Adventures With A New Creative Opportunity, the SB Home Project, During COVID

In the fall of 2020, my artist proposal to participate in the SB Home Project was accepted. The final piece, Fire and Life, was recently published and is now available to watch online. My part is one in a series that features local talent. The project presents a collection of stories from individuals who consider Santa Barbara home. We did everything over zoom and only the very final steps were in person. I found the process really fruitful creatively. It was my first time writing for a theatre piece and it was a collaboration with the director, Sara Rademacher, and actress, Brooklyn Snyder. I've added a link to read more about the project and to watch the final video on the Marjorie Luke Theatre's website. It's an invitation to think about the stories we share with others, our shared identity, shared space, and what makes a home.

Watch The SB Home Project

Read More About the SB Home Project

Photo by Mitra: Rehearsal at CAW with Brooklyn, Mitra, Sara.

Photo by Mitra: Rehearsal at CAW with Brooklyn, Mitra, Sara.

The Heart of Art

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

February, one year ago. The Cypress Gallery reopened its doors in celebration of a months long, much needed remodel. “Welcome back art!” I wrote. Chris Jeszeck had mounted a bounteous show, a riot of color, form, shape and technique. February, two years ago. The gallery celebrated the month of love with the show “An Occasion for Red.” Gallery artists submitted heartfelt, joyous works that set the walls on fire. I still remember Tonya Shultz's   expressionist vase of flowers, “Heritage Rose,” with its background and foreground colors throbbing in harmony. February 2021. The gallery is closed, for the second time this year. Not because we artists have lost our mojo. It is due to a pandemic that has taken its toll on art as well as people. We open our doors by appointment only, showing works that have been up since the last show. Some artists have used this time to open new creative pathways, while others of us really struggle to keep our mojo working.

Perhaps the month of February, with its shimmering Valentine phantoms made visible only in the garish commercial spots open to us, is a good time to consider the depths of our love for art. To consider origins of inspiration and motivation. Whew, that's heavy. I'm getting tired already. Voices of the pandemic pundits ring in my ears, providing me with so many reasons to stop. “You're not lazy — you're stressed. That's why being at home during the Coronavirus pandemic is making you feel so tired,” read numerous articles. Experts in psychology inform us that extreme tiredness is the body’s natural reaction to anxiety and trauma. Psychologist Dr. Jen Hartstein* explains, “We are on emotional overload. Many of us are feeling anxious, which activates our sympathetic nervous system. That system is responsible for our fight-or-flight response, and for triggering our adrenaline. The stress we are all under leads to some adrenal fatigue, which causes our bodies to need a break, and we automatically shut down.” Well, that's helpful. I will buck up and force myself to keep the valves open. I'll harness some energy to explore the heart of art-making, because art is worth fighting for.

Why? Oh my goodness. Why do I make art? Why do you make art? The pandemic has been a time of relative isolation, as if we are all in a tiny spacecraft only capable of relating to the outside world through an artificial, electrical pulse. We subconsciously interpret the  admonition to stay-at-home to avoid contagion as a directive to remain in our figurative space capsules until it's over. What is missing? Touch, smell, vibrations, resonance, each other. Paint strokes. The essentials of human experience. The resonance of color, the magenta bougainvillea ablaze in the sunlight, the sapphire of an ocean. The thrill of an outstretched hand, the shock of blood drawn in a fight. To see a work of art by a great artist in the flesh. Sure, we can see it all on TV. See it digitally. Ah, but to experience experience in person, to pick up the sensations and absorb them in your bloodstream. The artist has a real need to respond, someway, somehow, through art-making. That's the deep down motivation. Onscreen, after a while, the thrill gets gone.

Another issue confronting the artist during a pandemic concerns social life. Art is the work of an individual who connects with the self in response to personal experience and feeling, but the odd conundrum for many an artist is the very real need to connect with others. We need to communicate, network and above all share. Few artists, like James Hampton, are content to work a lifetime in a garage making shrines to the almighty out of tin foil, that no one knows about until after his death. The great tragedy of Van Gogh's life is not so much his unpurchased output but his lack of requited connection. To put it plainly, we need to show and tell. To collaborate. To compare notes over a glass of wine, visit the galleries and museums, to make the scene, to make a sale; to make that connection concrete. During the pandemic this is hampered, curtailed, made difficult. Zoom, after awhile, doesn't cut it. Socially distanced gatherings somehow seem futile. We neglect our art supplies for days. Empty the dishwasher, take a nap. We've got time.

I so admire the artists who have been able to keep it going within the sur-realities of 2020. Who work on their craft. Artists who most likely follow the advice of pandemic pundits to “stay connected, keep your body moving, get some sunlight, establish a routine!” Sure there are artists of extreme self-sufficiency and discipline who consider the pandemic a boon, for its lack of social obligations and interference. But somehow for many of us, alone, something is lost. Dropped from our hands. What can I do if this is me? How can I stroke a swath of watercolor across my mind? I can simply re-address the wonder of creativity.

If it were not for human creativity, nothing would ever get done, would ever get made, would ever change. We work together to make our increasingly complex existence happen, solving problems and meeting challenges as they arise. Human creativity and ingenuity, and a whole lot of teamwork makes our wheels go round. “Art” is the last stop of human creativity, an outcropping on the mountaintop where an artist stands alone to take in the view.

If you are in a slump, climb back up there. In the vastness of all that space are the little things too. From here your art power issues forth. It may be the first birdsong heard in the morning, the beats of your favorite music, or something darker, deeper, more sad. What colors will it be? Take a look at your own mojo; a good long look at your magical charm. Give it a shake. What spells will you cast in the context of art and life?

*https://www.drjen.com

“Place of Refuge”

by Elizabeth Monks Hack 

Summer began and ended with a sigh this year, all of its hoped-for joys put on hold for most of us. The air is unhealthy again and the virus is still a threat. Uncertainty looms large. Where can one go to find respite from anxiety, a little joy, some peace? Fortunately for us our local artists have continued to work throughout the season, producing if not a vaccine, a least an antidote to the current malaise. So much of the art displayed in the Cypress Gallery this month offers us a sense of calm and a fair share of joie de vivre.

Featured artist Claudette Carlton delivers a show of gentle watercolors of subjects intended to delight. Carlton had enjoyed drawing for pleasure throughout her teaching career, and only discovered the joy of painting  upon her retirement. Her works display a sensitivity to facial expressions found not only in her portraits of people but also of animals. “Pound Puppy” and “Buffalo Love” bring us up close and personal to the animal kingdom.  Carlton also has the ability to orchestrate a variety of textures when the subject calls for it. In “Facing the Storm,” she meets the challenge of a great wave rising from a tumultuous sea, observed by a pelican protected by its rugged feathers. Ms. Carlton tells us she thought at the outset of her painting career that “maybe this ‘ol granny could follow in the footsteps of Grandma Moses!” She has placed a rocking chair draped with a shawl in the corner of the gallery; a lovely touch to a lovely show.

Pound Puppy by Claudette Carlton

Pound Puppy by Claudette Carlton

 The submissions of our gallery photographers this month present us with the beautiful, vibrant world we long to be a part of again. Lynda Schiff displays two uplifting images of air in “Soar” and “Glow.” Tom Chrones has caught a heron for us with his camera in “Blu,” a soft image of a hunting animal, with its fierce eye and open beak. Bill Morson’s photographs are beyond vivid, their colors and textures shaping for us the world as it is, but that we rarely take time to truly see. His “Central Coast Oak” is a timely, haunting image of a lone tree in silhouette against a fiery red-orange sky.

Central Coast Oak by Bill Morson

Central Coast Oak by Bill Morson

Diane Atturio shows a group of watercolors mounted on small panels, each of a different native plant. She has skillfully captured the essence of these beautiful treasures – poppies, Dudlea, and Live Oak – using a softness of texture and light. Across the room Vicki Andersen takes the opposite approach, which to me is the wonder of human artistry; the ability to tailor our creativity as an individual response to our mutual environment. Andersen’s acrylic paintings of landscapes and floral abundance are created with vigorous brush strokes and dynamic color. Enjoy her “Jalama Sunset.”

Visit the Cypress Gallery this month! Explore the world as a stable and wondrous place. We also offer a wide variety of artistic gifts and cards. Jewelry of all types, and delightfully painted wood creations by Toni Zybell are guaranteed to bring joy. The gallery has been made as safe as possible for visitors, with all recommended requirements and restrictions in place. Our gallery hours have been reduced to Saturdays and Sundays during the month of October. Call for special appointments.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by 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 Valley.

Blue Skies

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

I’m looking for blue skies, nothing but blue skies this month! We’ve had gloomy gray, smoky gray, smoky brown and particle pink too often this summer. I’m very happy to report there are currently blue skies in the Cypress Gallery, along with sunlit trees and flowers and fields of gold. Featured artist Liz Poulin Alvarez generously bestows them upon us in her show “California Landmarks,” a collection of places she has visited and interpreted through the art of painting. Using plein-air techniques and a variety of media, Alvarez has created an expressive world of light, color, memory and emotion. Her broad, expertly placed brush strokes magically coalesce before our eyes, into oceans, trees, hills and architecture.

Alvarez has years of fine art education and practice that inform her skill. A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, she earned an MFA from the Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in New Zealand. The paintings display impressionist accuracy and freshness of vision, but her style never displaces her involvement with time and place. In the brilliant “Eastern Sierra Juniper” we feel as if we stand before a twisted tree bathed in sunlight, experiencing it the way the artist has felt it. Alvarez composes her subjects with an immediacy that involves the viewer, and a sense of joy pervades many of the works. The tiny beach umbrella in the foreground of “Montana de Oro: Picnic in June” invites us for a walk along the shore, and I definitely wanted to join the table in “Solvang: Picnic in the Park.” Alvarez is currently teaching art at Lompoc High School; how fortunate for her students!

Montana de Oro: Picnic in June by Liz Poulin Alvarez

Montana de Oro: Picnic in June by Liz Poulin Alvarez

In the main gallery, feast your eyes on the azure heavens in Neil Andersson’s large oil “Fields and Blue Sky.” Your mood will be set on good for the day. Betsee Talavera has contributed charming, intimate gouache paintings of our local landscapes, of which “Jalama Needle” is my favorite. The lovely photograph by Lynda Schiff, “Top of the Morning” is a worm’s eye perspective of redwood trees soaring into blue, sun-pierced sky. Julia Nash often creates haunting works, and her “The Rogue” is no exception, depicting a large-eyed gentleman in a yellow straw hat, set against a cobalt blue background. And if you are so ready for the month of fall, two watercolors have been created for you. Rosalea Greenwood’s “Fall Colors” and Diane Atturio’s “English Ivy” depict sensitively painted leaves placed on a dark background.

Top of the Morning by Lynda Schiff

Top of the Morning by Lynda Schiff

Fine art craft is also in abundance in the gallery this month. Glass painter Kristine Keely has created several exceptional art pieces, including the magnificent glass wall sculpture “Red Poppy.” Work by gourd artist Tammy Evans is a visual oracle of fine carving, embellishments and Native American themes.

So whether or not you are in love, blue skies are here to stay, at least for the month of September. Along with masterful art we offer artistic gifts and cards to brighten your day. Cypress Gallery has been made as safe as possible for visitors, with all recommended requirements and restrictions in place. Our gallery hours have been reduced to Saturdays and Sundays during the month of August. Call for special appointments.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by 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 Valley.

At Long Last Art

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

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Welcome back art! The Cypress Gallery is pleased to announce its reopening after several months of closed doors. Our August show is a vibrant display of exceptionally strong and colorful art, an antidote to the gloom that has surrounded us of late. Featured artist Christine Jeszeck has hung a remarkable show in the front gallery, entitled “Pigment of My Imagination,” whose paintings delight, surprise and astound us for both their imaginative subject matter and technical mastery. Jeszeck is adept at multiple styles that include abstraction, naturalism, acrylic pouring, stroke work and trompe l’oeil, often combining them to create truly surprising works of art.

Her breadth of subject matter is a revelation. Magnificent “pours” swirl around dancers, mermaids and aquatic creatures, an effective correlative to the motion of the fluid technique. A diverse assortment of flora and fauna inhabit liquid environments imagined by the artist, who has the ability to plan and control the extreme spontaneity of thick acrylic paint poured from a jar. Amoeba-like shapes emerge and embellish the wintry space of a winsome fox in “On the Prowl” as convincingly as they do of a lovely rose in the painting “Nostalgia.” Jeszeck’s standout skills are color and composition, most keenly felt in her purely abstract work. The painting “Life Force” is a tour de force of her power as an artist, taking the viewer through veils of paint and glowing orange depths. 

The walls of the main gallery are a shock of color, adorned with boldly conceived and elegantly rendered paintings. One impressive charcoal drawing, however, stands out in contrast. Liz Poulin Alvarez’s “Juniper on Sierra Ridge” displays a sinuous, vigorous energy through aptly placed strokes, characteristics that are also found in her small landscapes. Children of all ages will delight in Claudette Carlton’s large watercolor “How Now Purple Cow,” whose cow looks out at the viewer with a coy eye. Kathy Badrak has contributed intriguing multimedia abstractions that playfully engage the viewer in a visual game of hide and seek. In “It’s Complicated” we discover a treasure trove of art materials from corrugated cardboard to cheesecloth.  

Unique this month in the gallery is the grouping together of numerous works of art by a single artist. Neil Andersson has been busy painting during the sequester and has produced new wonders for us to enjoy, including the jewel “Threatening Weather.” Vicki Andersen shows bold paintings of the southwest, creating an astonishing visual presence. Bill Morson’s pitch perfect color photographs on aluminum make for a sumptuous display of life in our valley. Tom Chrones’ photographs explore our locale through studies of form and light. Diane Atturio’s love of nature is in full bloom on the walls. Lee Hill displays several striking still lifes. The unique vision of Carol Kemp can be appreciated up close and personal, in the form of numerous three-dimensional spirit collages.

Visit the gallery for an uplifting experience during subdued times. Along with masterful art we offer artistic gifts and cards to brighten your day. Cypress Gallery has been made as safe as possible for visitors, with all recommended requirements and restrictions in place. Our gallery hours have been reduced to Saturdays and Sundays during the month of August. Call for special appointments.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by 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 Valley. Find us online at <lompocart.org>  <facebook/CypressGallery> and our eZine at <https://issuu.com/santaynezvalleyarts>

Into the Mystic, March 2020

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

Spring approaches, and the magic of changing seasons is in the air. Bulbs pop out of the earth, birds wildly sing, and in tune with them is the current show “Mystic” at the Cypress Gallery. In a twist towards the extraordinary, four diverse artists and professional designers present an exhibition whose unifying theme is magic, mystery and spirituality. The group show is a delight to explore, with works ranging in media from painting, to fiber and fashion art and digital illustration.

Mitra Cline’s boldly outlined paintings recall Marc Chagall in their whimsy, with an awareness of the transformative power of color and shape. Cline states that her art practice is about “living in a global culture and seeking wisdom,” creating a doorway into the unconscious mind to unlock instinctual energy.

Mitra Cline “Gemini Synchronicity”

Mitra Cline “Gemini Synchronicity”

Zulema Covarrubias has created a fey pink kimono that joyfully greets the viewer upon entering the gallery. Covarraubias, who has a degree in Graphic Arts, works in paper collage and painting influenced by fantasy art. In her work, the juxtaposition of improbable elements results in unexpected visual surprises.

Jojo Chongjaroenjai is a motion designer who specializes in animation and illustration.  Digital tools showcase her quirky characters and whimsical creatures. Of her work, Chongjaroenjai states that she “seeks to promote positivity, humor, and magic in our daily life.”

Eric Harper comes from a traditional animation background, and currently works as a storyboard artist. His contribution to the show is concept art for a personal project that will launch this year, featuring an anthropomorphic hyena who runs an L. A.art gallery. Now that’s simply magic! Don’t miss the opening on March 14, where you can meet these singular artists, and if you like, receive a complimentary tarot card reading by Mitra Cline.

I have to say that the landscape art presented on the main gallery walls is quite exceptional this month. True, we cannot afford to own a Monet or Pissarro, but that is no matter, as we have the work of Betsee Talavera, Marlilyn Stankewich, Mikel Naccarato, Neil Andersson, Diane Atturio and others to fill the need for fresh, evocative, finely painted glimpses of nature.

Betsee Talavera “Layers in the Surf”

Betsee Talavera “Layers in the Surf”

Talavera’s uses a cohesive, energetic brushstroke style that enlivens her paintings of local vistas.   She also has a signature color palette that includes delicious mauves, warm siennas, and turquoise blues, evident in “Layers in the Surf.” Mikel Naccarato’s landscapes have a distinctive use of space that borders on the metaphysical. He breaks the land and sky into two geometric planes, but fills them with fine color and paint handling. I could stand in front of his Sky Earth paintings for a very long time, as if before a Rothko, thinking and feeling more deeply.

Truly many of the paintings this month are of museum quality, and we hope you will come by sometime to enjoy them and the entire show, while it is up. It’s spring! Fill your ears with a little Van Morrison; then step on out “into the mystic,”with a stop at the Cypress Gallery. The exhibition runs from February 25 – March 28. You will also find an array of fine gift items and cards for purchase at reasonable prices. We are located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc.

The Cypress Gallery is operated by 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 Valley. Phone: (805) 737-1129.

PHOTO CAPTIONS (More photos forthcoming!)

All Photos by Bill Morson

·      Betsee Talavera   “Layers in the Surf”

·      Mitra Cline  “Gemini Synchronicity”

Color Me Love

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

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If you’ve driven by the Cypress Gallery during the month of January you may have noticed the absence of a gallery’s essential ingredient: art! As of this writing the gallery walls are still winter white, with nothing on them. We have been undergoing a restoration project that promises a new, cleaner look for the presentation of art work. The Cypress Gallery will reopen with a festive show entitled, appropriately for February, “All You Need Is Love.” Gallery artists often bring forth their most creative selves when presented with a theme. Resistant at first, they dive headlong into the challenge once their creative juices begin to flow. So don’t miss this one! A grand re-opening reception will take place on Saturday, February 8th.

The Gallery is operated by the Lompoc Valley Art Association, which hosts its monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 11, in Stone Pine Hall. Our programs chair Carol Kemp will present a film on Abstract Art produced by the BBC. After the film Carol will provide everything you need to play with color and design, to create a work of your own. Guests are always welcome.

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In previous years, you may have participated in the Cypress Gallery “Art Hunt,” which offers participants a chance to find free art work through a scavenger hunt. Well, the Art Hunt is back! It will take place March 26 – 28, with a reception in the Gallery on March 29. Clues to the hunt will be posted on social media; the works of art will be in plain sight once the location is found. A tag with “I’m Yours” will be prominently displayed on the prize artwork. Mark your calendars so that you don’t miss this free, community art-themed event. 

One last bit of gallery news: Mr. Al Thompson, our beloved community member, and former president and honorary life-long member of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, will be leaving Lompoc, where he has lived since 1964. The extent of Thompson’s involvement in the Lompoc community is a long read; it encompass all aspects of the cultural life of Lompoc. He was a Santa Barbara County Arts Commissioner, as well as a Lompoc Valley Botanic and Horticulture Society life-long member, a Lompoc Record columnist, a Lompoc Valley Beautification Commissioner, an Arroyo Hondo Preserve docent, and a docent and garden historian of La Purisima Mission. May we all try just a little to follow Al Thompson’s example as a citizen who loves the good life we have here, and who is devoted to one’s community.

It’s true, all you need is love, but sometimes our loved ones could use a little token of our affection. This month the Cypress Gallery will be full of greeting cards and affordable gifts, for you to meet that need. We will be open for business on Tuesday, February 4. For 1st dibs, shop early! 

Visit us at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc.  
The Cypress Gallery is operated by 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 Valley. Check out the dates, hours and location of all our events online: <https://lompocart.org> <Cypress Gallery> and our eZine at <https://issuu.com/santaynezvalleyarts> We look forward to seeing you!

Fresh Paint

by Elizabeth Monks Hack 

Towards the end of the year we begin to reflect. At the end of this month we give thanks for all that we have. Ann Thompson, our November featured artist, reminds us through her paintings of the simple treasures and pleasures life offers us on the Central Coast. The subjects of her work cover a broad spectrum; a country road, fresh berries, chickens, donuts and coffee. The stand-out of the show is her piece “Pure Love” of a young boy holding a baby girl in a mutual gaze of joy and delight. In this simple and wonderfully conceived painting what we all live for is made apparent.

“Pure Love” by Ann Thompson

“Pure Love” by Ann Thompson

Thompson is a generous artist who works tirelessly on various mural projects, commissioned portraits and interior decor. She believes that all of us are born with a gift; one that we have the potential to share with others in order to bring joy. For Thompson this gift is painting. Her works are bold and fresh and clear, like a beautiful day. Her subjects are often enlarged, and chock full of personality. Humor is a factor also, as in “Yes, You’re Annoying Me” of two blue jays on a branch. A pig and an ostrich with a party hat make an appearance. There is even a slice of heaven in “At the End of the Day.” Forms are skillfully and boldly rendered. Color assumes the aspect of fresh, delectable paint. See Ann Thompson’s show and have your senses, and sense of gratitude, renewed.

Art assumes many guises; artists use a variety of means to express their innate creative impulses. In the main gallery this month Maria Slizys displays a set of intriguing collages in which she combines pieces of photographs and the skillful use of colored pencil, graphite and chalk. The results, especially in “2019 Photo-Ext #2,” propel the viewer into another plane of visual experience. Photographs by Debby Fuller and Suzanne Schenck document with a keen eye the strange and wonderful. Witness a decaying truck, a pool of rubber ducks and a carnival ride, respectively. Tammy Evans’ gourd art masks are simply incredible. Large, expansive circumferences, expert craftsmanship, surprising materials and a powerful spiritual presence are must-haves for anyone with wall space.

“Vista Near Lake Cachuma” by Neil Andersson

“Vista Near Lake Cachuma” by Neil Andersson

A comparison of brushstroke sensibility is always a pleasure in a group show. Neil Andersson’s “Vista Near Lake Cachuma” suggests an enticing landscape of vast softness, while Betsee Talavera’s “Glow” depicts a strident cypress tree in a raking light. Chris Jeszecks’s delicate colored pencil work in “Autumn Splendor” won the the People’s Choice Award for October.

“Glow” by Betsee Talvera

“Glow” by Betsee Talvera

These are just a few of the treasures to be found at the Cypress Gallery this month, along with a multitude of artistic cards and gift items. Visit us at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc.  We are operated by 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 Valley. Contact us: www.lompocart.org, Facebook/Cypress Gallery, (805) 737-1129.

 

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Photos by  Bill Morson

  • “Pure Love” by Ann Thompson

  • “Vista Near Lake Cachuma” by Neil Andersson

  • “Glow” by Betsee Talvera

A Walk Through the Cypress - OCTOBER 2019


ELIZABETH MONKS HACK, Cypress Gallery Reporter


October is the month wherein we dip into another world, of change and fantasy. The air turns crisp, nights are suddenly cold and clear, foliage flies through the sky on a brisk wind, pumpkins grin and witches take wing. In “Playing with Weaving, Playing with Light,” a show at the Cypress Gallery by natural materials artists Kathy Badrak and Karen Osland, one will experience the magic that is October. The front gallery has been transformed into an enchanted sylvan world, where sprites and fairies might flit among carved gourds lit from within, hide in hanging lanterns and woven branches bedecked with whimsical treasures.

Both artists find inspiration in their beloved “found treasures” of nature – shells, stones, sticks, needles, branches – and use them as the starting point for works of art. Kathy Badrak is a glass artist who discovered the beauty and flexibility of gourd art. The cast shadows created by the addition of light are integral to her pieces. An aesthetic constant in her work is the juxtaposition of shiny, metallic elements with the neutral, soft texture of natural objects. In In many of her pieces, metallic paint, threads, glass and ceramic glazes make an exciting appearance next to jute, untreated gourd surfaces, and twigs.

Karen Osland is a creative basket weaver and experienced naturalist who has a working relationship with the world from which she culls her materials. Ethnobotany is her primary interest. She uses her knowledge of native California plants and basketry to foster connections to our environment. Osland has led interpretive hikes and taught classes in her field for decades, making exquisite artworks from local materials in the process. In an intriguing piece “Palm Inflorescence” she has woven the dried, flowering branches of a palm into itself; creating a little human intervention and art. 

Oranges and blues and blacks on the main gallery walls set the season’s mood, with plenty of pumpkin-themed artwork too. “Dia de los Muertos” by Gil Andersen is a four-tiled ceramic piece on which Day of the Dead figures – skeletons, demons and humans – celebrate the holiday with abandon. Debby Fuller’s photograph “Alley” is a crisp, almost searing study of the complementary colors blue and orange, depicting a timeworn shed’s peeling paint.

Art can be serious; art can be fun! Trish Campbell is an artist who continually demonstrates this. In her painting “Contemplation” a horse stands in a circle of light surrounded by lush and shadowy nature, while her dog “Love” is an outlandish convex fellow, whose nose wants to pop out of the picture plane. Penny Lee portrays her personality-plus dogs as curious travelers in various locale; in one acrylic, “Bruno/Bloodhound” manfully brays before a eucalyptus grove. Lee Hill’s “Chilling,” depicting a stately, lovable bear surveying his domain, won the People’s Choice Award last month. It’s another testament to an artist’s desire to depict whimsy as well as beauty. Don’t miss a second chance to see this fine painting. Don’t miss this month’s show! 

Our gift items include an abundance of Joellen Chrones’ “Sugarless Treats” glass works and stitchery by Terry Taylor. Karen Osland has wonderful basket “starts” for sale. The Cypress Gallery is located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. We are 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 Valley. Contact us: www.lompocart.org, Facebook/Cypress Gallery, (805) 737-1129.
PICTURE CAPTIONS 
Photos by Bill Morson

Alley by Debby Fuller
Bloodhound, Bruno by Penny Lee
Contemplation by Trish Campbell
Dia de los Muertos by Gil Andersen
Elderberry and Gourd Weaving by Kathy Badrak
Palm Infloresence by Karen Osland
Chillin' by Lee Hill

Fall Glow, September 2019 

A Walk Through the Cypress

Elizabeth Monks Hack, Gallery Reporter

The end of summer. It seems to leave an afterglow of memory, with sensations of nature and light and of time spent on holiday, or not. Time that is gone, but there is more to come. The warm glow of fall light approaches. Such feelings are encapsulated in the Cypress Gallery this month, through the paintings of featured artist Mikel Naccarato. His show “Between Here and There” is on view through September 29. It is a display of small paintings with huge impact, works of fire and glory. 

Naccarato states that his intention is to “blend the majesty of nature with the wonder of imagination,” and thus he has done, using his signature vibrant colors that glow like jewels; rubies, sapphire and emerald, and amber. The paintings are grouped in categories of place and theme, including an intriguing series entitled “The Circle as Symbol,” in which abstraction is used to explore the mystical aspects of an ancient pan-cultural image. Acrylic paint is applied in broad swaths and delicate line work, creating an elegant dance of the brush. “The Riverbend Series” and “Abstracted Landscape Series” are equally lustrous.

The artist has dedicated a lifetime to the study and practice of art, moving seamlessly between realism and abstraction, large and small works, and a variety of media including enamel on copper, its influence evident in the paintings on view. Landscapes of the Central Coast and Hawaii, with evocative depictions of sky and water, are sure bring joy to the viewer, as well as augment the visual, chromatic experience of one’s world. The confident “strokes of genius” that flow from Mikel Naccarato’s brush are emblematic of an enduring passion and deep love of art.

All around the gallery, vibrant color seems to be a theme. Chris Jeszeck’s piece “Hubble Bubble I and II” was selected as last month’s “People’s Choice” award. It is a poured wonder of purples and blues. Fine vistas of green, blue and gold harmonize landscapes, especially those of Edgar Ramirez, who has submitted four works this month. His uncanny realism is evident in the delightful ”Lompoc Theatre Project” and “Yellow Train.” The turbulent texture and composition of Edward Heinitz’s “Big Sur” is quite an eyeful, in which sunlight pours from the mouth of an open rock cave onto receding waves. Susanne Schenck’s photograph “Blackwater Falls WV” is a study of delicacy, even though it depicts the tremendous power of an entire river descending from a cliff. Lee Hill’s “Chilling’” is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! A great brown bear reclines in sunlight, on a rock somewhere in the High Sierra. Hill uses broad textural strokes that harmonize paint and subject matter. 

Make September the month to study and enjoy many fine works of art! Vote for your favorite piece. Select from our many fanciful and truly beautiful gift items for some early Christmas shopping. Ease into fall through glowing color. 

The Cypress Gallery is located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. We are 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 Valley. Contact us: www.lompocart.org, Facebook/Cypress Gallery, (805) 737-1129.

PAINTING CAPTIONS:
Mikel Naccarato Untitled, Circle Series, acrylic on board Photo: Beth Hack
Mikel Naccarato #14, Riverbend Series, acrylic on board Photo: Bill Morson
Lee Hill Chilling acrylic on canvas Photo: Bill Morson
Edgar Ramirez Yellow Train Photo: Bill Morson
Ed Heinitz Big Sur Photo: Bill Morson
Susanne Schenck Blackwater Falls WV Photo by the artist

Color, Paint, Action!

A Walk Through the Cypress

By Elizabeth Monks Hack, Cypress Gallery Reporter, August 2019

Gallery goers, you are in for a treat this month. Actually, you’re in for a rare, sensory experience. Featured artist Chris Jeszeck has installed “To Fluidity and Beyond!” in which we first peer into a precious world of intimate realism, and are then swept away into an abstract world of microscopic realities and vistas of the great beyond. She does this through a multitude of media and approaches, but predominantly through the technique of acrylic pouring, or “fluid art,” which she often ingeniously and playfully combines with her considerable mimetic skills. Ms. Jeszeck’s artful hand, her humor, joy and delight in the world is evident in every work on display. 

Fluid Art is a popular method of creating abstract art by combining paint with additives that do not dissolve into the pigment, so that when poured the paint separates into a variety of intriguing shapes and patterns, called “cells.” Pour artists experiment with a wide variety of chemical additives, as common as household glue, and as unusual as brake fluid. Artists enjoy the spontaneous effects and “happy accidents”created through each pour, but Jeszeck, who loves learning and is fearless in experimentation with every type of art, has taken this art form to new heights. 

The idea to embellish pours with realism resulted after she had created works that were pretty, but for her not interesting enough to stand alone. By adding a subject, she found she had an engaging, ready-made background. Since then, “controlled pours” and pre-planning have produced artworks such as “Splash,” in which a swimmer’s arms and legs emerge from a frothy wave. In “Abracadabra” a magician’s hands produce a playing card. Viewers of all ages and tastes will delight in the myriad of shapes – honeycomb, amoeba, floral – and the powerful, surprising linear action that the works produce. Ms. Jeszeck is on a mission to bring  joy and a smile to every viewer. Each one is an imaginative, sensory, vivid experience. Bring children of all ages to see this!

In color, concept and imagination, Cypress Gallery artists produce works of great variety and excellence. Turn the corner into the main gallery and you are further immersed in an astonishing wall of color by Vicki Andersen. Several of her intense works are on on display, of which “Jalama Beach Headquarters” is compositionally exceptional. Kathy Badrak’s “Storytellers” is a surprising mixed media work. Two exquisitely painted and etched gourds, fashioned into Native American figures are mounted on a canvas, upon which dreamlike images of tribal symbols emerge. Sylvia Kokatnur’s gouache “View of Kinsdale Harbor, Ireland,” with its precise rooftops and subtle paint color and application, recalls a village and lifestyle of long ago. Gift items, equally wonderful, are available in abundance. Visit us to enhance your home, your relationships, as well as your own experience of the world.

 The Cypress Gallery is located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc.  We are 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 Valley. Contact us: www.lompocart.org., Facebook/Cypress Gallery, (805) 737-1129.

Image Captions

  1. “Abracadabra” An acrylic pour by Chris Jeszeck Photo: Bill Morson

  2. “Buddy” Colored pencil by Chris Jeszeck Photo: Bill Morson

  3. “Storytellers” by Kathy Badrak Photo: Kathy Badrak

  4. “View of Kindsdale Harbor, Ireland” by Sylivia Kokatnur Photo: Bill Morson

  5. Gift Vignettes 1, 2, 3 Photos: Bill Morson





Celebrate Art! Small Treasures, Big Events

A Walk Through the Cypress, by Elizabeth Monks Hack, Cypress Gallery Reporter

When you visit the Cypress Gallery this month, be prepared to experience delightful, tactile, opulent eye candy! Our front gallery room features “Expressions,”a display of 252 miniature artworks mounted on twenty-one black rectangular boards. Having the appearance of exquisite boxes of chocolates, each one is a little jewel, or delectable petit-four. Gallery artist (and treasurer, historian and publicist) Kathy Badrak initiated an art challenge to gallery members awhile back. Inspired by a public exhibition that presented artwork on a myriad of Post-it Notes, she suggested we all try our hand at making art on a 4” by 4” canvas. The rule was “Anything you want!” and the hope was that we would collectively produce a show of great diversity and creativity. That certainly happened, with some artists getting so enthusiastic over the project they submitted multiples, like a dozen.

The paintings are precious in size and generous in creative bounty. Some artists made smaller versions of their own style, while others veered, nay zoomed, away from what they usually produce. The small size seemed to stimulate the right side of the brain and expand boundaries. Some works are three-dimensional, bearing little sculptures, found objects, beading and relief work. Others are realistic: a tiny bird, a single strawberry, a precise landscape. Every type of abstraction is represented – pours, splats, shapes and pattern. A sign on the wall asks that viewers not touch the artworks, because that is exactly what these works stimulate us to instinctively do: touch, feel, explore! Just as you do when looking at jewels, or a box of chocolates!

The artworks in the main gallery features works just as colorful and inviting, only larger. My favorite this month is “Quiet Beauty” by Linda Gooch, a square large format, close-up of a pink rose, that draws the viewer into its center. Sensitively rendered in watercolor, it is an object of meditation, a place of calm. Julia Nash has a striking early modernist portrait on display, called “The Melting Gargoyle,” which disrupts conventional notions of color and perspective. The mysterious “Night Stalker” by Mikel Nacarrato depicts a lioness setting out on a twilight hunt in an orange and blue-violet world.

Last month our committed gallery members engaged in some significant community outreach. Sonya Cross, a 3rd grade teacher from Fillmore Elementary called to ask if the we gave tours. Ms. Badrak answered the phone, and said “YES!” because when opportunity knocks, that is the proper response. She assembled a team of nine, and they prepared a program for over 60 school children, broken into four groups, in which they toured two murals, toured the gallery, learned about art and gallery etiquette, and did a take-home art project in the gazebo. Teachers, we are open for business next year! And it is free.

July marks a “Life Event” for the Cypress Gallery. We are celebrating our 25th anniversary! To prepare for the festivities, artists Linda Gooch, Vicki Andersen and Annie Thompson have painstakingly, lovingly restored the picturesque murals on the outside of our building, which had faded over time. The Chamber of Commerce came for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark this milestone. A reception to celebrate the “Expressions” show and the anniversary will take place on Saturday, July 13, to which the public is invited. A children’s art day, and a scarf-dyeing class are also planned later in July. 

We invite all of you to share in our celebration of creativity this month. Enjoy the amuse-bouches of  “Expressions,” shop for gifts and perhaps take home a bona fide treasure. Contact the gallery for information on hours and events. Find us at www.lompocvalleyartassociation.com, on Facebook, and at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Phone (805) 737-1129.

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 Valley.





Art Flowers Here

A Walk Through the Cypress Gallery

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

June 2019


Bill Morson “Sis’s Kitchen Window ”

Bill Morson “Sis’s Kitchen Window ”

Ah, the flowers of June! Open your eyes to color. We have a few blooming fields in Lompoc yet, of sweet peas and other beauties. Thanks to abundant rainfall our yards are graced with vibrant blossoms. And so are the walls of the Cypress Gallery this month. The front gallery treats the viewer to an immersion in full-blown color with the works of photographer Bill Morson, our featured artist for June. Among them are voluptuous images of iris, lilies, plumeria, and our local fields of stock, picked and hoisted on the shoulders of a powerful field worker.

Bill Morson’s early life experiences shaped him for a career in photography, and in particular as a documentary and news photographer. Growing up in a military family, Bill had the opportunity to live all over  the United States. The artist in him was sensitive to the unique landforms, regional events and people of various locations, each being a new place to discover and observe. As a geography major in college he continued to explore the physical world, and how people live and adapt to their local environment. Morson received extensive photo processing training in the military, a career path which allowed him to remain a curious observer of people and places, and the chance to record his discoveries. Morson’s professional career spanned many years as a photojournalist in Hawaii and Santa Barbara County. As a “behind the scenes” resort and corporate photographer in Hawaii he also has lifetime of great stories, that include hanging with the secret service guys, and a very amusing anecdote of photographing President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter playing tennis!

The technically and physically brilliant forms of Morson’s art photography span the gamut of what we experience, including sports action, space launches, and the treasured places and things of nature. His images of Hawaii in particular express a degree of intimacy and fondness for the subject. One gets a palpable sense that Bill is watching, analyzing and enjoying what he sees. You will too!

Mitra Cline “Luna and Ghost”

Mitra Cline “Luna and Ghost”

The main gallery is also awash with color, many works following a flower theme. Vicki Andersen has chosen pinks, roses, sweetpeas and daisies to cascade over fences, Linda Gooch her exquisite roses, Chris Jeszeck a semi-precious trumpet lily, Jane Kametami a smiling sunflower, and Yours Truly a bevy of matilija poppies in the breeze. In “Luna and Ghost” artist Mitra Cline uses a bold, playful style to create an exuberant piece of a cat and a bird, with large red happy flowers in the foreground.

One of the great pleasures for me in viewing art is to enjoy the infinitely various styles of line and brushwork found in them. Neil Andersson’s paintings seem to be a slow unfolding of soft, refined strokes, which help to create the glowing, evocative aspect of his work, particularly evident in “Canal in  Amsterdam.” Dee Sudbury uses scratchy, active strokes to depict a crowing rooster. In Trish Campbell’s “Summer Time Palmtree” the dancing, colorful paint strokes rejoice in the sunlight of a golden sky.

So dear readers, when June gloom is getting you down, the skies are gray and the mist swirling all around, have a look in the Cypress Gallery. Pick up your spirits with color therapy! Enjoy some shopping therapy as well, among the abundant selection of colorful gifts.

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. Find us on Facebook/CypressGallery. We're located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 12 noon to 5:00 pm. Phone (805) 737-1129.

All photos by Bill Morson, Gallery Director

  1. Bill Morson “Sis’s Kitchen Window ”

  2. Mitra Cline “Luna and Ghost”

"Cypress Gallery Art Walk"

May 2019

by Elizabeth Monks Hack

"Ceasura" by Mikel Naccarato

"Ceasura" by Mikel Naccarato

"Two Birds" by Barbara Curtis

"Two Birds" by Barbara Curtis

It's officially springtime, and the birds have descended upon Lompoc! Our feathered companions are currently roosting at the Cypress Gallery, but unlike their Hitchkockian counterparts, these birds are friendly, playful, and consummately creative. As are their makers. Earlier this spring the gallery initiated "Come Fly With Me," a community-wide art event in which participants were given a plain plywood template of a bird, to be returned by the artist after undergoing a metamorphosis by their own creative juices. The results of the challenge are in, and they are absolutely delightful. The birds have been adorned and transformed by not only paint and feathers, but every conceivable media, including but not limited to, pennies, seed pods, yarn, glass, wire, copper, bark, flower petals, glitter and beads. They sit in nests, on branches, a gourd, and one even sits on a skull. Barbara Curtis has incorporated two of the cut-outs into a painterly work in which watercolors and her unique drawing skills play a part. Don't miss this whimsical, uplifting, downright aerial show!

Several of our artists have submitted wonderful works to the main gallery that reflect the avian theme. The subject of birds is a favorite of Linda Gooch, in harmony with her exquisite technique of soft edges and finely rendered textures. Five Gooch pieces demonstrate a quiet world of nature's beauties, including "Dove in my Windowbox." In them she shares a private visual and emotional experience.
Artist Mikel Nicarrato employs a keen sense of abstraction in many of his works, and in the enigmatic "Ceasura," he brings it to a pure state. The acrylic is a composition of soft floating color shapes stained into the canvas, that upon study, anchor themselves around a central neutral shape. Is it a figure, or a crossroads? Abstraction often takes us to a place of mystery.

Photographs in the gallery this month have a painterly feeling of color and handmade texture. Debby Fuller's "Little Yellow Hills" and Suzanne Schenk's "Ball-Man at Surf Beach" take the viewer to a place both familiar and extraordinary, personal and universal. For more texture, art lovers, visit the charming "Squirrel " by Lee Hill, a delightful study of tree bark and animal fur, set in an intimate composition. And swoon over the precision and beauty of tooled design wrought by Tammy Evans on a large black gourd, entitled "Circle of Bears," a museum-quality piece decorated with bone and turquoise. Also, pay some homage to the tall, elegant, smooth "Geisha" by Mary Whitmore, who won the People's Choice ribbon last month. Congratulations! Mary also created "Filbert," our dog-artist who paints in front of the gallery when we're open.

Once again our installation team has done a terrific job arranging two-dimensional with three-dimensional work, including gift items, set in enticing vignettes. Joellen Chrones' felted wool hats of berry, emerald and mint green complement Betsee Talavera's charming gouache "Coastal Memories" on the wall behind them, wherein similar colors can be found. Small touches such as this make the Cypress Gallery a great place to recreate, and also a great place to shop! This month, come for the bird show. Stay for the visual delight. Tweet this one to your friends!

Looking at art is a life-enhancing gift that is free. We can't emphasize enough how fortunate we are to be able to buy charming, original cards and gifts by local artists at competitive prices. Please consider the Cypress Gallery as your go-to gift store, as well as your "Imagination Station," and your monthly art venue! 

The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, which 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. The gallery is located at 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Winter Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 12 noon to 4:00 PM. Phone (805)737-1129. Visit our Facebbook page and venture further on our LVAA website for more information.

Are you an artist, photographer or artisan crafter or simply want to support the local art community? Consider joining the Lompoc Valley Art Association. You can pick up a membership application here and drop it off at the gallery.