Feast on Local Art Along Julian Country Roads
By Bobbi Zane

Art piece by Don Weeke. Photo courtesy of Kaja Laustsen

Julian's annual Open Studios artist tour offers an opportunity to feast on the works of emerging and established artists

who live and work in the mountains.

The event is a self-guided driving tour along backcountry roads where you'll find 11 artist studios and 16 artists.

The tour, which has expanded to three days this year, runs Oct. 27-29 and offers participants the opportunity to explore the area's beautiful back roads while visiting the studio workspaces to see how the countryside inspires artists' work. Studios will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of the event.

Participating artists work in a variety of media and styles including: oil painting and watercolors; mosaics; stained glass; metal and ceramic sculpture, jewelry, pine needle and gourds, life castings and yarn paintings. Visitors can see works in progress, discuss current projects, make purchases or place orders for future pieces during the tour.

Three local artists have joined the tour for the first time, according to Charlotte Mitchell, event co-chair with Kaja Laustsen.

The new artists are Bettie Rikansrud, Judy Sonderby and Cindy Triplett. Returning artists include: Annie Dover, Stan Goudy, Timothy Hinchcliff, Chuck and Nanessence Kimball, Kaja Laustsen, Charlotte Mitchell, Dorothy Mushet, Helen Petre, Ann Reilly, Sally Snipes, Beryl Warnes and Don Weeke.

Maps showing the locations of each of the open studios will be available the days of the event at the Julian Chamber of Commerce in Town Hall on Main Street and also at Wynola Pizza Express, 4355 Highway 78 in Wynola.

For information, call the Julian Chamber of Commerce at 760-765-1857 or visit www.julianca.com.