Traveling throughout the Cypress Gallery!

by Chris Jeszeck

While Elizabeth Hack is off traveling the world, I am filling in for her this month, traveling throughout the Cypress Gallery!

In our front room this month is a Featured Artist show you won't want to miss. Eye-popping, thought-provoking and stimulating are some of the words that come to mind in describing the art of Jasmine Gonzalez. From resin pieces to collage to 3D wall hangings, her imagination and creativity abound. She has poured her heart and soul into this show, exposing a vulnerability that few of us are comfortable expressing.

In the words of the artist: "Creating is instinctual, an essential part of me, shaping my identity with every stroke. My work, a reflection of self-love and creative furvor, invites you to feel - joy, sadness, connection. Each piece, crafted with authenticity, tells a story waiting to be uncovered, whether bold or subtle."

In the remainder of the Gallery, a multitude of fine art pieces grace the walls. One particular standout is a large painting by Carol Wood, entitled "Sunflower". Bold, dramatic strokes come together to create a powerful statement in one of nature's beauties. Another very pleasing painting is a watercolor by Diane Atturio entitled "Prickly Pear". Though a strong subject matter, the colors are soft and delicate.

Several landscape artists show their skills this month including Neil Andersson with four of his locally inspired oil paintings. George Kreutz transports us to Arizona with three scenic wonders.

A watercolor by longtime member Ed Heinitz entitled "Mule Train" evokes the pioneer spirit which often describes artists willing to explore new things and places.

Elsewhere in the Gallery are an ever-growing number of affordable items in our newly renovated gift area. Cards, jewelry, glass items, ceramics and small wall art pieces are but a few of the items available. Numerous other art forms and styles are available for your viewing pleasure and of course, purchase! We hope you will make visiting the Cypress Gallery part of your itinerary each and every month!

Love Love Love at the Cypress Gallery

By Elizabeth Monks Hack

“Love” bedazzles the walls and pedestals of the Cypress Gallery this month, in a show that will surely add to your enjoyment of the most whimsical of holidays. The symbols and tokens of the concept of love – hearts, flowers, birds and bees – are presented in a variety of surprising media. Many of them are as small and precious as a favorite Valentine, and quite perfect for your special someone.

Mosaic artist Karen Franscioni has created hearts of dynamic shapes and contrasting materials, with intriguing titles. “Heart for a Queen,” made with red and black ceramic and glass, wears a crown. “East” is a white heart with a jewel. Franscioni also displays mosaic bees comprised of decorator ceramic pieces, mounted on slate. Her work has an alluring textural beauty.

Tammy Evans, an accomplished gourd artist, has crafted numerous hearts of wood, hand-carved and mounted on twisted wire. Stained red, blue, or left raw, these little pieces throb as you walk by them. Joe Goetz has mounted gemstones on hand-painted wood hearts. Joellen Chrones’ fused glass hearts are bursting with color and full of visual intricacy.

If your love prefers roses, there are so many to choose from throughout the gallery, with names to melt your heart. When you visit us, see if you can find “Sunset Rose,” “Quiet Beauty,” “Perfect Moment,” and more. Not to be outdone by the queen of flowers, Diane Atturio presents us with “Amaryllis,” a fragile depiction of two large blooms. They are rendered in veils of color, and what appears to be watercolor transparency is actually colored pencil.

Mitra Cline offers two strong, startling pieces that are wonderful to behold. “Mushroom Couple” is a fantasy piece of a couple embracing beside a towering forest of mushrooms. The painting swirls with color and design, as does her “Puss and Boots Mask,” a mixed media piece. This kitty will be staring at you long after you leave the gallery.

But don’t leave just yet! The gallery is a shopping paradise this month. We have an equal amount of high quality interpretive art and fun decorative gifts. Choose from felted wool hats in remarkable colors, fanciful Valentines Day cards and tokens, glassware, jewelry, journals and more. All are handmade. They are local products of the thriving artistic community of Lompoc. Let’s support it.

While you are here, pick up your wooden “Cat” blank for our upcoming community art project. The deadline is fast approaching. Visit the gallery or check www.facebook/CypressGallery and www.lompocart.org/events for more information.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access and exposure to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valley. Located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Hours are Thursday – Sunday 11;00 am to 4:00 pm. Phone (805) 737-1129

  

CAPTIONS (All photos by Bill Morson)

  • Karen Franscioni “Heart of a Queen”

  • Karen Franscioni “Bee”

  • Mitra Cline “Mushroom Couple”

  • Mitra Cline “Puss and Boots Mask”

  • Tammy Evans “Wooden Hearts”

  • Diane Atturio “Amaryllis”

Bolster Your Outlook – Look at Art

by Elizabeth Monks Hack


The Cypress Gallery wishes a Happy New Year to all art aficionados and creators of art! If you need a lift this month (the promising but sometimes problematic month of January), stop by the gallery to see our exuberant January exhibition. Our artists have contributed works that are vibrant, polished and inspiring. Works poised to galvanize a bold and positive look on life.

In the front room are several magnificent acrylic paintings depicting the magical city of Venice, by Vicki Andersen. Andersen is an artist who fully absorbs the visual wonder of the places she visits. Her paintings take you along on the adventure. Artist Linda Gooch guides you to her private locations. Her subjects of choice are often local environs, depicting quiet scenes of great beauty. Gooch’s “At Day’s End” is every bit as enchanting as the work of Romantic landscape painter John Constable, however, this one you can own.

Punctuating the front gallery are earth-toned gourds and abstract paintings by multi-media artist Kathy Badrak. Their modernist sensibility often serves as a wonderful foil to more traditional works. Modern décor calls for contrast, which the many artists of the Cypress Gallery can provide.

Chris Jeszeck displays very strong, striking abstract “acrylic pours.” Of moderate size and harmoniously toned and designed, each one is a feast for the eyes. More eye excitement (eye candy!) is found in Diane Atturio’s “Mexico.” A skillfully painted still life, it is a glorious celebration of the art objects of Mexico. Valerie de Mille creates visual excitement through another means; her paintings contain visual puns and political questions. “War” is writ large, and confronts us with tough questions.

Touches of whimsy abound as well. Claudette Carlton’s finely composed watercolor “Trust” depicts a joyful day at the beach. A little girl is tossed in the air, headed for the arms of her dad. Dolores Gonzales’ watercolor “Hibiscus with Geometry” surprises us with projecting flowers. Michael Corob’s intriguing, color saturated work “Shine Your Light, Shine Your Love” depicts many things – cats, a menorah being lit, a vase of flowers. But whimsy has a deeper side, and the viewer is wise to look for it in paintings that at first seem playful.

We are happy to display paintings by Neil Andersson, who has returned from a brief hiatus. His landscapes of the most straightforward of scenes, of water, sky, and trees, envelop the viewer and are simply ravissant; so lovely one just has to use a French adjective. The Andersson effect is based on subtleties; of carefully placed entities, brush strokes and color harmony.

These are just a few of the treasures waiting for you at the Cypress Gallery. We have small paintings, works on glass, cards, jewelry, and more for you to enjoy. Start the year off right. Bolster your outlook with art. Visit the Cypress Gallery!

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access and exposure to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valley and located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Hours are Thursday – Sunday 11;00 am to 4:00 pm. Phone (805) 737-1129 lompocart.org facebook.com/CypressGallery

CAPTIONS

  • Vicki Andersen “Serenissimo”

  • Neil Andersson “Dream Pond”

  • Linda Gooch “At Day’s End”

  • Kathy Badrak “Reflecting Spirit”

  • Chris Jeszeck “Labyrinth” (forthcoming)

  • Claudette Carlton “Trust”

  • Dolores Gonsalez “Hibiscus with Geometry”

  • Michael Corob “Shine Your Light, Shine Your Love”

  • Diane Atturio “Mexico.”

HOLIDAY MUST-HAVES

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

The corner of H Street and Cypress Avenue has undergone a most welcome transformation. It’s new and pristine, beautiful in the sunshine and enchanting at night. Now dressed in its holiday finest, a towering Christmas tree and glittering gazebo make Centennial Square a delightful causeway into the Cypress Gallery. Like the elves in Santa’s workshop, our artists have been busy preparing gifts. The gallery is full of small treasures for you to enjoy and bring home to most everyone on your list.

A handmade object of art is enough to give your world a festive makeover. We have a charming display of jewelery, tree ornaments, small decorative paintings, books, glassware, watercolors and more, to choose from. C. Wood’s oil painting of Santa is irresistible. He is a flurry of deftly placed expressionist brushstrokes. George Kreutz’s artful, acrylic paintings are of toys and Christmas decorations that we see through the eyes of a child.

Not all the work is small, however. Chris Jeszeck has contributed a marvelously large and fanciful door decoration. It is made of a large round canvas with a small, rectangular piece attached, simulating a huge tree ornament. Jeszeck uses the acrylic pour technique, and maintains a popular YouTube channel demonstrating her varied methods. Occasionally a work created in a demo will go viral, as is the case for another painting on display in the gallery, entitled “Metamorphosis.” It has over 14,000 views and counting! No wonder there; it is a painting full of surprises and gorgeous colors, impossible to duplicate.

For your book-loving friends this holiday, consider Beverly Messenger Harte’s handmade book “To Bamboo.” With Japanese stab binding and handcrafted ink stamps, she illustrates poetry that uses the bamboo plant as both subject and metaphor. Consider also Kathy Badrak’s handmade accordion book series entitled “Life in Lompoc.” These books are exquisitely crafted and filled with fabulous vintage photographs.

It is worth a gallery trip just to come eye-to-eye with Emily Abello’s watercolor “Winter Wolf.” Standing in front of snow-laden pine boughs, this white wolf is a magical creature from another realm. Another striking painting is Ed Heinitz’s “Ocean Cave,” in which light and water blast through an ocean rock formation. I also enjoyed the abstract expressionist painting “Figure It Out Later” by Manic Creative. It invites study, and tells its stories through color, drips, drawn shapes and brushstrokes.

The Cypress Gallery is now participating in the monthly “First Thursday Lompoc Art Walk.” What a great opportunity for us to walk about and participate in our town. View art, fanciful installations, meet people, and come home with a “make and take” from the gallery.

Shop creatively this holiday season! Shop small, shop local and shop art.

CAPTIONS (All photos by Bill Morson)

  • C. Wood “Santa”

  • George Kreutz “Christmas Candle”

  • Chris Jeszeck “Metamorphosis”

  • Chris Jeszeck “Ornament”

  • Beverly Messenger Harte “To Bamboo.”

  • Kathy Badrak “Life in Lompoc.”

  • Emily Abello “Winter Wolf.”

  • Ed Heinitz “Ocean Cave”

  • Manic Creative “Figure It Out Later”

All About Lompoc

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

 

This month, the Lompoc Valley Art Association brings to our community another terrific art exhibit at the Cypress Gallery, entitled “All About Lompoc.” Its hometown theme should please viewers of all aesthetic preferences. This show features art that references our own landscapes, seascapes, structures, events and inhabitants, as well as a collection of historical photos. The artists have made clear the variety of riches and beauty found within our reach. Our city and its environs are gorgeous!

Let’s begin on the coast. Suzanne Schenk’s photograph “Surf Beach” captures light at the end of the day, as it collects on the water and rocks of our spectacular shore. Elizabeth Monks Hack has created the opposite mood with “Rogue Swell, Surf Beach,” featuring the ocean when it speaks its fury during a high surf warning.

“Surf Beach” by Susanne Schenk

Moving on to our renowned flower fields, sadly diminished in quantity but not quality, several artists have contributed colorful beauties of the subject. Photographer Bill Morson has chosen to represent their workers. In both “Harvest Time” and “Flower Harvest,” a powerful man strides through the colorful rows of stock, carrying an enormous bundle of the glorious blooms on his shoulder. Morson’s images, printed on aluminum plates, are vibrant, clear and true.

“Harvest Time” by Bill Morson

Several of our members are plein-air painters, who explore our local parks for scenes and vistas to paint. Ken Adam Park, River Park with its picturesque Kiwanis Lake, and Beattie Park, are among the favorite haunts of Neil Andersson, Deborah Breedon, C. Wood, George Kreutz and Joe Gliebe-Goetz. These artists take us to the “south of France” in our own backyards.

La Purisima Mission is also an idyllic subject, with its acres of pastoral scenery and magnificently restored buildings. Claudette Carlton and Vicki Andersen lovingly depict the light and cast shadows on cream colored adobe walls and tiled roofs.

“La Purisima Mission” by Claudette Carlton

And what about our skies? Not many communities can claim the heavens above pierced by rockets. Mary Ann Mosley’s acrylic “SpaceX Launch Vandenberg“ recreates the jellyfish-like light display of the launch  and descent of our first Falcon 9 event. Lompoc’s luminous skies, cloudy skies, rain filled skies, sun kissed skies, and even a “zebra sky” by Beverly Messenger-Harte are all on view.

SpaceX Launch Vandenberg, MaryAnn Mosely

Collage artist and bookmaker Kathy Badrak has put together several handmade accordian-style books, featuring historical photos from a private collection, and the Lompoc Historical Society. The handsome books are arranged by theme, beautifully crafted, and feature handmade buttons and classic black photo corners.

“Life in Lompoc” by Kathy Badrak

Photographs on loan from the Lompoc Historical Society make one marvel at the passage of time. Some of us may remember dancing in the bar of the old Sherman House, and the sound of walking on the woooden planks of the front porch. Lompoc onced looked like a movie set of the wild west.

Of note in the back room are ambitious watercolors by new member Dolores Gonzales. “Sea Turtle” is nuanced with layers of color and texture. Hand-painted silk scarves by Emily Abello are decorated with images from nature, including large golden carp on a blue background. They make for truly special apparel. Come in and visit your own Lompoc community, as seen  through the eyes of artists!

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access and exposure to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valleys. 119 East Cypress Ave, Lompoc (805) 737-1129 Open Thursday – Sunday, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM www.lompocart.com

 

All photos by Bill Morson

  • Suzanne Schenk “Surf Beach” photograph

  • Bill Morson “Harvest Time” photograph on aluminum

  • Elizabeth Monks Hack  “Rogue Swell, Surf Beach” oil painting

  • Mary Ann Mosley’ “SpaceX Launch Vandenberg” acrylic painting

  • Kathy Badrak “Life in Lompoc” handmade book

  • Dolores Gonzales. “Sea Turtle” watercolor painting

Art  As Adventure

by Elizabeth Monks Hack


Each month, the Cypress Gallery brings to our community an engaging show of art, planned and arranged by its members, for your viewing pleasure. This month, gemstone artist and painter Joe  Gliebe-Goetz has hung a particularly unique exhibit, entitled “Gemstones and Landscapes.” His work demonstrates the concept of art as an exploratory adventure, in which the artist sets off on his own particular journey and is willing to engage with what crosses his path. He is open to influences. He is guided by his own sense of beauty and wonder.

Originally trained in technical illustration in Southern California, Goetz settled on a teaching career in Visalia, where he raised his family. He always had his eye on the California coast, however, and wished to devote more time to art. Upon retirement, both dreams came true.

 Throughout the years Goetz has also developed his skill in the art of lapidary. Using first rate gemstones, he hand-polishes pieces that will eventually be incorporated in wire-wrapped jewelery, mounted decorative plaques, and paintings. Ten years ago his path led to the merging of lapidary and the art of painting, developing a style that is uniquely his.

Goetz noticed, as he polished his stones, that their mineral designs were similar to what he experienced with oils and acrylic, watercolor and pastel. Looking for the best angles and taking note of their intricate compositions and subtle colors, Goetz found in the gems a wellspring of inspiration. 

His paintings have evolved from color saturated realism to an expressionism that proclaims the artist’s unique and subjective approach to subject matter. Goetz has tilted the picture plane and distorted natural perspective. He uses color and texture for emotional effect. He is opening yet another door into the realm of the mind. This evolution is on view in its entirety. “Landscapes and Gemstones,” a straightforward title, is in reality a remarkable adventure.

In the rear galleries, work has been installed in groupings that showcase the individual styles of each artist. Some of our artists have been with the gallery for many years, producing work that is confident and distinctly recognizable. Linda Gooch has wall of exquisitely rendered watercolors in delicious pinks and greens. Vicki Andersen’s palette of intense color and inviting shadows consistently proffer a rich tactile beauty. Diane Atturio’s velvety watercolors of local flora beckon from the wall. Chris Jeszeck continues to explore the art of acrylic pouring. This month she visits outer space with an  an alien and a UFO. Painter and guitarist Neil Andersson has a wall of abstract works that sing like a piece of music.

Individual treasures can also be found. Emily Abello’s delicate watercolor “Foggy Morning in Santa Ynez Valley” is a sensitive arrangement of delicate forms, empty space and restrained color. Beverly Messenger-Harte’s wall piece “Bamboodha Bones and Stones” could be categorized as a sculptural collage, with meditative components from the Japanese traditional arts, each arranged to perfection.

Come in and explore! We also feature handmade gifts, jewelry and cards stamped with the personality of individual artists. We have an Arts Education program featuring art classes in various media taught by gallery artists. To find out about our classes and events, refer to our website. Come in and walk the trail of your own adventure.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

All photos by Bill Morson

  • Joe  Gliebe-Goetz New Beginning

  • Joe  Gliebe-Goetz  Meditation Sunset

  • Emily Abello Foggy Morning in Santa Ynez Valley

  • Chris Jeszeck I Need My Space

  • Beverly Messenger-Harte Bamboodha Bones and Stones

  • Neil Andersson Yardbird

A Walk Through the Cypress: Pattern Pictures Paper Paint

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

Each month, the Cypress Gallery brings to our community a new show of art, planned and arranged by its members. The gallery is owned and operated by the Lompoc Valley Art Association,  an active community organization that has drawn local artists together since 1965. Desiring a permanent, public space to exhibit their artwork, LVAA established the Cypress Gallery in 1994, creating a local nonprofit and co-op art space for the benefit of all. 

Consider it a treasure box full of color and ideas that you can open and enjoy every month of the year. The front gallery room usually showcases the work of our featured artist, with the remainder of the gallery filled with submissions by individual artists; unless a special gallery-wide show is planned. This July, the treasure box metaphor is particularly apt.

C. Wood gifts us with “Paper and Paint,” a show that must be experienced in person to get the full effect. These works of art glitter and dazzle the eye, with pattern and color so richly applied the viewer is almost physically mesmerized. C. Wood is a multi-faceted and exuberant artist who sets no limits to her creativity. Previously, she has exhibited captivating landscape and still life paintings and pastels, rendered with keen perception and a deft hand.

In this show Wood explores her love of Japanese patterns and color combinations, with large, collage-paintings that are each three foot square. They depict a gallery of traditional Japanese portrait figures, each alone in an environment of paint, paper, foil, antique Japanese stamps and origami papers. In works such as “Geisha,””The Bride” and “Samurai,” the faces and exposed skin of the figures are painted, in contrast with their lavishly collaged costumes.

The large works are accompanied by smaller, abstract-expressionist pieces and objets d’art, using a similar color and texture theme. The small works are each spectacular, and demonstrate what an original and accomplished painter C. Wood is.

A truly enjoyable feature of the Cypress Gallery each month is the variety of work submitted by our artists. It is so often full of surprises. Steve Scolari, whose two-dimensional work is usually diminutive and realistic, has created a very large, abstract piece. Entitled “Barns,” and mounted in a wide black frame that functions as a continuation of the idea, the painting explores the geometries and colors of barn structures.

Jasmine Gonzalez's three-dimensional mixed-media piece also gives the viewer a start. Stable in its organization but full of contrasts, including a baby in utero and clown faces, it is entitled “All My Friends Are Having Babies.”

So much to explore! We also feature handmade gifts, jewelery and cards stamped with the personality of individual artists. Come in and interpret the works of art for yourself. Visit “The Cypress,” your friendly local art gallery!


All photos by Bill Morson

  • The Bride by C. Wood

  • The Official by C. Wood

  • Crazy Layers by C. Wood

  • Barns by Steve Scolari

  • All My Friends are Having Babies by Jasmine Gonsalez

June Luminations

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

The bright side of June gloom is the burst of sunlight that sometimes appears towards the end of the afternoon. Colors seem to bounce off one another as they are absorbed, reflected and transmitted, bringing joy to the heart. The effect is similar to that found in the work of glass artist Kristine Kelly, who is our featured artist this month. In her exhibit “California Pathways,” Kelly showcases paintings of glass, a unique and captivating medium. Its effect is altogether different than that of traditional painting.

Kelly has been a glass artist for almost thirty years, delighting in its luminosity, iridescence and color. Using opalescent, transparent and diachroic glass – glass that has shifting colors depending on the angle of view – she began with fused glass jewelry, later developing decorative pieces using molds.

Kelly then took a class on creating landscape paintings with glass, which ultimately led to the richness and abundance of the Cypress Gallery show. The laborious technique she used to create the varied textures of her pieces include multiple kiln firings at various temperatures.

Though the works are referential in nature, in which the trunks of trees, the moon, pathways and mountains are clearly featured, they are abstractly expressed with sprinkles of glass and various textures, depths and shapes. In some pieces it is as if the world has been created by fairies who cast a magic wand to create jewel-like environments.

Other works, such as “Moon River,” remind one so much of sumi ink paintings. Kelly’s draftsmanship is superior, the line flowing easily to create soft shapes in evocative settings. Birch trees and mountains inspired by the Sierras are arranged in convincing compositional patterns. The work is most fully appreciated in person, so be sure to make “California Pathways” a destination this month.

The rear rooms of the gallery features a few surprises. “BFF,” an enormous white chicken by C. Woods, calls your name as you turn the corner. It is freshly painted with masterful brushstrokes. Realist painter Lee Hill has taken a new direction, and is exploring the “funny stuff” of abstraction. His three horizontal compositions of two simple shapes imply landscapes, but his remarkable paint handling suggests other worlds.

C Wood, BFF

Claudette Carlton’s subtle watercolor “Ladybugs” has softly colored blooms that you will be tempted to pick. Likewise, gourd artist Tammy Evans has contributed several “Spirit Figures” that are irresistible. The whimsical creativity in putting together the various elements of her pieces belies their strict craftsmanship and skill.

Claudette Carlton, Ladybugs

Tammy Evans, Spirit-Figure

Our photographers Tom Chrones and Bill Morson have several striking color-saturated works on display. They have been joined by new member Diana Diaz, whose black and white photo “Cold Springs Deer Skull” provides a haunting contrast.

Mentioned here are just of few of the many fine works of art and gifts that you will encounter in the gallery this month. Art offers luminosity to pierce the gloom that too often visits us. Seek it out. Enjoy it!

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos by Bill Morson

An Outpouring of Creativity

by Elizabeth Monks Hack     

Within a relatively small space, artists of the Cypress Gallery consistently rain down an abundance of work that is as beautiful and surprising as a spring shower. The bursts of creativity one finds here are among the delights of our community. Chris Jeszeck, a fluid art creator, never fails to win in the wonderful and delightful category. She is our featured artist  this month. Her enchanting show “Pouring My Heart Out” will raise eyebrows and spread smiles in awe.

“Fluid art” refers to the art of pouring paint onto canvas; paint that has been mixed with a variety of additives that cause astounding effects. Jeszeck has been honing her fluid art skills for several years now, and she is able to control the paint and color harmony to pinpoint perfection. She also intelligently plans for “embellishments,” which are realistic images that enhance the abstract background. In a Jeszeck painting, it is not unusual to find a tiger or a pelican commanding a strange but convincing, complex “poured” environment. My absolute favorite is “Pearl Dive,” in which the room is reflected in its dark interior space.

Jeszeck’s chosen technique perfectly fits her playful personality and sharp wit. This aspect of her work grows more evident with each show. In “Flabbergast,” a frustrated Leonardo da Vinci stands aghast before a large fluid art piece in a contemporary art gallery, while his own “Mona Lisa” next to it is ignored by viewers. In “Munch,” a soft-haired rabbit dines on grass from a field of poured paint.

On display also are works from Jeszeck’s entrepreneurial accomplishments.  She maintains a successful YouTube channel, where the artist demonstrates various acrylic pouring and embellishment techniques. She also creates a variety of products bearing her signature designs, including puzzles and clothing.

In the rear gallery rooms, visitors will find creativity in all its many guises. The absence of color can create a powerful emotional effect. Michael Corob uses his personal symbolism in the charcoal and ink drawing “Holding an Apple,” depicting a hand grasping fruit, observed by spirit birds. “Jazz Singer” by Julia Nash is a black and white oil portrait of an elderly musician, thick with texture and feeling.

New to the gallery is artist Janis Knox, whose landscape “Sandunes“ evokes some of the rhythmic lines and intriguing spaces of the artist Georgia O’Keeffe, but with some marvelous textural passages. The intricate collage “Blessings” by Diane Atturio is an ode to motherhood, a perfect gift for a special someone in May.

The gallery is full of gifts and cards created by our artists, including handmade jewelery, glassware, wall pieces and more. Don’t miss the outpouring of creativity this month, and the opportunity to pour some art into your life.  On view through May 28, 2023.

 

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valleys. 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Thursday – Sunday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, or call for an appointment (805) 737-1129 lompocart.org facebook.com/CypressGallery

PHOTO CAPTIONS

  • Flabbergast by Chris Jeszeck (Photo by Bill Morson)

  • Munch by Chris Jeszeck (Photo by Bill Morson)

  • Holding an Apple by Michael Corob (Photo by Bill Morson)

  • Sandunes by Janis Knox (Photo by Bill Morson)

  • Jazz Singer by Julia Nash (Photo by Beth Hack)                                                  

Elemental

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

Somehow, upon walking into the featured show at the Cypress Gallery this month,  the states of matter that constitute our existence here on earth are magically called forth. In “Water and Wood,” artists Neil Andersson and Chuck Klein have conjured earth, water, air and fire –  scientifically referred to as solid, liquid, gas and plasma – and transformed them into  objects one hangs on a wall, or places on a table. The show is less like an exhibition, and more like a natural environment  in which one yearns to linger.

Andersson and Klein are receptive artists, exceptionaly attuned to their surroundings and the workings of nature. Both men have spent a lifetime experiencing and assimilating ‘”the ebullience of the natural world,” and recreating it as art. They view art as a process and expression of creative self discovery. It’s an endeavor that begins with each new piece, and doesn’t end once the piece is finished. “Water and Wood” features new work from the artists, and is their first collaboration together. 

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Neil Andersson hails from the wooded northwest. His love of the visual arts parallels an ongoing, successful music career as a renowned jazz guitarist. Following an MFA degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he returned to Washington to teach art, exhibit, create music, and learn the ins-and-outs of the sometimes difficult activity of plein-air painting. The works on view here invite contemplation, as they glow and pulse with the immediacy of the natural world. Sky and water reflect the fire of our sun in “Equilibrium.” As a painter and pastel artist, Andersson continues to develop his impressionist painting techniques. In “Lakeside Harmony” water, air and earth reverberate in suspended tension. 

Chuck Klein is a California native, born in Santa Barbara. He became an avid outdoors explorer, engaging in sporting activities and travel across the globe. His life as an artist follows a career consulting for national non-profits. Klein’s work has been profoundly influenced by cultural studies in Europe, South America, and especially Asia. Referring to his artistry, he is a Wood Weaver, and his pieces are living things. 

Much of Klein’s work can be viewed as a vehicle of spirituality. Bowls, lidded vessels, sculptural objects and wall pieces are beautifully lathed, and adorned with sacred beads, feathers, carved ivory and stone. In the wall piece “Ganesha,” two heavy arcs of wood with a gap between them are joined by slender bands of inlaid wood. The Hindu deity Ganesha is mounted in the sculpture’s center. The bowl “Neuton Star” in deep reds and midnight green, seems to convey a sacred orb encapsulating a glimpse of the cosmos. 

Our rear galleries feature several works that continue the nature theme, and as you wander through them, keep the notion of our world as “matter” in mind. Kathy Badrak, ever playful and experimental in her pieces, has brought forth “Reflecting Spirit,“ a mixed media piece featuring a silvery oak tree. Sometimes the artist’s strokes and marks of paint and pastel seem to illustrate the nervous system of nature. This is true of Deborah Breedon’s “Inlet at Refugio Beach” and Joe Goetz’s “Surf Beach Tree,” both done on location. All of our gallery artists are on the journey that never ends – the  elemental journey of art and nature. Despite of the frustrations of the process, in the end it always brings joy. 

Water and Wood” featuring plein-air painter Neil Andersson and Wood Weaver Chuck Klein. On view through April 21, 2023

PHOTO CAPTIONS

  • All photos by Bill Morson

  • Ganesha by Chuck Klein

  • Neutron Star by Chuck Klein

  • Equilibrium by Neil Andersson

  • Lakeside Harmony by Neil Andersson

  • Reflecting Spirit by Kathy Badrak

  • Inlet at Refugio Beach by Deborah Breedon

Hidden Gems

by Elizabeth Monks Hack, Cypress Gallery reporter, “A Walk Through the Cypress” monthly column

After more than twenty-seven years in business, members of the Cypress Gallery still encounter folks who exclaim, “Wow! I didn’t even know this was here!” Is this perhaps because we are a hidden gem, even though we are located on the corner of H Street and Cypress Avenue, bordering Centennial Park? This month, the hidden gem that is the Cypress Gallery, announces its February show by featured artist Susanne Schenck, entitled “The Quest for Hidden Gems in California.” You can start right here.

Schenck is a photographer, as well as an intrepid traveler, hiker, and camper. As an explorer of nature and her environs, Schenk uses her camera to document her adventures, and to further discover and appreciate them through the lens of art. She enjoys sharing her experiences, stating she would like the viewer to “feel like you're coming along on the trip with me, and seeing the wonders I see.” 

Susanne Schenk, Light Under the Pismo Beach Pier

Schenck was born in Sweden, but is now a long-time Lompoc local, who loves to load up the 20 ft trailer and go hunting for hidden gems. The subject of light falling on the objects in nature is a primary theme of her photographs. Rendered beautifully, it defines place, time and experiences. Complete immersion in the story of “a stark cliff dropping down in a wondrous blue ocean at sunset,” or “iced-over lakes in red beautiful sunset lights mesmerizing you,” is what the artist hopes for.                           

Schenk’s gift for framing and defining light is apparent throughout her work. In “Light Under the Pismo Beach Pier” a pathway of oblique pier columns lead towards a symmetric door of pure light, opening at the end. Light is used to transform an ordinary cow into the sacred bull of antiquity, solemnly making its approach, in “Dusty Cow.” The goal of Schenk’s quest, “to convey a sense of awe and wonder of nature's beauty,” has been accomplished in this show. 

Susanne Schenk, Dusty Cow

After exploring  Schenck’s world, viewers can continue the search for gems through the diverse viewpoints of our many gallery artists. Our community gallery is a treasure trove of various painting styles, subject matter and media. Vicki Anderson’s rich, compact floral “Red and Pinks” is a glorious bouquet for your Valentine. “African Mask” by Valerie de Mille will knock your socks off. Conversely, the serenity of Tom Chrones’ photograph “Great Blue” heron will take you to a motionless space. 

Artists working in three dimensions this month have contributed a wealth of intriguing beauty and surprise. “Billy the Squid” by Steve Scolari is a witty, sculptural construction of carved wood and twigs. Beverly Messenger-Harte’s dense, intricate design around a convex mirror, “Balance and Harmony,” is a bamboo assembly that allows one to look into oneself. Sculptor Chuck Klein amazes us this month with a new series of carved and shaped wall pieces. “Tree Frog” intertwines the world of forest and spirit through a precise mounting of rendered wood and bead assemblage. 

There is so much more to explore, this month and every month, in the world of art, right here in the middle of town. We also have gorgeous little works of art in the form of jewelry, cards and other gifts. We announce all of our shows, and events and classes monthly, in print, online and on social media. So now, if you didn’t know before about the Cypress Gallery, you know! 

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valleys. 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Thursday – Sunday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, or call for an appointment (805) 737-1129 <lompocart.org>  <facebook.com/CypressGallery>




IMAGES by Bill Morson

  1. Susanne Schenk_ Light Under the Pismo Beach Pier

  2. Susanne Schenk_ Dusty Cow

  3. Vicki Andersen_ Red and Pinks

  4. Valerie de Mille_African Mask

  5. Chuck Klein_Tree Frog

  6. Beverly Messenger-Harte_Balance and Harmony

  7. Steve Scolari_Billy the Squid

  8. Chris Jeszeck_There You Are!

  9. Carol Wood_Storm Drain

  10. Lee Hill_Pride of the Coop

  11. Kelly Ranger_Hendry’s Beach

  12. Elizabeth Monks Hack_Third Room

Cypress Gallery January Show

by Marga Cooley and Elizabeth Hack

The Lompoc Valley Art Association would like to begin the New Year by looking back. We are celebrating the artist Betsee Talavera, one of our cherished members, who quite suddenly passed away in October. Betsee was a prolific artist not only in her work but in her life as well, with an output of creativity that branched into a variety of endeavors. She was joyful, inquisitive, thoughtful and  generous in each. This month the Cypress Gallery is featuring Talavera's paintings as a tribute to her talent, beauty and memory. Please be sure to visit the Gallery and take in the beauty of her work. All proceeds from sales will go to Betsee's granddaughter Arwan's college fund. 

The remainder of the Gallery is awash with color and energy. Take your time looking at everything adorning the walls, the pedestals and in the bins. We have originals, giclee prints, photography prints and more!

Some new artists have joined LVAA and their work is featured in January's show. One of them is photographer Kristine Sorrell, who adds a fresh set of eyes to the camera lens with her unique perspective. Our legendary Bill Morson excites us with some dramatic photography of rocketry taken at VAFB. The crisp images of his metal prints are powerful and striking. 

Dianne Atturio has painted two magnificent trees in watercolour. Trees connect humans to memories, be it a landmark, a scent or feel. "Old Man of Sedona" roots have wrapped themselves in the earth and the branches reach toward heaven. Also know for her foliage painting is Vicki Andersen, who provides a feast for the eyes with her paintings of Savannah and New Orleans, rich with Spanish moss and stately architecture. 

Julia Nash has two paintings in the Gallery this month; one of her reclining nudes, this one in bold colorblocks and the other is an eye-catching floral, fearless in texture and hue. Both Barbara Schmaeling and Claudette Carlton have painted a favorite subject of lighthouses. Claudette will be teaching a beginning watercolor class at the Gallery later this month. 

We have some excellent glass artists in Joellen Chrones and Kristine Kelly. Joellen's whimsical style is easily recognized and Kristine continues to amaze with her fused glass landscapes. Much more awaits you...please stop by!

Photo Credit: Bill Morson

A Gallery of Gifts

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

The welcoming sights and sounds of the holidays can be found at the corner of H and Cypress. Along with the towering city Christmas tree and the gazebo decorated with lights, is the Cypress Gallery, full of gifts. Our artists have created a myriad of little jewels for you to choose from this month. Hand-crafted objects of personal adornment glitter in their cases, luscious little paintings and glassware glisten on the walls and pedestals. A Christmas tree is hung with ornaments made by creators. And a smiling yellow moon, crafted from a wooden bowl by Linda Gooch, adds a most welcome dose of whimsy and good cheer.

The gift items are placed throughout the gallery, and offered to art lovers in a variety of price ranges, all of them holiday wallet-friendly. Carol Wood has an entire wall of small exquisite oil paintings on display. Still-life, florals and landscapes, of isolated objects and scenes, are painted with deft paint strokes and jewel tones that are irresistible. Kathy Badrak, using the malleable gourd as her medium, transforms what is essentially a plant into objects of art. Delightful figurines, vessels, and even a hanging lamp are on display.

Larger works by your favorite gallery artists deck the halls as well. Neal Abello’s nature photography is breathtaking. The artist’s excitement of searching for and finding his spellbinding subjects is evident. We feel the wonder of a breaching humpback whale, and of a snowy egret making contact with its prey. Charlton Heston as Moses makes an appearance too, in a powerful predominantly white acrylic by Douglas Clark. “Holiday 2022” by Michael Corob is a peaceful pastel of seasonal lights, incorporating the artist’s personal iconography of doves and their wings. The Cypress Gallery is indeed a place of contrasts.

We are especially proud of our jewelry selection, with pieces not be found elsewhere. It is a joy and honor to wear the polished and cut stones of nature, the painstaking bead work, and hand-wrought metals created by gallery artisans. That they make great gifts is an understatement.

A marvelously large and wonderful door decoration by Chris Jeszeck is probably the most unique piece in the show. Come and see for yourself this three-foot Christmas ornament,if it is not already sold! We’re fast approaching the halfway mark of December. Visit the gallery soon for first dibs.

An Odyssey in Green and Blue

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

Art lovers take note. Nature lovers, take note. “New Vistas” at the Cypress Gallery, featuring oil paintings, pastels and even a conté crayon drawing by Neil Andersson, will feed you soul. Andersson is a plein-air painter who records his outdoor experience with such intimacy that you can feel the breeze and the sunshine on your skin. And when the fog rolls in, you can feel that too. Because we live in the sunshine state, his work is primarily an odyssey through green and blue, and lavenders, and gold.

Also an accomplished musician, Andersson hails from Tacoma, Washington, where he first took up the art of plein-air painting several decades ago. It is the “anticipation of the challenge” of making a good painting that keeps his practice alive. He says, “being outside is rejuvenating. The light, shapes, and colors of nature are continuously in a a state of flux, and always ready to offer something new to learn.” It helps when the weather is dependable, which it usually is on the central coast.  

Andersson’s brushstrokes are generally small and horizontal, like tiny measuring devices that monitor the subtleties of the environment. They provide a keen sense of calm. Multi-directional and larger strokes are employed when the occasion calls for it, as in  a burst of sunlight or a bank of clouds. In the large work “Good Day Sunshine,” an expanse of foreground is in shadow, while the excitement of light explodes on the horizon line. You will find evidence of such mastery in each of his vistas.

Punctuating the front gallery of Andersson’s work are the sensitive pieces of sculptor Chuck Klein. His beautifully turned wooden vessels provide the warmth of a beautiful forest, abstracted and refined by the artist, as in “Fern Plate.” The room is a place of repose that we invite you to enjoy.

Throughout the main gallery are some remarkable stunners this month, as bracing as the fall air. Our photographers have contributed startling visual experiences. In the lush “Merced River” by Bill Morson, ice cold water on a hot sunny day in Yosemite beckons. Tom Chrones has been experimenting with the abstract qualities of light and dark, as in “Arcs” and “Mystery Ship,” which won third place in our Fall Show. Through “English Green,” Susanne Schenk takes us to the verdant world of her latest adventure in the Cotswolds.

Linda Gooch won second place in our Fall Show for her “Inquisitive,” a hyper-convincing blue jay with personality-plus. This month she displays more trompe l’oeil paintings that will blow your mind; in particular, her pet lovebird “My Buddy.” Come in and say hello to him! Also “fooling the eye” is Lee Hill’s highly entertaining and convincing “”7-Up,” an acrylic painting on canvas of an old, rusted sign, embedded in a real-life fence.

Our artists handle a variety of media with aplomb. Barbara Schmaeling’s exquisite small collages are nuanced but energetic. Joe Gliebe-Goetz’s “Mushrooms” is a small, richly colored watercolor composed on a diagonal. Carol Wood has used paint to simulate a mosaic effect in her colorful painting of a horse entitled “Equine Mosaic.” Chris Jeszeck’s masterful “Majestic” also depicts a horse, but in thick white impasto.

Thank you to all who submitted to our Fall Show! Community member Barbara Curtis won first place for her  watercolor collage “Realm of Possibilities.” Visit us to find out more about our Arts Academy, for original holiday gifts, and for that quantum of solace that art provides.

 

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access and exposure to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valley. Located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Hours are Thursday – Sunday 11;00 am to 4:00 pm. Phone (805) 737-1129 <lompocart.org>

Public Voices: The Cypress Gallery Annual Fall Show

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

The Lompoc Valley Art Association has opened its annual Fall Show at the Cypress Gallery, with a welcoming warmth that matches this special time of year. The community-wide event has brought forth outstanding works in a variety of media and styles, where there is something to please the artist in each of us.

Since its inception over twenty-five years ago, the Cypress Gallery has held juried exhibitions that include nonmember artists. In the past these shows were judged by an art professional, affording the city-wide art community an opportunity to receive critical review. Last year, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and thinking outside of the box, the tradition was altered a bit. The general public was invited to judge the works, determining which pieces will be awarded first, second and third place cash prizes. This new twist is in place again this year.

The Fall Show serves to foster a broader public understanding and appreciation of art. It provides new and emerging artists, as well as established talent, with exposure to our community. This makes for a wonderful mix of ideas, media and moods. Some gallery-goers may prefer realism, others expressionism. Some may be attracted to glass works, or photography, or mixed-media concepts. It is all here.

Both Angie Hamlin and Chris Jeszeck present realistically painted  Panthera in extraordinary background environments. Valerie De Mille’s large protest piece “War” uses broad abstract brushstrokes and collage elements to communicate a specific message. The photograph “Mystery Ship” by Tom Chrones speaks in whispers. Without color and almost without form, it is a work of great beauty.

 Diane Atturio, Barbara Curtis, and Estelle Iveland have contributed exuberant water-media pieces in densely-packed compositions inspired by nature, but each are entirely different in effect. In “A Gathering of Ancient Beauties,” Beverly Messenger personifies and even deifies nature through a mixed-media piece of bamboo, copper and crystal. Kelly Klein seems to have captured the cosmos in her fused glass bowl “Night Sky.”

These are just of few of the captivating works of art to be found in our fall show. Please visit us this month to see them in person! Voting is open September 29 through October 27.  Each visitor can vote for up to three different works. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday 11am to 4pm. A reception with light refreshments will be held Sunday October 30 from 1pm to 3pm at which time cash prizes and ribbons will be presented for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Visit our Facebook page for more information about the art.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access and exposure to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valley. Located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Hours are Thursday – Sunday 11;00 am to 4:00 pm. Phone (805) 737-1129 <lompocart.org>

All photos by Bill Morson

  1. Angie Hamlin_ “Lion Around”_acrylic

  2. Chris Jeszeck_”Tiger, Tiger”_acrylic

  3. Valerie de Mille_“War”_mixed media

  4. Tom Chrones_”Mystery Ship”_photograph

  5. Diane Atturio_”View from a Bridge”_watercolor

  6. Barbara Curtis_” Realm of Possibilities”_watercolor collage

  7. Estelle Iveland_“Moonlit Flight”_acrylic

  8. Beverly Messenger_“A Gathering of Ancient Beauties”_mixed media

Summer Celebration

by Elizabeth Monks Hack
“A Walk Through the Cypress” monthly column

If you are hitting the summer doldrums, and in need of a burst of exuberant color to uplift your spirits, the Cypress Gallery has a show for you. “It’s All Canvas” by Tonya Schultz, former Lompoc resident and scion of our creative community, is a joyful expression of art-making in the face of challenge and change. Those who know Schultz recognize her positive spirit and love of life, and see her work as a direct reflection of her personality. Unpretentious and full of feeling, the works sing of being alive and invite you to celebrate the fact along with her.

Schultz describes her work as “abstract impressionism.” It has in the past focused on broad strokes of primary and secondary colors to render florals, still life and scenes of nature that veer towards abstraction. A favorite motif is the balloon, of which one is included in this show. However in her new work Schultz has become an action painter. She delights in the physical and emotional process of moving paint across the canvas in her own fluid and unfettered style of pure abstraction.

Canvases are numbered, and not stretched across frames. She even offers the viewer to “take home a piece of the celebration” by selecting a section of a wall size canvas, which will be distributed at the close of the show. Tonya has generously shared her work through teaching and demonstrations throughout her career. “It’s All Canvas” is a natural segue to a life being lived and shared, in living color!

After taking in Tonya’s work, viewers will be sensitized to color, and find beautiful examples of it throughout the main rooms of the the gallery. Linda Gooch revels in the color purple this month, in the acrylic “Lompoc Lavender Harvest” and the watercolor “Summer Work.” Both are small paintings, but bring us the color, tactile quality and even the scent of the lovely herb.

Linda Gooch_Lompoc-Lavender-Harvest, acrylic on canvas

Deborah Breedon plays the rich muted gray and beige of a hillside against a stand of verdant deep green oak trees, in her pastel “Ranch Oaks Revisited.” Julia Nash’s striking “Blue Boats” pits blue and orange against black, white and gray. In the tenderly rendered watercolor “Pound Puppy” by Claudette Carlton, a soft ochre-yellow, shaded with tones of brown and black against white, is all that is needed to create the mood and feeling of vulnerable little pooch.

“A walk through the Cypress” will bring forth a variety of treasures. Joellen Chrones creates free-form glassware in luscious colors, the perfect accompaniment to Tonya Schultz’s work. Steve Scolari has carved a remarkable walking cane. Visit us this month to find your own colorful celebration with art.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valleys. 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Thursday – Sunday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, or call for an appointment (805) 737-1129 <lompocart.org>  <facebook.com/CypressGallery

 

IMAGES by Elizabeth Monks Hack

1.     Tonya Schulz_ Canvas-2, un-stretched canvas pinned to wall

2.     Tonya Schultz_Celebration, section of wall size canvas

3.     Tonya Schulz (photo provided by the artist)

4.Linda Gooch_Lompoc-Lavender-Harvest, acrylic on canvas

All Points West

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

If you on the California central coast are experiencing the melancholy of June gloom, head for the Cypress Gallery! There you will find enough color, light, and action to chase those blues away. “Expressions in Art” by featured artist Lee Hill, is a remarkable show of the sun washed west, replete with the glories of mother nature and our tenuous foothold in it.

The artist's chooses his subject matter from a wide variety of sources, stating that to repeat a single theme would hold no interest for him. His paintings reflect a lifetime of experience, with roots in Mexico and the United States, and the Yaki and Apache culture of his mother. Cultural references abound, as do the flora and fauna of the west.

A walk though this show is an authentic adventure, where the viewer is witness to scenes of beauty and poignancy. Stampeding stallions, startled mallards, a grizzly, roosters, jays  and owls are hung comfortably next to vintage trucks abandoned to nature. “Grinding Spices” was inspired by memories of Hill's grandmother using her molcajete, and the beautiful “Mission Street” recalls walking through village streets in Mexico.

Hill remembers as a child the “Wow!” factor of crayons and paint, and his work retains that original excitement of color and texture. He skillfully moves brilliant color around the canvas to create sunlight, dust, haze, and evocative backgrounds. This is a show to compete with the movies, so bring the entire family!

Continue your tour of the west in our main gallery, where landscapes predominate, but are punctuated by people, places and things you might have encountered there. C. Woods’ “Laguna Beach” depicts a serene, deftly painted coastline in a harmonious square format. “Eucalyptus” by Diane Atturio is a large vertical watercolor that communicates the elegant color harmonies of a tree beloved by the artist. Tom Chrones has hung a fascinating photographic essay on the closing of the day, in which golden sunlight falls on various scenes of the lighthouse at Pt. Concepcion and on Morro Bay.

Two of our artists have successfully communicated the adage that “the eyes are the window of the soul.” Doug Clark, in “Indian Woman” and “Young Chief,” gives us a sensitive look into the faces of Native American individuals  wearing traditional clothing. Julia Nash continues to explore drawing media in “Jimi Hendrix,” whose uplifted eyes are the focal point of this dramatic work.

The Cypress Gallery has an abundant and varied selection of gift items handmade by artists. Lee Hill, in conjunction with his show, has many handsome tiles and cards of his colorful images available. Joe Goetz, who is also a fine painter, creates jewelry and magnets in semi-precious gemstones, as do several of our gallery artists. This June, take the journey. Think west, and make you first stop the Cypress Gallery!

Meet Lee Hill at the opening reception for “Expressions in Art” on Sunday, June 12, 1;00 to 3:00 pm, at the gallery.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valleys. 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Thursday – Sunday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, or call for an appointment (805) 737-1129 lompocart.org  facebook.com/CypressGallery

All photos by Bill Morson