine. The rattan vine comes in a variety of sizes, and Matoush may use as many as 5 different sizes of rattan vine in one basket. All the rattan she buys in a natural color, and if she wants colored rattan, she dyes it herself. Upon asking how long it takes to weave a basket, Matoush told me that speed comes with practice. When a student first tries weaving a basket, it could take 5 or 6 hours to complete one basket, but after years of weaving, Matoush finds that she can finish a smaller basket in an hour or two. Helen has begun teaching basket weaving again, after taking a bit of time off from it.

A gourd spirit doll with woven waxed linen.

Helen has been working with gourds for about 7 years. She only works on gourds part time, while working on other crafts in between. She sews, makes Christmas ornaments, jewelry (from gourds) and even grows a beautiful organic garden. Matoush loves to pull from the bounty of nature in the creation of her gourds, incorporating pine needles, seed pods, horsehair, and other natural materials. She also combines her weaving skill with her gourds, weaving open sections of the gourds with waxed linen or finishing the tops of them with woven pine needles. Helen told me that the gourds have to speak to her. Sometimes she may have an idea for how she wants the gourd to look upon completion, but the gourd has other ideas. Matoush uses permanent ink dyes to color most of her gourds because they are resistant to fading in sunlight, although she will sometimes use leather dyes, acrylic paint and gold leaf. Matoush will be participating in the first annual gourd festival in Yucca Valley this September, but you won't get to see her studio unless you add her to your list of venues to visit on the Art Tours in October.

Gourds waiting to be worked on.

Helen Matoush.

You will be busy this year, with so many talented artists to visit on the Hwy 62 Art Tours! Both Bedilion and Matoush will be showing on the first weekend this year, October 23rd and 24th. Be sure to include them in your tour.

written by Karine Swenson

Pepper Wagner and Rik Livingston

2010-07-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

It was a hot, unusually humid desert day when I made my way out to Pepper Wagner's "Tile Art and Design Works." You will find her place about 12 miles north of Yucca Valley on Old Woman Springs Road. Wagner is a tile mosaic artist who has been in Landers since July of 2008. She and her partner Ron moved here from Desert Hot Springs where she had a gallery for three years. Wagner has been doing tile mosaic since 1998 or 1999. She had worked professionally as a tile cutter and setter in Ohio, where she is from. One day, she was doing a job for a jewelry store, and there was a section where she had to do an unusual cut to fit the space. The tile she cut ended up looking like the logo for the jewelry store, which was diamond-shaped. This moment was an epiphany for Wagner, when she realized she could use a wet saw to cut different shapes in tile. That was what started her on her first piece of tile mosaic art. That first piece came with her to California.

In addition to her own original designs, Wagner also does commission work. She enjoys doing both, but what she loves about commission work are the challenges presented by creating a piece specifically for one person. There are times when people will bring their own materials (special rocks or pebbles) for her to use in the commission piece. Pepper started doing murals because she wanted to create a peaceful setting - one of her favorites is a piece called "Beach House" that she did because she desperately wanted to go to the beach. Once she had created it, she hung it on her wall and could "go to the beach" whenever she wanted. (Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of that piece.) Wagner has a strong design sense, but what really struck me about her work was the dimensional qualities it has. Many of her pieces resemble bas-reliefs, with the rocks she includes protruding out from the surface of the piece. She will also use pebbles, stained glass, and stones in addition to the tile to create the finished pieces. Wagner's partner Ron is also a tile setter, and he helps her with the logistics of her art: building frames, arranging shipping and hanging for each piece. Wagner shows her work at Bob Williams Nursery in Indio and Cabot's Museum in Desert Hot Springs. You will also see a great deal of her tile work if you ever visit The Pepper Tree Inn, located in Palm Springs. Of course, putting this venue on your agenda for the October Hwy. 62 Art Tours will be the best way to see this talented artist's work, and meet her for yourself. Pepper Wagner will be showing on the second weekend of the art tours this year.

My next visit brought me a bit closer to downtown Joshua Tree, to Zono Art Productions. Livingston and his wife, Cat Livingston, share their charming home with two cats, Mysterio and Rocket. Livingston and his wife have lived in the desert since 2006. At first, they were part-time residents, spending the other part of their time in San Francisco. In 2008, the recession propelled them into becoming full time residents of Joshua Tree. Livingston has always been an artist, despite coming from a mid-western family with no other artists to influence him and no real connection to the art world. Art was just an innate part of him. He earned a BFA from Wichita State University and an MFA from the Art Institute in San Francisco. He was able to get scholarships to help him pay for most of his art education, but he also worked as a picture framer to help pay the bills. Despite having a family who didn't really understand his drive to pursue art, he continued to follow the path of a true artist.

Livingston applies the "Vulcan Neck Pinch to Rocket. (Rocket loves it.)

Southwestern Surrealism by Livingston "Desert Angel."

Livingston has made a career as an artist by not only selling paintings and fine art, but also by doing graphic design and graphic art. He also taught art for a while. While living in San Francisco, Livingston became involved in Whitney Young, Inc., which is an organization promoting child development for young children in San Francisco. He ran a 5,000 square foot art gallery as part of his involvement in Whitney Young, Inc. for three years. The gallery had nearly a hundred artists involved, and Livingston was the Art Director. Livingston found that the responsibilities of the gallery left him little time and energy to devote to his own work, and moving to the desert provided him with the change he needed to pursue art full time once more.

A wall of collectibles and memorabilia in Livingston's studio.

Livingston is inspired by comics and advertisement, and considers his work to have a strong retro flair. Color and humor are both important to him. In times past, it seemed like people had a strong focus on the future - it held hope and the potential of space travel and other exciting innovations. This element is strong in his Zono art. His distinctive and light-hearted style does go through changes without losing its overall character and feeling. Seeing so much of his art hanging throughout their home does give a person the feeling of being transported, and anyone who enjoys a humorous take on life will enjoy Livingston's art. Livingston shows his paintings and assemblage at Woods in the Desert Gallery, The Art Queen, and Hwy 62 Art and Antiques. To meet this visionary artist in person, however, your best bet will be to make this a stop on your Hwy 62 Art Tours this year. Livingston is planning to offer a line of cards, books and refrigerator magnets in addition to his paintings and assemblage this year for the Art Tours. Don't miss it!

written by Karine Swenson

Mike Smiley

2010-07-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Mike Smiley is a familiar face on the Hwy. 62 Art Tours. He has been on the tours every year except the first year, when it was only artists from 29 Palms who participated. Smiley is a many-faceted artist who works in metal, stone, and makes jewelry. He and his wife Betty have been residents of the high desert for 12 years, and have lived in the area for almost 20 years. (They lived in the Coachella Valley prior to coming to Joshua Tree.)

Smiley came to art later in life than many artists. He was working as a policeman, visiting San Francisco, when he was visiting an art gallery with a friend. He happened to see carved stone whales in the gallery and thought "I could do that." He went home, got a book about carving stone, and the next thing he knew he was making art. He feels his desire to be an artist was innate. His father dabbled in jewelry and painting, and he had an uncle who was a poet, but neither of them were able to pursue art full time.

Smiley's father, a machinist, was a strong influence in Smiley's life as an artist. Smiley watched his father make jewelry and explore lapidary when he was young, and Smiley made jewelry in high school. However, Smiley didn't return to jewelry making until he and his wife moved to the desert in 1990. When his father passed away, he left Mike a welder. It was the inheritance of this welder, and Smiley's friendship with Steve Rieman, that prompted Smiley to look at metal as another outlet for his creative urges.

Smiley is inspired by his love of nature, and the beauty he sees in nature. He believes the world is full of treasure, and it is this treasure he collects and utilizes in his art - everything from beautiful stones to a rusted piece of metal. As a life-long amateur naturalist, his knowledge and love of the natural world is evident in all of his work. A visit to his studio and the sculpture garden surrounding the house he shares with Betty is a stop well worth making. Smiley's Joshua Tree studio will be open both weekends of the art tours this year, making it easy to fit it into your exploration of all the creativity our desert communities have to offer.

Gourds and Mixed Media in 29 Palms

2010-06-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

This week I got a glimpse into the studios of two artists from Twenty nine Palms - Cynthia Enfinger and Jacqueline Angove.

The first studio I visited today was Works of Grace, the studio of Cynthia Enfinger. Enfinger was a basket weaver for over ten years before being introduced to gourd art. It was another artist from Twentynine Palms who first introduced Enfinger to gourds. She has been "hooked" ever since. Most of the gourds Enfinger uses are from Wellburne's Gourd farm near Temecula. Enfinger likes that Wellburn Gourds are grown organically. She washes the gourds, lets them dry, and then begins transforming them. I got to see how she cuts the top of a gourd off, cleans out the inside, and begins smoothing the inside and top edge.

She uses different kinds of pigment and dyes to color the gourds, and will eventually embellish them with seeds, feathers, pine needles and other found objects from nature. Some of her finished gourds also feature fiber and/or pyrography. She allows each gourd to "tell her" how it wants to be finished, working intuitively. Enfinger compares the imperfections of each gourd with our own imperfections. While she is working, she thinks about how, for her, the process of her working with these gourds is symbolic of how God works in her life, taking her flaws and imperfections and through His grace, shapes her into something better than she was before. It is this belief that gives "Works of Grace" its name.

Gourds waiting to be worked on.

Finished Gourds.

Enfinger teaches school during the winter months, and so it is during our hot desert summers that she spends time creating her gourds. This Georgia native has called Twentynine Palms home for 18 years. She and her husband first came here in 1977, when he was stationed here as a Marine. Not only are her roots evident in the southern charm she emanates, but she has even saved pine needles from Grandma's Georgia long leaf pine tree, and these infamous needles will occasionally make their way into one of her beautiful gourd creations. Making Works of Grace a stop on your Art Tours this year will be time well spent. You, too, will have a chance to see Enfinger in action, as demos are part of her repertoire during the Tours. You may even be fortunate enough to try your hand at some of her techniques, as this high desert artist is generous with her knowledge and experience.

Enfinger.

Angove in front of her studio.

The second artist I was privileged to visit today was Jacqueline Angove. Ms. Angove works and lives in a large space just off of Hwy. 62 on Cholla Ave. in Twentynine Palms. Her studio is easy to spot, as it is adorned with an angel and the word "Peace" in bold letters. Angove was born in London, and told me she was a child when the bombs of World War II were exploding. In fact, she is in the middle of a series of mixed media paintings about the Second World War. This series of work is done as though seen through the eyes of a child. She informed me that she didn't know why she was doing these paintings, but that she felt like she HAD to do them. Angove lived in London until she was 21 years old, when she came to the US with her husband, and Englishman and Olympic runner. They spent three years in South Carolina. They moved to Philadelphia after their stint in South Carolina, and then jumped around from Palo Alto to Southern California to Tennessee.

One of the works in the WWII series.

Angove has been painting since the 80's, when she and her husband divorced. At the time of the divorce, she had two teenage sons, and discovered that she could make a living, creating art for people remodeling their homes and corporate offices in Los Angeles. Angove feels fortunate to be an artist, because she is doing what she wants to do. Her goal is to "become one with nature and reflect that in my work." She hikes often, and particularly enjoys the desert wildflowers. She feels that she can absorb the colors that she sees in nature. Angove has been in the high desert for fourteen years, six or seven of which have been in her current space. She lives behind her spacious gallery and studio space, and is kept company by her beloved cats, now that her sons have grown. Her art work is mixed media, incorporating acrylic paint and rice paper. Some of her work is quite sculptural, breaking free from the traditional "paint on canvas" motif. Many of the pieces she creates are impressive in their large scale, and well worth viewing in person.

I am constantly amazed at the artistic variety and excellence of the artists who make their home in the high desert. These two talented artists are another example of the plethora of creative talent we enjoy here. I hope you will consider visiting the communities of Joshua Tree National Park this October, when we host the Hwy 62 Art Tours the last two weekends of October. Both Cynthia Enfinger and Jacquie Angove will be stops on the tour the first weekend, October 23rd and 24th. You will not be disappointed.

written by Karine Swenson

Steve Rieman, Artist focused on the Art of Balance and Harmony

2010-06-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, June 13 2010, I had the honor and privilege of meeting with artist Steve Rieman and wife Ruth at their Yucca Valley home art studio. From the time I pulled in the drive, I was impressed by how the Riemans had integrated the desert into their home studio making it harmonize with the natural landscape. Steve’s larger than life kinetic metal and stone sculptures were displayed through out the property and were responding gently, moving with the light desert breeze.

While talking with Steve and observing the surroundings, it became clear, his art is about balance and harmony. It makes a statement about us as the human race balancing our thirst for progress while preserving the delicate balance and harmony of nature. For Steve and his wife Ruth, this has been a lifelong quest and it is very evident in all of his works of art and surroundings. Steve stated that most of his art is composed of couples, working together as one. To him, this is symbolic of his loving relationship with his wife Ruth.

Steve studied and graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Ca. His first years were focused on industrial design as he was exploring painting. He then started experimenting with clay and other materials for more 3D works of art. After some time, his art began evolving again. Working with metal and natural stone, Steve is today creating large scale kinetic sculptures. Steve is hands on from concept to installation, using a variety of enduring materials such as stone, stainless steel, bronze and weathered steel and has many inspiring works of art in public places.

Steve reminds us through his art that progress without balance and harmony of our natural world is meaningless and without value. Steve will be on the Hwy 62 Art Tours on October 30th and 31st this year. (the second weekend) Please take the time to visit him in October; it is well worth the journey. To see and learn more about Steve Rieman and his sculptures, please visit Steve’s website at: www.riemansculptures.com

(Written by Pepper Wagner)

29 Palms Creative Center

2010-06-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

One of the stops on this year's Highway 62 Art Tours is the 29 Palms Creative Center. Gretchen Grunt is the owner of the Creative Center, and she is a printmaker, bookmaker and art educator. For this year's art tours, she is hoping to focus more on altered books and bookmaking than she has in years past. Many of the creative- minded people here in the high desert have taken a class from Gretchen. Gretchen has been living in 29 Palms for the past seven years, and has served as a board member for the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council in past years. If you stop by the Creative Center on this year's tours, you will have a chance to visit Ms. Grunt and see her fantastic studio. You may even get to create some art of your own.

Showing in the studios behind the main building of the Creative Center are two other artists on this year's tours. Many people are familiar with the jewelry of Mikal Winn, who has sold his jewelry to many top stores, including Fred Segal and Neiman Marcus. What you may not know about Mikal is that he also does larger sculpture, in the form of glittering, fantastic animals. Winn says that creating these animals is something he has dreamed about for a long time, and has now finally had a chance to see his dream to fruition. These creatures deck the walls of Winn's studio. Mikal has been in the high desert for about nine years. He came here from Columbus, Ohio by way of a short stint in Los Angeles. The sculptures are heavily inspired by his childhood experiences of growing up on a farm. He says they are meant to be playful, drawing ideas from the fantasy world of the movies and books of his childhood.

The third artist you will have the pleasure of meeting at this venue is Anna Houghton, a single mom. Ms. Houghton works in acrylic, watercolor, silkscreen and does beadwork. She loves to experiment and is always trying a new medium. Houghton grew up in the desert, graduating from 29 Palms High School. She did spend time away from the high desert, even living on the island of Maui for a few years. Her two children keep her busy, but are also sources of inspiration for her. Anna will often help out with the children of the area, teaching charcoal drawing. Houghton hopes to have a new series of larger, non-representational paintings for the Art Tours similar to the one shown here.

There is no doubt that the 29 Palms Creative Center is a place worth visiting on your tour this year. The Creative Center will be on the first weekend of the Art Tours. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Hwy. 62 Art Tours, it takes place the last two weekends in October every year. This year, we are highlighting the artists who will be on the tour, so you can have a "sneak peak" into the studios of the talented artists of the high desert. Stay tuned for more visits!

written by Karine Swenson

Studio sneak peaks, pottery and paint

2010-05-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

The open studio art tours have been in existence in slightly varying forms since about 2002. The first art tours were organized in conjunction with a fall art festival that featured exhibitions at the 29 Palms Art Guild, the 29 Palms Inn, and a few other venues. There were theater performances and musicians. There was a gala. (a smashing one, from I have been able to gather.)

Change is the one thing we can count on in life, and as the organizers of the MBCAC have changed, so have the Art Tours. This year will be another new year of Art Tours. There will be familiar faces and art, there will be new faces and art. It will be an event worth venturing out for.

This blogger, being a recent desert dweller, is asking around. Finding some of the original artists and organizers. Meeting new friends. Discovering that this high desert is rife with talent and artistic variety. Today was a day of meeting two of the artists who are long-time desert dwellers. Both of whom were involved in the first studio art tours. One of whom was instrumental in organizing the event.

My first visit was the studio of ceramicist Janet Braley. Her studio is a treat for those of us who thrive on a certain degree of organized chaos. It sits at the end of a dirt road, near the top of a hill on the north side of Hwy 62. It is shaded by mature trees. Boulder outcroppings set the tone for this magical desert studio locale. Have a glimpse of what I saw, and what you will be able to see if you decide to make this a stop on your Art Tour in October.

I took more photos than can even be posted here, as there was so much visual stimulus and rich creative activity. Like many artists, Ms. Braley has other creative outlets in addition to her pottery. She sews aprons, insulated shopping bags, and aprons. In this studio you will find not only functional ceramic mugs, platters and plates, but also her more sculptural pieces and what she refers to as her "serious" art. There is a kick wheel and an electric wheel for throwing. (no, this does not mean you spin the wheel as fast as you can so the clay is thrown across the room...although late at night I suppose that could be fun.) A wheel is where a potter places a lump of clay and uses the centrifugal force to create a bowl, mug or vessel. There are several kilns outside. Tables filled with platters, plates, bowls, flower pots, and mugs. I truly felt as though I could spend a full day looking, and still not see it all.

The Artist, Janet Braley.

One of the kilns.

As much as I could have stayed at Janet Braley's all day, I had another stop to make. My next visit involved a drive to the other side of Hwy. 62, to the dome house of Chuck Caplinger and his wife, near the entrance of the Joshua Tree National Park. Mr. Caplinger was instrumental in organizing the MBCAC, and the first Fall Festival that included studio tours. He has painted more than one of the famed murals in 29 Palms. Caplinger paints masterful portraits and paintings of the southwest. He will not be opening his studio during the Art Tours this year, but you will get a chance to see his paintings at the 29 Palms Art Gallery.

Mr. Caplinger's clean and orderly studio.

An appropriate collection of hats, for an artist whose wife has dubbed "Cowboy."

Caplinger is a talented artist as well as an active community member. He remains active today, promoting public art in 29 Palms. Artists like this are an inspiration to all of us.

Stay tuned for more glimpses into the studios of other artists who will be making this year's tours another unique event.

written by Karine Swenson

Rick Unger

2010-04-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

It is with sadness that I write the news that one of our artists has passed away. Rick Unger recently lost a battle to liver cancer. Mr. Unger was a featured artist of the Art Tours in years past, and he will be sorely missed by the art community. To read his obituary in the Hi-Desert Star, click here. (Thanks to Rik Livingstone for the art.)

Art Tours Applications have been rolling in! If you missed the main deadline of April 6th, it is not too late to turn in an application. A late fee of $25.00 will be added to your application fee. Please don't wait any longer. If you would like to be a part of this year's Hwy 62 Art Tours, download the application, fill it out, and get it sent in. You have until May 4th. You can mail your application in to MBCAC PO Box 643, Joshua Tree, CA 92252, or you can drop it off in person at our Donation=Creation Store. The store is located at 61325 Hwy 62, Suite F. Our store is all volunteer run, so I do recommend calling before you head out. 760-366-2226.

We will be needing volunteers to help process the applications, and if you are interested in helping with this task, please email Karine at arttours@mbcac.org. Thank you!

Joining Forces

2010-03-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

For those artists who haven't submitted their Art Tours application yet, the deadline is April 6th! This year, like last year, artists will be able to pair up with one or more other artists and show together as one venue. It is less expensive to show with another artist, and it may also help you have more visitors. I have done the Art Tours the past two years. The first year on the tours, I showed by myself. Last year, I had three other artists show with me. Not only was it easier and more fun, but I had a lot more traffic throughout the weekend. I plan to join forces with other artists again this year.

If you are interested in joining up with another artist (or artists) this year for the tour, but haven't found someone to partner with, you may leave a comment on the blog with your email address or some way for people to contact you. Please include the kind of work you do (2 dimensional, 3 dimensional, large scale, etc.) and whether you would like to have another artist at your studio, or if you would be willing to come to another studio to show. You may also send an email to arttours@mbcac.org.

If you are new to the Art Tours, partnering with other artists is a really good way to get a feel for what the Art Tours are like, without such a large commitment. Of course, if you really want to show off your studio and art by yourself, we welcome you to do so. Please don't wait too long to send in your application. You can mail the application to the MBCAC: PO Box 643, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 or you can deliver it in person to the Donation=Creation Art Store, 61325 Hwy. 62, Ste. F in Joshua Tree. Once again, the application for the 2010 Art Tours is available online, simply by clicking this link. Make sure to have it sent in by April 6th!

Welcome

2010-03-10T18:33:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome to the new blog of the HWY 62 Art Tours! The Art Tours is an annual event in the high desert of Southern California sponsored by the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council (MBCAC) in the art communities of Joshua Tree National Park surrounding Highway 62. This event takes place the last two weekends of October every year and features the popular Open Studio Art Tours. This is a unique opportunity for the visual artists of the Morongo Basin to open up their studios to the public. It offers a glimpse into the world of the artist: a chance to see the newest creations of area artists in the space where these works are created. Often, the setting in which an artist works has a great impact on the art being created, and our beautiful high desert is no exception to this phenomenon. The Open Studios take place during the day, but the fun continues when the sun goes down. Each evening of the Art Tours venues and theatres throughout the townships of the Morongo Basin offer live music and performance art.

For any event of this magnitude, it is important to start planning as soon as possible. We are pleased to announce that the artist applications for the 2010 Art Tours are available. The applications can be downloaded to your computer, or you can pick one up in person at the Donation=Creation Art Store run by the MBCAC in Joshua Tree. To download your application, click here. Local artists are invited to apply for participation in this event. For more information about participating in the HWY 62 Art Tours or to help sponsor, you can call the MBCAC office at 760-366-2226. You may also contact us via email at arttours@mbcac.org. You must be a current member or apply for a new membership of the MBCAC to participate.

The Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization that relies on memberships, grants, donations and sales at our thrift art store ... Donation=Creation. Our mission is to inspire and enliven the community through the arts, and enhance the cultural and economic health of the region. Building community through the arts, the Arts Council continues to be a leading source of information, inspiration and energy for artists and patrons throughout the Morongo Basin and beyond.

We hope to make this year's HWY 62 Art Tours the best yet! This blog will be your connection to the news pertaining to the Art Tours. We hope to do our best to keep people informed, not only for the artists participating in the event, but also for those planning to go on the tours. To learn more about the annual event and the Arts Council visit www.HWY62ArtTours.com or www.MBCAC.org. Stay tuned for more coming soon.....