Torrey Pines "Art in the Pines" this weekend!

"Torrey Pines Rescue" 8" x 16" oil on canvas panel

2nd Place! "Beach Hike"  11" x 14" oil on canvas panel

 Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve will host Art in the Pines 2013 this weekend, May 4th and 5th!

Art in the Pines: A Spring Art Festival & Sale

The Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Docent Society and Torrey Pines Association present the fourth annual Art in the Pines to be held Saturday, May 4 from 10 to 5 and Sunday, May 5, 2013 from 10am to 4pm. The Festival is free and open to all and will be held at the Reserve just south of the Lodge.

Art in the Pines is a two-day event featuring a professionally judged (Scott Prior, well known plein air artist locally) plein air contest with an awards ceremony; artists’ booths exhibiting nature-inspired art for sale in a variety of media such as painting, pastels, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, and photography; food; live music (Mission Bay High School jazz trio, Sara Mussen, Minera Trio, Jen Hajj, Endangered Speciez band and Joe Marillo on sax); children’s art activities; a raffle and silent auction; guided nature walks; tours of the historic Torrey Pines Lodge; and expert demonstrations in painting and basket weaving.

This year, for the first time, artist participation has been open to all California residents. This juried art show features over 50 artists from well-known masters of the landscape to new talent.

The Art in the Pines festival provides opportunities for individuals, community organizations, foundations and businesses to support children’s nature programs at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. That model program serves 4,000 children in the San Diego area every year with an exemplary outdoor experience tied to the school curriculum.

The event is free, but there is a charge for parking. The Reserve has two parking lots, South Beach and North Beach. The lot closest to the Art in the Pines event is the South Beach Lot where there will be preferred parking for $20 per car during the event. You will not be able to use annual passes of any kind on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, in the South Lot. In the North Lot, you will be able to use passes on those 2 days or the charge is $10 per car. A free shuttle will run frequently from both lots. For safety reasons, bikes will not be allowed on the reserve's road that connects both lots during the May 4th and 5th weekend. Instead, you may enjoy walking to the event. It is a fifteen minute walk from the South Beach Parking Lot.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is located between La Jolla and Del Mar, California, north of San Diego. From Hwy 5, exit on Carmel Valley Road and drive west for about 1.5 miles till you reach the Coast Highway 101. Turn left and proceed along the beach for about a mile. The park entrance is on your right just before the highway begins to climb the Torrey Pines grade. The street address is 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, San Diego CA 92037.

 "April in Torrey Pines"  11" by 14" oil on canvas panel

"Torrey Pines Lodge"  10" by 8" oil on canvas panel

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/05/art-show-torrey-pines-state-park/

Perspective

I met Bill a few years ago when I had a studio space at the New Village Arts Foundry in Carlsbad.  Bill is a soft spoken, friendly man, and very easy to talk to.  When we met, he had just begun to explore painting after retirement, and enjoyed the company of other artists. He and I have remained friends, even after I moved from the Foundry, and have frequently met for coffee or lunch here in Carlsbad.  

"Perspective"  12" by 16" oil on canvas panel

About a year ago, we met for coffee at a nearby cafe' where Bill's artwork was displayed. I took Bill's photo as he told stories of earlier times in his life.  I felt so honored to know this gentleman, who's life experiences (some of them quite devastating)  have not made him hardened and calloused, but instead humbled and gentle.  He is a dear friend, and I am blessed to have been touched by him.  

Gouache Studies Now For Sale!

Laguna Tidepools Study 4 1/2"h by 6"w $100

Recently, a friend and fellow artist was visiting and commented that she really liked my gouache works.  Truly, I love gouache, but use it primarily for studies for larger oil paintings. ( I hadn't thought to market them on my website)  So here they sit, stacked up in my studio, unframed and hidden from public view. Well, all that's changed now and I've posted quite a few of them on my website this morning for sale!  They are all very reasonably priced and can be shipped to you; ready to frame!  Here are a couple of them; the rest are in the "Gouache Miniature Gallery" found on my website.  www.ritapacheco.com

Carlsbad Jetty Study 4"h x 10 1/2"w $100

Gouache should be framed behind glass and I highly recommend a nice white matte around them!  

San Marino: CAC Artists Celebrate 100 Years

I am pleased and honored to announce that (4) of my recent oil paintings of beautiful San Marino, California have been juried into the California Art Club's "San Marino: CAC Artists Celebrate 100 Years" Exhibit, which opens early next year!  It was my pleasure to paint just a few landmarks of this historic city, and am looking so forward to seeing all the contributing pieces for this show!

Location:  The California Art Club Gallery at the Old Mill
                1120 Old Mill Road
                San Marino, CA  91108
             
Exhibition Dates:  January 8-May 15, 2013
Opening Reception:  January 17, 2013  5:30pm-7:30pm

Historic Thurnher House
8"h by 16"w oil on canvas panel

San Marino Community Church
10"h by 20"w oil on canvas panel

Original Fire Engine
11"h by 14"w oil on canvas panel

Before the Sun in San Marino
6" by 6" oil on canvas panel

Twinkies in the Sack Lunch-Circa 1972

The DPW Painting Challenge:  The Hurricane Sandy Fundraiser!

Twinkies in the Sack Lunch-Circa 1972

I seriously had not bitten into one of these Hostess treats in probably 40 years until last Saturday!  I had seen a post on Facebook that Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, HoHos and Wonder Bread, said it was going out of business after failing to get wage and benefit cuts from thousands of its' striking bakery workers. 

Most importantly, over 18,000 people will lose their jobs because of the closure-this is the true tragedy!

But also, the event brought this tasty treat to the forefront of my mind.  There was a time in my life where I so enjoyed this particular snack. I remember biting into that soft golden bread with it's creamy and uber sweet filling, and life was good!  Now, my parents did not include a snack of this sort often in our sack lunches, and while I show a soda wrapped in foil (to keep it's temperature down), this was also a rare occurrence. This would have been reserved for special days at school where a field trip was planned.  For some reason, my mom must have been regularly including a Twinkie in my lunches (who knows, maybe because I told her I LOVED them!) and, as I said, life was very good!  This came to a crashing end when one of the other parents who was supervising the school yard informed her that I was throwing everything except the Twinkie in the trash so I could hurry out to play.  Imagine that!

Fast forward to Saturday morning when I decided I was going to paint one (after all, when would I have another chance at it?!)  The Twinkie package was on sale at the grocery store for $1 (not $50 as some alarmists would have you believe) and of course the tonic water I had on hand in my pantry served quite well as a "soda" once I wrapped it in foil. The paper bag was tricky; did you know they don't sell paper "lunch bags" any more?  That was easily solved since they give them to you for free if you ask for one at the check out. ;)  

I certainly enjoyed painting "Twinkies", and hope you will consider making a bid on this painting to benefit the American Red Cross in it's Hurricane Sandy Relief! Copy and paste to your browser:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/C0EB586C-7142-4c96-A589-DF9DC9BABA1A

A Week in Telluride, Colorado

Telluride Wine Festival  12"h by 16"w oil on canvas panel

My husband and I spent the week of the 4th of July in glorious Telluride, Colorado, at the prestigious Sheridan Telluride Plein Air Invitaional.  We stayed right in town, and enjoyed the convenience of being within walking, biking or gondola distance to any location in town. With the exception of this first image, "Telluride Wine Festival"  12"h by 16"w with my bicycle in the foreground, all of the following paintings were done "en plein air" during the event.  The weather was unpredictable to say the least, but the scenes to capture were at every corner, and it was a delight to be there!  The plein air paintings that are still available will also be published soon on the Telluride Plein Air website www.telluridepleinair.com, with 40% of the proceeds going to the Sheridan Arts Foundation. (this portion is a tax deduction for you!)

Eleventh Annual Paint San Clemente Paint Out

After a great week of painting the beautiful City of San Clemente "en plein air", I submitted my two favorites for the Plein Air Competition Saturday morning.  I chose "El Ranchito" and "Morning at Casa Romantica".  This year, the weather was extremely cooperative, and I was blessed with the gift of time to spend almost every morning or afternoon painting.  

I was thrilled and honored to have received a First Place Ribbon at the Awards Reception/Gala! For more photos, see: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/clemente-360510-art-san.html

The submitted entries will be on display until August 3rd in the San Clemente Art Gallery (also located in the Community Center)

 

"Late Surf"  12" by 12" oil on canvas panel

"Morning at Casa Romantica"  9" by 12"  oil on canvas panel

"Morning at the Clock Tower"  11" by 14" oil on canvas panel

"El Ranchito"  12" by 12" oil on canvas panel

 

"Break Time"  11" by 14" oil on canvas panel

"Afternoon at the Pier"  8" by 10" oil on canvas panel