Rik Olson with Painting in Progress

I once made the decision that all interviews must conclude before 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The light is better in the morning – I am awake – and most artists have something to say prior to tea time. Alas, the only time to schedule was in the evening. At 6:20 P.M. in the pouring rain, I entered the driveway of Rik Olson – pitch black with only faint streams of light through the trees, I see a figure approaching my car with a welcoming smile. Thankfully, Rik gives good directions and has great signage or I would have buzzed right past the Vinegar Lane sign and ended up in Occidental. Most thankfully, my artist is Rik Olson – easy going, hospitable and uberaus talented.

Why do I use the German word “uberaus” to describe Rik? Because it fits perfectly.
Many of you already know Rik’s work. He is the informal trademark of The Sonoma Gazette. Take a look at this paper – front to back. All of those wonderfully detailed depictions of trees and landscapes and fruits are from the steady hands of Rik Olson. You have seen Rik’s signature style on Sebastopol Apple Blossom posters and the Sierra Club logo. In fact, once you start looking, you will notice that his stamp is well spread around Sonoma County and throughout the world.

While Rik is known for his woodcuts and scratch board prints, he is also a painter, a woodturner and a connoisseur of printing presses. His workshop has an antique printing press with the requisite cabinet of typeset, a modern Apple computer and everything in between. An etching press from Bologna, Italy sits near an old Sharp copier that with modification can pass as a print making device. If it has to do with printing, Rik either has it or knows where to get it.

So who is this person and how did he end up out on Occidental Road? Rik grew up in the town of Clayton in the northern shadow of Mt. Diablo. His first award in art was in third grade in the Walnut Creek Art Festival. The certificate hangs in his studio amongst his diplomas and many other parchments of distinction. Rik ventured to the great city of Oakland to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts (which is now known as California College of the Arts – CCA). After graduation in 1967 with a BFA in Illustration, Rik was drafted into the US Army and served two years in Germany as a Military Policeman. While in Germany he sought out a print shop to hone his skills and met his wife, Brita. Recognizing that he had a good thing going, on discharge he stayed in Germany and spent the next 8 years teaching Art & Crafts for the US military in Germany and Italy. He worked in a print studio and had 3 art shows in the Palozzi Strozzi in Florence. He took in the European experience and enjoyed the life of an expat artist. This is the life of dreams for a young man from a one-street American town.

But all things must come to an end. Rik and Brita returned to his native Northern California and settled in South San Francisco. Rik continued his prolific contribution to proving that illustration is a true artform. He studied wood engraving under John DePol and Barry Moser and drew inspiration from the 14thcentury printmaker, Albrecht Duerer and Oakland Arts and Crafts era printmaker artist William S. Rice.

With his great talents and engaging demeanor, Rik successfully participates in the upper circles of his chosen craft. He has illustrated over 200 books and is currently working on a rendition of Herman Melville’s Norfolk Island and the Chola Widow from the Encantadas with Nawaken Press. Rik is an active member of the San Franciso Center for the Book (SFCB), a place to learn the many arts of the book. He teaches workshops each month on methods he utilizes in book illustration such as linoleum prints and wood engraving. Each September for the last six years, a group of artists make 3’ by 3’ linoleum cuts and take their work to the streets – literally! A San Francisco street to blocked off to traffic and a steamroller is the press for 3 to 6 prints each. The event is called ROADWORKS and the prints made are sold at auction to support the work of SFCB. Rik is a favorite at these events, returning each year to wow the crowds. Rik is a member of the Graton Gallery in Graton and Local Color in Bodega Bay. Beginning on February 28, Rik will have a 2 month exhibit at Sonoma Academy, complete with a lecture to the student body, faculty and friends on March 10. Look around and you will find Rik’s art and if you are lucky, you will run into Rik. You can learn more about books and locate Rik’s workshops at www.sfcb.org. Or check out Rik's website at www.rikolson.com. Rik participates in ArtTrails and Art at the Source. However you find him and his art, you will be thankful for the experience.

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Artist Profile: Zak Zaikine

Press kits are not an everyday occurrence in my mailbox and often unsolicited materials are immediately relegated to the circular file in an attempt to eliminate clutter in my life. So when I received a large envelope a couple of months ago, I immediately looked with skepticism at the elaborate addressing and sighed. The return address was Zak Zaikine, artist of considerable talent and a name on my list of artists that I must meet. The book that emerged from the plain manila encasing was a colorfully crafted tribute to one of my favorite places in the world, the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The Magic of Hanalei Bay is the story of Kauai rain and wind, the chickens that survive in this environment and the mercreatures of the sea. Inside was a personally inscribed message offering rainbows and blessings to me and my family. A coy little chicken graces the middle of the inscription and holds a heart with the words “for you.” The package was a hard sell that immediately grabbed my attention and warmed my heart. Such was my second introduction to Zak Zaikine.

I had first heard of Zak from Janet Charnofsky in 2006. (She was featured in this column in May, 2006.) Janet gave me a greeting card with one of Zak’s whimsical images and suggested that I contact him. “He is going through some health issues right now but please keep him in mind,” was Janet’s advice. The card has been amongst my desktop collection for these three and a half years – reminding me that someday I will meet this young man with a flair for bright colors, fanciful images and apparently poor health. Little did I know that this “young” man has produced art for over 60 years! The vibrancy and joy in his paintings and children’s books reflect youth and optimism that is not anticipated. But meeting Zak takes away all preconceived notions of age or health.

The first thing that comes to mind when entering the lair of Zak Zaikine is that he loves to make art. His art is everywhere and comes in all varieties. The kitchen walls and surfaces are covered with ceramics (he has two kilns), sketches and metal figurines of Zak’s making. As he leads the tour of his house, each room has a theme – although not necessarily adhered to – of a genre or era in his lifetime of creating. He talks of making sculptures out of hangers in the 50’s and the famous patrons he has known over the years. He reminisces about the house he built on Long Island and sold to Paul Taylor, the choreographer, because their numerology was compatible. He beams as he speaks of his two daughters, Lynda and Anastasia. He insists that the people who have cared for him during his struggle and recovery from MRSA and the loss of his leg be mentioned because without them, he would not be having this discussion today.

Zak was born in Queens, New York to immigrant Russian parents with the name Victor Eugene Zaikine. His New York heritage is woven through his conversation as easily as his life in California. He has resided in many places but Sonoma County is the final refuge that supports his desires to be in consort with the universe and partake of the fruits that abound. While no part of his artist endeavors take a back seat to others, Zak’s current emphasis is on his children’s books. In addition to The Magic of Hanalei Bay, two other books are currently available – A Mother’s Love, a story of kittens based on his experiences while living on a ranch outside of Healdsburg, and Eugene and the Magical Carrot Tree. Any child would be delighted to have one or all of these books under the Christmas tree. They are beautifully produced on recycled paper with soy inks. You can purchase the books on Zak’s website www.zakzaikine.com or you can locate one of the many local galleries where Zak’s work is displayed. I know that you will find signed books at Quicksilver Mining Company in downtown Forestville.

Zak’s large collection of art works is truly as magical as his stories. I sincerely hope that you will take time in this busy holiday season to find a little magic.
In honoring Zak’s wishes to give praise to the many who have helped in his recovery, I am including this thanks from him.

My Healing could not have happened without the help of my Darling Daughter Anastasia, My Dear Friend Karin O’Keefe, My Friend and Acupuncturist David Walker, My Dear Friend and Neighbor Ron, Dr. Thomas Yatteau, Cheryl Caletti, N.P., Vicchi Oleski, Claude Smith, Rick Hobbs, Natalie Slanina, Adrianne Sinclair, Lorenzo De Santis, Shayne Cook, Bud D’Orazio, Elizabeth Draper, Joshua Muscat and Steve of Buffalo Direct. Let these few represent the countless other folks in my extended community.

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net. Read what other things Barbara is up to at www.MyWineCountryVillage.com.

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Bas Molenkamp: Creating Abstract Landscapes with Youthful Exuberance

Bas Molenkamp is young, creative and passionate. What a delight to interview! Right at the start he has a fresh, new story to tell. I met Bas in his home on West Street in Sebastopol. The easel set up in the corner of the living room seemed as natural as the sofas around the fireplace.

“When did you start painting?” I asked.
“A couple of years ago,” he replied.
“How did you get started?”

His eyes lit up and he began his story.

Bas Molenkamp is Dutch. He met his wife, Alia, while traveling in India. They traveled together until their joint resources were spent. They arrived in Berkeley, Alia’s family home, and prepared for a less nomadic future. Wanting bucolic surroundings, they began their journey northwards with Mendocino the chosen destination. A stop in Sebastopol to have lunch at Food For Thought (that is now Whole Foods) altered their plans. They were so impressed with the friendliness and casual acceptance of them by Sebastopolians, they settled right here.

Now the story up to this point is not all that unusual. Boy meets girl – okay, not usually traveling in India – boy marries girl – this has some practical side effect, like being able to stay in the US – couple visits Sebastopol – what better place to settle down and have a family. Once established in Sebastopol, Alia became a masseuse and eventually started painting. Bas worked in construction until he was injured, then at the Wild Flower Bakery in Freestone and last went to massage school when Alia became pregnant with their child.

The first time Bas ran his hands over a human body with the intention of relieving stress, he knew that this was the profession for him. The tactile sensation of detecting the sinuous path of muscle and tendon with the fluidity of oil on skin brought a peace within that made the massage a healing for both masseuse and his subject.

Bas attributes his frugal nature to his ancestry. He cannot bear to see anything wasted. As Alia painted, she would leave large blobs of paint on her palette which would eventually dry up – never to be used. One day Bas decided that he would help her out and prepare a canvas with what was left on the palette so that it would not be wasted. He was hooked by painting with the first stroke of the brush. Bas relived the same epiphany that massage had delivered. Alia never got to use that canvas and Bas has been painting ever since.

Bas paints landscapes. They are what I would call “abstract” landscapes as they come from his imagination and draw upon the observer’s. The enthusiasm of youthful exuberance jumps off the canvas as he plays with the nuances of color and form. He uses words such as “delicious” and “dancing” to describe the creation of his images. He experiences a “roar of wanting to go to the canvas” - “a shift in the brain” when a brush is in his hand. Have I already said that he is a delight?

Bas cites Matisse and Renoir as influences in his craft. His results are very different and modern when compared to these masters but the emotion is evident. Bradford Brenner, the nationally acclaimed Sebastopol artist, is a neighbor and friend who has taken an interest in the progression of Bas’ painting. Brenner’s influence is evident and his helpful comments are acted upon.

The first public showing the paintings by Bas Molenkamp is October through January at the Prudential California Realty office at 7300 Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol. The Opening Reception is Friday, October 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Marcy Basel, previously featured Artist Profile, will be sharing the walls. Bas offers massage at Osmosis in Freestone or at his home in Sebastopol. If you cannot make it to the opening of his show, please stop by the Prudential office anytime during business hours.

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net. Read what other things Barbara is up to at www.MyWineCountryVillage.com.

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Sonoma County Artist: Fran Nielsen

Fran Nielsen has lived her life in Sebastopol. She apologizes for this fact but knows that she is a fortunate person. Her father lived his life in Sebastopol and her grandmother ventured from far away Healdsburg. How more local can someone be?

Fran works in her home – right off the kitchen in a space designed for creating. The work that goes on in this studio is as integral a part of Fran’s being as the life she has built as a wife, mother and grandmother. Fran downplays her accomplishments as an artist and is quick to tell that she has no formal training and just does what comes naturally. She mentions that she only began focusing on paintings in the last three years but “focus” is a critical word here. Painting is a profession that she has progressed towards all her life.

Fran loved animals as a child and began her drawing forays by painting horses. Not the easiest subject for even the most schooled of artists – she recalls that they looked similar to dogs! Once in high school, her talents were tapped to design and build sets for school productions.

Becoming a wife and mother became her most important role as time went on but all of those lifelong friends could not forget Fran’s artist abilities. Fran did graphic design for an apple business, designed the original logo for Lucas Wharf Restaurant in Bodega Bay, drew pen and ink mementos of houses for real estate agent gifts and provided portraits of children for doting parents. She naturally became the Art Director for the California Junior Miss Pageant which was held in Santa Rosa. For ten years, Fran designed and created the musical production stage sets for the pageant.

Along the way Fran found a new outlet by making cloth dolls with carved faces. She and her sister worked home shows with a line of Father Christmas and angel dolls. The dolls provided a medium for carving, painting, sewing and ornamentation - a combination of beautiful and intriguing components which yielded a desirable product. While the public clamored for decorative soft dolls, Fran’s son wanted to adorn his walls with paintings by his mother. The tradition of painting a picture for her son began in the 1990’s and continues today. Fran started adding paintings into the mix of offerings at the home shows – and they sold. She was asked to put her dolls in Jessal Gallery in Napa and she parlayed that invitation to include some paintings – and they sold! In 2006 Fran’s emphasis changed to painting.

The Art Workshop of Western Sonoma County (AWS) is an active group of over 100 local working artists. It began in 1965 and continues to be the second oldest art group in Sonoma County. With that legacy, it is not surprising that Fran is very active in this group. She is currently the Recording Secretary and she participates in most of the activities. AWS meets the third Thursday of the month, Noon to 3 PM, in the dining room of the Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Hall, S. 282 High Street, Sebastopol, CA. After a light lunch and business meeting, a local artist provides a demonstration or critique. Fran is a self admitted goal setter and she uses the inspiration of this forum to try new things. She is fascinated with the contrasts for shadows and sunlight. She loves the drape of fabrics and the color variations imposed by glass. She is always looking for the next challenge.

Fran paints in a style of realism. Her medium is acrylics on canvas. She finds the preciseness of clean lines and architectural perspective naturally appealing. While her subject matter is recognizable as local landmarks and known views, Fran makes her paintings more likeable by altering the composition - remove the extra building, change the plants in the foreground, the addition of an animal. The showing currently at the Prudential Real Estate office in Sebastopol is made up of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Russian River appellation vineyards, Carmel courtyard and kitchen vignettes. Some are stylized – some are like photographs – all are beautiful.

Fran’s works can be seen regularly in many local venues. All of her entries to the Harvest Fair have brought ribbons. The Apple Blossom crowd has voted her painting the people’s choice two years in a row. Maybe it was the apples on the table that brought the support but more likely it was the serenity that the painting evoked. You can see Fran’s paintings for the next three months at Prudential California Realty at 7300 Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol and most of the time at Graton Ridge Cellars on Hwy 116 between Sebastopol and Forestville. In September, paintings will be in Bank of the West in downtown Sebastopol. Two warnings – come prepared to buy and don’t expect to come back later and find the same painting. These paintings sell!

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net

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ARTIST PROFILE: Marcy Basel, painter

Artist Profile – Marcy Basel

Marcy Basel is becoming a known force in Sonoma County since her arrival in the summer of 2001. She has a private practice in alternative medicine to address many of the ailments of day to day life. She contributes to the community through her Chinese Medicine column in the West County Gazette. And most important to this column, she won a 1st and 2nd at the 2008 Sonoma County Harvest Fair in the Fine Arts – Oils, Amateur category.

Marcy began her career in Chinese Medicine while living in Santa Monica, CA. She was not feeling well and while visiting a Chinese herbal pharmacy, the proprietor observed an innate ability in Marcy to intuitively select the herbs for her ailments. The encounter led to a long term student/teacher relationship and enrollment in acupuncture school. Not only was this a major change in her life at the time but this career change resulted in an introduction to Sebastopol and a reemergence of art as a major emphasis in Marcy’s life.

The life of a traveling acupuncturist in celebrity populated Santa Monica was exciting and lucrative but was beginning to take a toll on quality of life. Marcy daydreamed about a different life with a studio of her own. Browsing the Practices for Sale in industry magazines for an established practice became a common pastime. One day she saw an advertisement for a business in Sebastopol. She spoke to the owner and found herself on an airplane to Northern California. Driving into Sebastopol with a belief that all of California is akin to the Los Angeles basin is like entering the Twilight Zone from June Cleaver’s home. Where did these relaxed women in Birkenstocks come from? Were there no designer shops or salons in the whole area? What was Marcy Basel doing here?

The experience was strange – the owner decided to not sell – Marcy gratefully returned to Los Angeles and continued her life as it was established. Sebastopol was all but forgotten. Life goes on. A year later, her apartment was sold and she needed to move. During the period of searching for a new place to live, the contact from Sebastopol called to let Marcy know that she was selling her business. Was Marcy still interested?

We all get a feeling at one time or another that things happen for a reason. We are not sure what that reason is nor do we understand what really is happening. For Marcy the confluence of events told her that now was to time to make another life change. Not only did she purchase the Sebastopol business but moved into the offered accommodations on Jonive Road. Her practice is diverse with particular attention to menopause and food allergies. Never thinking that she would live in the “woods”, she loved the quiet and serenity and ended up purchasing a home nestled in the forest outside of Occidental. She then built her studio where she can paint. The spirit of the setting comes through in Marcy’s paintings – tranquility and light.

After hearing this wonderful story about acupuncture and herbal medicine, my curiosity was piqued to learn where the art interest developed. Marcy matter-of-factly announced that she held a Masters Degree in Art Education and had run an art school in Malibu! Oh, and she had a ceramics company that she had sold. All of this before discovering herbal medicine as her calling. The intensity of her new profession had squelched any time or energy for art and she lost touch with her native skills of painting and creating.

Today Marcy paints in oils the nature that surrounds her in West Sonoma County. Her paintings range from landscapes to abstract nature. She works in oils and charcoal. The color combinations evoke a sense of continuity and compatibility – totally in keeping with wellness. Her paintings are frequently on display at Gallery One in Petaluma and will be featured at the Prudential CA Realty office on Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol during June and July. I am certain that you will find her at the Harvest Fair in October.

If you would like to see her paintings now, feel free to call Marcy directly at 707 874-2402.

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net

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Artist Profile – Hester Zoutendijk

Hester Zoutendijk is clearly a master of drawing animals – horses, dogs, cats, sheep, cows ….

The list goes on. Her sketches are created with graphite or water soluble color pencils on 23 x 29 inch sheets of 100% rag vellum white paper with exact detail to the personality of the subject. I was introduced to Hester through a friend who owns horses. My friend gave me a beautiful note card with a high quality reproduction of a horse portrait. She mentioned that the horse was her gelding, Paragon. Little did I know the specialness of this gesture until I met Hester in her studio nestled in a field off of Starr Road outside of Windsor.

Horse enthusiasts have known Hester as a horse trainer and teacher of dressage since her arrival in Sonoma County in 1990. Her home is on a two acre horse ranch and her professional life was totally consumed with horses. In 2000, Hester was kicked by a horse in the forearm while training. The injury was serious and the trauma was a wakeup call for Hester. She began experiencing fear while working with the horses which, of course, they could sense. She had a six year old daughter and a wonderful husband and she needed to pursue a less physically demanding profession.

Hester has drawn creatures throughout her life. She liked to create fantasy animals and funny sketches to amuse herself and her large family during her childhood. She also has an affinity for the animal world and early in her life found that she was a natural vegetarian. She remembers as a child saving her money to purchase caged birds at the pet store, sketching them and then releasing them into freedom. She attended an art school in South America as a teenager and eventually graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam. Her deep connection with animals allows her to portray the personality of the animal and not just the superficial exterior appearance.

She drew her first animal portrait of a Jack Russell in 1992 as a gift for a friend. The response was delight. Hester’s ability to capture the essence of an animal created a loyal following of pet and livestock owners who wished to have their companions memorialized in a work of fine art. Although Hester has always exercised her artist skills, the efforts were for her personal pleasure and not something that she considered a professional activity. That all changed within six months of the accident.

As always, I wanted to know the story of Hester’s journey to Sonoma County. With the surname of Zoutendijk, there is little doubt that Hester is Dutch. But according to Hester, “Holland was not large enough to handle” her, her adventurous parents and her seven siblings. Shortly after she was born, Hester’s parents moved their eight children to the Dutch Colony of New Guinea where her father was a school principal. They remained there until New Guinea reverted back to Indonesia. The Zoutendijks returned to Holland for a few years and then ventured to Suriname, a Dutch Colony located on the northern edge of South America where Hester’s father started a center for performing arts.

At age 17, Hester left her family to attend the Royal Academy of Art in Holland. After school, Hester sailed, traveled and recorded her adventures through sketching. She eventually returned to Holland and began working with horses. On vacation, she visited one of her sisters who lived on Mark West Spring Road. Recognizing that Sonoma County offered one of the best year round climates in the world, she moved here in 1990 bringing her horse, dog and parrot. She finally had found a place where she could settle down and grow real roots.

Seeing Hester’s work is a special treat. I learned while visiting her that with each original portrait, she provides an 8.5 x 11 print and two note cards with smaller prints. I now hold one of those small prints of Paragon. Hester has ventured into Sonoma County landscapes that always include some creature, baby portraits and other observations. You will find her work at the St. Helena Hometown Harvest Faire, Windsor Town Green events (check out the Windsor Official Website 2008 Fine Art Gallery) and various horse shows. Hauck Cellars has graced their Sauvignon Blanc with a portrait of winery dog Margaux by Hester. Two venues in Windsor, Lupe’s Restaurant and Copperstone Coffee Shop currently have exhibits of Hester’s work. Check out www.portraitsbyhester.com for prints for sale, price lists for custom portraits and to learn more about Hester.

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net

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Artist Profile - Adrenne Hatkoff

FEATURED ARTISTS: Adrienne Hatkoff is not only an accomplished and prolific water color artist, she's also a gerontologist who teaches local seniors, as well as an art instructor an Santa Rosa Junior College.

Artist Profile – Adriane Hatkoff
My introduction to Adriane Hatkoff happened while I was passing through the lobby of Prudential California Realty in Sebastopol. Adriane was rushing to hang her paintings for the show that is currently on exhibit there. I was on my way out of my office – rushing to my next obligation. At that brief encounter, I knew that she was someone I had to interview. That quick glance at a beautifully executed watercolor might have been what struck me but I now know that it was something more visceral. I identified myself and asked if she would like to be featured in the Artist Profile. Without hesitation, she said “yes” and continued placing paintings throughout the building. Here is a woman who has more things (or at least as many) going on in her life than me.

When first entering Adriane’s home, you know that she has a special relationship with a whippet. There are whippets on the calendar, on a covered dish and in many paintings. The most prominent whippet is Jasper, a rescued pet, who is with Adriane at home or away. Jasper is not the first whippet in Adriane’s life and will definitely not be the last. According to the whippet rescue site, a whippet owner “is involved with her dog, who considers her dog part of the family, and who has an easygoing nature herself.” “A whippet prefers a relatively quiet household. He's sensitive to human emotions.” It sure sounds like Adriane to me.

Some of you may know Adriane from her life as the Senior Day Program director. Three days a week for four and a half hours each day, Adriane entertains, cajoles and inspires a collection of West County residents. Her education in gerontology, the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging, makes her the perfect candidate for this important work. This summer she added teaching drawing and painting for SRJC Adult Education to her resume. The opportunity to teach to highly educated and motivated retirees has merged two of her worlds into a single creative outlet that provides as much satisfaction to her as to her students.

Adriane’s strikingly lovely paintings of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Costa Rican beaches and lotus flowers create another pursuit, art entrepreneur. Adriane promotes her watercolor paintings in the forms of original artwork, giclees and note cards. The colors are vibrant and the scenes compelling. At one time, Adriane did primarily plein air painting but today she prefers to photograph her subjects or environs from various perspectives and then develop her own interpretation in the solitude of her studio. You can see a large collection of these works at the Prudential Real Estate office at 7300 Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol for the next couple of months.

Adriane’s journey to this multi-faceted life in West Sonoma County is equally as eclectic. She started her adult life by rebelling as soon as she reached college in New England. She was away from home and grabbed the opportunity to study art as an elective while still taking the courses that were parentally approved. Her rebellion resulted in joining the New York publishing business as an illustrator of children’s books for J. P. Lippinncott Publishing. A side benefit of the tenure at J. P. Lippinncott was an education in production processes at NYU. This background is evident in Adriane’s business acumen for promoting and selling her art. After a few expeditions and career moves, she decided to move to San Francisco. She bought an old house to renovate and took odds jobs and attended San Francisco State to pursue credentials in gerontology. What she thought was a two year project and lifestyle lasted eighteen years. She moved to Brisbane, south of San Francisco and worked in assisted living facilities on the Peninsula.

While attending a watercolor workshop in Point Reyes, she met a fellow artist who was looking for a house sitter in Forestville. Adriane jumped at the chance and relocated with her whippets that were aging and enjoyed the quiet of the country. There was no going back to the congestion and noise of urban living. Adriane Hatkoff may be busy and may have as many hats as when she lived in the city but her life is calmer and very creative in the serenity of West Sonoma County. Check out her artwork at Prudential or on her website, www.adrianedesigns.com.

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net

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Warren Arnold - Stone Sculptor

Once Warren Arnold found a local source for soapstone in Forestville, CA, he moved from carving wood, to sculpting stone. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Warren’s upcoming shows. You can, also, see Warren’s work at Art Trails on the second and third weekends of October.

Warren Arnold

Every mass of stone is awaiting a sculptor who will release the joy it contains and bring nature and man into harmony. Nature and man in consort – each supporting the other in sustaining and creating beauty. The image is pure West Sonoma County. It is, therefore, befitting that Warren Arnold is the shaper of marble in the midst of a small farm on the south outskirts of Sebastopol. Warren Arnold did not become a part of the West Sonoma County culture by happenstance. He was teaching and living sustainability long before it became a buzzword for the Green Movement. Even while living in the urban environment of Berkeley, Warren and his wife, Maile, raised chickens, rabbits and bees as well as vegetables in rooftop boxes. He shared the lessons of living with nature in the classes he taught in Orinda for the Contra Costa County school system. He developed a nature area for students to learn first hand how to work with the environment instead of against it. He expressed his profound fascination with nature’s untold secrets through sculpture.

His dedication to sculpting began over 40 years ago with wood but once he discovered a supply of soapstone in Forestville, he was hooked on stone. Trips were taken to Sebastopol to buy apples. Sonoma County appeared to be the idyllic Eden within reach of mortals. In 1976 the couple purchased their small farm with the plan to spend weekends and summers away from their normal lives. Soon they could not go back to the confines of the city and began their not-so-normal daily lives on the farm. Over thirty years later, Warren and Maile live off of the land in a manner that was once common but has long ago gone the way of one room school houses and crank up car windows. They grow their own food including livestock, heat with firewood from their land and produce solar energy for their household needs. Pre-existing outbuildings house the hay for the animals and keep the firewood dry through the winter but most importantly provide ample studio and display space for Warren’s art.

It is clear from the urban farm in Berkeley that Warren does not have an issue with going against the tide. You might recognize his name from the controversy which rose around his Whale Project that placed a series of seven totemic sculptures along the coast of Northern California from south at Big Sur to north at Trinidad. Only six remain today and one is the hotly contested “Whale Ballet” at Doran Beach Park in Bodega Bay. But don’t expect all of his works to be whales frolicking in the waves. At each opportunity to display his sculptures, Warren picks a new theme. His fun is in doing something that has not previously been done. Arches, lovers, sunrises, sea mammals – they each have their own aura but all speak of Warren Arnold’s love of form and texture. His upcoming Labor Day Weekend venue is at the Blue Gum Farm Gallery on Hall Road. Warren, Jocelyn Audette and Hanya Popova-Parker will be showing their depictions of fragments from the coastal shore in an exhibition they have coined FRAGMENTS. The three artists draw inspiration from the same broken objects collected on beach walks and express their observations each in a different medium – stone, watercolors and oils. They have made this collaboration in the past with enthusiastic success. Warren has a completely different series, titled STORMS, planned for this October’s Art Trails.

Sonoma County benefits from Warren’s residence. He has been an instrumental personality in the yearly Sculpture Jam and was recognized for his work in 2007 with a proclamation from the Sebastopol City Council for his Leadership and Dedication to Sculpture Jam over many years. He is curator for the upcoming Ten Year Review of Sculpture at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts which will showcase the works of 13 Sonoma County sculptors. His most recent community effort is the tables and benches at the Sebastopol Skate Park which is finally poised to open.

All of these things are being propelled by the internal energy of Warren Arnold. And what did I find him doing when I came to visit? He was at the controls of his forklift with his last large chunk of Indian marble (the remains of The Whale Project) poised above a pile of pallets. 2700 pounds of stone that will be transformed into yet another polished masterpiece over the coming months. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Warren’s upcoming shows. The Blue Gum Farm Gallery is at 4787 Hall Road, Santa Rosa. Exhibit hours are Saturday, August 30, through Monday, September 2, from 1 to 5. You can, also, see Warren’s work at Art Trails on the second and third weekends of October. www.artrails.org/

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