Los Angeles is a really vibrant and exciting art community. There is always something going on. Here are a couple of recent social events that I had the pleasure of being invited to.
Potluck BBQ and SlideShow at Jon and Kimberly’s, July 1st, 2017
I was the featured guest speaker at Jon Swihart and Kimberly Merrill’s monthly potluck bbq and artist slideshow in Santa Monica. This celebrated event has been ongoing for many years and features a chosen artist who gives a 45 minute presentation of their work in an informal and relaxed setting. An honorary button of the artist’s work is made for the event by artist and marketer Eric Davis.
Here is a photo of me and Adrian with our buttons in Jon’s back yard after my presentation. Jon Swihart and Kimberly Merrill are amazing artists and it was a real compliment that they invited me to present at their party. Among the memorable people that I met there that night were Ruth Weisberg, Brian Apthorp, Nicola Wood, Alan Griffiths, and Molly Barnes.
Paint Out at Tejon Ranch with the Dreyer’s, June 24, 2017
Dwight and Laura Dreyer host an occasional weekend paint out at Tejon Ranch and get together at the Dreyer Studio in Keene, CA near the Tehachapi Mountains. The Tejon Ranch is an enormous private land holding that among other things has spectacular views and wildlife that artists love to paint. Dwight Dreyer is an accomplished sculptor and entrepreneur who is also a good friend to many in the representational fine arts. One of the Dreyer’s artist friends, Jason Situ, introduced me to them and was the reason I was invited. Jason paints amazing landscapes and is a really great artist and person. There were a large group of talented and well known artists at this gathering. Too many to name off but I really enjoyed my conversations with Stephen Mirich, Ignat Ignatov, Karl Dempwolf, and a couple of the PAC6 artists, Marian Fortunati and Laura Wambsgans. Marian posted a bunch of great photos and stories from the weekend on her blog. Here’s a photo from it that I “borrowed” as I did not get any good ones of my own.
