Our Laguna: Spreading the green

I was seeing green Saturday.

The Sawdust Festival celebrated its sixth annual Green Day with activities for children and adults to raise awareness of the environment and how to protect it. Free green-themed classes and projects were held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at various locations throughout the grounds.

Young early birds learned about bees and their essential place in the environment as pollinators that produce fruits as well as the flowers that brighten our lives.

Whole Foods sponsored the Childrens’ Art Spot, where kids, 4 and older, created a collaborative honeycomb structure and bees from recycled cardboard.

“We want to make people aware of the declining bee population and how important they are to our food supply,” said Whole Foods Marketing Supervisor Joann Ekblad.

Folks were urged to BEE supportive.

A bee-friendly landscape is easier than one might think, according to a brochure handed out at the booth. Planting flowers of different colors, shapes and bloom time will attract the bees and a patch of bare ground provides a nesting site.

“I am here to save the bees,” said Jailene Jimenez, 11, of Orange. “My uncle thought it would be cool to come.”

Whole Foods also sponsored two other two-hour workshops for kids later in the day.

Participants learned to Paint with Vegetables, where fruits and vegetables were used to create colorful produce paint.

Spice Painting began at 3:30 p.m. Amazing colors were produced by spices, which also titillated the participants’ sense of smell.

Spices and herbs for the project included cinnamon, pepper corns, by leaves, cumin turmeric, pumpkin pie mix, cloves, thyme and chili powder.

Morning folks picked up water-wise plants and succulents donated by other gardeners, festival staff and the Laguna Beach Garden Club.

“We are here to help the community,” said club President Jeanne Yale. “Succulents are great plants to consider to save water.”

Founded 50 years ago, the club is dedicated to promoting education in gardening, horticulture, landscape and floral design, conservation, ecology and bird life.

The one-day-only booth was located by the clock tower near the main entertainment deck, which made it easy to find the Wyland Foundation collaborative ocean mural project at the far end of the deck.

Volunteers helped visitors of all ages to participate in the 5 foot by 10 foot paper mural. Visitors added fish, sea animals and plants on the already painted ocean backdrop representing the California coastal eco-system.

A Sharks of the World poster provided examples.

The volunteers included foundation Operations Manager Patti Romo, Laguna Beach resident Jennifer Lujan, and Thurston Middle School Secretary Marjorie Randall. Sawdust staffer Tovonaina Andriamampionona, a graduate of the Laguna College of Art & Design with a degree in animation, was also on hand.

Festival exhibitor Doug Miller was among the visitors.

“This is wonderful,” he said. “Kids should be painting every day.”

Recyled T-shirts were the medium used to create environmentally sensitive scarves. Sawdust artist Sheryl Eberhardt was the instructor for a class for ages 6 and older at the Studio One booth.

“The T-shirts were donated by Sawdust artists or purchased at Good Will on Half Price Day,” said Eberhardt, a jeweler who has exhibited at the Sawdust for two years. She was assisted by Bryson Webster, 7, and college student Morgan Bak.

Folks, 6 and older, who wanted to get a quick tutorial on the basics of figure drawing were welcomed by Sawdust artist Deborah Paswaters, who conducted the class at the Studio One booth.

Exhibitors who served as models were painted and clad in green, to carry on the theme of the day.

Real greenery was used in Roberto Romano’s class on creating multi-media collages featuring acrylics, leaves, twigs and seed pods, also for ages 6 and older, held at the Studio One booth.

The Ceramic Center featured “greenware” for Green Day. All ages were invited to create a pot on the potter wheel. Greenware does not require firing and may be taken home the same day it is created.

Former LCAD student Natalie McFarlane headed a staff of 14 that helped the amateur potters from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m.

Glazed pots could also be created for $8. They had to be left for firing and called for when the glaze had hardened or could be mailed anywhere in the continental United States for $16.

Green Day has been a growing since Sawdust Art Activities Manager Jane Hilary and Marketing Director Cynthia Fung united in 2008 to develop the event.

“You can see signs in the booths indicating participation,” Hilary said. “We are constantly encouraging staff to come up with new ideas for using recycled materials to create art projects.”

Board member Dennis Junka supports Green Day by using paper for his art that is 50% recycled and frames that are 80 percent recycled. A seal on the frames advises buyer that they are buying green.

“Artists are looking at new ways to produce work are experimenting with natural materials that reflect the aesthetic of the individual,” said exhibitor and city Cultural Arts Manager Sian Poeschl.

Festival General Manager Tom Klingenmeier honored the day by wearing a green shirt, a gift from his wife, Patti, a Sawdust exhibitor.

And the festival itself has become more green.

“After Chris Prelitz talked to the artists about energy conservation, we installed new lighting,” said board Vice President Rachel Goberman, a jeweler. “And we have saved thousands of dollars.

“The Dyson hand-dryers [in restrooms] are a neat upgrade. They cut down on the paper towel use.”

Visitors to Green Day included Arts Commissioner Susi Chauvel, residents Doug and Diane Perkin and Jan Sattler.

“Green Day is important to raise awareness of the environment,” said Sattler, artist and tidewater docent. “And the kids’ activities are terrific.”

OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Call (714) 966-4608 or [email protected] with Attn. Barbara Diamond in the subject line.