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Another year has flown by, and once again I have had the pleasure of covering
the Santa Cruz Open Studios. I attended the show for the first time
in 1997, and was immediately hooked by the beautiful area, and the wide
range of work presented. I decided right away that I would return
again and again. Last year a group of friends and I camped at Bob's
Pine Grove at the edge of town. We had a great time, but this year
I wanted to stay somewhere with a shower that you didn't have to put quarters
in. Thanks to a tip from artist and cultural councilwoman Sally Jörgensen,
I reserved two cottages at Ocean Echo,
a charming B&B on a small inlet between Santa Cruz and Capitola, within
walking distance of the beach. I convinced a group of friends to
come along, ordered my catalogs early ( They go fast! ), and watched the
days tick slowly by until it was time for the show.
The first weekend finally arrived, and we hit the road looking forward to the ocean, beautiful gardens, and verdent forested slopes of the Santa Cruz mountains. Like last year, the weather was perfect. Days were warm, and nights were cold, with a crisp autumn snap in the air. Crossing the Great Basin we passed fallow fields dotted with hay bails, dusty acres of golden grass, and dryed cotton ready for harvest. Produce stands were stocked with fresh preserves, pumpkins, colorful gourds, and indian corn. The stage was set for a fabulous autumnal celebration. Over the two weekends our group was able to visit approximately 50 painters, sculptors, ceramists, textile artists, and printmakers. Like last year, I left the show with a feeling that I had barely touched on the great work that was there to see. I will not be featuring any of the same artists that were covered last year, but I was able to revisit a few of my favorites, and have provided some links to their work. Once again I want to thank all of the artists we had a chance to visit for opening up their homes and studios, and taking the time to talk with us, and share their work.
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