Little Shop of Horrors, is the show that redefined the meaning of plant food. This cult classic musical is an affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies. Seymour, a nerdy flower shop assistant on Skid Row discovers a strange and unusual plant that looks like a cross between a venus flytrap and an avocado, and discovers that it only thrives when fed human blood. And when the plant thrives, amazing things happen for the human who is providing the food. Its appetite for blood is nearly insatiable and Seymour is torn between keeping the plant alive and his conscience. Will he sell his soul to this bloodthirsty plant?
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This Labor Day weekend, the 2010 Last Days of Summer Art Expo will be hosted at William S. Hart Hall at the historic William S. Hart Ranch in Newhall, California. The show will be open September 4th through 6th, each day 10:00am to 6:00pm.
The 2010 Last Days of Summer Art Expo is a mixed media show featuring the best in regional photography, painting, lithography and three dimensional art. The featured artwork includes the nationally renowned collodion wet plate work of Will Dunniway and the traditional and alternative photographic work of the staff of Freestyle Photo of Hollywood, California.
Dunniway will present several of his works featuring that Crow Agency Native American of Little Big Horn executed in period collodion wet plate photography (Civil War era). These awaited works have never before been on display. Dunniway, as a teacher and artist, is a major force in the preservation of American Civil War era photographic methodology.
The work of the Freestyle Photo staff includes stunning metallic prints, lithography and chromoskedasic printing, as well as works in traditional gelatin silver. Freestyle Photo is the nation’s hub for the preservation of film photography and the advancement of new and refined alternative photographic and printing methods.
Additionally, the suburban art rebellion of show co-producers, Proxart Magazine, will be on display. This highly talented group of young people will soon celebrate the release of their third edition of Proxart Magazine. Proxart and its artists are gaining serious “art-traction” as was recently featured in extended coverage by the Los Angeles Daily News.
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I’ve been to San Francisco. I’ve been to Austin. I’ve been to Shanghai. I’ve been to Nashville. I’ve been to Dallas. I’ve been to Honduras. I’ve been to Pleasanton. I’ve been to Vegas.
But, regardless of where I go, I come home to Santa Clarita.
Having been around a bit, I am quite confident that if any one thing is a constant characteristic of the artistic community, it’s this: We always want to do things differently. Never happy when “playing by the rules,” the arts demand thinking outside the box – there is something “artistic” about bypassing the “normal” rules in order to create new ones.
That said, what is normal for one isn’t normal for another. Example: If you lived in San Francisco, bustling streets, public transportation, tons of food, and The Embarcadero would comprise your “normal.” For those of us in Santa Clarita, chain restaurants, malls, SUVs, housing tracts, Starbucks and Vasquez Rocks make up our “normal.”
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As the first exhibition of the fall 2010 semester, the College of the Canyons Art Gallery will feature the works of three-time Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Paul Conrad.
Regarded as one of the most distinguished political cartoonists in the world, Conrad began his career at The Denver Post in 1950 before moving on to the Los Angeles Times in 1964 where he served as chief editorial cartoonist until 1993.
At 87, Conrad is still active and producing his biting cartoons for syndication in newspapers across the country and abroad.
Despite having been honored with three Pulitzers and numerous other prestigious awards, Conrad is most fond of his distinction for being included on Richard Nixon’s infamous “enemies” list — a comment on the impact of the artist’s prolific work during that era.
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The Art of Landscape Design
2 weeks ago I wrote about the idea of celebrating our collective creativity in Santa Clarita. Everywhere you look, people are doing creative things. Gardening is creative, as is cooking a great meal, or running a business. I went out looking for these creative people in the community and have found my first.
For his entire life, Joe Varonin has liked working with the outdoors. His High School Year Book predicted his path when it printed that Joe wanted to be a Landscape Designer. Joe, now the President of TCLA, Inc., a landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning company, began landscaping as a young man working for a family friends business. This is where he got his hands dirty and the birth of his passion for landscaping was nurtured. Over the years, Joe has designed everything from backyards to large development projects. “It has never been about the money. I am more interested in the creative aspect of the work, and how people will experience what I create.”
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Years ago my wife and I were out shopping and we happened to be at an Aaron Brothers store. My wife Diane (always one to catch me in deep thought or daydreaming) asked me what I was looking at. Diane and I have a great relationship; very frank and direct with one another. “I’m not looking at anything,” I said! She immediately responded with, “Yes you were! You were looking at that canvas.”
Finally, I admitted that I was staring at a blank 4′X4′ canvas. So she said these dreaded words: “Why don’t you buy it!” I was shocked that she was so direct and I immediately responded by saying, “Heck no!” She asked me why I was so resistant to buying the canvas and I told her it was because if I bought it I’d have to fill it with something - and that’s a big commitment.
As I said already, my wife is very direct, but her to the comment about the blank canvas caught even me off guard. “So fill it!” she said. I couldn’t believe my ears. I’ve always approached doing art as a kind of sacred thing. Everything has to be planned out exactly and once you start there’s no turning back. I thought to myself, “What nerve!” I could not understand how she could take something so special to me and make it so trivial. That she would ask me to expose myself to the world and not even bat an eye for my safety or well being.
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This is a silhouette of an oak tree off of McBean Parkway in Santa Clarita created by Mel Carll of the SCV Center for Photography. The image is currently hanging in the Century Room of the Santa Clarita City Hall. You too, can create an awesome silhouette of your own.
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You would think that two guys could get along in a huge, eight room New York apartment, but you’d be wrong! Not when one of them is a slop and the other one is a neat-freak. But it’s a situation that’s fraught with laughter as presented at the Canyon Theatre Guild. “The Odd Couple” is one of Neil Simon’s most produced comedies and audiences are loving it at the CTG. So get out of the heat, come to Old Town Newhall, and enjoy some laughs at the Canyon Theatre Guild’s production of “The Odd Couple” through August 29. Call 661-799-2702 to reserve.
The Festival of the Arts, held in Old Town Newhall will have a variety of artists working on their pieces outdoors, from street paintings to sand sculptures to canvas painters. One of the interesting pieces of the event will be plein air painters, were the public can watch the process of art being created outdoors along the festival grounds.
The newly redeveloped streetscape on Main Street will serve as the picturesque backdrop for the Festival of the Arts, presented by Lockheed Federal Credit Union, held on October 2 and 3 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. The Festival will feature four blocks of demonstration and art activities completely free and open to the public, with a variety of artists creating artwork in multiple mediums, including, plein air painting, sculpture, pottery, and the fine art of street painting.
There are still opportunities for plein air painters to participate in the event. For more information, please check out www.scvfestivalofthearts.com or call the City of Santa Clarita’s Arts and Events Office at (661) 286-4018.
There are times when your photographic creative juices fail you, and you just can not come up with any ideas of what to photograph, but you want to photograph. Here are a few ideas for you to consider:
- Your Yard: You may think this is funny, but your yard is a target rich environment. Most of you are likely to have flowers, roses, herbs or plants. These items always make great macro subjects. And don’t forget the grass, which first thing in the morning with dew and sunlight can be pretty pleasing.
- Your House: To be more specific, the kitchen. Consider those hanging pots, or the many utensils you have laying around. If you just look around, you may be surprised what you see.
- Park: Most us have a park fairly close to home. The kids play area always has some interesting objects, that might be interesting macro shots. The kids playing, laughing and running are great photos to send the grandparents. You may even be lucky to have a water fountain or other textures to consider.
- Industrial Park: Take a drive though the local business park. Check out the textures on the building, as they can make for some interesting abstracts. A lot of businesses have some pretty nice landscaping, so again, flowers, plants and even water treatments can make for great photos.
- Farmers Market: Most towns today have a local farmers market, and this can be an awesome place for photographs. You should always ask the vendors if they mind having the produce photographed, but generally, most have no problems.
Hopefully these tips can you help you jump start your creative juices on those slow days. Enjoy, and keep shooting. If you are interested in other ideas, please log onto our website at www.scvphotocenter.com and check out our many workshops each month at the SCV Center for Photography.
This post was written by Mel Carll from the SCV Center for Photography ❘ email: mel@scvphotocenter.com
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