SBMA Atelier: The Scent of Secret Gardens

Posted on May 13, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

Courtesy SBMA

Santa Barbara Museum of Art‘s Atelier events are always chock full of creative fun, and this Saturday’s event—Atelier: The Scent of Secret Gardens— should be right on par with the best ones. This time around, Atelier takes India as inspiration in an evening embracing everything from Moghul to Modern, from Bombay to Bollywood. Music and dance, as well as fabulous flowers, food, and drink, celebrate the richly layered culture of the Indian subcontinent.

Have another round with the Raj at the Gin and Tonic Bar or sip the sweetly seductive Rose Petal Punch. Artist-designed activities include a Jain-inspired game of South East Asian Snakes and Ladders, match the deity to the vehicle, or spin the karmically competitive Wheel of Fortune.

The event is Saturday, May 14, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. Tickets can be purchased at

the Museum Visitor Services desks or online at tickets.sbma.net.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 12, 2016.

Local Lowdown: Let There Be Light!

Posted on May 4, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

LightWorks: Isla Vista Illuminates a Vibrant Community

By Leslie Dinaberg

Photo by Robert Bernstein, courtesy Kim Yasuda

The parks and streets of Isla Vista will pulse with artistic spirit on May 19-21, when LightWorks: Isla Vista comes to life. This exciting series of temporary installations and performances that transform the parks of Isla Vista into illuminated evening spaces, engaging existing underutilized spaces and animating them through visually compelling experiences that contribute to the safety, economic viability and quality of night life and sense of place.

Spearheaded by UCSB Art Professor, Kim Yasuda, an Isla Vista resident who is passionate about using the arts as a positive force for community engagement, LightWorks is part of a long-term community development partnership effort with Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, and other key partnerships that include UCSB Visual and Public Arts; Offices of the 3rd District Supervisor and County Sheriff; Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District; Isla Vista Community Network; UCSB Materials Research Laboratory; Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science, and Technology and the Santa Barbara Foundation.

“This multi-agency arts initiative is the first of its kind for Isla Vista and offers a way to engage the leadership of artists and designers in helping Isla Vista reimagine its future as a creative community,” says Yasuda, who worked hand-in-hand with Santa Barbara County Arts Commission to secure grant funding for the project.

Building on momentum from last spring’s Blunite Memorial Vigil, which lit the UCSB campus and adjacent Isla Vista area with thousands of blue LED lights, Yasuda says, “All of that was really the momentum of post-tragedy healing, artists kind of moving into those spaces and engaging them. Art is always kind of a way to make a space more beautiful. …So art is our catalyst. Artists and art are, to me, catalytic in beginning something beautiful and positive and that’s kind of how…I hope this will work.”

Photo by Marcos Novak, courtesy Kim Yasuda

She continues, “I was thinking about the lighting as being a key feature that artists could tackle. Rather than having enforcement lighting or surveillance lighting or security lighting, we would have engaged lighting in beautiful illuminated spaces.”

“While public lighting and clear sight lines are critical components for safety, we have identified the arts as an integral component to affect the permanent cultural change our community so desperately needs,” writes Alex Rodriguez, board chair of Isla Vista Recreation and Park District.

Initial funding for LightWorks: Isla Vista is based on temporary art installations, but Yasuda envisions this project as the beginning of developing a more permanent exhibit. “What I imagine is that the campus and IV community actually embark on a partnership to host this event annually, so essentially we would have a kind of contemporary art festival. That’s my dream. And also that we would start a collection, an illuminated public works collection of different projects…We would actually be one of the first campus communities that would have a public art collection comprised of light and technology.”

With support from UCSB Materials Research Laboratory—the lab of UCSB Professor Shuji Nakamura, who won a Nobel Prize in physics in 2014 for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LED lights)—Isla Vista certainly seems ideally suited to bring the long-term vision of LightWorks to life.

This story originally appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Stone Soup at Arts Fund

Posted on April 1, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

StoneSoup11x17poster Most people have heard the story of Stone Soup, where “weary travelers enter town with nothing in their pockets and hunger in their bellies, but their pleas to local residents for food are rejected. Undeterred, they fill their pot with water and submerge a purported “magic” stone into it to attract the attention of the residents. The curious townsfolk are allowed to join the feast, but must contribute ingredients to supplement the dish. Before long, as residents bring food from their stores, a hearty soup has been created, and all are well fed and nourished.”

This age-old folk tale involves creative thinking, a con job and community sharing with disparate items brought together to create something for all to enjoy. The same is true of The Can(n)on Art Studios and the five studio mates— Elizabeth Folk, Rafael Gaete, Kimberly Hahn, Marco Pinter and James Van Arsdale—who created the work on view in this exhibition.

Established in 2010, The Can(n)on Art Studios in Goleta provides an affordable, open-floor-plan studios for local artists and a community-minded workspace. Periodically, the Can(n)on showcases guest artists, lectures, and open studios. Though there is this collective aspect to The Can(n)on, each artist produces unique work in diverse media, styles and conceptual frameworks that engage in the contemporary art dialogue. The show will include Folk’s video and sculptural work, Gaete’s abstract oil painting, Hahn’s photographic and Pinter’s interactive installations, and Van Arsdale’s mixed-media works and opening night sound/music performance. This exhibition features the work of active artists involved in the Santa Barbara contemporary art scene.

A public reception will be held at the Arts Fund Gallery (205-C Santa Barbara St.) on Friday, April 1 from 5-8 p.m. during the Funk Zone Art Walk, with a special performance by Heavy Cosmic Kinetic. The exhibition will be on view until May 21. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday-Sunday from noon-5 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on March 29, 2016.

My Santa Barbara: Unseen Santa Barbara

Posted on March 16, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

Photograph by Patricia Houghton Clarke

By Leslie Dinaberg

Photograph by Patricia Houghton Clarke.

At first glance, it is unclear if you’re viewing an impressionist painting or simply a captivating reflection, which is exactly what drew Patricia Houghton Clarke to take this intriguing photograph.

Clarke was wandering along a path at Arroyo Hondo Preserve, on her way to the birthday party of Phil McKenna, a longtime friend and one of the founders of Naples Coalition and Gaviota Coast Conservancy. The reflections caught her eye as she was standing in the middle of the creek, recalling a conversation about the preservation efforts with J.J. Hollister, whose family once owned the 782-acre Arroyo Hondo—sometimes called “Jewel of the Gaviota Coast”—and later sold it to Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, which now runs the preserve.

“That was the first time I went to Arroyo Hondo, to see the homestead they have there, and J.J. (who passed away in January 2016) talked a lot about the preservation of the creek and the steelhead and what they’ve done on that…I’m sure that was part of my fascination with that creek,” says Clarke. “Then, obviously, the image was just right there. It was like a Monet painting.”

She continues, “The photograph is untouched, not Photoshopped at all…I didn’t take it with a great camera or anything—it was just one of those things, a little point-and-shoot I had with me to take pictures of Phil’s birthday. Just a moment in time.”

Incidentally, McKenna is the only person with a print of this image, part of Clarke’s “Unseen Santa Barbara” series.

One of the things I love about the photo,” she says, “is that you really can’t tell what it is unless you look into that lower right hand corner and see a little stone in the water, so there’s a little giveaway of what it is.
For more info about Arroyo Hondo Preserve and the steelhead trout preservation efforts, visit sblandtrust.org. For more information about Patricia Houghton Clarke and her work, visit patriciahoughtonclarke.com.

This story was originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Editor’s Pick: UCSB Arts & Lectures Events

Posted on March 4, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, courtesy photo.

Conan O’Brien, The Conan Gallery // Siren Studios Orange, Los Angeles, CA.

David Sedaris, photo by Hugh Hamrick.

Temple Grandin, courtesy photo.

UCSB Arts & Lectures has a fabulous lineup of speakers this year, including one of comedy’s most original and beloved personalities, Conan O’Brien (Apr. 16); Serial’s visionaries Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, who speak about creating what has quickly become the most popular podcast in the world (Mar. 3); perennial favorite humorist and author David Sedaris (May 1); and Temple Grandin Ph.D. (May 10), one of the world’s 100 most influential people, according to TIME, a best-selling author and the world’s most well-known adult with autism.

For tickets or more information visit artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Cocktail Corner: They Draw and Cook—and Drink!

Posted on January 16, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg

One of theydrawandcook.com co-founder Salli S. Swindell’s examples of a perfect illustrated recipe, this cocktail by Rebecca Bradley (https://rebeccabradley.wordpress.com/) combines a recipe with history and engaging artwork. Image courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

Aesthetically pleasing alcoholic beverages always perk my interest, so I was tickled when I stumbled across the website theydrawandcook.com, a creation of Salli S. Swindell and Nate Padavick, a brother/sister design and illustration team known as Studio SSS. In addition to loads of food, there are so many beautifully drawn cocktail recipes on this site I just had to learn more about it.

I spoke to Salli recently to find out more about how this fun website came about.

“It started out as the most random project,” she laughs. They were on a family vacation back in 2009 and Nate, an avid chef, “was slaving away making a dish he had had in Berlin, which was fettuccini and figs in a butter balsamic sauce. Really drool worthy. He is cooking and cooking and I’m just sitting at the counter drinking wine and drawing the figs. It was definitely an aha! moment. I thought, I love drawing food. Why have I not been drawing food my whole career? I want some food clients.”

Love Potion No. 9 by Jeanine Henderson Murch (http://www.hireanillustrator.com/i/portfolio/jeanine-henderson-murch/) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

Both siblings were professional illustrators already, so they put their heads together to brainstorm ideas about how to get some food clients, and came up with the idea of creating a little recipe book for friends, family, and clients. They asked some of their artist pals to help, but never got enough recipes to make the book.

Instead, Nate built a quick blog. “I went to put some laundry in the wash, came back, he had named it ‘they draw and cook’ and it was up. It took like ten minutes,” Salli says.

All of the participants had their own blogs, so they posted the links and started sharing the site.

Fabulous Figs by Salli S. Swindell (http://studiosss.tumblr.com/) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

“The next day we received an unsolicited recipe and … we were like ‘what, this is crazy, who is this person, how did they find us?’ Ironically, the recipe was for an M & M casserole,” Salli laughs. So right away they had to decide, “are we going to be very generous with what we post or are we going to really curate this site tightly? And we were like, ‘oh no, we’ve been so lucky with our illustration careers; this is like a big party for everybody. Let’s just post everything we get, unless there’s something really wrong with it.’ And that right there, that just set the whole tone for what it was. Our platform was to help illustrators get showcased and get their work out there and to be a very community-driven site. And that was it. It just took off like crazy.”

She continues, “We got a book deal from it, and when we got the advance money for the book, we put that right in to the website. … It was absolutely the craziest, no planning, no upfront business plan, it just happened and it became its own thing with a life of its own.”

Magnolia Blossom – a Refreshing Drink! by Lea Rebecca Karlsen (https://www.facebook.com/tinyElephantillustrations) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

As for who is on the site, there are currently 5,510 illustrated recipes from artists around the world. According to the website, “The artists whose work you see in this website are a varied and talented bunch. Some of them are professional illustrators and practicing artists, while others are passionate doodlers and drawers, and a few have only recently begun to draw. A special thanks goes out to all them for joining in the fun and helping turn They Draw & Cook into a feast of inspiration!”

Adds Salli, “I think we are very much a community. We’re a community that’s welcoming and I do think a lot of art directors and artists use the site. … It’s about 2,500 maybe 3,000 different artists from all over the world.”

Krupnikas: Lithuanian Honey Liqueur by Adi McCullough (http://adimorscher.com/) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

They recently opened up submissions to what they are calling “feast,” which is food illustrations without recipes. “Some people are very intimidated by the recipe part,” Salli explains. “We did create a free webinar of how to illustrate a recipe, and we gave all the different ways that you can think about the story of a recipe, because really, it’s just like telling any other story. Do you want it to be funny or do you want to show it in action, do you want it to be beautiful, enticing, cute, there are so many ways.”

She continues, “Some artists were really hesitant with the recipe part. I finally started asking people, ‘you’re a great illustrator, and this site gets a lot of attention, why haven’t you contributed?’ And they said, ‘Oh the recipe piece, its just daunting.’ … So we put out this webinar to kind of help people over that stumbling block. But then we thought let’s just let it be food. If you have great food illustration and it’s not a recipe, send it in.”

Mulled Wine by Joana Faria (http://www.joanafaria.com/) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

In addition to several cookbooks, some adult coloring books (which we featured here), the team also produced The Best Illustrated Cocktail Recipes. “There are a lot of cocktail recipes on the site,” says Salli. “One of my favorites of all time is a cocktail recipe by Rebecca Bradley. She just kind of nailed the whole idea of an illustrated recipe. But there are thousands of great cocktail recipes.”

She continues, “The thing I try to tell artists is you want to get your work out there and seen and the best way to do it is with food, even better a recipe, because people share recipes. You might not share a food illustration as quickly as you would a recipe. And the more it’s shared, obviously the better.”

Yellow Bird Cocktail by Deb Trevitt (http://www.debtrevittdesigns.com/) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

As for the success of theydrawandcook.com, Salli says, “I would love to say that we saw all of this coming, and we knew what we were doing, but honestly we just stumbled in at a good time. … … It’s just so crazy. … We just got lucky.”

Salli and Nate aren’t the only ones who got lucky, so did we, in finding this cool site full of culinary, cocktail and artistic inspiration. Check out the site and let me know what you think.

Beard Love by Kaitlyn Reynolds (Lakeland, FL) courtesy theydrawandcook.com.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on January 15, 2016.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

SB Style File: Holiday Stress? Try Coloring Inside the Lines!

Posted on December 21, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Excerpt from “100 Things to Draw With a Triangle,” by Sarah Walsh.

When young children need to “settle down” there’s something very calming about focusing their energies on a coloring book, which is probably why adult coloring and doodling books have become so popular.

I finally got around to trying out some of the coloring books and, I have to say, coloring inside—or outside—the lines really is a great stress reliever. It’s also a fun gift idea.

Here are some of titles to check out, all of which are widely available at local bookstores and craft stores:

20 Ways to Draw a Star by Studio SSS – A new take on the world of sketching, doodling, and designing that encourages you to take a step-back and think about all the different ways to draw something.

100 Things to Draw with a Triangle by Sarah Walsh – Think of all the possibilities! Stars, snowflakes, trees, gifts and more! Doodle your way to getting into the holiday spirit, this book includes 112 pages of art prompts and inspiration based on one simple geometric shape, a triangle.

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns by Blue Star Coloring – A book to let you relax, decompress, and let your inner child out to play for a while.

Change Your Life One Doodle at a Time by Salli S. Swindell – Making small changes through this fully illustrated, interactive art doodle journal is about embracing change in many ways, and seeing it as a positive force. Features 150 art prompts.

Color Me Stress-Free, Color Me Fearless, Color Me Calm, Color Me Happy – by Lacy Mucklow and Angela Porter – Organized into therapeutically themed chapters, these books examine the benefits of putting pencil (or crayon, marker, and ink) to paper and offers adults an opportunity to channel their anxiety into satisfying, creative accomplishment. Also available in smaller, portable versions that fit perfectly inside a stocking!

Doodling for Bookworms by Gemma Correll – Your favorite book nerd will love this great activity book filled with literature-themed prompts from Shakespeare, George Orwell, and Jane Austen.

Doodling for Tree Huggers and Nature Lovers by Gemma Correll – This sassy journal is packed with more than 50 fun and inspirational prompts, doodling exercises, and outdoorsy factoids—perfect for those who love the great wide open.

Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford – Fall under the spell of the #1 New York Times Bestseller with a magical coloring book that takes you through an enchanted forest to discover what lies in the castle.

Tangled Gardens Coloring Book by Jane Monk – This book helps you create a warm and inviting garden while you wait for spring to return.

Tangled Treasures Coloring Book by Jane Monk – Jump into the relaxing spell woven by Zentangles with the meditative action of coloring.

Happy coloring!

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on December 17, 2015.

Brad Nack 19th Annual 100% Reindeer Art Show

Posted on December 2, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Paintings by Brad Nack

The herd is back! Brad Nack‘s 100% Reindeer Art Show opens this Thursday, Dec 3 at Roy (7 W. Carrillo St.) with an opening reception from 6-8 p.m.

Painting by Brad Nack

As has become a local tradition (and very fun event , the exhibit features elegantly framed, small oil paintings of reindeer in the back room for one night only. This year, the front room will also feature a series of larger reindeer paintings that will remain on display through the end of the year.

Painting by Brad Nack

“I always envisioned the reindeer paintings as small, whimsical pieces,” says Nack, “but, now I decided to paint some bigger ones.”

“Get there early,” advises Nathan Vonk, of Santa Barbara Art Blog. “This is one of the craziest, most lively, and most beloved art events of the entire year. And for good reason. Don’t miss this one.”

Painting by Brad Nack

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on December 1, 2015.

100 GRAND at Sullivan Goss (ART FOR $1,000 OR LESS)

Posted on December 2, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

100 grand at sullivan goss Looking for something special for an art lover (or yourself)? Sullivan Goss Gallery’s annual 100 Grand exhibition is the place to shop. Featuring 100 quality works of art for $1,000 or less, the exhibition has become well known as “an incubator of emerging talent, an entryway for beginning collectors, a holiday celebration in the art community, and an ever timely reminder that everyone’s life is improved by the addition of original works of art.”

The exhibition officially opens on 1st Thursday in December (12/3) and is one of the area’s must-attend events of the year. The 100 GRAND show features paintings, drawings, photographs, assemblage and sculpture by emerging and established artists. Contemporary Curator Susan Bush was able to secure work from many of last year’s best-selling artists, but there are also 17 new artists who have never before shown with Sullivan Goss.

Artists on view include: Meredith Brooks Abbott, Benjamin Anderson, Scott Anderson, Sean Anderson, Kit Boise-Cossart, Ken Bortolazzo, Aron Bothman, Liz Brady, Lisabette Brinkman, Phoebe Brunner, Pat Calonne, Chris Chapman, Patricia Chidlaw, Cathy Clemens, Connie Connally, Maria Costa, Tom de Walt, Jeanne Dentzel, Joseph Di Sipio, Alia El-Bermani, Kathleen Elsey, Pamela Enticknap, Peggy Ferris, Kee Flynn, Pausha Foley, Jon Francis, Valori Fussell, Rosemarie Gebhart, Nancy Gifford, Dane Goodman, Robin Gowen, Ruthy Green, Skye Gwilliam, Jason Hadley, Bay Hallowell, Holli Harmon, Derek Harrison, Jim Hodgson, Ingrid Holden, Cynthia James, Frank Kirk, Mary-Austin Klein, Kathleen Klein-Wakefield, Philip Koplin, Marilee Krause, Dan Levin, Mark Lozano, Laurie MacMillan, Larry McAdams, Sara McCook-Woodburn, Virginia McCracken, Susan McDonnell, Barbara McIntyre, Svetlana Meritt, Julie Montgomery, Theil Morgan, Zoe Nathan, John Nava, Jon Ng, Lisa Pederson, Angela Perko, Chris Peters, Hank Pitcher, Ian Putnam, Maria Rendon, Joan Rosenberg-Dent, Lindsey Ross, Blakeney Sanford, Susan Savage, Marie Schoeff, Susan Shapiro, Lanny Sherwin, Elena Siff, Nicole Strasburg, Marlene Struss, Tracey Sylvester-Harris, James David Thomas, Susan Tibbles, Dug Uyesaka, Thomas Van Stein, Sarah Vedder, Deborah Veldkamp, Nina Warner, Roe Ann White, Monica Wiesblott, Paige Wilson, Vani Winick, Karen Zazon, Abigail Zimmerman and Michele Zuzalek.

The opening takes place on 1st Thursday, December 3 from 5 – 8 p.m. at 11 E. Anapamu St.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on December 1, 2015.

Aline Smithson at wall space gallery

Posted on November 6, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Lucy in Turquoise by Aline Smithson, courtesy wall space gallery

Artist/photographer Aline Smithson, whose beautiful work graced the cover of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine in spring 2015, will be in town Friday night to show her the work and celebrate the release of her long awaited monograph, Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography.

Smithson’s roots in traditional painting and portraiture are the background for her latest body of work, Revisiting Beauty. “In the footsteps of classical portraiture, her images filled with vibrant rich color and the simple beauty of the young women sitting before her brings to mind Kusakabe Kimbei’s stunning hand painted portraits of young Japanese women. It is the connection to her subject that her standing out from the often overflowing world of portrait photographers,” says wall space gallery owner Crista Dix.

Lexie Turned by Aline Smithson, courtesy wall space gallery

The gallery will show a selection of highlighted works of Alines’ many portrait series. Arrangement in Green & Black (Portrait of the Photographer’s Mother), Revisiting Beauty and hand painted silver gelatin portraits.

Friday night November 6, from 6 – 8 p.m., Smithson will give an artist talk and sign books.

wall space gallery is located at 116 E. Yanonali St. in the Funk Zone of Santa Barbara. Open hours: Tu-Sa 11-5, Sun 12-5, and by appointment.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Self & Others by Aline Smithson

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on October 4, 2015.

LeslieDinaberg.com

Leslie Dinaberg Editor & Writer

Category Archives: Art

SBMA Atelier: The Scent of Secret Gardens

Local Lowdown: Let There Be Light!

LightWorks: Isla Vista Illuminates a Vibrant Community

Stone Soup at Arts Fund

My Santa Barbara: Unseen Santa Barbara

Editor’s Pick: UCSB Arts & Lectures Events

Cocktail Corner: They Draw and Cook—and Drink!

SB Style File: Holiday Stress? Try Coloring Inside the Lines!

Brad Nack 19th Annual 100% Reindeer Art Show

100 GRAND at Sullivan Goss (ART FOR $1,000 OR LESS)

Aline Smithson at wall space gallery

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