Spring into art

EYE ON ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SPRING INTO ART

CLASSES AT SAWDUST

High winds and pouring rain could not dampen the enthusiasm of the

students taking the Spring into Art classes at the Sawdust Festival

grounds Saturday. Rebecca Meekma, media relations for the Sawdust,

gave me a grand tour of all the classes and let me stay for as long

as I wanted to take in the art vibe.

Barbara Barnett, who is a Sawdust exhibitor, was working as a

volunteer for the event. She was getting things set up for lunch at

the Healy House. It was quite the spread including wine served in

crystal, and hearty sandwiches, salads, a plethora of munchies like

pistachios, soup including a butternut squash number, and an array of

desserts. The room was permeated with a delicious aroma, as the art

students sat with their other classmates and a teacher to discuss the

day.

Meekma and Barnett said that the Sawdust’s goal is to educate the

public about art. What better way to do that than having these

classes taught by professional artists on the mellow art grounds. The

art classes and the upcoming Art Walk Studio tour, happening April 4

and 5, are two venues used to educate.

I was excited to go to John Barber’s glass blowing class. I became

fascinated with glass blowing this summer while watching

demonstrations at the Sawdust Festival -- it’s an unbelievable art to

me.

Rick Rodriguez said that his daughter bought a space him in this

class as a Christmas present; he comes to the Sawdust all the time

and likes to watch the demonstrations.

Photographer Greg O’Loughlin, a Laguna local, was taking pictures

of the class while learning.

“I had a stained glass business for a bunch of years,” O’Loughlin

said. “I like the nature of the material how it is molten and then

becomes firm.”

Christina Newton from Laguna Beach was already enrolled in the

class; her sister-in-law from Texas came to town and signed up too,

and got the last spot.

“This is so exciting, it’s wonderful,” Janette Tomlinson, Newton’s

relative, said.

Newton said she liked the class because she could learn by

watching others, as well as get hands-on experience.

Barber and his student Brandon Blair rolled the small ball of

glass after they had put it in the oven. Barber showed the technique

and Brandon was instructed to blow through the medal pipe to create

the glass.

“Just to get that first initial bubble you really have to get some

pressure behind it,” classmate Dennis Simpson said.

O’Loughlin said that his technique for blowing was to pinch the

air in his cheeks. He said he originally thought it would be all

lungs but the cheek pinching method worked better.

After removing the glass from the oven, Barber instructed Brandon

to take a wet newspaper to cool the bottom. Just where the pipe ends

they began making a neck in the glass.

“Let’s heat it up again and we’ll start blowing it out,” Barber

said.

The process was a very important balance of each step.

After he was done, Brandon was instructed to swing it out a little

bit, which helps the piece to stretch because of gravity.

The oven they use to create the art is 2,000 degrees. After taking

it out, they used a tool called jacks, which is used to make a mouth

on the piece. The oven used after the work is done and needs to cool

is called an annealing oven.

Barber explained that color is achieved through different powdered

elements

“To achieve the amber we used a powdered silver,” Barber said.

“It’s pulverized. Different powders of metal make the different

colors.”

Newton was excited because after the class each student is going

to be able to create three to six pieces to take home.

Meanwhile, the oil painting class taught by Susan Wade was only a

few feet away. Each of her students had miniature easels and canvases

with the beginning outline of a painting just starting to form.

Painting from the pictures of a nature scene by their side, Wade told

them about the various colors and how to mix a palette in order to

save their canvas.

“Notice your palette does not have black,” Wade said. “I don’t

recommend black for beginning artists, black will ruin a painting

quicker than anything.”

She suggested mixing colors to achieve the affect of black such as

mixing a deep green and red. She explained that this mixture could be

used for a dark shadow in a piece.

“There’s nothing really black in nature,” Wade said.

She also expressed that umbers in earth tones give the painting an

instant look of mud and beginners need to be very careful.

“I’ve been an exhibitor at the Sawdust for seven years,” Wade

said. “I love teaching because it brings new artists into the Laguna

Beach art scene. People live here to be creative and these programs

give the opportunity and access to try different art that they’re

interested in.”

Sawdust artist Olivia Batchleder was teaching silk painting. It

seemed amazing the work she produced considering what her canvas is.

“The class is open to beginners and advance,” Batchleder said. “We

start with color theory, do textures and go where they want to go.”

She showed me how to start the process and pointed out the

beginning of a canvas. They drew an outline of a color wheel and

created a boundary made of special processed ground seaweed applied

with a glue pen. The surface is a lot like water painting she

explained because the surface is very luminous.

Erica Kim is a Laguna Beach resident and a second-year student.

“I love it because it allows a lot of freedom,” Kim said. “It

feels like water painting but it’s wearable. I am hoping to do color

panels for a wall.”

She showed us her colorful pieces that looked like a seasoned

master had done them. She said she is very into it and will be taking

private classes from the artist because she believes that Batchleder

is a great teacher.

Mary Ann Guerra is the coordinator of “Spring into Art” and she

was clearly enjoying the program.

“I’m ecstatic,” Guerra said. “The rain is calming, this is

wonderful, we’re having a great time, and it’s our third year.”

The rain wasn’t a deterrent at all and I can understand why it was

such an amazing experience to get completely immersed in the classes

-- and lucky for the students, because on top of the fun and

learning, they get to bring finished products home with them.

“They’re not just going to some school, they’re really making a

bond with the other students and the teacher,” Meekma said. “They

really are pampered and really feel like they are getting away for

the day.”

To find out the schedule or to sign up for some of the classes

offered, call 497-0521. The classes are on Saturdays and Sundays

through the month and cost range from $50 to $200, with a catered

lunch and all materials included.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter. Reach her at 494-4321 or

[email protected].