LET the OPEN STUDIOS BEGIN

 Dan and I started at John Barnard's house to see an amazing show. We purchased  Oak Dale Road, one of his plein air oil paintings.  It is vibrant and energizing. Just hanging out with John is well worth the drive to north county where there is a season and the leaves do fall. John's oils have been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the US.

John's wife makes these amazing crafty Christmas trees. They remind me of the old crafts that make you want to take a class to learn how to do that craft. It is a Christmas tree made out of children's blocks and small wooden Christmas figurines mounted on a lazy susan platform. . My husband Dan loves the gold glitter sprinkled on the sculpture. It is a whimsical treasured Christmas item.

Gary Miyamoto  a watercolor painter, was showing at John's house. He is an architect by day and his hobbies are fishing and painting. His painting shows some of John Barnard's influences. He has a simple flowing watercolor style and his color palette is earthy like Gary. We enjoyed hanging out with Gary at John's home.


Mandy Weathers is a watercolor and acrylic artist who is not afraid of the color red.  She sometimes uses red to begin and to highlight parts of her paintings. I have photographed the Lompoc flower gardens but Mandy really painted the hell out of them and brought them to life. She is pleasant and enjoyable to be around.


John's daughter visits from Texas when her parents host Open Studio Tours. She is a joy to be around. Perfect fall day in North County. Hats off to these wonderful people and artists. You can go see the show on Sunday Oct 23 from 10-5 at 8790 Monita Rd in Atascadero.