Mountain Arts

Not So Friendly Skies – SLV Residents Move to Stop Proposed Jet Flightpath

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By Mary Andersen

A new flight path has Happy Valley and Los Gatos/Saratoga residents angry and eager to move it to the San Lorenzo Valley. Some claim that, since their homes are worth more than ours, the path should be shifted out of their neighborhoods and onto ours.

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Photo by Sean McLean

 

We already have a flight path. It’s called BIGSUR, or BSR, and it routes over downtown Santa Cruz, Pasatiempo, west Scotts Valley, north through SLV to the Summit Skyline area, to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This path is still in use today and supports older aircraft not equipped with satellite navigation.

In March 2015 the FAA, as part of their Next Generation Air Transportation program (NextGen), implemented a new path, called SERFR, which travels from the coast at Capitola, over Happy Valley and Los Gatos summit towards SFO. This path was designed to accommodate a wide range of aircraft with satellite navigation capabilities. SERFR is low, loud, and concentrated. The FAA says they can fix that.

Neighborhoods under SERFR lodged thousands of complaints. With the assistance of Congressman Sam Farr they organized Save Our Skies Santa Cruz and were later joined by Quiet Skies NorCal. They created a proposal for a new flight path, called DAVYJ, over the City of Santa Cruz, SLV, and communities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Keep in mind, this new path would be in addition to the BSR flight path we already have. The proposal was endorsed by Farr and 1st District Supervisor John Leopold.

Community groups from the coast to the airport rejected the Quiet Skies NorCal proposal noting that it eliminated noise for those under SERFR by increasing noise and airplane traffic for communities under the proposed new DAVYJ flight path. In addition, DAVYJ was offered up as the only solution, when in fact other proposals submitted by groups closer to the airport were ignored.

In March, Supervisor Leopold wrote that the proposal constituted a “regional solution” that had been “worked on by all community groups throughout the area.” Congressman Farr stated in his newsletter that he hand-delivered the Quiet Skies NorCal proposal to Michael Huerta, Administrator of the FAA, assuring him that it was “the ideal solution.” Both assertions were false – residents under the proposed DAVYJ flight path in Santa Cruz and SLV were neither informed nor invited to provide input.

In April, Congressional Representatives Anna Eshoo, Jackie Speier, and Sam Farr appointed 12 elected officials (+12 alternates) to a Select Committee on SFO Arrivals. Their charter has been to analyze items labeled “feasible” by the FAA, accept community input, and report to Congress with a set of recommendations.

When the FAA released their study in May, Santa Clara and San Mateo County community groups were frustrated to see that their recommendations were not included. Only suggestions from Quiet Skies NorCal were addressed including the flight path shift to SLV. And the FAA made clear that, while feasible, DAVYJ would be similar to SERFR in its noise impact to SLV. It would be lower, louder, and more concentrated than any flight path we had experienced in the past.

The Select Committee asked why DAVYJ was the only option presented. The FAA said that DAVYJ was the only option offered by Congress. To their credit, the Select Committee is open to other options.

As you might expect, the issue is a political football. In Santa Cruz County SERFR lies primarily in Congressman Farr’s and Supervisor Leopold’s districts. Both SERFR and the proposed DAVYJ are in Supervisor Bruce McPherson’s and Congresswoman Eshoo’s districts. Low flying DAVYJ vectored planes would severely impact Supervisor Ryan Coonerty’s district and the path itself would impact the City of Santa Cruz.

The irony is that the FAA is a $16.4 billion organization with thousands of credentialed aviation experts. Yet, laypeople hoping to remove a flight path from over their homes were allowed to design a new flight path over other communities. That new flight path, DAVYJ, over SLV and Santa Cruz, is currently being vetted by elected officials with limited aviation knowledge, who will then submit recommendations to congressional representatives with even less aviation knowledge, who were misled into believing it was a regional solution when it is not.

Website: www.sanlorenzovalley.info/

Petition: www.change.org/p/faa-stop-the-quiet-skies-norcal-proposal-which-seeks-to-move-an-sfo-flight-path-to-sc-slv-sv

Facebook: www.facebook.com/flightpathfacts/

Join the meetings: flightpathfacts@gmail.com

Additional contributors: George Wylie, Nancy Gerdt, Glenn Lyons, Roz Alley, Alastair Fyfe, Jacqui Rice, Beth Carlisle, Terry Hollenbeck, Thomas Andersen, Colleen Miller, Clifford Stow, Jennifer Parks

This article was originally published in the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin  September 2016: http://mountainbulletin.com/article/proposed-flightpath-threatens-the-slv/

With the Wind at His Back – Yeshe Jackson Art

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By Julie Horner

A great rigged ship plowed through outer space, floating along in full sail aided by rocket thrusters. An astronaut tripped slowly down the plank into the vast starry vacuum while a great white shark and all the pirates looked on, big glass bubbles around their heads (the shark’s bubble was full of sea water, of course). “Everything was ridiculous but rendered with very precise detail…painstaking.” Space Pirates, the gigantic 4’x5’ original painting by Boulder Creek artist, Yeshe Jackson, hangs at Gilded Lily on Mission Street in Santa Cruz.

The SLV native met me at the Boulder Creek Brewery Outpost one sunny spring afternoon for a bit of refreshment and to chat about his art – now a full time occupation – his bread and butter. “Imagine an endless chasm and envision stepping over the edge with trust. Each month gets better,” he says.

Yeshe took his first art class at SLVHS during his junior year. It was an end-of-semester acrylic paint project that became the life-changing experience. When it was time to declare a major at Humbolt State, he said, “Art was the one thing that came to mind that I was good at and that I enjoyed.” And he didn’t do math. “Not that I couldn’t do it, I just didn’t want to do it. Art is real, a valid major…I went for it.”

And after graduation did the whole starving artist thing while trying to find his artistic niche, working in construction and taking what seemed like a pretty cool opportunity as an apprentice tattoo artist at the Gilded Lily in Felton. But tattoos didn’t work out. “I got zero clients, I was starving. Clients had been coming in for free tattoos but that dried up.

During long afternoons with no one to ink, he hand-painted “flash” designs (mockup tattoos in watercolor).  “A lightbulb went off. If I’m not doing tattoos, why not work on my art?” Canvases were on sale “so I bought two” and he started painting landscapes from a few photos that local landscape photographer, Neil Simmons, had let him have.” Someone came into the shop, saw the work, and asked if it was for sale. He sold the piece for a couple hundred bucks.

Now he paints prolifically from his home studio – “taking out all the crutches from under and digging a little deeper” – capturing the movement of life in his own interpretations of local landscapes, underwater creatures, swirling sea and breaking surf.

Recently momentum is off the hook for Yeshe’s “Pint and Paint” events, which he started almost a year ago at New Bohemia Brewing in Capitola. Nubo hosts twice a month and the events always sell out. He’s started a series at Boulder Creek’s lille aeske, Ben Lomond’s Casa Nostra, and other venues public and private.

“I’m still getting my feet wet, willing to try a bunch of different venues. These events help crack the shell on some people who haven’t painted in a long time or maybe never in their life. And having a pint or two is not a bad thing to do, helps people loosen up.”

$45 gets you free beer, a 16×20 canvas, brushes and paint, he provides all the materials. “You just show up and get to take home a painting.” It’s a great way to meet people and network. “Too many people spend too much of their time mind-numbing in front of the TV,” he says. “It’s so much more fulfilling to spend an evening creating something – we all have so much more potential than we realize. If you’re reading a book, painting a picture, sculpting – anything – there’s something about that that’s so much more satisfying.”

The success of Pint and Paint is a testament to the locals. “People want to support you, no matter what it is, like the wind at your back.” And there’s no better life than doing what he loves to do.  “I couldn’t fathom or even stomach the idea of not being an artist. When I think about art I think about possibilities for the future, and I have to be thankful – it feels pretty amazing.”

On the Web: squareup.com/store/yeshe-jackson-art

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/yeshepaints

Julie Horner is an Irish folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.
Email: leap2three@gmail.com
Santa Cruz Mountains Local on the Web: https://santacruzmountainslocal.com/
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/santacruzmountainslocal

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Wild About Theater – Gershwin’s ‘Crazy for You’ Premiers at SLVHS

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By Julie Horner

San Lorenzo Valley High School’s Performing Arts Center celebrated its grand opening one year ago this month. The theater, a spanking, high-tech showcase for the cathartic arts, was made possible by Measure O, an $18.9 million bond measure approved in 2008 that authorized the school district to construct, improve, and acquire facilities.

In just a few weeks, San Lorenzo Valley High School Drama presents Gershwin’s Tony Award­ winning Crazy for You in six performances March 4 through March 12 in this sleek, accommodating performance space.

On a decadently bright and warm mid-winter afternoon, I let myself into the cool dark backstage where rehearsal was just getting underway and was met by Crazy for You romantic lead, 16-year old Quinn Becker. We’d met before. He and his family and local Boulder Creek potters, Dan and Laurie Hennig, were featured in the indie movie, Play Faire, by LA’s Teo Guardino, and the community had come out last summer to pack the house for the screening at Park Hall in Ben Lomond.

Guitar in hand, Quinn escorted me to the stage to meet director, Will Guilford, who then introduced me to members of the production team. Set building had just begun: Framework for the Saloon was in place stage right, blue tape marked the places where the limo would pull up stage left. I was invited to imagine a stocked bar and other trappings you’d find in a properly well-heeled early 20th Century landscape.

Set in the 1930s, New York banker and aspiring dancer Bobby Child is sent to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a theater. Instead, he falls in love with the owner’s daughter, Polly, and puts on a show in their failing theater to pay the mortgage and win her heart. Quinn plays Bobby, and the part of Polly is played by Miranda Robinson, also 16.

Packed with non­stop hits written by George and Ira Gershwin, the show explodes with spectacular production numbers, including “Slap That Bass,” “I Can’t Be Bothered Now,” “I Got Rhythm,” and the romantic favorite, “Someone to Watch Over Me.” An ensemble of over 30 singers and dancers is supported by a six-­piece band featuring four SLVHS students directed by Dan Lingenfelter.

After being introduced to a few of the teen actors, some as young as 14; vocal director, Nicki Kerns; student choreographer, Robert Jeffrey; and lighting designer, David Halper, we dispersed, actors to the wings, me to my seat in the auditorium. I was sole observer delighting in an exclusive first glimpse of what promises to be a lush, technically challenging production featuring a very talented cast and production team, awesome sets, great singing and choreography.

A chorus of young voices drifted in harmony from another room, and the Follies Girls with tap shoes on were queued, awaiting their entrance. Director Guilford said, “The beauty of this show to me is introducing tap dancing to these kids – it’s a lost art form.” There will be three big tap numbers for the Follies Girls.

“Five, six, seven, eight, shuffle, hop-step, brush-circle step step,” called 16-year old junior, Robert Jeffry, tap dance choreographer, demonstrating the moves slowly at first and then up to speed, the girls in a line behind him following his every nuance, mostly already memorized. With acting and dancing cred from performing in All About Theater at Louden Nelson Center, Robert lead 12 girls and one guy (our romantic lead, Quinn) through all the razzmatazz they could muster.

After a few run-throughs, Robert had the chorus line run through the routine on their own to Gershwin on the laptop. Dazzling in shorts, leggings and jeans, tapping and twirling in unison, the routine ended on beat and Robert said, “I feel like you guys sounded really happy!” In a final once-more before taking ten, Quinn joined in, performing his role in stride with the chorus girls, singing along with the voice on the recording with confidence, suave to a fault. “Dancing makes my problems all seem tiny,” he sang with a handsome grin and a knowing swagger.

“There’s something about stage, Will said.” He did his thesis on adolescent self-esteem. Kids in his program learn through the art of drama to collaborate, plan, and support each other, building a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. “I get to witness it all the time, from 6th grade on.” He pointed out that most of the cast in Crazy for You have been under his tutelage since middle school.

And there is enough support for the dramatic arts from the district and the community to allow Will the opportunity to direct several productions a year between the middle and high schools. A former varsity baseball coach and girl’s JV soccer, he’s been working for the spiffy new Performing Arts Center for 28 years, he says. He remembers getting on the phone, “Support Measure O!”

In addition to his theater work with SLVUSD, Will runs Hooked on Theater, children’s theater for the San Lorenzo Valley & Santa Cruz County – a real community, tri-campus endeavor for elementary, middle, and high school students that operates year-round. Whether for the high school or for his private company, he tries to keep the teaching “organic,” engaging current and former students to contribute their skills, and all production work is done in-house along with parent volunteers.

Crazy for You features romance, comedy, fist fights, gun fights, dancing, singing, kissing, slapping, and mistaken identity and has its share of awkward moments for teen actors still working through the embarrassing stuff. “They feel uncomfortable kissing someone if it’s not their own girlfriend,” Will said. “I got a quick peck from them last week,” referring to rehearsal with the romantic leads, Quinn and Miranda. Quinn’s real girlfriend is one of the Follies Girls.

Miranda thinks Quinn is great, and agrees that there are moments that “definitely have their challenges.” She’s pretty sure that the show is probably going to be one of her favorites, but she won’t really know until opening night when she’s in it all the way. She, too, is active in All About Theater, and has performed with Children’s Musical Theater San Jose and Cabrillo Stage. “This production is modeled on the Ziegfeld Follies. I want costumes! I want sets! I want beauty! If you’re going to see a show, this is the show,” Will claims enthusiastically. “The cool thing is that the kids are learning to tap, learning about Gershwin. It’s got everything – from 6 to 96, you’re going to dig the show!”

Crazy for You, The New Gershwin Musical at SLVHS PAC
7105 Hwy 9, Felton CA.
March 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12 at 7:00 pm, March 6 at 2:00 pm
Tickets: $10-15

Tickets and more information: tinyurl.com/SLVDramaInfo

Notes From the Director

By Will Guilford

I just wanted to get a shout out to the SLVHS Drama Boosters group for all their support for all of our HS Productions.  One particular member, Susan McKay, is our Costume Mentor who guides a student or two in the Costume Design aspect of the show. The first semester show, MASH she worked closely with Abby Halper who was or Student Costumer and for CFY she has taken Phoebe Cole under her wings. Students Kassidy Gambelin will be in charge of Hair and Jodan Beiden-Charles is our make-up person.
We have over 40 HS Students involved in the production with students learning the ropes backstage and in all technical arenas, as well…sound, lights, stage manage., stage crew, props, spotlights, mics, poster design etc.
As a teacher, director, and producer, I could not be more proud of our kids, the Drama boosters, and the community as this really is a true collaboration.  The SLV community is tight and extremely supportive.  I am so fortunate to have former and current students so involved in this production.
Again, this production is organic…HS students, parents, local merchants supportive by purchasing ads in the program, Robert & Shannon with choreography, Dan as the Band/Choir teacher conducting, Kylan, a legend in local theater as our set designer, technical director, and master carpenter, Nicki as our vocal director (accompanist for Dan’s Choir class), Jacob, our student Poster Designer, and Mollie Whisler and Kylan guiding our Stage MGR. in learning her responsibilities with their extensive background in tech and stage management.
Indeed, it takes a village to put up a show!

Notes From the Author

Hooked on Theater is a privately operated for-profit community project headed by Will Guilford and is not in any way associated with San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District or San Lorenzo Valley High School.

Photos by Donald Kerns

Julie Horner is an Irish folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California and performed on stage with Children’s Musical Theater San Jose (formerly SJCMT) in the 1970s. Email: leap2three@gmail.com

 

Earth Without Art is “eh” – Boulder Creek Elementary’s Art Masterpiece Program

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Partial proceeds from the Santa Cruz Mountain Art, Wine, and Music Festival, September 5 and 6, 2015 at Garrahan Park in Boulder Creek support the BCE Art Masterpiece program. Proceeds also support San Lorenzo Valley High School’s participation in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) Scholarship fund.

Visit http://www.scmountainfestival.com
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by Kili Crandall

The Art Masterpiece program at Boulder Creek Elementary School is not just about creating art… it’s about “touching the lives of the Art Masters over the past few centuries…” and understanding their art as well as what their influences were.

The program has evolved over the past two decades since its implementation in the mid-1990s with Andrea Burgon at its helm.  Mrs. Burgon sought to “bring the Art Masters to the San Lorenzo Valley” so that her four children and their classmates could benefit from the amazing talent in our community.  “We have so many incredible artists here, living in this beautiful valley, who want to inspire our youth, let’s provide them with an opportunity.”

The program showcases a variety of  “art by The Masters” for each grade level, following a set schedule monthly, so that, ideally, by the end of fifth grade students will have been influenced by not only the Renaissance Art of Brueghel and the Impressionist Art of Cassatt, Renoir and Monet, but also the Surrealism of Miro and Chagall, the passion of Rivera and Kahlo, the Pop Art of Warhol and Thiebaud, even the amazing hanging mobile sculpture by Alexander Calder, which provides a fun way to learn about movement powered only by natural elements.

I have known Andrea since I moved to SLV, twenty years ago.  I didn’t know anything about the program though, until my oldest son Max, now 15 and a sophomore at SLVHS, started kindergarten at BCE.  Kathy Ritchie was heading the AM program then and asked me to “get on board” and volunteer in the kindergarten class.  I never looked back!  I took over running the program a few years ago and I’m going to stay as long as they’ll have me!

All the BCE teachers participate.  They even do the projects with their class, if they want to, although it’s not required… but they get inspired along with the students.

We begin getting our volunteers at Open House, which is during the first few weeks after school starts.  I hold and orientation (about two hours) for the volunteers to fill them in on our program and update them with new artists we might have added in.  We have at least one volunteer for each classroom.  Usually two or three volunteers will team up for each class and then help each other out, trading off responsibilities: One teaching and one assisting one month and then switching for the next.  Most volunteers love it and come back each year for their child’s new class.

Our first art project begins in October, with our last being in May, in time for the Art Show.  One project each month, depending on the schedule and desires of the teacher and volunteer(s).  Some teachers enjoy having the AM volunteer come in twice a month, and we can certainly accommodate!

Supplies for each project are provided by the Art Masterpiece program, which is fully funded by the BCE Parent Club and past fundraisers.  We have watercolor, tempera, chalk pastels, oil pastels, clay, tissue paper, charcoal, a variety of mediums.  Our biggest expense is watercolor paper, which is mandatory for some projects.  Having good supplies is so necessary, but having enough of the good supplies is also key.  We do our best to keep supplies stocked using our $600 annual budget.  We also stress using nature and recycling.  We bring in tree branches and household items, showing the students that art doesn’t have to be expensive.

Over time though, our paint brushes get rather beat up and our paints always need refurbishing, so any extra money is put towards supplies that will endure several years of students.  We were able to purchase new packets this year for each grade and Mary Beth Curley (who has been co-coordinator for the past couple of years), graciously spent the summer refreshing and renewing all our packets for the 2015-16 school year!  So exciting!!

The teachers still present a variety of art projects in their classrooms and BCE budgets for Spectre Arts in most classes as well.  Mountain Arts also has an after school art class, for a fee, that allows ten or so students, once a week for a month, to do a themed project.

My boys (now 12 and 15) always enjoyed Art Masterpiece throughout their years at BCE.  I know they miss it in the older grades!  It really has been very inspiring to so many students because they recognize “art.”  They know the “masters.”  They understand the types of art through the centuries and they are able to see art around them.  It gives so many children joy because, although they may not be good at sports or math…. art is subjective and completely their own interpretation, so there is no standard of what is right or wrong or beautiful.  It is all up to them, it empowers them.

I hope to keep this program going forever.  When will there be a time when it is not important?  Art has and will always be an important part of life.  I can’t imagine BCE without it.  Of course, if we come up against an issue of no funding, I’m not sure what we will do.  Probably look to the students to pay for the opportunity to create art.  That would be very unfortunate, if it came to that.  I know they have already cut the band program back so that just fifth graders have the opportunity to learn an instrument. It used to be fourth and fifth grades. Maybe we will be forced to cut the Art Masterpiece program to only three artists/projects a year or possibly just upper grades…  I cannot imagine.  As we all know – “earth without art is eh”.  That really says it all!

As published in the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin.

Second Annual Santa Cruz Mountains Art, Wine, & Music Festival 2015

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art and wine fest

Labor Day Weekend – Saturday & Sunday, September 5 & 6 2015
11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Garrahan Park, Hwy 9 Boulder Creek
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By Julie Horner

Enjoy the last days of summer with family, friends and community at the second annual Santa Cruz Mountain Art, Wine, and Music Festival at Boulder Creek’s Garrahan Park. Showcasing local artists and musicians, the Boulder Creek Brewery and mountain wineries will be pouring. Expect great food and drink, groovin’ times in the sunshine; face painting, a jumpy house and other activities for the kids. More to be announced!

http://www.scmountainfestival.com

Proceeds benefit the Art Masterpiece program at Boulder Creek Elementary (see story in the Arts section) and the SLV High IOOF Scholarship Fund.

Here’s a taste of some of the artists and musical talent lined up for this year’s festival!

The Crafty Fox – Heather Richman

I love working with glass in all its forms – molten glass is probably my favorite.  When the glass is heated to molten, it can be manipulated into simple shapes like spheres, cylinders, and barrels.  It can also be rolled and pressed and then decorated with more molten glass, or it can be sculpted into complex shapes – like plants and animals.

 LW glass Pendant

My inspiration comes from nature.  Anyone who sees my glass work would probably say I love the ocean and all its creatures.  My torch-worked glass bead creations are often sculpted creatures (sea stars, jellies, turtles, etc.), but I also create mini ocean scenes on my pressed glass beads.  I make 3-D aquarium beads that are a bit like swimming in the reef (only smaller).

I also work in fused glass – cutting sheet glass and melting it in a kiln.  Some of my plates include Monet-like backgrounds with inlaid copper sea creatures and hand-pulled glass “plants” – creating the illusion of depth.  While my Ocean Series plates tend towards the cool colors of blues and greens, my Caribbean Series plates are very bright and colorful.  I love working in different color palettes, often pushing myself to try new combinations.

While I love the ocean, I also love the forest.  The redwood and oak forests speak to me in birdsong and babbling brooks rather than in crashing waves.  I often use the forest solitude to come up with new ideas and directions.  Standing beneath the redwoods and looking up can make one feel quite insignificant – a bit like a banana slug.

Originally from Riverside, California, I spent 8 years in Seattle, WA before returning to the Golden State and making Santa Cruz my home.  I’ve been here for 15 years and still love it!  The majority of my glass work is available at Art of Santa Cruz (inside the Capitola Mall at the Target end) and Monterey Bay Artisans (Monterey).  I also have limited work at Beach Girl, Many Hands Gallery, Henry Cowell, Seacliff State Beach, and Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center.  I do many shows and festivals in Santa Cruz County, including Open Studios.  My studio is also open by appointment.

On the Web: http://glass.crafty-fox.com

His Broidery – Eric Olson Artist

“Express who you are through embroidery art.” The art of raised stitching can transform ordinary clothing and fabric into stylish personalized expressions of one’s self. Embroidered designs can be frilly, whimsical, edgy, strong, or compelling. While flowers, puppy dogs, and swirly letters have provided decorative flair for shirts, coats, pillow cases, and towels for eons, so much more is possible. In addition to cutesy, stitching can be alarming, disarming, and sublime.

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San Lorenzo Valley is full of culture… there is so much to find here.  We have Buddhists, we have people who were part of the 60’s culture change, and we have the outdoors and beautiful trees.  All of these things are great for inspiration.

I still make everything at my house in Boulder Creek and my family and I show most of what I make at art shows.  Originally I started making things I wanted to wear, doing whole jackets and hats that represented my aesthetic.  What I create has changed over time, adding some things here and there that, while they may not be what I would wear, I think others might.

I guess one thing about my embroidery is that it reflects different cultures in some way.  My inspiration may be from the Pacific Northwest Native American Tribal art, or Norwegian (my ancestry), or Japanese.  I know it when I see it and I can’t get it out of my head until I can do something with it.

On the Web: www.hisbroidery.biz/index.htm

Carol L. Riddle Watercolors

“It is my hope that viewing my paintings will evoke a sense of peace and fond recognition, by locals and visitors alike.”

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Felton Library Watercolor by Carol Riddle

I try to capture the beauty of our local scene, choosing to depict what one might see while visiting Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas. I think my favorite thing is “getting lost” in the painting while creating.  That and the “surprises” that the watercolor medium presents.  You just have to adjust as you go.

I like landscapes and the out-of-doors. My family went for camping vacations growing up. Our favorite was the Redwoods, so when I got the opportunity, I bought a house among them. I love color. I use color to represent how I feel when visiting the places I paint.  Since I am SOOOOO into detail, I take my own photographs on location and paint at home in my Ben Lomond studio. The light changes too fast when I try to paint while I am at the location, and it is never the same the next day. So when I see something which inspires me, I take photos. I don’t try to replicate the photo; I try to paint what I felt while at the site.

My best memories in SLV are of quiet, peace. Home.  I volunteer at the Henry Cowell Nature Store at the State Park in Felton.  It is run by local volunteers and Mountain Parks Foundation, which supports Henry Cowell and Big Basin through educational programs for the public about how to preserve our heritage.  We appreciate all the local support.

On the Web: www.artbycarol.com

The Naked Bootleggers

Local favorites from the Santa Cruz Mountains, The Naked Bootleggers are reviving the standards of yesterday while writing the standards for tomorrow. Local musicians Don Mackessy (banjo/vocals), Ona Stewart (guitar/vocals), S.T. Young (guitar/harmonica/vocals), James Mackessy (bass/vocals), Jeremy Lampel (mandolin/vocals) span the gap between old time and contemporary music with captivating vocal harmonies, lyrical creativity and that high lonesome sound of old.

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We love all the great music that comes through this area, and we really enjoy working together to present our art for people to enjoy, especially if they like to dance, drink and get just rowdy enough to make it pure fun.

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/thenakedbootleggers

The Leftovers

The Leftovers are a reggae rock group from the Santa Cruz Mountains, a close group of friends that grew up together in the San Lorenzo Valley. Joey Storm and Sean Conner started the band about three years ago writing songs on the beach in their free time. Slowly adding members Travis Salangsang on drums, David Churchill on keyboard, Brendan Brose on bass guitar, Greg Del Bene on percussion, and female backup vocalists Taylor Rae and Sydney Gorham; the band now consists of seven members.

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We play upbeat and fun music by fusing roots-reggae music of the past with popular reggae styles of the present, as well as some rock. Some of our biggest influences include Sublime, Rebelution, The Expendables, Bob Marley and many others.

The goal is to create “feel-good” music that will put smiles on the audience’s face as well as lure them out onto the dance floor to join in on the fun. We love music and are very excited to be able to share our passion. We love playing for the local community because they are so supportive, and because we grew up here we know most everyone!

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/theleftoversSCM

Acoustic Shadows

They say an acoustic shadow can cause sound to be refracted to an unexpected location similar to how light is transformed by mirage. Acoustic Shadows all-original jam band was born deep in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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Infectiously affable, Erik Rozite fronts the band with a signature conviction, that right hand in constant motion driving the rhythm on guitar. Lead guitarist, Zac Clow never breaks a sweat squeezing out the high wail, and Paul Stevens holds down some serious drum beats while “Wygz” William Van Kol keeps it cool and steady on bass. Jim Anderson (booty shakin’ percussion), and Brian Valentine (screamin’ harmonica) fill out the Acoustic Shadows sound, an intoxicating jambalaya of solid rock rhythm and atmospheric groove.

The group has released five CDs professionally recorded at local studios, and they are ever present in the mountains and performing at familiar venues all over the greater Santa Cruz area. The band is eager to share their “cask fermented and high times” Acoustic Shadows vibe!

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/acousticshadowsshadowman

Who’s Holdin’

Hailing from SLV and Santa Cruz, Who’s Holdin’ is a kick ass rock band that’s been around for over a decade creating an energetic, ultra-addictive sound!

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Featuring Ian McDonough (vocals, guitar), Matt Harris (guitar, vocals), Troy Tano (horn, vocals, percussion), Morgan Monticue (bass), Zac Farmer (drums), Who’s Holdin’ promises “slammin’ rock, high energy, punk-tinted, groove- laced, thoughtful-fun music for partyin’, playin’, drivin’, downloadin’, home chillin’, layin’ around the pool drinkin’ and just about anything.”

On the Web: www.facebook.com/pages/Whos-Holdin/125428067503661

Medicine Road

“Our theme is Native American rock centered on musical healing and positive energy. We feel our music is good medicine for the heart, soul, and body.”

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Boulder Creek’s Medicine Road formed in 2008 and has been playing steadily ever since. We love every single song we do. How could a band play music just for someone else and not themselves? It’s the same as how can someone love you if you don’t love yourself? We love our music; therefore, we are putting out love in the most peaceful and loving way.

The medicine is the music, which heals the soul, nurtures the body’s need to move in a positive flow, and stimulates the brain to think about the positive change needed to heal ourselves and our planet. When viewing the earth from a distance, we look like ants with our ant hills, living close to each other to advance our ability to survive. Every living thing on this planet is sacred. Every living thing is exactly that, living. If you value life as a huge thing, then all things fall under that huge thing, ALIVE.

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/medicineroad

Grampa’s Chili

Born in the Bay Area and adopted by the Santa Cruz Mountains, this legendary group of players is more than a band; they’ve created their own community attracting generations of people from all over to their shows to groove together. Grampa’s Chili has a long history starting in the 1990s with original members from Old Dead Bug, The Bliss Ninnies, and Soup and they’ve kept a following of fans from the early days known collectively as the “Vibe Tribe.”

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The current incarnation of Grampa’s Chili includes Mike Boston (vocals), Victor Manning (guitar, vocals), Jerry Brown (bass, vocals), Tom McQuillen (guitar), Michael Palladino (drums, vocals).

“Songs are like children, you can’t force them to be something they’re not, they’ve got to take their own direction.” The band has been going through a prolific period of writing new songs, and the new material wants to be played.

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/grampaschili

Crooked Branches

The Crooked Branches Band plays original music with lyrical influences ranging from soul to roots rock and country.  Their songs exhibit a blend of styles from their current home in the Santa Cruz Mountains and former homes in the Midwest, Southern states and Latin America.

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The band has two members from San Jose, two from southern California, and one from Illinois. They now all reside in Santa Cruz County (three in the mountains and two in Santa Cruz) and play most shows in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Band member, Manny Steffen says, “My favorite thing about playing music in this band is that I get to hang out with four of my best friends…our friends, family and others who have come out to our shows have been so great in showing their support. They’re the best part of each of our shows.” The bass player recently got married among the redwoods here, and when they can, they partake in the local hiking and swimming hole action.

On the Web: www.crookedbranchesband.com/music

Rollin’ Hazard

Whiskey driven, heartbreak influenced, good time music, Rollin’ Hazard is an original country, alt-country outfit out of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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Including members, O.T. Duvall on 6-string flat top (also the band’s eye candy), Anders ‘Virginia Nasty’ Steele on Telecaster (with attitude), Ebin Lee on Bass, Boss Doss on drums, and the ghost of John Barleycorn as spiritual advisor.

On the Web: www.facebook.com/RollinHazard

(c) 2015 Julie Horner

Julie Horner is an Irish folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.

Email: leap2three@gmail.com

On the Web: leap2three.com

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/santacruzmountainslocal

Time Out of Sequence – Hennig Studios and Camp Climax Pottery

Leap2Three Publications 3 Comments

By Julie Horner

Weaving playfully through the crowded village, a garland of flowers among flowing locks, with a flounce of skirting she turns her head smiling and then she is gone among the dust and merry din. Hands move purposefully over wet clay on a potter’s wheel, coaxing and caressing with a lover’s touch while the simple sounds of acoustic instruments play melodies forged from antiquity. Drinks are drunk, hand-made goods are traded, and light-hearted dramas play out, leather, steel, and succulent indulgence.

For those who have dabbled a toe into the Northern California Renaissance Faire, the scene is immediately familiar: For a moment you have transcended the confines of the here and now and are transported to a time of simple earthiness, unbridled romance and lusty revelry. “Play Faire,” an indie movie dreamed up and filmed by Los Angeles based film maker and grownup “Faire brat,” Teo Guardino, has a warm “come explore with me” feeling about it. And its roots are entwined in the Santa Cruz Mountains with Boulder Creek artists and beloved friends of Faire, Dan and Laurie Hennig, owners of Hennig Studios and Camp Climax Pottery.

Shot on location at Hennig Studios, the Northern California Renaissance Faire, and Santa Cruz High School, with flashes of the familiar throughout Santa Cruz County and the mountains, the film includes local musicians and features actors from Ben Lomond’s Mountain Community Theater, the Hennig clan, and of course the extended Faire family of revelers.

“Play Faire” centers around a young ceramics student who spends a summer apprenticed to a potter at the Ren Faire. Learning the slings and arrows of the roving potter’s life, the apprentice also finds his fantasy, discovering his first taste of true love. Dan Hennig, who plays the master potter in the film, says the movie touches on the whole process of clay, “From forming it on the wheel, to glazing, to firing and then on to the Ren Faire” to sell. Laurie Hennig notes that the Renaissance Faire is a perfect backdrop for the romantic elements of the film because Faire is “out of time sequence…that’s why it has always been popular…you park your car and put your keys in your pocket and leave your life behind.”

The Hennigs have been making pottery together in Boulder Creek for over 40 years. Laurie graduated from SLV High, Class of 1964, Dan grew up in Salinas. Their son, Iver, teaches ceramics at Santa Cruz High and wife, Jennifer, teaches summer ceramics classes at Mountain Arts. What distinguishes Hennig family pottery and compels such must-have awe is the whimsical figurative sculpture and fantastic animals adorning all manner of vessels from drinking cups to vases.

Laurie says she and Dan each have “affinities with certain animals…rabbit jugs, lidded dishes.” She leans toward lizards, he’s got a thing for crows. “We used to do piles of lizards,” Laurie said. “They can crawl up a stump or morph into something else.” When the crows start arriving in Boulder Creek and hanging out in the trees, Dan says, “Ok, I’ll start sculpting these guys.” He sees them as pranksters and chuckles, “I saw the funniest thing… there was a big old raven hopping along with a whole pizza box in its beak… “

“I like to make stuff, it’s something that Laurie and I need to do,” Dan says. If we spend too much time away from the studio it makes us feel itchy. I love the production aspect, to be there doing the work. We both like the rhythm of making the pottery, working the clay.” Dan looks at Laurie and says, “I wonder how many pieces of art we’ve created since 1972?”

“Dan is the glaze master, a great thrower,” Laurie says. “We share ideas. That’s what’s great about clay…every firing is like Christmas: If you get tired with it you just change your focus. It keeps it going forward.”

They use a natural gas kiln to fire the parade of smaller pieces, and a few times a year they’ll use the enormous “car kiln” with a floor that can be rolled in and out on tracks, which makes it easy to load and fire bigger pieces. They’ve just added a much smaller electric kiln to their arsenal, which has a different firing temperature range to allow them to experiment with new glazes and color palettes.

The Hennigs spend winters at their studio in Baja, CA where they go to “dry out the bones.” The work they do there is totally different, Laurie says. At home they work in porcelain and stoneware clays, but in Mexico “there’s no clay store,” so they have to process their own low-fire terra cotta or earthenware clay. They’ve settled on a mixed media approach melding pre-fired pottery figures to found metal objects like old oil cans, for instance.

The middle of the summer is when they start making things for Ren Faire and Open Studios. This year they’re skipping Open Studios and plan to be open random Saturdays instead. “We’re not doing as many shows or going out so much, we’ve been putting signs out on the road to let people come to us.” A garden of wonder awaits, where clay figures emerge in animate array from every possible nook.

And staying home gives Dan more time to play reggae and jazz. Laurie jokes that “Dan makes pottery to support his music hobby!” This year Dan is honored to be the featured artist at Mountain Arts Center Ceram-A-Rama and he promises to be “showing some major tricks” at his Saturday, September 5th workshop. The movie “Play Faire” will debut at the Center the previous evening, September 4th.

Hennig Studios: http://www.hennigstudios.com/

Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center: http://www.mountainartcenter.org/

Northern California Renaissance Faire: http://www.norcalrenfaire.com/

(c) 2015 Julie Horner

Julie Horner is an Irish folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. Email: leap2three@gmail.com On the Web: santacruzmountainslocal.wordpress.com

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