After leaving the soda fountain, Brian took the boys to the Julian Pie Company.  I noticed the "Julian Art Gallery" right next door on 2229 Main Street  (ref www.thejulianartgallery.com).  I went in and was immediately impressed with the quality of art. I met Beth Lucia, the owner. Beth told me that the Gallery is about to begin its fourth year and that all work is by artists from the area. She explained that Julian has a significant artist community, which includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed artists.The artists participating in the current exhibition are: Jerome Lipetzky, Robert Watts, Stanislav Prokopenko, Dan Thoner, Richard Powers, Dot Renshaw, Denise Rich, Bettie Rikansrud, Bonnie Gendron, Carlos Castrejon, Helen Petre, Sherry Krulle-Beaton, Chuck Kimball and Graham Wilder.

 

 

 

This past month I received an email from Carol Lois Haywood saying she had picked my art to feature that week in her blog, "Trawlers and Tugs" at www.trawlersntugs.com.  I checked it out, and told Carol I was honored. Although her blog is new, I really like its purpose, her approach and the way it is developing.  I asked her to share her motivation and vision. Here is Carol's response.         

         

  Why did she do it? This blogger got weary of how limited were the boat art displays, wherever she looked! Believing that talent and excitement were blooming everywhere but poorly represented, she began this blog.

She chose artists' work she liked with some presence on the internet and started her blog in July 2009. The different media are the usual suspects: oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography. But don't be surprised by occasional wanderings in the world of maritime sculpture, printmaking, pastels, even folk music and poetry.

The aim of "Trawlers and Tugs" art blog (www.trawlersntugs.com) is to expand everyone's awareness of artwork with a working-boat theme from around the US.

The scope of topics includes artists from the past or present, covering a wide range in geography, style, medium, and, well, personality, within the selected area. All this in three short posts a week, usually focusing on three very different artists.

Reading "Trawlers and Tugs"can be refreshing, intriguing, inspiring!

• Be surprised by the huge array of ideas and inspirations that artists in just this one genre (maritime or marine) art can show!
• Get links to see and read more for yourself about each.
• Speak up with your own questions and comments anytime: no need to register to post your reactions!

Being a maritime painter herself, the author remarks on the strong points of each featured individual artist. Her overriding idea is "appreciation:" looking for ways the artist succeeded at showing something new or interesting in interpreting the working boat. Finding fault is of no interest to her: she believes even great masterpieces have flaws if you look for them.

Finding gems to share everywhere, Carol Lois Haywood loves showing you pictures worthy of your attention, with brief comments. The author herself paints the disappearing commercial fishing boats of northern California in watercolor.

Why the working boat in particular? Because it's the too-much-ignored workplace of many a sturdy man or woman still today. In fact some are also artists in their free time! Lots of authentic revelation can come from hands like those.

The author believes that maritime art can reawaken people to how basic life on the water is, to our life in every way, and to understanding our place in it."