Julie Grist: Come on In

I love my little studio perched in the hills above Ojai. 

Perhaps one of its best features is the garage door which I had a carpenter cut into four distinct parts, creating a giant double Dutch door. I can open a quarter, a half or three quarters, depending on my fancy that day and the whims of wind and weather. Like many artists' studios, this main light source faces north so I get a lot of beautiful bounced light.

Direct sunlight arrives only in early evening when the sun seeks me out before sinking below the mountain ridge. That's also the time the dog whimpers for attention and I need to clean my paint brushes, and my hands and, not surprisingly for me, my face of remnants of paint. I''m experimenting with some new techniques. Come by and see.

I am pleased to be a part of the Ojai Studio Artists "Arbolada" neighborhood (meaning 'wooded') - and this year our Second Saturday tour on July 12 will include 12 artists in the neighborhoods of the Arblolada and Meiners Oaks. There are some spectacular artists in this 'mini tour' so hope you will come to all these doors open to art lovers.

10 am - 5 pm, Sat July 12. Get your free tix and the map here.

A bam of bounced light snuck in and lit my painting "Rapture" just perfectly.