Julie Grist: A Matilija Smile

One can't seem to live in Ojai without feeling a surge of smiles bloom as our Matilija Poppy season begins to erupt. Intentionally planted in gardens or taking over entire swaths of neglected open fields, the "fried egg" plant captures attention. These tall and sturdy bushes produce a prolific amount of crepe-papery platters with bright yellow stamens seeking the sun. The Matilija poppy, Romneya coulteri, is native to Southern California and holds a place in Chumash mythology, where it is said to symbolize both death and rebirth.

This small gouache painting of a single bloom captures the tones of this past week, when our spring skies are gray giving lush lavender hues to our environment. This piece is part of a gallery show opening this weekend at the Guild Studios in Culver City that will feature an entire wall of poppy paintings by artists who traipse to various fields of matilija poppies every year to paint them on site.

The ArtMart in Culver City will open this Saturday, details below, and run for a month.