Santa Barbara Art Studios

Name: Santa Barbara Art Studios

Location: 709 E. Mason St. at Quarantina

Owners: Cheryn English and James Richards

Opened: November 2006

Focus: Entering Santa Barbara Art Studios is like leaving the industrial section of town and walking into a perfumed and quiet cocoon – a shrine to imagination. The exhibitions aim to give expression to the commonplace in an exceptional manifestation. Think photos of the undersides of leaves, faces caught out of focus, and boats listing haphazardly in the waves. A portion of all proceeds from the gallery goes towards the charity of the artists’ choice. The true delight is to walk upstairs to the studio above the gallery, where you can find oils and watercolors not listed for sale; including a captivating pointillism portrait of artist Hugo Napier’s wife, and Simon Fraser’s painting of an oblivious girl leaning out a window.

Current Exhibitions: Dancing of Light by Virga. Santa Barbara-based artist, Virga has created multidimensional gardens out of paper, with leaf and petal ringlets that trap the backlit illumination of afternoon.

Hours and Contact: Sunday 1-5pm, or by appointment. Call 684-7891.