October is a few weeks away. I am beginning to organize my studio for visitors. The Santa Cruz Arts Council’s Open Studio Tour is a favorite event for many residents. It is a chance to explore hidden gems in our rural and diverse community. South County artists (from the harbor south) will be open October 3 & 4. I will also host encore weekend October 17 & 18. I am planning to exhibit my small inspiration paintings with the larger expanded view paintings. This method of painting on location, then making a larger painting from my plein air study, notes, and photos, is typical of how I work. Working on a large scale requires that the painting have more information, and the initial design is critical for a successful painting. Do come by and see these pairs before one part is sold off.
I have paintings in two preview exhibits. Wilderness Preserved, 24″x 26″ will be in the preview at MK Contemporary on Front St in Santa Cruz.
I also chose a small painting for the Watsonville preview, After the Rain, 11×14″. Painted near Gizdich Ranch, it depicts a farm rich with lettuce with red barns in the distance. Large cumulous clouds create shadows on the foreground. This painting won a special award at the SC county fair and was exhibited for a year at Natividad Medical Center.
Wetland Winter, 12×24 oil painted at the Watsonville Wetland Watch Headquarters will be exhibited at Pajaro Valley Arts at 280 Main St., Watsonville.
Getting to my studio: As we all are enduring the widening of highway 1 south from Santa Cruz, I want to give you some suggestions about driving to Soquel from “over the hill”. I often take Summit Road to Old San Jose Rd and down into the center of Soquel. The traffic is much less hectic and the drive more pleasant. My studio, at 4930, the end of Cherryvale Avenue, Is about 2 miles from the center of Soquel. Locally, traveling on Soquel Drive is a better bet than highway one, as the Bay/ Porter exit heading South, only, is closed. I look forward to sharing my new paintings with you.
Do come by for a visit to my studio, Michele.
