Pacific Beach and surrounding communities attract artists like surfers to the waves.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, dozens of artists will showcase their creations during the fifth annual San Diego Coastal Art Studios Tour.
During the free admission event, visitors on the self-guided tour will be able to view hundreds of individual art pieces of all types, meet more than 30 professional artists and tour the gardens and art studios at four homes in Pacific Beach and La Jolla.
Photo artist Denise Strahm will discuss her work during the San Diego Coastal Art Studios Tour. (Courtesy of Dot Renshaw)
“I’m always amazed at the new, unique and exciting art and artists that I come across creating this event,” said Dot Renshaw, who created the tour with her friend and fellow artist Leah Higgins. “We have some really unusual things for sale this year, and I’ve seen art that I’ve never seen before.”
Among the participating artists is Carol Shamrock, who primarily paints in both watercolor and acrylic, but also makes her own jewelry, focusing on earrings and pendants.
Pendants and earrings, handmade out of polymer clay by artist Carol Shamrock will be featured at one of the tour homes during the San Diego Coastal Art Studios Tour. (Courtesy of Carol Shamrock)
“I create all the jewelry out of polymer clay and I don’t try to replicate anything. Every piece is unique and different,” Shamrock said.
She described her colors as “all over the spectrum.”
“Some of the pieces are in earth tones, but there is a lot of color as well,” Shamrock said. “I do like the different color schemes each produces for me.”
Shamrock said she’s always experimented with jewelry, but a couple of years ago began focusing on it, as it doesn’t require a lot of space, she likes working with 3D materials, she’s familiar with the materials from teaching classes in ceramic and clay, and it’s an alternative to working in paint.
When artist Mieko Anakawa isn’t painting images of marine animals, she’s often painting cactus and succulents.
“I do acrylic paintings, making them very colorful and vibrant with neon colors and abstract elements,” she said of her work. “Sometimes I hide elements in the paintings, making them mystic.”
Anakawa often uses her imagination for her art, working from her home studio. The plants in her garden offer inspiration, but Anakawa said she often goes to botanic gardens to see the plants and aquariums for sea life.
Her largest paintings can take months, while she said she can usually finish smaller ones in just a day.
No stranger to the art world, Anekawa has been painting at Spanish Village in Balboa Park for the past 10 years, after moving to the area from New York.
Artist Sneha Craig will make her debut at the Renshaw home for this year’s San Diego Coastal Art Studios Tour. (Courtesy of Dot Renshaw)
Shamrock has also been painting at Spanish Village for the past two years, since moving back to the Pacific Beach area.
The tour changes yearly. This year, 15 new artists and one new studio will be featured.
The Pacific Beach homes of couples Neil and Carla Murray, and Zack Taylor and Dot Renshaw are featured on the tour.
After the Murray’s purchased their 1941 home on 1128 Loring Street, they added a second story art studio and granny flat to expand the original small footprint. A mostly xeriscaped yard provides Neil with plenty of inspiration for his contemporary portraits of the lush plants.
“Initially, frankly, it wasn’t much to look at, but we got a quick sense of what we could do with it and made an offer on the spot,” Neil Murray said. “We treasure our five-block walk to the shoreline and all the wonder and variety that it offers — human and aquatic.”
Neil added that he is happy to be on the tour and looks forward to sharing his excitement with others.
Renshaw’s 1228 Beryl Street residence was renovated from one story to two and features an 18-foot high art studio. The 1920s Moorish style home overlooks a garden filled with flowers, ferns and fruit trees.
Artist Sneha Craig’s unique, mixed media contemporary art pieces — many painted on wood — range from small to very, very large. (Courtesy of Dot Renshaw)
Renshaw said she often paints her oils and pastels in the plein air style, choosing neighborhood canons, camping spots and small trails for her work.
Alan and Ann Chaitlin’s home at 1670 Bahia Vista in La Jolla is new to this year’s event.
The studio — which Chaitlin said her grandkiddos refer to as “the playroom” — contains boxes filled with the bits of nature, drawers sorted by color families, colorful jars with hand-painted animal lids and much more.
“The walls are covered with work, mixed media, embossed copper and painted mirror frames, while painted designs on wood — contemporary totems — are on the floor,” she said.
Her husband Alan, a retired physician, is also an artist known as “Dr. Pottery” at the mid-century shop selling his pieces.
The couple has lived in the home, a late mid-century California ranch, for the past 50 years.
Leah Higgins’ 1686 Los Altos Road home is also on tour. It has a long history in La Jolla, as it was the first custom home of famed San Diego horticulturist Kate Sessions. The house was built in 1926 by Irving Gill, a well-known architect of the period.
A detached art studio and numerous mature trees and plants from Sessions’ original garden are highlights of the property.
Artist Leah Higgins paints a wide variety of subjects, but specializes in landscapes. homes and portraits. (Courtesy of Dot Renshaw)
Higgins said she enjoys a wide variety of subjects for her paintings, but specializes in landscapes, homes and portraits.
“Because of the reputation of our tour, we are able to secure high-quality, award-winning artists to our event,” Renshaw said.
Prices for the artwork range from $10 to $5,000. Styles range from ceramics to several types of jewelry and clothing, pottery, paintings, drawings, pastels, photography, fused glass sculptures, stained glass pieces, quilts, reclaimed wood carvings, mosaics, collage, cutting boards, pine needle baskets, steam punk polymer art, handmade books and embellished geodes.
More than 1,200 people attended last year’s tour, which not only allowed them to meet the artists and see their work, but discuss possible commissions before the holidays.
Want to go?
San Diego Coastal Art Studios Tour
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13
Addresses: 1128 Loring Street and 1228 Beryl Street in Pacific Beach, 1686 Los Altos Road and 1670 Bahia Vista in La Jolla
Cost: free to attend the self-guided tour, free street parking near each home
Good to know: For a complete list of participating artists, including bios and samples of their work, visit sdcoastalartstudios.com.