Happy to exhibit "Grid Poem, Where" in the Ojai Studio Artists Exhibition at the Ojai Valley Museum (opening August 21, 2026). Glass! What a medium. Glass refracts, reflects, absorbs, transmits, and distorts, increasing an awareness of color and light. Light fluctuates all day and interacts with the stained glass accordingly. It is a kinetic material. I am very interested in the various optical qualities of glass and choose glasses to take advantage of perceptual discoveries. I use mostly extraordinary hand blown sheet glass but also treat the surfaces with kiln-fired paint and photo decals, and etching. Imagery includes details of nature, patterning, and found visual elements. All together, the piece expresses a type of Haiku poetry generating an imaginative link between the parts.

When I began thinking about my piece for How We See It, I found myself looking at something I see almost every day: a eucalyptus tree. There is something wonderful about living in the Ojai Valley. We are surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty, but because we see it so often, it can become part of the background. We drive past the same trees, walk beneath the same branches, and notice the landscape without always really seeing it. A single eucalyptus branch from a local tree became both my subject and my tool. I placed the leaves directly onto the clay and traced their forms, then carefully carved each line by hand. The process made me pay attention to details I might normally overlook—the length and curve of the leaves, the branching veins, the irregularities that make each one unique. I then applied slip to create texture and depth before applying four different layers of glaze. Each layer contributes something different, creating depth, movement, and subtle variations across the vessel. I titled the piece Beauty in the Familiar because I think we sometimes need to pause and really see the things we have become accustomed to. Beauty doesn't always announce itself. This piece is my invitation to slow down and look more closely, because sometimes How We See It begins simply with taking the time to notice.

This is my entry in the OSA Exhibit "As We See It". As I began drawing eyes on paper - I knew it was becoming a Milagro, a lucky charm in Latin American culture that offers prayers for better health, in this case for the eyes. The gems I used here are known for attributes to reduce eye strain, repel negative energy, enhance focus, clarity of purpose, and promote creativity: Coral, Turquoise, Tiger Eye, Amethyst, Lapis, Opal, Emerald, and Quartz Crystal. And so the name came to me: "EYE Can See Clearly Now". It took me over a month to make this necklace out of Sterling Silver, Copper and 18K Gold embellishments. Sawing, filing, planning placement of stones, lots of soldering and setting the gems... it is an intense process of building as you go, piece by piece, to create the whole. The handmade chain adds plenty of eyes to support the request for healing, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. I had a great time making it!

Always great fun! The reception is August 21 at the Ojai Valley Museum from 5 to 7pm, and the show is up until October 12. I'll be there, pouring drinks and enjoying the food when I'm not at the bar. The exhibit "As We See It" is an amazing one and worth spending time looking at each and the comments next to each art piece.

As an artist, I've had many valleys to explore and mountains to climb. Much is documented in my memoir(Available on Amazon, or at my studio during the tour. I write about the challenges I've faced and the evolutionary gifts that have been my journey of becoming. Having a supportive arts community has nurtured my spirit and helped me rise up like the phoenix. Back in 2022 when we lost our home on Palomar Road, Lisa and I didn't know when our next home would reveal itself. We were invited by a great peace builder to volunteer in Poland in support of Ukrainian mothers and their children. To live in service, and our community service led us onward to work in the town where Auschwitz memorial museum lives. We offered support for those impacted by the Holocaust. After a very fulfilling time of service the Ukrainian mothers moved onward, our services were complete and we returned to Ojai. One of the challenges was losing my main suppliers for my HOLOS Amulets. This fall, I will be releasing my remaining stock offering discounts including metal printed pendants and sculptures. What I have been working on in preparation for this year's Studio Tour, a new portal series, like the one in the Museum Exhibition, new sizes HOLOS Amulets with new an 18K adjustable gold plated chain in a beautiful soft pouch to enhance the beauty of these as gifts. I also created 3" carved crystal amulets in quartz crystal and obsidian, nestled in a purple velvet pouch. I will also have a new series of sacred geometry designed wall hangings on embossed paper. With much cultivation and nurturing my creative spirit, Is evolving past the endings and into new beginnings of creativity. I look forward to the October Studio Tour, and I also open my studio by appointment so please reach out to me. My best wishes, Brian - Artist for Peace

Every summer since moving to Ojai six years ago, I make a busy picture. That was my grandmother Betty's name for the drawings I did as a kid, lying on the floor with a box of markers and a big sheet of scrap paper — I'd draw imaginary maps with railroads and roads, mountains and trees, houses and buildings. When I became a parent myself, I'd make busy pictures with my kids, filling big sheets of butcher paper with imaginary landscapes, funny characters, and whatever doodles came to us. I picked up the busy picture habit again in (late) middle age, as a way of connecting to that kid-on-the-floor approach to making pictures, and also mapping my feelings about this magical place I now call home. There are now seven "Awha'y" pictures (from the Chumash word for "moon" or "nest"), and the latest makes its public debut this week at the Ojai Valley Museum as part of OSA's "As We See It" group show. This latest one is a coming together, a mixing up of ideas and symbols and approaches I've been obsessing on lately. Unlike the other "Awha'y"s, this one is ROUND, which gives me a chance to bend perspective and honor the shape of the planet, eggs, eyes, and so much else. Looking at all the "Awha'y"s, I'm struck by the things that keep showing up — that orange orb, the Monopoly-piece houses, the silhouette with brainwaves, and of course the obligatory Ojai post office tower. I feel like they're actors in the repertory company of my imaginary picture theater — I'll use them any chance I get! We just love working together! See you at the Museum! There's a ton of great work — the whole community of OSA artists is in full flower these days. Reception this Friday, Aug. 21, 5–7 pm.

Why this Title "WHY"??? I wanted the Viewer engaged with the image and to ask themselves why the artist painted this image. I wanted to capture the Viewer visually and emotionally and to ask why?. GChildress

Living and working at the base of Ojai's Topatopa bluffs, it is impossible not to be inspired by their majestic faces. This sculptural porcelain vase is my personal interpretation of this iconic Ojai landscape. Now on display at the Ojai Valley Museum, as part of our "As We See It" group exhibit.

I got a commisson to do to a portrait of Audrey Hepburn Bubblegum Portrait. The artist who started this "fad" is Michael Moebius — a German pop artist born in 1968 in Pirna, East Germany. He's known for his hyperrealistic "Bubblegum" portrait series of celebrities and icons (Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, David Bowie, Queen Elizabeth II, the Beatles, and more) caught mid-blow on a bubblegum bubble. He became internationally known for his photorealistic Bubblegum portraits of icons of popular culture. He was discovered by Hugh Hefner in 2000 and worked as an official Playboy illustrator before shifting into pop art, creating his first two Bubblegum portraits — of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn — in 2012. It is always very challening to translate a photo, especially a portrait, into a stained glass mosaic. However, I loved how this turned out using fake pearls for the necklace and earrings. It took me 4 months just to get the details right. If you look at the bubble, you can see how I just used once piece of glass that captured the whole bubble. Thats one reason I love using stained glass and incorporating the veins, textures, and flow of the glass.

Dear Art Enthusiasts! Besides being honored to show with my fellow artists at the Ojai Museum for the Annual OSA show, I would like to invite you to our new exhibition featuring "Three Ojai Artists" at the Ojai Art Center, which opened Saturday, August 8, and will continue through September 2, 2026. My work will fill the two large galleries, while Gayel Childress and Peter Fox will exhibit their work in the display cases. Together, we will create a varied and exciting artistic experience. I will be displaying almost everything I have in my studio, old and new! All my different series will be represented, including abstract and 3D paintings, mixed media, still lifes, canvas deconstructions, “asemic” writings, and more…

What I love most about paper is the irony of using something so fragile and fleeting to preserve our ideas, memories, and emotions Collage is a bit like alchemy: working simultaneously with the physical elements of paper, shape, and texture, and with the emotional ones, until something coherent yet unexpected emerges. In this four-hour workshop, I'll share what I love most about working with paper. How color, form, and texture can hold personal meaning, using paint, chalk pastels, stencils, and mark-making tools alongside it. All materials are provided, though you're encouraged to bring your own paper ephemera too — old letters, report cards, wallpaper, newspaper clippings all work beautifully. This workshop is offered as a private session, limited to 4 people. Gather 3 friends and let's find a time that works for you! Please contact me at ojaineville@yahoo.com to learn more...

Guccio Gucci was the famed founder of the luxury fashion house we all know as Gucci. When he worked as a young man at the Savoy Hotel in London, he noticed the beautiful high-end luggage the guests of the hotel used. This all sparked his inspiration, and when he moved back to Italy, he brought with him a vision for his company that went on to sell fine leather goods. Later, his three sons went on to expand the company into what we now know today and which now includes high-end fashion as well. Here, I have created a monotype portrait of Guccio Gucci in his middle years. You can see this piece in person at the Ojai Valley Museum show which opens on Thursday, August 20th and the opening reception will be Friday, August 21st from 5-7pm. I hope you can attend. The exhibition will be up in the Museum until October 12th, coinciding with the Ojai Studio Artists Tour. I have decided to take this year off from the Tour due to a serious health issue I have been dealing with. But I hope to see you next year on the Second Saturday OSA Tour in June!

My entry to this year’s exhibition at the Ojai Valley Museum is a bit unconventional in that it is an art book that cannot be opened to see its pages. I’ve thought a lot about this idea of displaying something that cannot be completely seen. I like the curiosity, trust and surprise that may come from the viewer, especially if she takes the extra step to see the pages which are displayed here. The book’s front and back cover is from a vintage Japanese ledger. Its pages are made from mat board. The binding is waxed linen. The “stand” is made from a vintage wooden office tray with USN stamped on it. The rusty thingamajig that holds the book and the “hat” are from my collection of rusty thingamajigs. The book can be displayed closed or open, allowing for a change of what is seen.

I love our crazy fourth of July Parade in Ojai--the excitement builds from the beginning of June when the chairs start to go out--this may be a bit excessive, but it's tradition. I went very early this year to help with Dennis Shives' Inchworm determined to support goofiness in our parade. Since they did not need help I had a couple of hours to kill so I sat with my sketch book and watched people celebrate the big birthday. I did not see republicans or democrats--only happy flag waving celebrants.

It is the week of the new moon and I am photographing the Milky Way, star trails and a bonus this week, the Perseids Meteor Shower outside Santa Ynez and Lake Cachuma. In addition to the Perseus in the northeast sky, there are also two other meteor showers going on. In the south, they are the Capricornids and Aquariids. I have one more night to photograph and it promises to be a clear night. I am doing a bit of post processing during the day, but I do not have my big monitor with me, so it is not a fine tuned image I am posting. So no judging please lol ;) Here is an image of a GIANT green fireball next to the Milky Way. I used Google AI to find out where the green meteor came from. I gave AI the time and location. I was expecting it was Capricorns or Aquariids because my cameras were pointing south. BUT NO! It was a meteor than emanated from the Perseids constellation! The Perseids are in the northeast. The Milky Way is in the southern part of the sky. I was shocked when I read this! That meteor traveled all the way from the northern sky to the southern sky! Some of you want to know how I process my images. There are a couple of different exposures going on here. At night time the foreground is always darker than the sky. Both sky and foreground need to be photographed at the proper exposures. This image is a blend of a Blue Hour foreground image so I can capture the detail (and in this case, cows) while there is still a little bit of light before night time. Otherwise the foreground is black. Black foregrounds do not appeal to me in the least. Can you see those uplights under the oak trees on the right? A long exposure makes those lights glaringly bright and ruins the foreground. I shoot the sky as a time lapse at the proper exposure. That is the only way to get the meteors in my shots. So I have over 500 images from this camera. I shoot with two cameras with two different wide angle lenses. I'll have this image printed for you to see during the Fall Tour, October 10-12, 10am-5pm. Or you can contact me if you do not want to wait that long to see it. lindsay.thomson.art@gmail.com, 805.272.5990

I’m honored my painting “Let Us Weep” was chosen to be on the banner for the Ojai Valley Museum. The banner announces OSA’s Group Exhibition “As We See It”, which runs August 20 to October 12. This is one of my most recent paintings and was inspired by a Robin Wall Kimmerer quote from her book Braiding Sweetgrass. I found the poem to be very relevant today. This is one of my largest paintings so far. I wanted to challenge myself and try something big in preparation for my move to Ajijic, Mexico where I plan to work on murals. It will be on display along with artwork from more than 60 OSA artists. The reception will be on Friday, August 21, from 5-7 pm. I hope to see you there.

There’s something about a road trip that resets my creative eye. Ray recently acquired a new truck and drove it back from Northern Idaho. I flew up to Portland to meet him, and together we took the long and beautiful route home to Ojai, stopping in Bend, Mount Shasta, Winters, and Cambria along the way. Each place offered a different landscape, light, and rhythm and plenty of reasons to stop, wander, and look. Lately, I find myself more captivated by flowers than ever. I’m looking beyond their obvious beauty and noticing their structure: the architecture of petals, the repetition of shapes, unexpected color combinations, and that wonderful balance between order and wildness. Sometimes their vibrance feels almost impossible. All of it is finding its way back into the studio. Of course, once I begin to paint, I forget most of what I’ve consciously observed. But perhaps that’s the point. Those impressions settle somewhere beneath the surface and become part of the impulse to create. It feels good to be home in Ojai, with a camera full of images, a head full of color, and plenty of new ideas waiting to become something.

Hope to see you at the OPENING OF THE NEW EXHIBIT AT THE OJAI ART CENTER, OCT. 8TH. RECEPTION IS 2-4 PM I am showing my newest work in the Beatrice Woods Case. Carlos Grasso's art will be in the large Gallery and Peter Fox. will be featuring his artwork in the hallway showcase.

Being creative during times of extreme busyness outside the studio takes grit and determination. While starting out in a fresh new year of art-making, necessary responsibilities kept pulling me away from the studio. I started a very detailed painting containing one beautiful iris and added a zillion tiny flowers. Then I started slipping one insect after another underneath the flowers. Stepping back, I thought "ah ha, beauty among chaos". This is "Iris•Magnolia•Chaos•Love", 13x13 inches, watercolor, ink and acrylic

My Pyramid Studio is the best kept Ojai Art Scene secret. It is an experience not to be missed. I designed and built the studio/gallery building and landscaped the property, starting from an empty canvas. The ground floor is a working ceramic studio, while the upstairs is a gallery with 360 degrees of beautiful views. I will be open to the public only on Sunday, Oct 11th during the Ojai Studio Artist tour weekend, or by appointment at 805-646-7752. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet me and see my ongoing lifelong creative accomplishments.

This painting is on metal which I have rusted to create texture. I often paint flowers at their peak of bloom on a rusted metal surface because I love the juxtaposition of the perfect bloom and the decay that will soon follow--the cycle of life.

As I've been sculpting for 35 years, I've come to a time in my life where I'm ready to begin to release some of my private collection. I've always believed that when I let go of something that I've treasured, I am making room for what's next. These cast glass sculptures were a part of an I AM series I created in Seattle when I was learning how to kiln cast glass back in 2008. They have traveled from Washington state, to Ojai, then to Poland, and back to Ojai. They have many more miles to travel, so I hope they find a home with you, wherever you live. The theme of this series: acknowledging that we are bodies of light. I cast them in a variety of colors and these were my favorite ones. They are cast in lead crystal from New Zealand. Though they are small in size, they have much weight to them. My "I AM" sculptures have been one of my most popular sculpture series. We all have an I AM presence, so most of my art collectors found ones that they loved, as a reminder when viewing the art to return to their I AM presence. I've created them in stone, steel, and glass. If you have time to explore my website: BrianBerman.art and have interest in any of my artworks, please contact me for seeing my artwork by appointment. I thank you for your interest and providing the support we artists need in these challenging times.

Welcome to My Studio This Weekend On the plane back from my first solo voyage to France, I sketched arched canvases with gilded edges. I had no idea how this could be possible, but it was my dream. I visited Monet's 'Water Lilies' on that trip and felt a deep pull to create a large, immersive body of work on shapes that reflect the gorgeous architecture of Paris. Through local connections, I met woodworker Jackie Stewart, who was more than capable of making my dreams a reality. He built solid maple arched stretchers, and it took three of us, including Noah Crowe, to tack the canvas around the rounded edges. This weekend is the first public event to reveal all six arch shaped paintings, inspired by France and my freediving adventures in the kelp forests around the Channel Islands, Catalina and Laguna. 'Ocean Garden' is a series rooted in what becomes possible when we protect what we cherish. It is inspired by Venus, goddess of beauty, gardens, and flourishing harmony. The works are painted from my firsthand experiences in protected waters, where life thrives in ways that take your breath away. This collection has been teaching me a lot. At the start of summer, I realized I needed to slow down and truly listen. My paintings don't arrive simply because I set a deadline. They come through months of patience, of receiving, of being open to what wants to emerge. And so I am honoring that. Currently nine months in the making since those first sketches and a release date for the originals is still to be determined, as is the completion of the final painting of the six. I trust the process. I hope you join me to see both the in-progress and finished large works. With love, Marie

Dear Friends, I'm happy to share a small piece of good news! There’s a story… Earlier this year I submitted two works from my Paperweight series for consideration in Francis Gallery's Summer Exhibition. One sold before a final decision was made, so I re-submitted with Plan Check in its place and it was the piece they chose! And there you have it. You think you are steering the ship. And the universe has the plan in check all along. About Francis Gallery, Los Angeles… On a quiet stretch of famed Melrose Avenue, Francis Gallery LA is a calm oasis of harmony and natural materials. Founder Rosa Park built the space around soft curves and a palette of nuanced neutrals, with a curved partition wall at the entrance — shaped, from above, like a Korean moon jar that lets the art inside gently reveal itself. It's a quiet retreat on a busy street. I'm thrilled to be included in the gallery's summer open call exhibition! Please let me know ahead of time if you can make it and I will add you to the guest list. Warmly, Mary

Ojai Studio Artists Downtown Tour — July 11th You can see my works in progress and my unique technique for cutting stained glass and creating paintings. Mark your calendars for the Ojai Studio Artists (OSA) Downtown Tour, a free, self-guided art walk taking place Saturday, July 11th from 10am to 5pm in the heart of Ojai. This beloved annual event invites the public into the working studios and gallery spaces of fourteen accomplished local artists, offering an intimate look at the creative process behind a remarkably diverse range of media and styles. This year's lineup features myself and Dorte Bistrup, Kristen Clawson, Duane Dammeyer, Wrona Gall, Baghvati Khasla, Rex Kochel, Marie McKenzie, Tom Pazderka, Kim Smith, Linda Taylor, Katie Van Horne, and Fred Whitman. Together, their work spans stained glass mosaics, oil and atmospheric landscape painting, hand-thrown ceramics, richly adorned mixed-media figures, stone and limestone sculpture, layered fiber and textile pieces, and vivid narrative paintings drawing on art historical influences like Klimt. Visitors can expect to see everything from dramatic charcoal cloud studies and sweeping mountain valley landscapes to wood-fired stoneware vessels, elaborately costumed mixed-media figures dripping with beads and found objects, totemic carved stone columns nestled in greenery, and luminous, dreamlike mosaic florals rendered in stained glass. The tour is completely free and self-guided, meaning visitors can move through the participating studios and venues at their own pace, chat directly with the artists about their techniques and inspirations, and get a behind-the-scenes view rarely available outside of gallery openings. Maps showing all studio locations are available in advance to help plan the day's route through downtown Ojai. Whether you're a longtime collector, a curious first-time visitor, or simply looking for a creative way to spend a Saturday, the OSA Downtown Tour offers a rich cross-section of the talent that makes Ojai's art community so vibrant — all without an admission fee.

I’m excited to share that I was recently interviewed by Urban Artist Magazine. The conversation covered my artistic journey, how my Morning Practice drawings have become an important part of my daily life, and the ways those drawings continue to influence my larger paintings. We also talked about working from direct observation, painting en plein air, and how spending time truly looking at a place has become central to my practice. As artists, we don’t often stop to reflect on how our work has evolved. This interview gave me the opportunity to do just that, and I’m grateful to Urban Artist Magazine for the thoughtful conversation. If you’d like to read the interview, you can find it here: Read the interview: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ea878857bf.html I hope you enjoy the conversation!

It was in December of last year that I started the Taft Gardens artist residency. I had been roaming the gardens a few weeks prior, taking photos of various flowers and plants, especially the majestic and spiky aloes, and collecting dead plant matter. Anything that’s fallen to the ground was fair game. I’d bring small bags, put the plant stuff in, write the name of the plant on the bag and draw a picture with my sharpie on it so that I could easily recognize it when I was sifting through the dozens and dozens of photos I was taking. Once back home I burned each pile of the material in a small cast iron cauldron, an action somewhere between burning incense and casting spells. The sage smelled great. Other plants I couldn’t really tell the difference. Most of the time the smell was just that of burned wood. - By the way, if any of this sounds interesting, my studio will be open for the July 11th, Second Saturday OSA studio tour. See the website for more details. Now back to the post - Once burned, I’d collect the ash and grind it down to fine powder with a mortar and pestle. When ground all of the ash turns into a type of dark gray or black color. I then put it back in the bags to be used in the paintings later once I built all the panels. At the core of my work is a transformative process of burning wood panels and applying ash to the surface before painting it with oil paint. I came upon this process almost by accident, but also entirely by necessity, when I no longer knew in which direction my work was taking me. Back in 2016 I was about to graduate with an MFA. A fundamental chapter in my life was about to end. I had moved to California to discover what type of artist I was. The fires that broke out that summer in the mountains around the Camino Cielo pointed out the direction. It also identified my subject and the materials I was going to use from then on and created a link between them that I continue to explore to this day. The Taft residency allowed me time to return to those early days of exploring a new subject using its ashes as base material. For years I’ve been using a generic ash, collected over time from various sources, most often from my fireplace. At Taft I was going back to the beginning, threading the needle on a whole new series, a new direction maybe. As I was painting in those dark winter days, I thought about the connections of this work to the gardens and the grander narrative, my silly intellectual brain hoping to capture a moment of clarity in a world that tends toward the opposite. With the paintings I got close I believe. They’re snapshots, close ups of parts of the plants, but never the entire plant as such. This was how I thought of my experience of the residency and the garden, as a microcosm of what is truly happening on the ground. We may see a plant as something alive, but that is because we’re trained only to see that part of it. We identify with it, because we are also alive. But each plant also has its dead parts coexisting with the parts that are alive, and nowhere is this more apparent than on the aloe. From top to bottom, the entire spectrum of life is present. The garden itself is also both alive and dead, the dead parts on which we walk, the fallen leaves and twigs, are food energy for the parts of the plants that are still growing and for the seeds that have fallen out of the withered pods and flowers. We may call it the circle of life, but I no longer think of it as a circle either, because a circle suggests a direction. Life in this context is more like the holographic universe, existing everywhere all at once, coexisting with its counterpart, which is also everywhere all at once. All I am able to do as an artist is to provide snapshots of that experience and very crudely point others to a new place. Hopefully I’ve succeeded in at least a small part of that endeavor. Photo credit: Mikael Jorgensen

People often ask whether my work is functional pottery or ceramic art, and my answer is usually: both. Art is often expected to tell a story. My work is a little different. I make vessels to live with—pieces that are beautiful, useful, and become part of your story. I want a mug that feels balanced in your hands during a quiet morning. I want a vase that changes character depending on what it holds—branches one week, flowers the next, and sometimes standing empty and beautiful in between. I want bowls that become part of everyday rituals, with surfaces that hold up to daily use and continue to feel special over time. I hope my work becomes more valued not because it is preserved, but because it becomes familiar—woven into the routines and moments of everyday life. Working from my home studio in Ojai, I’m surrounded by open spaces, weathered fences, dry grasses, beautiful trees, and the quiet grace of things that improve with time. That landscape finds its way into my forms. I’m drawn to simple shapes, softened edges, and surfaces that feel aged rather than perfected. My work tends toward a modern farm aesthetic—grounded, useful, and understated. But I also love moments of surprise: glazes that interact differently across each piece and textures that invite a second look. For me, the best ceramic pieces are not the ones kept safely in a cupboard. They are the ones that become part of daily life. Used often. Reached for without thinking. Appreciated more with time. Pieces that function well enough to become part of your story.

After spending a weekend at Rancho Grande in Ojai, I came home wanting to get some ducks. Well, I have no room, so I made some anyway On the left, a fluffy gosling stands with downy, textured plumage in soft greys, taupe, and cream — its tessera cut in small, feathered pieces that beautifully mimic the wispy, not-quite-grown-in look of baby down. A pale watery background of blues and greys suggests a quiet pond, keeping the focus on the bird's tentative, wide-eyed expression. On the right, a mama duck takes center stage in a richer, more saturated palette of ochre, chestnut, and deep charcoal, its head turned to reveal a glossy dark eye and a vivid orange-red bill. The feathers are built with confident, sweeping tessera that follow the natural flow of the plumage, while a small shorebird wades in the lower corner, adding scale and narrative to the scene's soft blue water and shoreline.

Join us for an unforgettable evening high atop Sulphur Mountain, where breathtaking views, exceptional food, and inspiring conversation come together in support of the arts in our community. Dine beneath a canopy of stars in a remote and exquisite garden setting while enjoying handcrafted cocktails, appetizers, a delicious paella cooked over the open fire, fresh seasonal salad, and home made ice cream—all prepared by artists. The evening begins with cocktails and appetizers accompanied by the mellow jazz of Brian McCann, guests will have the opportunity to mingle with artists, collectors, patrons, and arts supporters, engage in lively conversations about creativity and culture, enjoy the paintings, sculpture, jewelry and stained glass created by the artists who prepared your dinner and explore a remarkable private artist studio nestled in this extraordinary setting. After dinner while enjoying home made ice cream, stroll through the garden to the strains of Brian McCann’s quiet jazz. This intimate fundraising event benefits arts programming in Ojai and helps ensure that creativity continues to flourish in our community. Limited Seating Available Reserve your place now for this spectacular evening before tickets sell out.

(Just in case the my font is too small, here is what I typed) Just incredible! Below is my “Milky Way and Oak Tree 2” and it is one of my very earliest Milky Way images. I shot this in 2019 with my Sony A6000 crop sensor camera (not full frame camera like I use now.) I am learning more about astronomy and came across a blog on social media that referenced a nebula that absolutely stunned me because of its resemblance to a flying bat! It is LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat Nebula. This image is on the NASA website and the credit and copyright belongs to: Mark Hanson and Mike Selby. It is located about 1400 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. The image was taken with a telescope of course, and is NOT AI. the nebula is right about where the circle is on my Milky Way image.

Big News! I have a new place to teach classes – in downtown Ojai Gelli Plate Printing: Botanicals - Sunday, July 12th 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Cost: $60 All materials included - no experience needed Gelli plate printing is a fun and accessible form of monoprinting that allows artists to create beautiful layered prints using paint, texture, and found botanical materials. Leaves, flowers, grasses, and other natural forms become the inspiration for unique one-of-a-kind prints. Space is limited to just ten participants. Register on my website: www.pamgrauprints.com

Having grown up in Southern California, where the weather is nice all year long, it was natural to enjoy the outdoors. I spent a lot of time in my VW bug driving up and down the roads I thought would lead me to my dreams. To be honest, I wanted to be someone who was a lot cooler than I actually was, but I didn't stop chasing those dreams. Indeed, I was The Pretender. I wanted to know what would become of the changes that love would bring. Jackson Browne's songs were my guiding light. They spoke of the trials and tribulations that I was living through. Yet, all the while they echoed the hope that someday I would hot-wire reality - that I would find a girl who showed me what laughter meant. He let me know that even though the years give way to uncertainty, I had nothing to lose.

This spring has been full of exciting milestones. My solo exhibition, A Woman's Painted Journey, is currently on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum through September 13. The exhibit features more than 50 works created over the past four years and reflects a period of artistic exploration, growth, and reinvention. I'm also delighted to share that seven of my original paintings sold this month at 10 West Gallery in Santa Barbara—the strongest response I've ever received there. The enthusiasm has encouraged me to continue developing my Strange Flowers Series. In addition, I am opening a small classroom space in downtown Ojai, where I will offer classes in Gelli Plate Printing and digital drawing on the iPad using Procreate. Beginners are welcome, and no prior experience is necessary. If you'd like to be notified when class schedules are announced, please reach out. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

This image is one of my earliest astrophotography image. So six years ago. The title is "I Am Here." said the Milky Way. For centuries mankind has been studying and exploring the universe. For the past year or so, I have been taking astronomy classes online through my astronomy club. Most of the club members are at PhD or Masters level. I am at kindergarten level. I am able to keep up somewhat, but I am at a major disadvantage. I never took advance math classes or physics in either high school or college. Plus I am learning with a 71 year old brain. But hey, I am interested in learning this stuff. I'm grateful we have Google classroom where I can review the video lessons and read the slide presentations over and over again. I have two rules as far as astrophotography goes. Rule 1: Nothing ventured, nothing gained (I tell myself this when I start to wimp out at going out at night to do photography.) Rule 2: Use it or lose it. (Challenge the brain. Don't be the old dog who cannot learn new tricks.) These two rules keep me relevant and motivated in today's world.

The creative process is imaginative and occasionally easy and effortless. Other times agonizing and difficult. This artwork of the MAY be finished. Friends have told me to stop, sign and move on. I’m not sure they are right, and will ponder the artwork and my original intention. To see the finished piece, plan on attending the Ojai Studio Downtown Mini-tour on July 11. Some 12 artists will have their studios open on that day from 10 until 5. Free. Put the date on your calendar and I’ll be happy to show you my finished painting. Although I may have placed it in a drawer to bring out on some future date to see the painting with ‘fresh” eyes, removed from all the preconceptions associated with the subject. That’s where the “suffering artist’ comes from. lol.

Summer. Heat. Tire Swing. No school. Dirty sneakers. Letting go. Feeling the pull of empty days. "Summer Fling" 8x10" in oil.

On the heels of an incredible event last weekend at Taft Gardens and Preserve, I’ll be opening my studio this Saturday with the upper ojai/ east end artists. I’ll have new work, prints and some apples if my dogs haven’t eaten them all by then. Swing by, I’m about ten speed bumps up Sisar Road on the left.

I’m in two of the events! Always fun when a family brings children with them. Many just look but some ask questions, often funny, but sweet to see their curiosity and ask them questions about their favorite. Here’s a photograph from last October’s OSA Tour. Many of the photos from then are in blancheSylvia’s gallery on Flowers, across from the festival, but many new ones are in my studio. Signs are out and maps are online so enjoy a day of art in the mountains and valleys of Ojai. Free and welcoming...

I had the good fortune to spend some time in Thailand and Vietnam this past month. Asian sculptural artworks appeared everywhere, from golden metal sculptures, to sculpture studios offering monumental size marble sculptures, in hotels, and especially Buddhist temples. I was blown away by a museum in Da Nang, Vietnam that exhibited monumental stone sculptures carved during the 5th-9th century, and expressing Hindu and Buddhist carvings. What a discovery. The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture is one of the first museums built in Vietnam by the French. The main building was constructed in 1915. It evokes some motifs of French colonial architecture in the early twentieth century and resembles the image of the Champa temples - towers in Central Viet Nam. I had the opportunity to contemplate more than 400 sculptures on display, including National Treasures and others representing the masterpieces of Champa sculpture in ten centuries (from 5th to 15th). The sculptures were made in a variety of materials, such as sandstone, terracotta, and metal. Grounded in various themes from fertility symbols, deities, mythical animals and architectural decoration from the Hindu and Buddhist, they express the features of cultural and religious values of the Champa people over many generations. The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture was a must-see destination for me having half of my life creating sculptures. Though I took hundreds of photos, my creative time was designing two engraved copper portals. It was time to bring these two copper discs into a sculptural form. I had purchased the two discs from Alaska Copper and Brass in Seattle in the late 90s. They have traveled from my home studio on Bainbridge Island, to Ojai when Lisa and I moved here in 2011. Eleven years later, we were volunteering in Poland do to the war in Ukraine, they traveled with my tools with hopes that I would have the creative inspiration to design these copper discs into sculptures. Well the inspiration came while in Vietnam, using graphic images I've collected and loving the toroidal geometric designs that are inspired by my Holos design and embossed paper wall artworks. I thought the best way to display these sculptures would be to hang the discs within a circular stand. Though they are not yet ready to be seen, I plan to exhibit one of them in the OSA exhibition in the Ojai Valley Museum, and have the second one for the October OSA Studio Tour. My home studio is open by appointment. You are welcome to view my artworks, or purchase what connects with you. I have finally combined my artworks under the domain BrianBerman.art This website brings my former websites BermanSculpture.com and Holosamulets.com under one website BrianBerman.art I look forward to sharing my art with you.

I love having visitors in my studio. There is nothing quite like meeting friends, old and new, and sharing the techniques behind my clay and glazes. Lately, I have been working diligently on a batch of new pieces. In fact, my kiln is firing right now, and I will be unloading it this Friday! Who knows what surprises are waiting inside? I hope you can stop by, see the results, and catch up.

Lately, my hands have been covered in splotches of ink, glue, and patterned paper. I've been experimenting with a Japanese-inspired palette-- weathered blues, deep charcoal, and soft, faded earth tones that feel aged by the wind. Each piece starts with raw, natural textures, which I layer slowly. The energy of the work often comes from birds. I'm fascinated by their silhouettes against these weathered backgrounds, a sudden burst of movement in a quiet landscape. East End Open Studios - This Saturday, June 13, 10-5pm map at www.ojaistudioartists.com I hope you can come!

I have been paintings cowboys and flowers and birds lately, but I found I missed painting my African friends so I dug out an old sketch and painted Nafisatu as she too a rest from pounding millet for dinner. Her eyes always sparkled with mischief.

A few samples of work to be seen on this three-artist tour: Richard Amend, Wyatt Amend and Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend. Things are always changing in our studios which is an excellent reason to stop by. Richard's painting, Sisar, excellently portrays a hidden creek along Sisar trail in Upper Ojai. He will also be showing his geometric abstraction paintings. It's OK to express two ways of seeing and thinking about the visual world at once. Wyatt continues to bewilder with his phenomenal ceramic skills. Glazes and patterns on his work are truly unique, precise. One-of-a-kind cups will be shown alongside extraordinary large vessel forms, truly canvases for glaze pattern experimentation. Susan continues with her "Whimseys" Series, modest glass works based on unconscious doodles, line drawings in space capturing beautiful hand blown sheet glass. Also, a work from 1981 is in the studio, "X Valentine", a stained glass wall panel. Recently included in the exhibition, "Tough Stuff, Women in American Glass Studio", groundbreaking work of women from 1960s-1980s, at the Corning Museum of Glass (catalogue forthcoming), this work by Stinsmuehlen-Amend is an example of experimentation and rule-breaking going on at that time. And a sidestep into 3D stained glass, "A Woman's House" featuring glass painting, glass decal and hand blown glass. Come see these works and more this Saturday, June 13 at the family art compound during this Second Saturday Tour, June 13, 2026..

Always a joy for our family of makers to show together in our studios. Wyatt Amend is working on his own work @wyattamendceramics and is also the lead fabricator of work for Forrest Middelton at flmceramics.com in Petaluma. So we are always glad for his return to Ojai to work and show here in Ojai. Wyatt will have new functional works as well as spectacular larger vessels using a newly developed glaze technique that features a very painterly surface. Richard Amend continues his paintings based on patterns and structure of tree forms, both abstract and interpretive. Richard features gold leaf in many of his paintings adding another level to the surface; a juxtaposition of surface reflection and painterly depth. Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend, continues her "Whimsey" Series, wild renderings of doodles in stained glass. Susan is also showing a work from 1981, from the "X Series", an example of work done in the same time frame as the "Tough Stuff, Women in the American Glass Studio" which just opened at the Corning Museum of Glass. Several early works of Susan's are shown in this exhibition and will be included in a catalogue. So curious to look back 40+ years at the beginning of her career in glass, amazing, really. So come by and see what is happening at the Amend Art Compound on your OSA tour through Ojai's East End /Upper Ojai artists studios on Saturday, June 13!!

Thrilled to be included in this important exhibition, Tough Stuff: Women in the American Glass Studio is the first survey exhibition of work by exceptional women artists working in glass in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s—the breakthrough decades of the American Studio Glass Movement. Tough Stuff champions the lives and critical early work of female artists, bringing into view their formal and material breakthroughs, historical impact, and profound conceptual frameworks in glass as an artistic medium. Visitors will discover how work from this period by female artists illuminates the broader social, cultural, and gender politics of the time. Great to see early work of my own and 45 other women, many I knew and haven't seen since the early 80's. A great and respectful honoring of the work and artists who are not truly included in the history. It was a packed two-day opening event; lots of great memories and stories including the struggles of not being allowed entry into the early hot shops run by men. I had a different experience entering the glass art scene, often helped by men in the field. Opportunities lead to teaching at the Pilchuck Glass School, visiting artist stints at university glass programs and becoming the first woman president of the Glass Art Society. This show brought up all kinds of memories from the early days. Fantastic! Link to Corning Museum: https://whatson.cmog.org/exhibitions-galleries/tough-stuff-women-american-glass-studio

My artwork covers a wide variety of subjects. When visiting the optometrist office I was enchanted by the office instruments. From a photograph I rendered a blind continuous line drawing, capturing as much of the detail as possible. The goal is to arrive at an interesting drawing, close to reality, but definitely altered. An approach to drawing used in the classroom to teach students - in this case high school students - to begin to REALLY see. Carefully see reality and than transfer careful seeing to the paper on which they are drawing. Until one gets accomplished at this type of drawing it is quite a wild ride. One does NOT look at the paper, but rather trusting their observation to record something close to the subject they are seeing. They were not required to paint their “drawing”. I, on the other hand, developed an artwork style that has become in signature style. I have a studio full of drawings and paintings that began with careful blind continuous line. Painting one’s drawings is my personal “wild ride”.

During my recent residency, I created a new series based on my experiences and observations at Taft Gardens and Preserve. I focused on my exploration of the area in relation to space and place. If you’d like to see this series, Taft is having an amazing fundraiser/opening June 6, followed by a free viewing on June 8. Tickets can be purchased: https://www.taftgardens.org/events Also! I’m opening my studio June 13 for the upper ojai/east end second Saturday. I would love to see you for this (free) event!

Early recognition as an artist followed my exploration of watercoloring blind continuous line drawings, drawings completed with minimal glances at the paper for basic orientation. These drawings require intense focus and careful observation. One tries to never lift pencil from the paper and draw as continuously as possible. With careful observation it is astonishing at times just how realistic some subjects appear, others not so much, and definitely quite a deviation from reality. My artwork in this category has been compared to Antoni Gaudi the architect of Barcelona. The camera painting began as a blind continuous line drawing, some alterations must take place to clearly define the subject, but on close examination one can see the quirky and lyrical quality of the artwork. My studio is abundant with paintings completed in this manner, and drawings still unpainted waiting for inspiration. I'll be open for the Downtown Second Saturday, July 11 so please come by and visit.

An instructor at Ventura High School for 34 years, the last ten in the art department, I’ve observed students “shine” as their creativity develops. Presently a watercolorist and member of the Ojai Studio Artists since 2004, the joy of art is ever present. Watercolor is a challenging medium, but can be quite magical. Hope you have the time to visit my studio on July 11, 2026.

There was always a very small Totem Pole next to my Mother's bed as I was growing up. It was very special to her, and as children, we were not to touch it. I always wondered why it was so special to her. Later, I found that my mother's grandmother lived on Vancouver Island, Canada. My grandmother died an early death, leaving five children. My mom was the oldest child, 9 years old. The five children were then sent to be raised in an Orphanage. Vancouver Island was one of the many places where totem poles were created by Pacific Northwest Indians. I'm guessing my mother's Totem Pole belonged to my grandmother; my mother, being only 9 years old, when she lost her mother, the Totem Pole, was the only tangible keepsake she had of her own mother. That's why I think it was so special.

This kiln is where the magic happens. I load every pot into it at least twice. The first time, or bisque firing, is after I have thrown, trimmed, and dried the piece. During this firing, water molecules are driven out of the clay, making it completely dehydrated and transforming it into ceramic. Individual clay molecules begin to fuse together, making the piece much stronger, yet still porous enough to absorb glazes. This transformation to "Bisqueware" happens at around °1800. After unloading and glazing the bisqueware, I load it back into the kiln for its second firing, the glaze firing. I gradually increase the kiln temperature every hour. When it gets to about °2200, I start the process of reduction. I restrict the oxygen supply to the kiln to starve the fire and force the atmosphere to pull oxygen from the metal oxides in the glazes and clay body. Reduction alters the glaze's molecular structure, producing dramatic color transformations. The intense heat also causes the clay to mature and the raw glaze materials to melt together. The glaze transforms into a hard surface, binding permanently to the clay and making the piece waterproof and functional. This process takes about 6 hours and reaches an ultimate temperature of about °2300. I have general ideas of what glazes will look like when this process is complete, but I never know for sure. I can't open the kiln for at least 24 hours after firing as it needs to cool slowly. I have fired this kiln hundreds of time, and still wait in anxious anticipation to see what the pots look like. There may be some disasters, or pieces that I consider mediocre. If I'm lucky, I'll pull out something magical.

Una, my special assistant cat, decided to lend a paw to help with my studio clean up. We're getting ready for the East End Second Saturday Open Studio. It's coming up...SATURDAY,JUNE 13. The event is FREE and FUN. Hope you can stop by- 10-5 pm. More info. on the website main page.

If you happen to be in Los Angeles and are interested in astrophotography, I have six framed prints at The Loft at Liz's. The exhibit is "Galactic Nature" and runs til the end of May. The Loft at Liz’s 453 S. La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 939-4403 ext. 4

Artist decorated humming birds will be landing at the Ventura Botanical Gardens in June. Avid birdwatchers will be flocking to the gardens to catch a glimpse of these unique birds. I hope you can join in the fun, stroll in the gardens and see "my" pink spotted hummer.

I love books! I love to make books, alter books, read books, and display books. Bookstores, libraries and neighborhood little libraries pulled me to them like a magnet. Displayed here are two of my older art books and two that I am currently working on. The new ones have pages that are torn, collaged with antique papers and images, and stamped and painted. Each page is a piece of art that is different from the next. And what am I reading right now? “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder.

While finishing new work at a frenzied pace this week for Second Saturday May 9th, I marvel that I'm still driven to create after over 50 years of practice. It's my greatest joy to make a unique piece and have someone come along who 'gets it'. It's also my great reward to be teaching silversmithing to students these past 4 years. They join me in my studio for weekend workshops and many return to learn new techniques. The necessary skills are paramount, but always with emphasis on designing wearable art! Come see behind the scenes Saturday May 9th. I'll have my studio open from 10-5, with work displayed and an array of examples that can be completed in my classes. I'd love to meet you and tell you the story behind this necklace: the Keeper of All Things Possible!

I recently biked through the Netherlands, spending the first five days deep in the Dutch Golden Age of painting ( 1588-1670). What a glorious era it was - large paintings of the merchant class and small intimate life portraits (think Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Dyck and one of my favorites, Pieter Saenredam.) In this first image my husband took of me in front of a giant Frans Hals painting I am a mirage - floating back into the seventeenth century. We biked through the countryside and occasionally took a moment to sketch some of the scenery and sites: vast fields of tulips and hyacinth, looming windmills and life along the river as we floated on a barge through canals and rivers (when we weren't on bikes.) A journey providing an infusion of art, beauty, light and hue that will no doubt translate into my work in the studio in coming months.

This Friday is the opening a new show called "r/evolve" at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation. The title holds two meanings: to revolve, as in rotate and return, and to evolve, as in change over time. Both feel true to how this work came together. Everything here is new — I only started working in the circular format last summer, and this is the first time it's all been in one place. There are round paintings, a hand-painted acrylic sphere, a series of limited edition prints, and two Sonic Blossoms, painted PA speakers clustered into colorful flower forms that sit on rotating turntables. The centerpiece is a seven-foot circular landscape mounted so visitors can spin it themselves, like a Wheel of Fortune, a mandala, a planet. Which way is up? Working in the round has changed how I approach making art. Without corners to navigate or edges to fit, the fixed vanishing point loses its authority. I've found myself drawn to the curved and wiggly over the straight and angular, to forms that meander and spiral rather than march toward a horizon. The opening reception is this Friday, May 8, from 5 to 7 pm at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation, 248 Montgomery Street in Ojai. The show runs through May 25. I'd love to see you there.

I was just honored to have a profile article written about me and my art that is appearing in the May issue of the Ojai Monthly Magazine. The wonderful writer, Ilona Saari, contacted me and asked if she could write an article and, of course, I said YES! The article was particularly lovely as they included pictures of me in my studio plus quite a few pictures of my artwork as well. During the process of her writing the article, I really had to reach back in my memory and remember things going back to my childhood up to the present. Trying to remember the exact year of things that happened over 30 years ago can really be a challenge. So look for the May issue at your favorite store around town. It's the one that mentions me on the cover with the headline, "Leslie Plimpton, Art as Fashion." Hmmm, does that make me a cover girl? Also, don't forget that May 9th is our Second Saturday Open Studio Tour for the Oak View/West End group of artists. I will be on the tour, so if you are intrigued after reading the article (or even if you are mildly curious), please stop by.

Sitting on the hilltop on the ranch where I live--I look through the paper thin Matilija poppy petals that are silhouetted against a sky that has turned to copper with the dusk. It leaves the lake a smudge in the distance.

I had so much fun working on this project! I was part of a group of artists chosen to paint rain barrels! H2Ojai is a youth-led environmental project that brings together art and sustainability to spark a stronger community response to drought. The initiative installed five artist-painted rain barrels in visible locations around Ojai. By turning functional infrastructure into public art, the project encourages everyday conservation while making water stewardship more engaging, accessible, and culturally rooted in the community. My barrel is stationed at Rainbow Bridge. You'll see it at the entrance when you walk in. So delighted to have been part of this project.

Solving a problem for how to best use a Window. That I didn't want to use a half curtain, a Japanese screen was too narrow, no room on the inside for two Now have the perfect perforated sides , strength, plus 9"depth, to create almost any arrangement, with any materials, anything I have made, can make, can create a constant changing work of Sculptural Window Dressing! Easily seen while studio visiting..

I recently came upon some old work I had made that never looked quite finished. Since I have done these pieces, I have gained new knowledge that is helping me to rework these pieces of art and make them into a completely new artwork that feels more complete. This particular piece is called, "Tree Ball Gown." The original ball gown was designed by fashion designer, Charles James in 1955. His client was Marietta Peabody Fitzgerald Tree and was named for her. The gown was designed to resemble the shape of a tree when uprooted. The original versions of this gown are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. My version of this piece started with a dry point etching with hand tinting. But then I added a surprise element to it, actual red fabric to show off the dress. The background had been left open and looked quite bare. So I have added a wonderful patterned paper and green and yellow inks to the background to tie the piece together. If you would like to see some of the other pieces that I have reworked, please come by my studio on May 9th for our Second Saturday Open Studio Tour between 10am and 5pm.

Nature As My Co-Designer I’m so grateful to have nature as my "inspiration board." There’s a certain peace in stepping outside the studio and letting the local landscape take the lead. The Green Glaze Quest Of all the colors, green has long been a favorite of mine. With so many variations in nature, I feel entitled to as many as I want in my own work! These stacking bowls are my attempt to capture that perfect, leafy hue—they look right at home against the weathered grain of aged wood. Botany Meets Bas-Relief Why draw a leaf when I can use the real thing? It’s an absolute pleasure to wander my garden or take a walk to gather plant material. These wall hooks were such a fun project—pressing lavender and the random sprig of something or another directly into the clay. The result? A permanent "record" of the valley that smells (in my imagination, at least) like, well, Ojai. Cycle of Life (Aka: The Chrysalis) A rather humbling aspect of being a creator is being reminded that nature is way better at it than I am. Case in point: a Monarch caterpillar decided to set up shop right outside my front door. Watching that perfect, gold-trimmed chrysalis form makes my best hand-thrown vase look like a rough draft. It’s also a great reminder to slow down—nature doesn't rush the "firing" process, and neither should I. The Texture of the Banksia The bottom pod is the real deal, but the top one is my own hand-sculpted version made from wild clay collected from nearby Matilija Canyon. I feel like my clay version captures that earthy, rugged texture of the original. Seeing them side-by-side is rather fun! Trying to mimic the intricate, prehistoric detail of the pod was a challenge, but using clay straight from the canyon floor makes it feel like a genuine piece of the landscape. Finding the Flow At the end of the day, these pieces are more than just clay and glaze; they are snapshots of the world right outside my door. Embracing the "perfect imperfections" of a seed pod or a stray leaf helps me stay connected to the best inspiration. Whether I'm foraging in the valley or just watching a cocoon on the porch, I'm reminded that the best art isn't just made—it's often found.

There are moments in an artist’s life when a shift occurs quietly at first, almost unnoticed, and then, over time, becomes unmistakable. "A Woman’s Painted Journey", my upcoming solo exhibition at the Santa Paula Art Museum, is a reflection of one of those shifts - a four-year evolution in how I see, gather, and create. Opening on May 16th from 4–6 PM, this body of work traces a path that has been shaped as much by movement through the world as by time in the studio. It is rooted in exploration and observation: long road trips, quiet walks, unexpected encounters with color, light, and form. These moments, fleeting and often small, have become the seeds of each piece. Over the past several years, my process has undergone a transformation. Trained in traditional methods, I found myself increasingly drawn to digital tools - not as a replacement, but as an extension. iPad sketches made in real time, photographs taken along the road, and vector drawings created in the studio now intertwine with hand-painted papers, collage, ink, and layered textures. The result is a hybrid language, one that allows me to move fluidly between spontaneity and control, between intuition and structure.

It all started with a hole in the ground. I was in the backyard with our contractor, gazing into a deep trench where they’d hit groundwater. He said it was pure clay—impossible to compact for building. I asked if I could use it for ceramics. He said, “I don’t see why not.” That was it—I was hooked on the mystery of working with the earth beneath our feet. And so, in this Year of the Horse, I’m experimenting with our wild Ojai clay on my horse sculptures. Each firing is a new discovery. As they go through the fire, the surfaces shift and transform—no two come out the same. The unpredictable surface patina brings a unique trace of Ojai to the works. Sometimes, combining my luster glaze with Ojai wild clay creates a chestnut tone that shifts into soft violet, almost lavender, luminous in different lighting. When I’m creating with our wild clay, I often think of the indigenous Chumash people and their deep relationship with the natural elements in Ojai. It reminds me how extraordinary it is to take something as ordinary as mud from our yard and transform it into art fired to stone, with each equine sculpture carrying the essence of Ojai. This Sunday, the first of the wild herd will appear at the California Coastal Horse Rescue in Ojai, for the Day of the Horse fundraiser, April 26, from 11–3. And you’re always welcome to reach out for a studio visit: val@freemanart.com

Here is my little frog on a rock that I did for The One Hundred Moments Project for SAMA. My intent was to use as many different tessarae that I could in one small space. I used stained glass, fillati, fused glass, smalti and translucent grout. One of SAMA’s most impactful programs for members is returning for its seventh season this year as part of a multi-organizational collaborative celebration of contemporary art! For over 10 years, The One Hundred Moments Project has been a captivating, non-juried collection of work representing the full spectrum of SAMA’s diverse membership. This program has been featured at SAMA events in Chicago, Boston, Nashville, Greater Detroit, Kansas City, and Orlando. This year, it will return as a multimedia event featuring work by members of our Partners in the Arts, The Stained Glass Association of America, The Glass Art Society, and the International Society of Glass Bead Makers. For 2026, the rolling exhibit will travel to Corning, New York, to be featured at the world-renowned Rakow Library at the Corning Museum of Glass, May 9 – June 7, 2026, and then onto a new annex of the Pittsburgh Glass Center, the Pittsburgh Glass Corner Gallery, June 26 – September 25, 2026. The collection will be on view for over 5 Months and will be complemented by a renewal of the 100 Moments Online Gallery.

I have a show opening at the Carolyn Glasoe Foundation here in Ojai opening this Friday May 8 called "r/evolve." I struggled with the title – I love the sound of it, but I worry the forward slash between the "r" and "e" is maybe a little pretentious? We’re going with it anyway - this is, after all, a show of round paintings, a few that turn, a painted sphere and two sculptures made of horn-shaped PA speakers mounted on turntables. All of it looks a little like my previous landscapes, but it’s nothing like what I’ve made before – it’s about evolving! The biggest piece in the show, the anchor, is a seven-foot diameter disc: a lacquered composite tabletop my friend Joel discovered sitting next to a dumpster last summer. It was transported across town in another friend's truck with blankets and lasso straps (and the happy discovery that it could be rolled across my yard like a giant pool raft); then it was sanded, primed, and varnished before a drop of paint went on it. I painted it over a few months in wedges, one pie slice at a time. The real challenge wasn't logistical. It was compositional. When I’m doing a landscape I follow a familiar rule-set: horizon about three-quarters up, diagonal lines receding to a vanishing point, bigger things closer, smaller things further, color vivid up front and soft in the distance. The rectangle is obedient. It holds still. The circle doesn't play by those rules. Where is "closer" in a circle? Which way is up? Where’s the horizon? (Somehow it never occurred to me to just treat the circular edge as a border — a viewfinder — and paint an ordinary scene inside it.) Instead I worked from the center out, playing with radiating lines of perspective and curved, patterned wave shapes to suggest form, undulation, slope, elevation, distance. What came together felt like a little planet. Also a wheel of fortune. Also a mandala. At a certain point it became obvious: it needed to turn. I researched and acquired an industrial-grade lazy susan mechanism and called in a builder friend to help make and affix a mounting plate so it could hang on the wall (none of this would happen without the help of friends! so grateful for this community!) . And once the whole thing was turning, everything opened up. I fell into my familiar dreamlike way of working, filling in spaces like putting together a puzzle, leaving space for pink to show through, creating telescoping points of view. I tossed little houses across the picture like Monopoly pieces, snaked roads among overlapping tree shapes and crop patterns, painted a sun on the curve of the horizon, then another, further down (or was it up?). Along the way I started to feel genuinely liberated by the circular. The cell, the eye, the planet, the ovum – we’re born of the circle/sphere. We live on one. We see through them. Our origin, our vision, our whole world is a circle/sphere. So what's with all the rectangles? Our windows, doors, tables, screens, books, walls, street layouts — squares and grids everywhere! I felt myself getting carried away looking around the ordinary world, wanting to scream: down with the Oppressive Right Angle! Sure yes rectangles are efficient, stackable, complementary. They give a pleasing sense of ORDER and CONTROL and USEFULNESS. Fine. But they are not the only shape; they need to make room. Come see the show and celebrate the circular! The opening is Friday, May 8, 5-7 pm, at the Carolyn Glasoe Foundation, 248 S. Montgomery St, Ojai. If you want to go deeper: on Saturday, May 17 I'll be doing an artist talk in conversation with Joel Fox. And on Friday, May 16 I'm leading an illustrated sketchbook workshop.

HOLOS is transforming. For the last 13 years, I've been producing HOLOS sculptures, wall prints, and jewelry. When I saw this design in my meditation back in 2013, I recognized the beauty and importance of what this design represented. For me the design symbolized we are One Humanity. It also represents the totality of All That Is. I was told by a physicist that I modeled the creative pattern of the Universe. My inspirational glass casting teacher said I could use this design in my artwork for the rest of my life. Many people have my HOLOS sculptures made of stone, kiln cast glass, 3D printed metal sculptures, cast precious metal pendants, and wall prints. I continue to receive comments of great appreciation for what HOLOS means to them. Here's one quote that I recently heard for travelers and locals alike, "I wear the HOLOS almost every single day! Love it so much and I can feel the amazing energy it brings 🙏💜 So grateful for your artistry!" I have a limited inventory of my HOLOS artworks, so if interested please contact me. brianberman.art So what is transforming? I created a new logo identity as my purpose and passion is promoting peace. Now more than ever, PeaceBuilders need support. If you are interested in my artwork or my Awakening Peace design, drop me a note and let me know what interests you.

I drove back to Cambria last week to do more astrophotography. Yes, that's right, I was working the night shift again, lol. Most of the grass on the mountains were golden brown at the higher elevations, but there was still alot green mountains facing the ocean. The oak trees looked healthy and the foliage was dark green. I could not shoot every night, the clouds rolled in half the nights I was there. So I was grateful for the still, serene clear dark sky on the very first night I photographed the skies.

Working with clay throughout my life has opened many doors and given me a way to explore, express and make visible the intangible thoughts and feelings about the wonderful world around me. I welcome you to my studio this Saturday, 10am to 5 pm.

I’m moving to Mexico! While my husband and I had always planned our retirement in Mexico, an opportunity presented itself this year and this seems to be the right time to make the move. We are moving to Ajijic in the Lake Chapala area which is about 30 miles south of Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco. Ajijic is very bohemian in nature with artists, writers, actors, and musicians drawn to the region. Therefore I believe we will fit right in! This will be my last year with OSA and thus my last 2nd Saturday and tour. I hope you’ll have a chance to stop by and say hello but also take the opportunity to take some art with you. EVERYTHING will be discounted , as I cannot take everything with me when I go. If for any reason those dates do not work for you and you still want to visit, please let me know and we can set something up. Meanwhile, between trips back and forth to set up our new life, I have managed to keep the creative juices flowing. I must admit I have been writing more and painting less. Mostly I’ve been painting the words. In a way combining both. Hope to see you in May so you can find out more. Mariana

Growing up in the Upper Ojai I was always mesmerized by the Topa Topa Bluffs The Bluffs are a magnificent sculpture created by nature . The ever changing light creating shadows and reveling it details and colors . As a boy growing up, my family home sat at the base of the bluffs in Bear Canyon. We had no neighbors between us and the Los Padres Forrest. My brother and myself would often hike up to and on top of the Bluffs from our home . Now as a artist I continue to explore the Bluffs in its many designs ,colors . Its bold shapes creating ever changing shadows leads me to designs that can be translated into Art . This exploration can lead to dramatic shapes and designs and playing with the dynamics of color . I don't know where this exploration my lead me but I am enjoying the Journey.

Last night the Santa Ana winds were holding steady, so the skies above the ocean were very, very clear. Lucky me. It was the perfect opportunity to get in a little bit of rocket photography practice. I used my Sony A7RIV camera and 24m lens. The timing for launch was ideal. Sunset was at 7:23pm and launch was 7:50pm. So the launch was during nautical twilight. Beautiful sunset colors were still in the sky. Colors from the rocket plumes were reflected in the ocean. The ocean waves are blurred nicely thanks to the long exposure. There is always a big gap in the plumes during stage separation. Next time, I'll try my 20m lens to try to get more of the "jellyfish effect" in the left side of the frame.

I’ve been working on an oil painting for a friend who recently lost her dog. To capture the essence of the painting, I needed a studio model, so my doodle Trudy was happy to posed for me. The painting is called “Doodle Romping and Hiking.”

I have been painting cowboys lately. I can't get back to Africa so I'm painting what is in front of me. The dusty trails, the dusty corrals, the dusty pastures---am I attracted to dust? Then on my way to play pickleball, I saw this perfect rose and could not resist.

For inspiration leading to one of my first paintings made this year, I visited a big nursery. It was a wonderful place, packed with plants and warmth. That place belongs to a man who has great plant knowledge; how they grow, when they bloom and what their proper names are but also a great love of those plants in his care. I was so drawn in by that environment and so inspired. I have great love of the paintings I create. The shapes and colors and the birds and insects; the design. So here is "The Traveler and the Messenger", a brand-new painting for this year.

My cat ashes is hard at work helping me in my studio. I am painting like crazy to get ready for the Second Saturday tour April 11. Will I ever get this mess cleaned up!

Something I have pondered on for a long time has finally gained momentum. A pedestal is being made and will be viewable for the OSA April 11th Second Saturday. Come by and see what I am talking about. Plus, enjoy a stroll through my spring garden

It’s a long way from Ojai, but my piece “Electric Ladyland” is up now at the Everywoman Biennial in New York City! It’s an incredible salon style show at the Pen and Brush Gallery, 29 East 22nd Street, open every day until April 11th. There is so much inspiring work filling the gallery, and a bunch of performances scheduled during the run of the show. In my light sculpture, “Electric Ladyland”, organic shapes and materials are interwoven with plastics and electronics, creating an abstracted fantasy of femin-ish utopia. This piece is part of an ongoing series exploring the intersection of nature and technology through layers and light.

Digging Deep to Find New Inspiration is my motivation for this Blog post and likely this year. I've been invited to stay with a friend in Thailand and visit Vietnam in May. I'm turning 77 in April and want to explore some of the ancient carvings in these two countries. It is my goal to explore ancient temples carved out of Marble and Limestone mountains. I might even take a stone carving class in Nuoc Stone Carving Village. As my main support comes from the sales of my artwork, I invite you to book a trip to my studio or website and select gifts for yourself or loved ones from my stunning collection of HOLOS Amulets, or my sculptures and wall artwork. I will make it worthwhile, so find what you want and we will work out a way to make it happen. Many of my artworks can be viewed on my website: BrianBerman.art , and if you'd like to come see my artworks in person, drop me an email at brianlberman@gmail.com or text or What'sApp me at 360-620-1040. Please identify yourself with your namewhy you are reaching out to me, this will clear up any mystery. Many thanks for the 35 years of support from all the art lovers and patrons that have supported me through my art sales. I am humbled and grateful when you find my artwork appealing and meaningful to you.

This April, I won’t be open for Ojai Studio Artists’ Second Saturday. After months of living in between, our belongings are finally being returned following the fire just before Thanksgiving. The timing overlaps with Second Saturday, and I need to be present as everything comes back into our home—unpacked, checked, and, piece by piece, put back into place. The construction is mostly complete, and this marks a long-awaited shift: we’re moving home. I’m also looking forward to getting my studio back in order—over the past months it’s become a kind of “command central” for the construction process, with all sorts of things finding their way in that don’t normally belong there. It will be good to return it to a space for making. It feels significant in a quiet way. Not just returning to a space, but rebuilding a sense of order and familiarity after a period that has asked for a lot of flexibility and patience. I’ll be taking a break from unpacking to participate in Cross Pollination: The Intersection of Art and Nature—a plein air paint out at the Ventura Botanical Gardens on Friday, April 10 from 9–4. Admission is free that day, so if you’re in the area, come by and say hello. While I won’t be open for Second Saturday, I do plan to step out and visit some of my fellow neighborhood artists—many whose studios I rarely get to see since we’re usually all showing at the same time. Later, I may head back to the gardens as the paint out continues through the weekend. And just a few days earlier, I’m excited to be part of something new: I’m included in a group of artists from Studio Channel Islands Art Center now showing on Artsy, with an in-person exhibition opening April 4 from 4–6 pm. This show marks the launch of that program and brings the work into a physical space. If you’re not able to make it out in person this month, I invite you to visit my website. Any work purchased directly there supports something close to home—10% is donated to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. As a landscape painter, I’m deeply grateful for the places they’ve helped preserve. La Cañada Larga Road, in particular, is one I hold close—it’s hard to imagine it ever having been at risk of development. Supporting OVLC feels like a way of giving back to the land that continues to give so much. Thank you, as always, for your continued support—I look forward to welcoming you back soon, once things have settled. —Christine

I made this painting of my late husband Jerry (Walter J Taylor) many years ago, before we got married in 1984. I only painted occasionally then. I made my living as a graphic designer and product development art director, and loved it. Never intended to do anything else as a job. Jerry was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1999. As the years went on and his health as regards his memory and brain function declined, I became full-time caregiver during the hours I wasn’t at work. On the weekends, I started getting up at 5am, and driving down the canyon to Malibu, to paint. I could work a couple of hours and get home before he woke up, and begin my day as a caregiver. I don’t know why it was this that did it for me. I only tried it because I loved those little jewel-like oil color sketches done by the old plein aire painters of the late 19th and early 20th century—and I needed to do something to settle my mind from worry. We had a kid still in school, and a rapidly darkening future—but painting really helped me hold it together. The discipline of doing the work and not being attached to the result as anything other than learning—the act of being set up and ready when the sun came up—witnessing the beauty of the new day beginning and having the opportunity to feel that gratitude for my life and all the good things still in it—kept me sane. As I painted more and more, I started bringing Jerry with me on the drives. He’d settle in a chair with the dog, and enjoy the sunshine. It was sad, what was happening to him, but still many happy days too—we had a knack for that. We lost that dear man on the first day of 2009. We miss him like crazy. I'm still painting outside—still grateful!

This is my first landscape in Stained Glass mosaic. As every artist knows, perspective is challenging. I do love how the colors are just so alive in this piece. I want the viewer to be taken back to that moment in time when you are just gob-smacked by the scene you see. When your surroundings just make you stop and feel the power of the beauty in your bones. This what I love about Ojai. There is not a day that I am not swept up in the world around me here. I can breathe it, feel it, soak it up, and it is joy.

COLORSPACE 3D is a magical immersive installation by Carlos Grasso, reimagining the relationship between light, color, and spatial perception. Visitors will step into a dedicated room where a monumental 8 ft x 46 ft acrylic painting envelops the space, transforming as light shifts throughout the canvas. Unlike traditional light-based exhibitions, COLORSPACE 3D relies solely on acrylic paint on canvas (it’s not “Blue Light”), yet, as illumination changes, hidden pigments and tonal dimensions emerge, unveiling new visual harmonies and emotional resonances. When viewed through special 3D glasses, these transitions take on a luminous, kinetic quality, immersing viewers in a living spectrum of color and motion. “I wanted to create a painting that breathes… one that changes not through technology, but through the natural language of light,” says Carlos Grasso. “Each moment in the room reveals a different facet of the same image, reminding us that perception is never still.” Reception: April 4, 2026 10am-5pm Show Runs: April 4 - May 1, 2026. Location: Gallery 825 825 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90069

I just finished post processing Milky Way Over Green Valley. To say I am thrilled with the final image is an understatement. This was a difficult shoot due to the time of night the Milky Way rose above the mountains. I woke up at the hotel at 3am, got dressed, slammed some coffee down my throat and drove out to the photo site. It was windy as all get-out. I used my car as a windbreak, but still the wind circled around my car. My usual workflow is to set up two cameras to shoot the Milky Way as time lapses with two different focal length lenses, but it was much too windy to do that. I set up my camera with the heaviest lens on top of my heaviest tripod. I stood next to the tripod with my hands ready to catch the camera if it was knocked over by the wind. I didn't know til I got the images on the computer if the stars were in focus due to the wind. I shot the foreground during blue hour to capture the beauty of the green mountains, then blended it with the sky with the Milky Way in it. Do you know why photographers do it this way? Because the sky and the foreground are two different exposures. If I expose for the sky, the foreground turns out black. Then what is the point of going to a place with beautiful landscapes if the foreground turns out completely underexposed. I must say I am impressed with my new Sigma 20m f1.4. It is outperforming my Sony lens. Shock! If you squint your eyes, you can see Morro Rock waaaay in the distance. I'll do a bit more tweaking to get it ready for printing. I'll have it printed for Ojai Studio Artists Second Saturday, May 9, 10am to 5pm.

I’ve been working on an oil painting idea that popped into my head last winter: a cool blue water reflection with a sunrise peeking behind a bare tree.

My living room glass doors look out over a wild landscape of rolling oak covered hills. It is the home of many wild creatures who also call it home. We keep a pot of water in the garden for them to drink so they know they are welcome at our house.. A large buck decided to investigate what was going on behind those glass doors so when I saw him standing on the porch just beyond the patio table--he was staring in the window as I was staring out--curious both of us.

When I was a kid, my mother and aunt used to have a line: "You make me feel like a million bucks." I've been using it for decades — and I'll come back to it in a moment. In both my working life and my creative life, there is a theme to what people share with me that I can distill to this: these are some very strange times. And I agree. There is a lot of suffering right now, for a myriad of reasons. Those "strange times" conversations almost always arrive at the same place — that we need more art, music, performance. Anything that gives us the chance to gently release whatever we find ourselves clinging to these days. I've been thinking about this a great deal as we lead up to the Mira Monte Second Saturday on April 11th. It is always a tremendous honor to share my work with this community. My intention has always been to help people unwind, let go, have a laugh — or even a good, solid think. But that intention feels more intensified now. Over the last two years especially, collectors have shared what it's like to live with my art in their homes and offices. What I keep hearing is that the work gives them a needed break. A release. A relief. A laugh. I understand, philosophically, how art functions as catharsis — it gives form to feelings that are too tangled, buried, frightening, or shapeless to face straight on. A collector recently told me she feels safe with my abstract expressionist portraits. Another wrote simply, "You do emotion unlike anyone else, Rich." In ordinary life, there is grief, fear, rage, shame, and longing — all of it can feel overwhelming precisely because it is our life, our pain, our risk. But I believe, in my heart of hearts, that art not only provides a safe distance — it also stands in solidarity with that life, that pain, those risks. It becomes a shared safe space. I know this from my own experience: a painting, a song, a film, a poem has let me enter complicated feelings without being crushed by them. I am deeply grateful that my work can do that for someone else — close enough to feel, far enough to survive the feeling. And that we can do it together. What's wonderful, as I prepare for April 11th, is that 99% of my work is done spontaneously. For me, it has always been about process over precious — process over product — and I think the fearless, raw energy I bring to the canvas is what people are resonating with more and more in these strange times. All of that, taken together, feels like a million bucks. I can't wait to see you all.

Making marks to leave a mark. Does the art grow from me or do I from it? Part of me is there. Part of me is here. Is it possible to be in both places at once? And still, I don’t know. This Saturday my studio will be open and questions will step into the room. Waiting for other sets of eyes to see what I have yet to notice.

In these turbulent times in our country and world, I find myself so aware of the comfort and presence I find in my creative process and in the natural world. Observing details and cycles in nature, and engaging in the meticulous process of creating my work with these small natural forms are a great respite. I'm looking forward to sharing the sculptures and jewelry I've been making, this Saturday March 14 -- OSA's first Second Saturday Tour of the year. I'll be in great company with 9 other artists in Meiners Oaks and the Arbolada neighborhoods. Come say hello!

A core element of my work is peace and connection, including wall and wearable art. My life and artistic path have taken me through many transitions - some tumultuous - yet this newest chapter is producing some of the greatest work of my career. Longtime peace activists, my wife Lisa and I relocated to Poland in 2022 to work with the One Humanity Institute supporting refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Many of my fellow sculptors were stunned when I sold most of my tools before leaving Ojai. For Lisa and I, it was a conscious step into the unknown - an opening to something new. Just before their departure, I collaborated with printmaker Linda Taylor to create a series of letterpress embossed prints. Using laser-cut templates, his geometric images carry an intriguing dimensional quality - an early bridge from his sculptural roots into wall-based work. While in Poland, I discovered how deeply he missed making art. I continued developing my signature HOLOS form, working with a Czech studio to produce cast-glass pieces from models generated with my 3D printer. When the slow pace of glass casting created delays, I began exploring new ways of “seeing” HOLOS. That exploration led to something unexpected. Using inspection-style filters (x-ray and wireframe views) I began generating stark white-on-black images that are both mesmerizing and beautiful. They became the foundation for a new 2D series centered on HOLOS: clean, luminous, and quietly powerful. Another personal transition has been my painful separation from my grandchildren. Turning again to art as a lifeline, I have been transforming 2D photographs into 3D-printed models of each child. “Not all my artworks are about beauty and peace,” he says. “But my intent is to find peace amidst these emotional challenges.” These new works will be on view at my studio this Saturday, March 14, alongside original stone, metal, and glass sculptures. I just returned my Tri-Portal sculpture to our garden of Peace, so please come and enjoy. I will have many 3D printed gifts for all. I will also be demonstrating my 3D printing process.

I feel so fortunate that I was able to photograph the total lunar eclipse just a few miles from home. Let me tell you, I was nervous it would be foggy. The previous morning, the skies were completely covered with fog and lasted til mid morning. But in the early, early hours (O'dark thirty) of Tuesday, March 3, the skies were completely clear. I thanked my lucky stars. I packed up the car and drove a few miles to the outskirts of Ojai, set up my tripods and cameras and began shooting the eclipse. I used my 600m telephoto lens, which resulted in a very large moon image with exceptional color and clarity. Add to the ambience were the voices of a few coyotes howling in the dark night. the sounds and sights were like a setting for a mystery movie or novel. The next total lunar eclipse for our area will be in December 2028.

The rhythm of the waves, sun warming the skin, a twirl , a taste of salt in the air. Perhaps a nod to Edgar Degas and his ballet dancers - changing the art world some 160 years ago - but impressionism still beloved by many. Or a nod to any young girl today, feeling the freedom brought by wind, a floaty dress and the song playing in her head. "Sea Dance" is oil on canvas, 24"h x 20"w. Drop by my studio this Saturday, March 14 from 10am to 5 pm for OSA's Second Saturday Open Studios. There are just 10 of us open on Saturday in the Arbolada and Meiners Oaks areas of Ojai.

I have been looking at Bespoke Vintage Wallpapers and Murals. I love the deep tones and subtle muted tones. I tried to capture this in my latests piece. The blues and lavenders in the flowers with deep emerald tones of the leaves. Then, just a pop of yellow/orange to make the centers of the flowers stand out. I hope you like it.

I am spending some quiet time in my studio this morning revisiting pitchers. Their wheel thrown bodies must be light enough to be usable when they are filled with liquid. The spouts must pour cleanly. The pulled handles should add grace and balance. It is a satisfying exercise in form and functionality.

We had rain this year and the flowers are all around. I got inspired to paint my cowboy husband as he trailed through the mustard that was taller than his horse.

Just back from our Big Sur road trip, and this time it was the calla lilies that captured me. They were everywhere, rising out of the hillsides with those sensual, sculptural curves. Back in the studio, what began as photographs became sketches, layered painted papers, and digital collage. Travel always leaves a trace.

I'm enjoying letting the inside peak out, creating portraits which speak volumes in a quiet, discreet way. Letting scraps of words, imagery, maps and musical notes breathe out from within one's portrayal. An assemblage of life's journeys, foibles and dreams, rising to the surface. Please stop in and visit my studio this Saturday, March 14, 10a-5p when I'm part of the mini studio tour featuring artists in Arbolada and Meiners Oaks.