Ojai Studio Artists Open Tour May 9th

May Second Saturday Press Release #1

Contact: Martha Moran — 805‑279‑7605

OJAI STUDIO ARTISTS SECOND SATURDAY TOUR SLATED FOR MAY 9

Ten Westend and Oakview artists will open their studios on Saturday, May 9 from 10am – 5pm. The tour is free. Of special note, this will be Mariana Royuela’s last Second Saturday Tour as she and her husband are moving to Ajijic, 30 miles south of Guadalajara, Mexico. Known for her finely observed portraitures, Mariana is downsizing for the move, “Everything will be discounted!”

Here is a Quick Guide to the painters, charcoal artist, photographer, printmaker, sculptor, jewelry maker, and mixed media artists participating in this free event:

Carlos Grasso describes himself as “A visual explorer — practicing painting (abstract and realistic), mixed media, installations, conceptual, forgotten languages & other artistic extravaganzas.”

After owning HumanArts Gallery for 45 years, Hallie Katz has reinvented herself, exploring the vast world of artful jewelry making and teaching silversmithing and lost wax casting. “I am constantly thinking of new designs. It gives me the most joy to translate my materials and gems into living stories that are wearable.”

Vera Long is a figurative painter and multidisciplinary artist, educator, and grassroots organizer. “My work exists at the intersection of art and activism, informed by my own story and the communities I move within – those who live in the gaps, the overlooked, the silenced, and the surviving.”

Leslie Plimpton’s art reflects her passion for fashion, creating innovative, one-of-a-kind artworks. Her printmaking pieces take the form of monotypes, drypoint etchings and linocuts, portraying fashion designers, models and vintage fashion.

James Robie is an artist who, throughout his life, has moved back and forth between painting, sculpture, photography, graphics, and most recently hass added ceramics to the mix. “As I celebrate my 80th year, please join me at my open studio to go on a journey of discovery.”

Mariana Royuela paints meticulously detailed portraits, with added poetry and other writing in her most recent work. The destruction of the Thomas Fire deeply affected her deeply; since then, her work has been dedicated to “the natural world, Mother Earth and the interconnectedness that binds us all.”

Lulu Sherman is a contemporary charcoal artist specializing in photorealistic landscapes and portraiture.  Her latest collection features six new pieces inspired by the rhythmic life cycles of the natural world and the poetry of Keats.

Spark Taylor describes her paintings as contemporary impressionism—modern, but inspired by the pioneer impressionists of the 19th and 20th centuries who walked, climbed, or rode out onto the desert, mountains or rocky coastline to make art. Setting up camp in some wild, beautiful spot in her little teardrop trailer, Spark “pays homage to the beauty I see around me every day.”

Lindsay Thomson travels extensively to capture the Aurora Borealis in Alaska (as well as in Ojai), to time-lapsed images of downtown Los Angeles silhouetted against the snowclad San Gabriel Mountains, to rocket launches and lunar eclipses. “I photograph the night sky with the goal in mind that astrophotography is the perfect blend of astronomy + photography + art.”

Marc Whitman  is an architect as well as a naturalist painter, focusing on both figurative work and landscapes – “Expressing a love for life and nature through paint.”

Second Saturday tickets are free. To register and download the tour map and to explore the work of the various participating artists, visit www.ojaistudioartists.org. The website also includes information about the fall tour, upcoming exhibitions, the OSA Scholarship Program, and other community events.