Meet Jordan Hockett at Studios on the Park

Jordan Hockett is New at Studios on the Park

I first met Jordan there on October 7 while waiting for Art after Dark to officially start. He was moving between studios setting things up. I finally caught him in his own studio and he confirmed he was an artist in residence -- not part of a set-up crew. Of course, artists in residence often do seem to be the set-up crew for a lot of events, so there's that.

Once I figured out Jordan belonged in that studio and I saw his work, I asked him to pose in front of the painting he's currently working on. You can see he likes abstract art. He gets some of his inspiration from tribal art in Africa and Mexico.

Jordan got some of his training as a student at the Atascadero Fine Arts Academy. He uses many different materials to express himself in art, and is proficient in both painting and sculpture. Find out more about him on his website.

Jordan Hockett Has a Zazzle Store

Here's where you can find all his store products there in one place.

Here are some of the designs that might give you an idea of the diversity of his work on Zazzle.  I'm sorry about all that white space, but I don't know how to get rid of it. Zazzle puts it in.

 day of dead skateboard deck alien wrist watch alien Two-Tone coffee mug

Jordan's Abstract Paintings

 Here are some of the paintings hanging on the wall of Jordan's studio.

These are some of his  smaller paintings with lower price points. This image is the correct size to pin on a Pinterest board.

Jordan's Halloween Jack-o-Lantern Sculptures

Jordan made these unique Jack-o-Lanterns and has been teaching classes on how to do it. The last class is this afternoon at 1, on Pioneer Day, but here's what he's been teaching people to do. I'm guessing it's at Studios on the Park. Class size is limited to eight. Cost is $60. All you need is to bring a pumpkin.

Which of Jordan's works do you like best?



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Studios on the Park Brings Art to All Ages

How Much is that Guitar in the Window?

On my visit to Studios on the Park, our Paso Robles local art hub, I noticed this guitar in the window. There was a sign: "Win this guitar," but with no details as to how to win it.

 Electric Guitar for Some Lucky Winner  Photo © B. Radisavljevic

If you've never been to Studios on the Park, a peak past the reflection in this window will give you a glimpse. The art on the walls ranges from paintings to mixed media.  The doorways you see lead to individual artist studios and galleries. You will often have an opportunity to meet the artists in their studios.

After I took this picture, I went back inside to find out how one might win this guitar and how long the opportunity would last. I discovered that the guitar is a custom-made Gary Kramer electric guitar. Find out more about its construction and history here.  Proceeds from ticket sales went to support art programs for both children and adults. Find out more about these art education programs. 

Reflections on Studios on the Park

I have enjoyed visiting Studios on the Park for many years now. I've met many talented artists, seen their work, and watched their demonstrations. If you're interested in art and you're in Paso Robles on a weekend, you simply need to see what's happening there. A wonderful time to visit is the first Saturday night of each month. That's when you can experience the magic of Art After Dark. Don't miss it. 

I have increased my understanding and appreciation of art through my many visits with artists at Studios on the Park. As I reflect on those visits I see that the   artists I've met are very much like me in wanting to express their talent in a unique way. They use all kinds of media to carry their message. I use words and a camera.  I'm not very good at drawing or painting. 

It's not the particular talent we have that's important, but how we develop and use it. I don't have to create paintings or mosaics or sculptures to appreciate the skill that goes into making them.  It is enough to watch the artists in action and listen to them explain what goes into creating. What a wonderful opportunity those at Studios on the Park offer to anyone who wants to create or learn more about art. We are fortunate to have it in our town. 

Harold Spencer at Work in His Studio in April 2015, © B. Radisavljevic

Go and meet the artists while you can. Resident artists come and go. Some have left this world for the next. I'm so glad I met Harold Spencer before he died last year. Read his obituary to see the caliber of artist you can meet just by walking into Studios on the Park. His work is still on display in his old studio. I used to visit him there often to watch him work and talk to him. I miss seeing him now when I visit, but even living artists you can meet today may have moved by next month or year. 

As a regular visitor to Studios on the Park I've watched as artists develop and grow. Some have changed styles many times. I walked in one day and it seemed almost all the painters were creating abstract art. I'm not sure why.   Others experiment with new media, styles, or themes independent of what the other artists are doing. I'm getting to the place now where I almost don't need to see the artist's name to know whose work it is among the past and present resident artists.  Past residents often place their work in the monthly exhibits. 

Become a regular visitor. Then you will notice who's coming and going and catch up on studio gossip, as I did last night. Most of all, you'll keep up with the Paso Robles art scene and have a good time. So don't miss Art after Dark on October 7. There will be lively music, fine wine, and refreshments -- if you look around. It's a great introduction to Studios on the Park.  See you there. 

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This post is for Day 2 in the Ultimate Blog Challenge  It's not too late to join.

Hellie Blythe and the Pistachio Figures in Cigar Box Vignettes

Hellie-Blythe's "The Orthodontist" Photo © B. Radisavljevic

I first saw one of Hellie Blythe's cigar box scenes at Studios on the Park in May, 2011. On my February 11, 2016 visit, there was almost an entire gallery devoted to them. If you have never seen any of these clever mixed media works of art, you really need to get to Studios on the Park soon to see Hellie Blythe's cigar box vignettes of pistachio figures engaged in some challenging and daring activities. These bits of original cigar box and pistachio shell art are bound to start many conversations wherever you  display them. It's not only the art that's clever, but the signage is also designed to make you laugh. An example is 'The Orthodontist," pictured here. Be sure and click any of these which are not full page width to enlarge them. Below is the sign that accompanied this.

Hellie-Blythe's "The Orthodontist" Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Blythe's creations cover a multitude of subjects and some may even seem to have political or social implications. The one below,"The Magician," might be considered by some to be one of these.

Hellie-Blythe's "The Magician" Photo © B. Radisavljevic

I love the detail and color in "The Mariachis," pictured below. First the overview, then a closer look at some of the detail.

Hellie-Blythe's "The Mariachis" Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Hellie-Blythe's "The Mariachis" Closer View, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Lastly, one of my  favorites, "Don Pistachiote."

Hellie-Blythe's "Don Pisachiote," Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Don't miss this exhibit. I have only shown you examples of Hellie Blythe's work. She has used other medical themes such as "The World's First Successful Brain Transplant," and some early science themes such as "The Alchemist." She shows you a daring family of acrobats in action, "The Flying Pistachicrows." And artists are not left out of the fun, since she also has created "The Sculptor's Reception." There are many more. Photos can't really do justice to these cigar box vignettes. Don't miss seeing them in person while you can.

Learn more about Hellie Blythe here.  See what gave her the idea of working with pistachio nut shells here. 

Related articles

• Back to Studios on the Park
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Animal Subjects in SoundScapes Exhibit at Studios on the Park

'Caterwaul" by Tamara Thornton, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Friday I did my walk-through of Studios on the Park to see the finished "SoundScapes" exhibit in the Atrium Gallery. Many artists chose mixed media and transformed musical instruments. Some chose oils, acrylic or encaustic media to create their works of art. Some of the paintings, as you might expect,  were of musicians and performances. But the ones I loved most were the animals. This one is "Caterwaul" by Tamara Thornton, a resident artist at Studios on the Park. Whoever said cats can't produce unforgettable sounds?

Joe Thomas also chose animal subjects.  He painted these goats responding to the music coming from their earphones.  I love it. Unfortunately, this painting is hanging right by the door from the street to your right as you come in. I came in the late afternoon and the sun was making it impossible to see properly and photograph without aiming the camera at an angle. If you come earlier or after dark on a Friday or Saturday night, you will be able to see it and anything else just behind the windows much better. Here is "Joy" by Joe Thomas. Can't you just see it in the goats' eyes?

"Joy" by Joe Thomas,  Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Don't miss "SoundScapes." You can still see it until it closes on February 28. I'll be showing you more from this and other current exhibits throughout this month.

More Art To Be on Display for the Soundscapes Exhibit at Studios on the Park

On Sunday I showed you a project Eve Chartrand was working on with a violin  for the Soundscapes exhibit opening on February 4 at Studios on the Park. Eve also showed me a guitar her studio partner, Anna Meyrick, has  finished. Above is the front of the guitar. Anna's favored medium is mosaics.

This is the back of the guitar, which  Eve is holding up so you can see it better. These photos were taken in the studio shared by Anna and Eve at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles.

If you live in the Paso Robles area,  I hope you will come to see the Soundscapes exhibit. It will be the most fun if you come for Art after Dark , February 6, 6-9 pm for music, art, and wine. 

 Music quote - poster

 Three Guitars Poster Music Speaks Poster

How Will You Celebrate Inspire Your Heart with Art Day?

It is very easy to celebrate Inspire Your Heart with Art Day here in Paso Robles. Artists abound here on the Central Coast, and there are many places where you can see their work. One way to inspire your heart with art is to visit a local gallery like Heritage Gallery West or one of the exhibits at Studios on the Park. You are sure to find some art that will inspire you at either place.

I visited Studios on the Park recently, and the first thing to catch my eye was the window display for the currently showing "Migrations" exhibit. The windows here always have two works of art. One is the collection of art pieces put in the windows  to be viewed by those passing by. The other is the reflection from the park across the street. On this visit it was nearing time for sunset. So you see the painting inside the gallery, and you see the reflection superimposed on it.

 I've never come away from Studios on the Park without amazement at how creative the artists are. On this visit I talked to two artists preparing for the Soundscapes Exhibit which opens on February 4, 2016. They are working in two completely different media.

The first one I talked to was Eve Chartrand. I was intrigued by the violin she was working on. She allowed me to let her explain how she was transforming it, in this video. See a previous post written after a visit to  Eve's studio, which she shares with Anna Meyrick, here. 

The other artist I talked to  was Anne Laddon. She was also  preparing work for the Soundscapes exhibit -- five paintings. We see her here at work on one of them in her studio. She is looking critically at something she wants to change in the color scheme in this painting and is pondering what color to substitute for the one she's not happy with.

She is working from this photograph as a model for her painting. 

This visit made it obvious to me that before I see art that inspires me, an artist's heart first has to be inspired to create it. If the artist isn't inspired first, the artwork will probably not inspire those who see it.

 I love going to Studios on the Park because I can see the creation process and learn what is in the mind of the artists as they create. I'm anxious to see the finished works I saw in the process of creation. I hope I'll be able to go to see the Soundscapes exhibit this weekend.

January 15 is National Hat Day: Fashion and Function

January 15 is National Hat Day. Since I was born in the 1940's in Southern California, hats were only part of my life on special days like Easter Sunday, or, later on if I visited the snow in the mountains. On Easter Sundays, women wore hats to be fashionable and traditional. When I wore a hat in the mountains it was functional in keeping my head warm.

People in California, except in some of the cities, dressed pretty casually, and most of the time we did not need hats to keep our heads warm. We needed them more often to keep the sun out of our eyes and prevent sunstroke and sunburn. The picture above was taken one year at what was then the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts, now known as the Paso Arts Fest. If you click on the photo to see it full size, you will see that many of the people working on the sand sculpture and those around them are wearing hats. Most of these hats are more functional than fashionable.

The basic function of a hat is to cover the head and protect it from excessive heat or cold. Most of the following photos were taken at the Festival of the Arts, an outdoor event in Paso Robles at the end of May. It's usually very warm, and many of us are outside for most of the day. That's why many of the vendors, artists, and attendees wear some sort of hat to protect them from the sun. I went through my files to show you some the hats worn by people I had photographed for other reasons. Perhaps you've met some of these people, many of whom are artists. I'll identify them if I can. I can't see the name tag on this artist. It appears her hat is the type that keeps the head warm. She is participating in the Plein Air Quick Draw which starts at the very beginning of the day. The artists only have a couple of hours to finish their paintings.

Next we have Anne Laddon, without whom we would not have Studios on the Park or the art festivals in Paso Robles. She has lots of help, but she got the ball rolling and does a lot of the work. I had to look at a few more photos to be sure this was Anne, since her face doesn't show here. She is also working on a Quick Draw painting.  I chose this view because it shows off her hat, which is both fashionable and functional.

John Partridge is teaching a watercolor workshop in this photo. I was watching his demonstration.  You can see John's paintings hanging in public places all over Paso Robles. He paints a lot of the most historical and famous places in the city.  His hat serves well to keep the sun out of his eyes.


Julie Dunn, on the right, is one of the many artists exhibiting her art in the park. I liked her hat. Like Anne's it's both fashionable and functional.  It does a good job of shading her face and protecting her head from the heat.

I'd like to show you a couple of other men who were at this event wearing hats. The first is a model for one of the plein air artists during the Quick Draw. I believe the finished work had the word "Cowboy" as part of the title. Do you like his hat? I don't have his name. You can click the photo to enlarge it for a better look at his hat. I didn't crop for just the hat because I just couldn't leave the tree out of the picture.

Larry Kappen is another plein air artist participating in the Quick Draw event. The years I took these pictures, the Quick Draw paintings were auctioned off on the steps of the old Carnegie Library at noon to help support the arts and selected city projects. I like Larry's hat. 

All but one of the hats shown here do a good job of keeping the sun off the faces of the ones wearing them. I have a sun hat I love, but I didn't like the only photo I had of myself in it. It has a drawstring to keep it on my head, since I often walk where it's windy. Without the drawstring, I would have already lost my hat several times.

HAT: HOPE IS AN APPLE BLOSSOM

I also made myself a hat at Zazzle to memorialize my apple tree that died. If this kind of trucker hat is enough protection for you, or if you want to make a personalized design and choose your colors, Zazzle is the place to choose or create a hat.  There are many styles to choose from now, not just the basic style above. Pick any style and add your own image and / or words, or use the search box in the upper right corner to find one of thousands of already created hats on any topic you can think of -- humorous, political, scenic -- whatever you want to express. 

Do you have a suitable hat to protect you from the sun? Or maybe you still need a warm hat during this cold  winter. Amazon has a great hat selection. You can use the handy search bar to find just the right one to meet your needs. If you need a hat for a man, or a winter hat, just change the search term.

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Heritage Gallery West - Judy Larson's Scratchboard Art

My First View of Scratchboard Art

My visit to Heritage Gallery West Monday opened my eyes to art techniques I didn't know existed. One of these was scratchboard art. Lisa Vrciuoli guided me through the gallery exhibits, and she was quick to pick up on what I didn't know, supplying the details that would help me fully appreciate what I was seeing. You couldn't ask for a better guide. I'm glad I went into the gallery shortly before closing on a Monday when I could have all her attention. The scratchboard painting to the right is called "Stars and Stripes" and was created by Judy Larson.

"Stars and Stripes," a Scratchboard Painting by Judy Larson, photo © B. Radisavljevic

I will not try to  tell you everything about scratchboard art I learned from Lisa. There is a very good explanation of how Judy Larson creates these time-consuming masterpieces on her website. The short version is that Judy begins her work on a clay-coated, Masonite backed art board. She then paints a large silhouette of black India ink on the board. She uses X-Acto® blades to scratch away the ink to create her image. So it is like the opposite of painting where you apply color to create your image. Instead, you scratch away the ink to reveal the image in white underneath. When she is happy, she then uses paint to add some color, still scratching the paint away when necessary. As you might imagine, this takes more time than the average painting would. These paintings can take months to complete. I have tried to show you a closer look at the horse's tail below so you can see some of the detail. Remember, you can click to enlarge it.

Part of "Stars and Stripes," a Scratchboard Painting by Judy Larson, photo © B. Radisavljevic

Judy prefers to paint wildlife subjects, especially horses and wolves. You will find more samples of her work on her website, linked to above. You should try to see the painting at Heritage Gallery West while it is still there. No photo of the painting can show you what your eye can see in person. It's hard to believe such detail is possible to obtain by scratching ink.

Learn How to Make Your Own Scratchboard Art

 Starting From Scratch: A plethora of information for creating scratchboard art in black & white and color
After seeing the work of Judy Larson, you might be tempted to try your own hand at scratchboard art. These are some of the how-to books with the highest reviews. I've also included some basic materials for beginners.
If you have an artistic child on your gift list, you might consider the the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Combo Scratch Art Set below. It can be used safely by children as young as five. I think that's just about my speed.

 Melissa & Doug Deluxe Combo Scratch Art Set Melissa & Doug Scratchboard, 11 The Red Fox: Learn How to Scratch! The Art of Fine Lines (Volume 1) Ampersand Scratchbord Tool Kit each

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Studios On the Park: Studio of Anna Meyrick and Eve Chartrand

Some artists who share studios, for example Anne Laddon  and Tamara Thornton, work with the same media. Though they have  different styles and subjects, they use similar materials. If you enter the studio shared by Eve Chartrand and Anna Meyrick,  however, their walls show art  quite different  in both method and style. Let's look at Eve Provost Chartrand first.

Eve collects objects that speak  to her in a special way. As she thinks about them, ideas form as to how to use them to express art worthy of reflection. She often mixes media to express her ideas, or she may make a print, lightbox, or assemblage. You can see examples of all these types of work on her web site. To see these photos in more detail, just click to enlarge them.

Anna Meyrick's half of the studio is quite different than Eve's. As you can see, Anna's specialty is her mosaic art, though she also draws and paints. She has been involved in art education for over twenty years. She has used her artistic creativity to help those with special needs and at-risk young people.

Here are some of her other mosaics on her wall at Studios on the Park.  Learn more about her on her website. 

Click Photo to Enlarge

Not all of the artists in the related articles below are still in residence at Studios on the Park, but these articles were written while they were there.

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