The Victorian village of Los Olivos has an established reputation as one of the finest art colonies on the West Coast. It has a number of first-rate galleries, featuring the best artists in every discipline. We suggest that you plan a day to stroll through the Los Olivos galleries and shops, many of which are housed in quaint, Victorian buildings lining the wide streets. You may find the perfect work of art to give to “that special someone” on your shopping list, or you may want to buy yourself a gift that will last a lifetime. If you are into fine wines, you will also enjoy the wine tasting opportunities available in Los Olivos.
The big event of the summer in Los Olivos is the 23rd annual “Quick Draw” contest on August 15th. Artists from local galleries race against the clock to complete a drawing, painting or sculpture in 45 minutes. Participating galleries this year include Artist Guild of the Santa Ynez Valley, Details Boutique and Art Gallery, Gallery Los Olivos, Judith Hale Gallery & Judith Hale Gallery South, Sansone Studios, and Young’s Gallery.
Don’t miss a moment of this fast-paced creative challenge. The day begins with an introduction of the artists at 10:30 a.m. and the Quick Draw at 11 a.m., which is immediately followed by a live auction of the art works at noon. There will also be a silent auction from 10 a.m. until after the live auction. A barbecue in the park will run from ll:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Artist demonstrations and receptions will take place at various galleries until 5 p.m.
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Details Art & Apparel
One of the shops you won’t want to miss is Details, a women’s apparel boutique that is also an art gallery. What a wonderful combination: Designer outfits that are definitely “Wearable Art” and beautiful California impressionist art. The store features oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel works by C. Wood, Carol Millican, Linda Hanly and Dee Sudbury.
As soon as you enter this store, you can tell that Carol Wood and co-owner Barbara Bochte both really care about the quality of their wares and the satisfaction of their customers. They feature many quality clothing lines–their exciting fall fashions are already arriving, and their summer selection is divine. They also carry a selection of hats, as well as unique accessories. The most recent addition is “hand-painted handbags” by artist Jayne Behman, a noted artist whose works are collected worldwide (www.jaynebehman.com).
Carol and Barbara have been in business since 1996, and their success has a lot to do with their personal attention to every detail of the clothing and art they offer (hence the name “Details”). Drop by to see their new selections. This is just the perfect place to find art and apparel you’ll treasure.
Judith Hale Galleries & Sculpture Garden
www.judithhalegalleries.com
Now walk to the southeast corner of Grand and Alamo Pintado Avenues, where you will find the Judith Hale Gallery and Sculpture Garden. You will enjoy the eclectic mix of Western and traditional artwork representing over 75 nationally known and regionally recognized artists. Diverse groupings and themes include both representational and impressionistic paintings, as well as bronze and stone sculpture, woodcarvings, leatherwork and jewelry.
Don’t forget to visit the exciting sculpture garden behind the gallery. You can sit and soak up a bit of sunshine in this quiet retreat, or wander along the pathways admiring the often-whimsical outdoor sculptures. For more information and samples of the art, pay a visit to their wonderful website.
Judith Hale’s featured artist for this issue is Betsy Jones, who has been painting for over 40 years. She has lived on California’s Central Coast for the past 23 years, where she paints landscapes and seascapes of this most beautiful of regions. She is well known for her paintings of the Central Coast vineyards, having lived her childhood in the Napa Valley among its vineyards. Visit her website, www.bjones.org to see more of her vibrant watercolor and acrylic paintings, as well as Betsy’s recipes for home cured olives!
Wildling Art Museum
www.wildlingmuseum.org
Exiting Judith Hale’s Gallery, turn right onto Alamo Pintado Avenue and go one block to San Marcos Avenue. Turn left and you will see the new home of the Wildling Art Museum just past the water tower. The Wildling offers four exhibitions a year specializing in the art of America’s wilderness. It is the only museum in the United States with this sole focus. And the Wildling is perfectly situated within the Santa Ynez Valley, at the gateway to the San Rafael wilderness area, so that guests can not only enjoy the beauty of the wilderness as seen through the eyes of notable artists, but can also spend part of their day experiencing the wilderness themselves.
The Wildling offers visitors world-class exhibitions, an educational center, a research library and a large museum gift shop. Their Current exhibit is “Wildlings from the Deep: An Exhibition of Undersea Photography.” It runs through September 13, and is the first deep-sea adventure hosted by the Wildling Art Museum. The exhibit ranges from the elegant architecture of plankton, revealed in the black and white photographs of German photographer Claudia Fährenkemper, to the dazzling, colorful undersea images taken near the coastlines of the Channel Islands by Richard Salas, to the large-scale photographs captured by Ernie H. Brooks II of sea animals. In addition, award-winning photographer Ernie Brooks, known for his underwater images of sharks and other large marine fishes and mammals, has photographed the seven seas. In contrast, Claudia Fährenkemper works in a laboratory, enlarging tiny single-cell plankton with a scanning electron microscope.
In conjunction with the exhibit, the Wildling is introducing “After Dark Events.” These promise to be lively and creative evenings that blend a myriad of art forms, with specialty under-the-sea cocktails! Save these dates: July 25, 6:00-9:00 p.m. and August 29, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Driving Tour
Now that you’ve completed walking around the village of Los Olivos, hop back into your car to visit more local attractions.
Alamo Pintado Equine Center
www.platinumperformance.com
The Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center on Santa Barbara Avenue near Los Olivos, is renowned for founder Dr. Doug Herthel’s revolutionary treatments of equine lameness and other disorders. Some of Herthel’s procedures are now being used in human medicine. Herthel also developed a nutritional supplement called Platinum Performance to help horses recovering from injuries or illness. He came up with a supplement to significantly decrease horses’ recovery times and to greatly benefit their overall health.
The owners and trainers of some of these horses were so impressed that they asked Herthel to develop a version of the supplement for human consumption, which he did. Then he developed a tasty Omega-3 Nutrition Bar, which is now also available in a “Sunflower Chocolate Chip” flavor, as well as Strawberry Crisp, Blueberry Crisp and Cranberry Crisp.
The line has expanded to include canine and feline nutritional supplements, designed to improve the health and longevity of pets. The supplement and bars have been used by Olympic athletes, marathon runners and cyclists, and can be purchased either from their web site or locally at Star Drugs or El Rancho Market in Santa Ynez, and the Vitamin and Herb Store in Buellton.
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Clairmont Farms
www.clairmontfarms.com
Do you love lavender? Then you’ll want to visit beautiful Clairmont Farms at 2480 Roblar in Los Olivos. This family owned and operated working lavender farm is open seven days a week. Clairmont Farms has 5 acres of lavender, as well as 175-year-old olive trees planted by the Catholic padres. They are part of the grove that gave “Los Olivos” its name.
Visitors are welcome to observe the process of distilling lavender. The farm’s essential oil distillery, which is operated daily, is open to the public. Meryl and Glenn are happy to explain how the almost magical oil is made.
Many lavender products are available at the farm, and more are constantly added. Try the lavender honey in Earl Grey tea for a heavenly mix! Lavender has natural antibacterial properties. Try the lavender and honey facial wash for clear, moist skin. The lavender products for pets can help with skin problems and fleas. Come breathe the scented air, and take a break from the fast lane. Check out their website for more, and for online shopping!
Quacken Farms
www.quackenfarms.com
Nearby Quacken Farms is offering a Summer Day Camp this year (see our centerfold map for exact location of Quacken). Designed for children 5–10 years old, the day camp programs will be packed with a variety of indoor and outdoor activities on this charming and family-friendly five-acre farm.
“All About Animals,” which runs from July 20th–24th is the perfect camp for those that want to immerse themselves in the world of animals–both real and imaginary!
There will be hands-on interaction with farm animals, including ducks, chickens, a bunny, a pony, a horse and koi fish. The children will learn about many other animals, both found on a farm and off, and there will be an endless supply of animal crafts and projects. Stories about animals, and of course play time, will make the day zoom by!
“Fun on the Farm,” which runs from August 10th–14th offers camp participants the opportunity to spend their day living life on the farm! During the day, children will participate in the care and feeding of the farm animals: collecting hens’ eggs, grooming the pony, and putting fresh water in the koi pond.
The children will learn how to interact and have hands-on contact with our friendly and fun farm animals, including ducks, chickens, a bunny, pony, and horse. There will also have a farm animal visitor or two! There will be daily pony rides as well for those children that wish to participate.
The children will make several take-home items during both camps. For more information and to download registration forms, please visit their website above. or call 805.245.5834.
Los Olivos Grocery
www.losolivosgrocery.com
Just North of Roblar Avenue on Highway 154, you will see Los Olivos Grocery on your left. It is a small country store with the best of gourmet and specialty foods as well as the basics of everyday life.
They are committed to the beauty, taste and quality of food. They strive to create a well-stocked, neighborhood market with a variety of high quality artisan foods, classic everyday staples, and a world class Deli/Café.
With over 25 years of experience in the food business, they are quality-conscious and dedicated to supporting authentic artisan foods. This means emphasis on quality, taste, ripeness and traditional production methods. They support many local producers and growers and they have a bountiful selection of locally-grown, farm-direct produce. They support sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture, always buying local or organic first to ensure quality and freshness.
Stop in for European-style hearth breads, artisan cheeses from around the world, charcuterie’, local and rare wines. Their Deli features fresh cuisine with a Cal-Med flair, including homemade soups, rotisserie meats, custom sandwiches, vegetarian selections and daily specials.
Their talented chef, Mark Tekbas creates beautiful and delicious delights daily. Dine here or let them prepare a picnic or a box lunch for you to take with you as you explore the beautiful Santa Ynez Wine Country.
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Midland School
www.midland-school.org
Now turn left onto Highway 154 and drive a short distance North to Figueroa Mountain Road. Drive several miles up this road, enjoying the rural scenery, and you will come to the world-famous Midland School. Midland was founded in 1932 as a coeducational, college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9-12. It is located on a 2,860-acre working ranch.
At Midland, students live and work in rugged splendor in redwood cabins and classrooms. The teaching style encompasses an intentional and profound educational philosophy, and a belief that students, and adults, benefit greatly by living close to nature. As the students learn to do more with less, they also live–on a daily basis–the values of independence, interdependence, and stewardship of the land.
Students and staff maintain an eight-acre organic garden and pastures for grass-fed cattle. Local harvests travel a short path to the kitchen, where underclassmen are trained by 12th graders to serve the food, wash dishes and clean the kitchen.
Sophomores and juniors, who have worked through the ranks of kitchen jobs, move on to daily jobs in trash and recycling or cleaning.
Midland sophomores have installed a solar array to help produce energy for the school. Additional projects the sophomores are undertaking include baking in a solar oven, and repairing a damaged solar panel on the sophomore boys’ bathroom. The goal is to have most of the campus eventually powered by the sun.
Midland’s Mission Statement says that the school strives to provide a unique college preparatory boarding school experience to a diverse student body at relatively low cost. Each year, 100% of Midland’s graduates are accepted at colleges or universities, including Bryn Mawr, Brown, Cal Poly, MICA, NYU, Stanford, Swarthmore, UC Santa Barbara, USC, Wellesley and Yale.
Family School
www.syvfamilyschool.com
Just a short way further along Figueroa Mountain Road, you will reach the entryway to The Family School, a truly unique day school for children three years old through fifth grade. Established by a group of parents in 1975, the school provides a low student/teacher ratio, which allows individual attention for each child in a beautiful country setting. This approach builds a strong foundation in the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic within a broad curriculum, which also includes studio art, music, science, social studies, physical education, Spanish and drama. The many hands-on, age-appropriate projects enable children to develop a firm conceptual under-standing of the subject matter. The school’s approach fosters creative expression, self-confidence, original thinking and cooperation in achieving mutual goals.
All Family School teachers are committed to assisting students learn good social skills and non-violent problem solving. The years together in small classes support strong, realistic relationships among children and an appreciation of the range of strengths and challenges that make up every individual.
The Family School’s location, tucked under Grass Mountain on the edge of the Los Padres National Forest, lends itself to a focus on environmental studies and an emphasis on sustainability. Each year, the fourth and fifth graders spend a week at the Yosemite Institute and overnights at the Sedgwick Reserve learning about our local ecology.
Graduates of The Family School have been notably successful in their later academic lives. The school is proud of the variety of their accomplishments and interests, ranging from agriculture, health professions and the military. The Family School is a fully accredited member of the California Association of Independent Schools.
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