• The End of the Show

          After two years attending Open Studios, what has impressed me the most  has been a series of enjoyable and enticing visual moments. Photos crying out to be taken. Moments of visual joy that impress themselves upon the mind, and combine to make the event an exciting and revitalizing experience.  Beautiful autumn gardens, enchanting homes, lustrous ceramics shining  in the sun, ornamental pools home to glittering koi, broken sculptures piled with leaves or overgrown by weeds, and the inevitable colorful clutter of an artist's tools and palettes.  My eyes have been seduced, and my heart has been filled by these images.  
          Another outstanding feature of the show is the number of artists participating in the event, ( more than 250 this year ), and the diversity of the work.  The chance to see so many different styles and techniques at a leisurely pace, never knowing exactly what will be next, makes the show a rousing success.  For an artist, seeing other artists create and profit from their work is both informative and inspirational. The fact that the show is scattered throughout the area serves to create a festival-like atmosphere.  Not only is artwork being exhibited. The county is opening it's doors, and giving anyone who cares to know a taste of what it is like to live and work in the greater Santa Cruz area.  The show is a golden opportunity to view artwork, visit with friends, eat good food, and explore one of California's most colorful communities.  Now let's see.....where will I stay next year?  

Holloween pumpkins

Cotton fields on Route 152

The beach at Ocean Echo

 For a listing of other art events in the Santa Cruz area click here.