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KEN FRANKLIN —<br />
CUSTOM<br />
GUITAR<br />
MAKER<br />
by Pete Halstad<br />
To a guitar player, regardless of skill level, there’s<br />
nothing more pleasurable than holding and playing a<br />
beautifully made cus<strong>to</strong>m guitar. When the guitar is a<br />
unique work of art, and you are among the first <strong>to</strong> experience<br />
its sensuous shape, brilliant <strong>to</strong>ne and unparalleled<br />
craftsmanship, the pleasure becomes a thrill. Ukiah-based<br />
luthier Ken Franklin, has granted me that experience a<br />
couple of times recently by allowing me <strong>to</strong> play his beautiful<br />
creations before presenting them <strong>to</strong> their fortunate<br />
owners.<br />
In Spanish, the word for “<strong>to</strong> play,” as in “<strong>to</strong> play” a<br />
guitar, is <strong>to</strong>car – literally, “<strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>uch.” And that, indeed,<br />
is what the art of guitar making is all about: <strong>to</strong> create an<br />
instrument so beautiful the guitarist can’t wait <strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>uch<br />
it. That’s what Ken Franklin can do. Ken uses a startling<br />
array of richly patterned woods from all over the world<br />
– including here in <strong>Mendocino</strong> County – for his one-of-akind<br />
guitars. His criteria are straightforward: the materials<br />
must be reasonably workable, durable, fabulously beautiful,<br />
and, above all, able <strong>to</strong> create a perfect sound in the<br />
hands of a competent guitar player.<br />
“Perfect” sound, of course, can mean different things<br />
<strong>to</strong> different musicians. What sounds – and feels – perfect<br />
<strong>to</strong> a folk guitarist may not be the same as what constitutes<br />
perfection <strong>to</strong> a jazz or blues player. Ken’s genius is his ability<br />
<strong>to</strong> create the perfect instrument for each style, and, even<br />
more impressively, for each artist. As he puts it, “the challenge<br />
is <strong>to</strong> make the right instrument for the right person,<br />
an instrument that fits the individual aesthetic sense and<br />
musical taste.”<br />
Although he made his first guitar over thirty years<br />
ago, only in the last few years has Ken started pursuing<br />
guitar-making as a serious occupation. In his “day job”<br />
Ken teaches at Ukiah’s Oak Manor Elementary School. He<br />
and his wife Susie, who is also a teacher, met while they<br />
were attending U.C. Santa Barbara, in the early ‘70s. Ken<br />
was working at an Isla Vista bicycle shop when a friend<br />
turned him on<strong>to</strong> guitar playing. Before long, he was not<br />
only playing guitar, but with the help of a book he found<br />
in the UCSB Library, he had made his first one.<br />
Ken and Susie’s path <strong>to</strong> <strong>Mendocino</strong> County from<br />
Santa Barbara was a meandering one. Ken enrolled in<br />
the teaching credential program at Drury University, in<br />
Springfield, Missouri, while they both worked on campus.<br />
With credential in hand they moved <strong>to</strong> Oregon,<br />
but later went back <strong>to</strong> land they bought in the Ozark<br />
Mountains. Finally, after determining that Missouri was a<br />
bit <strong>to</strong>o ‘coastline-challenged,’ the Franklins headed back <strong>to</strong><br />
California.<br />
Over the past thirty years since coming <strong>to</strong> Ukiah,<br />
Ken has pursued a number of interests and occupations,<br />
<strong>50</strong>
esides guitar making. As he states:<br />
“I’ve done many other things: teaching, ceramics,<br />
carpentry, acting, theater set design and construction,<br />
pho<strong>to</strong>graphy, coaching, and most importantly, raising our<br />
children Rosemary and Carey with my wife Susie. I’m still<br />
teaching, but I’m also making guitars again, this time with<br />
a new desire <strong>to</strong> make them as fine as anyone’s and with<br />
the varied perspectives created from the many things I’ve<br />
done.”<br />
The Franklin guitar shop is adjacent <strong>to</strong> the house Ken<br />
and Susie designed and helped<br />
build some twenty years ago on<br />
a hillside just south of Ukiah.<br />
The workshop is crammed with<br />
<strong>to</strong>ols and guitar-making materials<br />
that Ken has been collecting for<br />
decades, including a small stack of<br />
as<strong>to</strong>nishingly resonant, quartersawn<br />
spruce Ken obtained from<br />
a Bay Area s<strong>to</strong>ckpile once belonging<br />
<strong>to</strong> famed avia<strong>to</strong>r/industrialist<br />
Howard Hughes. Hughes intended<br />
<strong>to</strong> use the material in a fleet<br />
of gigantic seaplanes. Now the<br />
material will be put <strong>to</strong> a far nobler<br />
purpose.<br />
Each of Ken’s guitars is<br />
unique, and has its own character.<br />
In fact, each has its own<br />
name. Firecat, built during last<br />
summer’s devastating wildfires, is<br />
made of Tazmanian tiger myrtle,<br />
with a cus<strong>to</strong>m side grain rosette of<br />
ebony, birch, tiger myrtle, maple<br />
and goncalvo alves and a <strong>to</strong>p of<br />
red spruce from Maine and linings of solid bent and shaped<br />
poplar. Lucky No. 7, which Ken made for his nephew,<br />
Dan Franklin, a professional musician in the Los Angeles<br />
area, has a bubinga (African) back and sides, cocobolo<br />
fingerboard and a 60-year-old spruce <strong>to</strong>p (courtesy of Mr.<br />
Hughes). For Halcyon, Ken obliged his environmentally<br />
punctilious cus<strong>to</strong>mer by utilizing green materials such as<br />
walnut salvaged from a road construction project and from<br />
a family orchard tree. Another of Ken’s guitars (which<br />
I have played) features a box of gorgeous, light-<strong>to</strong>ned<br />
eucalyptus salvaged from a tree trimming project on the<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> coast.<br />
A particular favorite is Stewart, a walnut-backed beauty<br />
built for singer/guitar player, and former Ukiah mayor<br />
Sheridan Malone. And finally there is Marion, another<br />
personal favorite. Marion, is a<br />
ziricote and Adirondack cutaway,<br />
with, at her owner’s request, an<br />
endless martini-glass rosette of<br />
various fine woods and martini<br />
glass-shaped fret markers of red<br />
abalone.<br />
Of all the beautiful instruments<br />
Ken has made <strong>to</strong> date, none is<br />
more striking, or more illustrative<br />
of the fact that his creations are fine<br />
works of art, than Ray’s Hopland<br />
Moonlight, a unique collaboration<br />
between Ken and his friend and<br />
fellow inland <strong>Mendocino</strong> County<br />
artist Ray Voisard. Featuring on<br />
its face Mr. Voissard’s hauntingly<br />
beautiful painting of a moonlit<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> landscape, the guitar<br />
must be seen <strong>to</strong> be believed. As a<br />
work of art, it is a gem, and when<br />
you <strong>to</strong>uch its strings, it sounds like<br />
a dream. I only wish it were mine.<br />
Ken’s guitars were shown at this<br />
year’s Montreal Guitar Show, and<br />
are currently on display at Westwood Musical Instruments<br />
in Southern California. Selected illustrations, testimonials<br />
and a more complete description of Ken’s techniques,<br />
materials, philosophical approach and potential prices are<br />
available through his website, www.franklinguitars.com.<br />
51
Inland <strong>Mendocino</strong> County<br />
Hopland • Ukiah • Willits<br />
52<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> County’s inland valleys, and the <strong>to</strong>wns that<br />
inhabit them, are essentially river-born. The original “owners”<br />
of this diverse and beautiful landscape included the Pomo peoples<br />
who occupied the valleys and foothills along the Russian River from<br />
its sources north and east of Ukiah <strong>to</strong> its mouth near present-day<br />
Jenner. Today, the river is still vital <strong>to</strong> the way of life (different from<br />
that of the native people’s, and continually evolving) brought <strong>to</strong> the<br />
area by European and American settlers over 1<strong>50</strong> years ago.<br />
Two of those early settlers, Grace Carpenter and her husband,<br />
John Hudson, <strong>to</strong>ok a particularly enlightened interest in the lives of<br />
their Pomo neighbors. The Hudson’s craftsman style home and<br />
a rare collection of Grace’s paintings, as well as a fine assortment<br />
of Pomo art and artifacts, are on display at the Grace Hudson<br />
Museum in Ukiah.<br />
Most of <strong>to</strong>day’s travelers enter inland <strong>Mendocino</strong> County via<br />
Highway 101. From the south, the highway follows the Russian<br />
River through oak-dotted hill country, past monolithic Squaw<br />
Rock and in<strong>to</strong> tranquil Sanel Valley. Although the valley’s hop vines<br />
were pulled up decades ago in favor of pear trees and, later, grapevines,<br />
agriculture still dominates the area. Its only <strong>to</strong>wn, Hopland,<br />
is home <strong>to</strong> such local and <strong>to</strong>urist favorites as Bru<strong>to</strong>cao Winery,<br />
Hopland Brewery and the renowned Solar Living <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
Ten miles north of Hopland, at the crest of Burke Hill, the<br />
highway affords a panoramic view of the Ukiah Valley, with the<br />
Russian River meandering through its center. Vineyards and<br />
orchards crowd the river’s banks. Ukiah, the County seat, nestles<br />
at the foot of the western hills, halfway up the valley. To the northeast,<br />
in the distance, can be seen the rugged Yollo Bolly range,<br />
whose highest peaks, Hull Mountain, Snow Mountain and Mount<br />
Sanhedrin, are crowned with snow throughout winter and early<br />
spring.<br />
Ukiah is the County’s largest incorporated city and serves<br />
as its banking, commercial and local government center. Ukiah<br />
boasts an extensive older neighborhood of charming homes and<br />
tree-shaded residential streets, as well as an attractive, thriving<br />
down<strong>to</strong>wn filled with art galleries, books<strong>to</strong>res, craft and gift shops,<br />
clothing boutiques, bakeries and a number of fine restaurants.<br />
Schat’s Bakery, on Perkins Street, across from the Courthouse, is<br />
a local favorite. Also down<strong>to</strong>wn are such excellent dining places<br />
as Walter Café and Oco Time (Japanese cuisine).<br />
The 18-hole Ukiah Municipal Golf Course is<br />
located against the hills on the west side of <strong>to</strong>wn,<br />
adjacent <strong>to</strong> Todd Grove City Park, where the<br />
popular “Concerts in the Park” series is held each<br />
summer.<br />
North of Ukiah is the rocky, wooded slope of<br />
Laughlin Ridge, which once provided convenient<br />
“cover” for the no<strong>to</strong>rious stage robber, Black<br />
Bart. Today, four-lane Highway 101 soars over<br />
the crest, at 101’s highest point in California, past<br />
Ridgewood Ranch – home of legendary race<br />
horse Seabiscuit – and down in<strong>to</strong> Little Lake Valley<br />
and the <strong>to</strong>wn of Willits.<br />
The lives and times of Seabiscuit, Black Bart and other colorful<br />
elements of <strong>Mendocino</strong> County’s rich his<strong>to</strong>ry are fascinatingly displayed<br />
at the <strong>Mendocino</strong> County Museum on Commercial Street.<br />
Willits, “Gateway <strong>to</strong> the Redwoods,” is also home <strong>to</strong> the fabulous<br />
Skunk Train, with excursions through the redwood forest <strong>to</strong> Fort<br />
Bragg, and Frontier Days, featuring the oldest continuously held<br />
rodeo in California.<br />
Continuing north from Willits, you’ll encounter the incomparable<br />
redwoods, and the steep, deep canyon of the Eel River’s<br />
South Fork. A drive east from Highway 101, beginning at Longvale,<br />
will take you along the Eel’s Main and Middle forks <strong>to</strong> picturesque<br />
Round Valley and the Eel’s headwaters high up in the Yollo Bollys.
www.cheesecakemomma.com<br />
Mulligan<br />
Bookshop<br />
New & Gently Used Books<br />
Organic Biodynamic Tea<br />
Cool Cards and Gifts<br />
707 462-1555<br />
208 S. State St. Ukiah, CA 95482<br />
MulliganBooks@pacific.net<br />
Fine Consignment Fashions<br />
Clothing - Shoes - Accessories<br />
109 W. Church, Ukiah<br />
707 -463-5590<br />
MC - Visa - AMEC<br />
Yarn<br />
Needlepoint<br />
Patterns/<br />
Books<br />
Classes<br />
• Award winning<br />
cheesecake<br />
• Smoothies<br />
• Milkshakes<br />
• Breakfast pastries<br />
Paninis • Salads<br />
FedX Delivery<br />
Down<strong>to</strong>wn Hopland<br />
744-1441<br />
200 Henry St.<br />
Ukiah • 462-2253<br />
180 S. School St.Ukiah, CA<br />
(707) 462-0544<br />
www.heidisyarnhaven.com<br />
email: hyhyarn@pacific.net<br />
SPECIALTY<br />
MARKETPLACE<br />
local foods • gift baskets<br />
unique gifts • coffee bar<br />
wines • garden accessories<br />
200 S. School St.<br />
Ukiah,CA<br />
707-463-6711<br />
Mon-Fri. 9:30-6:00,<br />
Sat. 9:30-5:30<br />
Three Sisters<br />
Gifts for<br />
Body, Mind & Soul<br />
112 S. School St, Ukiah<br />
707-462-2320<br />
Mon. - Sat. 10:00 - 5:30<br />
www.threesistersukiah.com<br />
53
One Earth<br />
Studio, Gallery & Gift Shop<br />
Beautiful Gifts!<br />
FINE ART & ANTIQUES<br />
STICKLEY • ESTATE JEWELRY<br />
PRECIOUS METALS • VAN ERP<br />
RUGS • INDIAN ARTIFACTS<br />
FINE ART<br />
POTTERY<br />
COINS<br />
• Pottery, <strong>Art</strong> Glass, Fine <strong>Art</strong>, & Jewelry<br />
• Classes & Workshop schedules:<br />
www.oneearthclay.com<br />
• Gallery & Gift Shop<br />
Mon. - Sat. 12 - 6pm<br />
310 Mason, Ukiah, CA 95482<br />
707 467-0200<br />
SOUTH ITALIAN-INSPIRED POTTERY<br />
FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA<br />
106 W. Church St.<br />
(Between School & State)<br />
Ukiah, CA<br />
707-621-1135<br />
M-Sa, 11 a.m. <strong>to</strong> 6 p.m.<br />
A SELECTION OF BEAUTIFUL ITEMS<br />
UNEQUALED IN THE AREA<br />
306 N. STATE STREET, UKIAH<br />
707•463•3900<br />
craftsmanestate@sbcglobal.net<br />
WALLS<br />
Ukiah, CA<br />
Quality Gifts<br />
For Special Holiday Giving!<br />
Home Decor & Garden <strong>Art</strong><br />
Wrap • Pack • Ship<br />
UPS • FED EX • DHL<br />
705 N. State St.<br />
707 462-5415<br />
M-F 9:00 - 5:30, Sat. 10-4<br />
54
TB Greene<br />
Gallery<br />
Contemporary art<br />
inspired by the environment<br />
Wed-Sat 11am-2pm, 3pm-6pm<br />
and by appointment<br />
707 462-5756<br />
104 W. Church St. Ukiah, CA 95482<br />
1 blk south of Perkins between State & School Sts.<br />
Ukiah Music <strong>Center</strong><br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> & Lake Counties<br />
Premier Music S<strong>to</strong>re<br />
Guitars<br />
New & Used Pianos<br />
Over 100 Stringed Instruments<br />
Drums, Percussion<br />
Pro Audio, Keyboards<br />
745 N. State St., Ukiah<br />
462-8863<br />
www.ukiahmusic.com<br />
Where music begins……<br />
indulging creativity<br />
PROFESSIONAL<br />
ART SUPPLIES<br />
Gamblin, Liquitex, DaVinci,<br />
Windsor New<strong>to</strong>n<br />
Canvases<br />
Paper • Quality Brushes<br />
Scrapbooking<br />
Craft Supplies<br />
Needlecrafts<br />
and more.<br />
358 S. Main St.<br />
Willits<br />
707 459-2043<br />
Mon. - Wed. & Fri. 9 am - 6<br />
pm, Thur. 10am - 7 pm<br />
Sat. 10 - 5 pm<br />
55
The Best Local <strong>Art</strong> and<br />
Fine Jewelry<br />
21 S. Main St. Willits<br />
456-9025<br />
Mon - Fri 11-6, Sat 11-5, Most Sun. 11-4<br />
CAT’S M EOW<br />
Trillium<br />
a contemporary mercantile of fine gifts<br />
friendly personal service<br />
• home furnishings<br />
• kitchenware<br />
• bath supplies<br />
• loungewear<br />
• stationery<br />
• baby gifts<br />
• jewelry<br />
• candles<br />
• cards<br />
29 S. Main St.<br />
Willits<br />
707 459-6201<br />
Books for Everyone<br />
Also: NYTimes, audio books,<br />
Children’s books, Maps, gifts<br />
OPEN DAILY<br />
15 S. MAIN ST, WILLITS<br />
707 459-3744<br />
AL’s<br />
REDWOOD ROOM<br />
A Willits Tradition Since 1901<br />
Full Hair Treatment<br />
We proudly use and recommend<br />
AVEDA PRODUCTS<br />
Skin Care • Hot S<strong>to</strong>ne Massage<br />
Makeup • Waxing • Spa Packages<br />
Hand & Feet Treatment<br />
Gift Certificates • VISA – MC<br />
New Location!<br />
456-9757<br />
733 S. Main St. Willits<br />
Mon. - Sat. 9 - 5<br />
Eve Appointment Available<br />
www.jixidayspa.com<br />
AMERICAN & THAI CUISINE<br />
INDOOR & PATIO DINING<br />
FULL BAR<br />
Dining Room<br />
Mon - Fri 11- 9 pm<br />
Sat. 12- 9 pm, Sun. 6 pm - 9 pm<br />
Bar Open til 11 pm.<br />
707-459-2444<br />
207 S. Main St. Willits<br />
56
Lake<br />
County<br />
DIEGO’S<br />
ANTIQUES<br />
Crafts and Collectibles<br />
From Exotic Places<br />
GALLERY<br />
Paintings • Jewelry<br />
Basketry • Gourd <strong>Art</strong><br />
9495 Main Street, Suite 3<br />
Upper Lake<br />
corner of Main & 1st Street<br />
707 3<strong>50</strong>-4209<br />
www.diegoandsherrycraftart.com<br />
Gracious Ladies<br />
Hand-crafted Gifts by Local <strong>Art</strong>isans<br />
9460 Main St. Upper Lake CA<br />
Open Daily 10- 5<br />
707 -275-2307<br />
Ancient and Modern<br />
from<br />
Europe • Asia<br />
Africa<br />
the Americas<br />
9495 Main Street,<br />
Suite 4<br />
Upper Lake<br />
(Corner of Main & 1st street)<br />
707 275-8762<br />
The Gourd Gallery<br />
Featuring local and nationally known artists.<br />
This unique art form is a perfect gift.<br />
Visit the only Gourd Gallery in California.<br />
6197 E. Hwy. 20 in Lucerne<br />
707 274-2346<br />
Open Wednesday thru Sunday 10 - 4<br />
Owners & <strong>Art</strong>ists: Marilyn Cray<strong>to</strong>n,<br />
Linda Kelly, Sandie Coelho-Davis<br />
email: thegourdgallery@live.com<br />
57
Cold Hands,<br />
Warm <strong>Art</strong><br />
A Stroll through Willits<br />
By Jay Gordon<br />
The cooler fall and winter season is an exhilarating<br />
time <strong>to</strong> visit Willits, home of hundreds of artists<br />
and craftspeople. They are a part of the normal<br />
down<strong>to</strong>wn scene, where they are known <strong>to</strong> mingle,<br />
and their work is visible everywhere.<br />
At the center of <strong>to</strong>wn is the J D Redhouse &<br />
Company mercantile, the brainchild of Jon and<br />
Darlene Bixler, a local couple who pulled <strong>to</strong>gether<br />
more than $2 million <strong>to</strong> revive a vintage building in<br />
the center of <strong>to</strong>wn. It is an architectural work of art<br />
that is a key element <strong>to</strong> the revitalization of down<strong>to</strong>wn<br />
Willits. The 1<strong>65</strong>’ length of the building is a vibrant<br />
mural by local artist Malakai Schindel. It expresses<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> County from sunup <strong>to</strong> sundown with the<br />
significant elements of our environment recorded for<br />
your viewing pleasure. You can enjoy several more<br />
of Malakai’s striking murals on buildings as you walk<br />
around <strong>to</strong>wn. Several are on the walls of the Skunk<br />
Train building. Malakai’s dad Greg is the famed<br />
“Train Singer.”<br />
If you want <strong>to</strong> see the work of the finest local artists,<br />
showing landscapes, abstracts, and portraiture,<br />
Blue Sky Gallery is the place <strong>to</strong> go. Owner Suzanne<br />
Picetti features the works of fifty-some area artists at<br />
any given time. The gallery is at 21 South Main St.,<br />
next <strong>to</strong> Leaves of Grass Books and trailed by numerous<br />
locally owned boutiques. If you enjoy superb<br />
pho<strong>to</strong>graphy, you will especially enjoy the works of<br />
noted pho<strong>to</strong>graphers Jon Klein and Steve Eberhard.<br />
Jon is now on the coast, and an extensive<br />
Raindrops With Roses by Jon Klein<br />
collection of his work is also available at North<br />
Coast <strong>Art</strong>ists Gallery in Fort Bragg. Take a glimpse<br />
at his brilliant nature pho<strong>to</strong>graphy at www.<br />
NorthCoast<strong>Art</strong>istsGallery.org/JonKlein.html. Honest,<br />
you will be amazed. Steve may be best known as the<br />
official pho<strong>to</strong>grapher of the Willits Frontier Days,<br />
the longest continuous rodeo in California his<strong>to</strong>ry.<br />
His work is also for sale at J D Redhouse & Co. To<br />
demonstrate the brotherhood of artists throughout<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> County, the pho<strong>to</strong>graphy of the Coast’s<br />
Mark Scheffer is also featured at Blue Sky Gallery.<br />
Willits <strong>Center</strong> for the <strong>Art</strong>s offers a new exhibit<br />
every month, inaugurated with a gala reception. This<br />
is always a lively celebration of the best regional artists<br />
and craftspeople. The center is at 71 E. Commercial<br />
St., just a block off Main St. (the northernmost<br />
intersection <strong>to</strong> Highway 101). Check their website<br />
for details: www.willitscenterforthearts.org. The<br />
gala is a chance <strong>to</strong> meet artists and art connoisseurs<br />
in a stimulating environment.<br />
WHAT’s happening? WHAT (Willits Healthy<br />
58
Mosaic Mural at the Willits Skate Park<br />
Action Team) is a local group, spearheaded by bestselling<br />
author of books on men’s issues, Jed Diamond.<br />
WHAT has devised a “10,000 Step” walk (about five<br />
miles) that leads you – by footsteps painted on the sidewalks<br />
– on a 5-mile exploration of the City of Willits.<br />
There is an impressive mural at Willits High School, a<br />
short de<strong>to</strong>ur from the walk, and another at the Willits<br />
Skate Park – both created by students, guided by local<br />
artist Elizabeth Raybee. You can take the walk on your<br />
own or join regular group treks. Contact Jed for details<br />
at jed@menalive.com. Phone: 707 459-5<strong>50</strong>5.<br />
Be sure <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p at the <strong>Mendocino</strong> County Museum<br />
at 400 E. Commercial St. <strong>to</strong> view basketry by Pomo and<br />
other California Indians.<br />
Phone 707 459-2736 for<br />
more information.<br />
The WHAT group<br />
is also working on a<br />
“Beautify Willits” project,<br />
based on the “City<br />
Repair” project that has<br />
significantly improved<br />
the appeal of down<strong>to</strong>wn<br />
Portland, Oregon, and<br />
other cities that have<br />
followed their template.<br />
<strong>Art</strong>ists continue <strong>to</strong> create<br />
public art for the<br />
pleasure of both residents<br />
of Willits and Cowboy at Jack Tharp Arena<br />
visi<strong>to</strong>rs.<br />
A group of business people is negotiating with<br />
noted sculp<strong>to</strong>r Robert Milhollin, who recently moved<br />
from the coast <strong>to</strong> a rural area near Willits. He has<br />
sculpted several extraordinary pieces in the past and<br />
should be commemorating one of Willits’ favorite<br />
heroes soon.<br />
Milhollin’s style is <strong>to</strong> create the sculpture in a<br />
public place and interact with people strolling by.<br />
Information will be available at the Willits Chamber<br />
of Commerce website, www.willits.org and the site for<br />
the <strong>Art</strong>s Council of <strong>Mendocino</strong> County, www.artsmendocino.org.<br />
<strong>Art</strong>s and any other events in <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
County will, of course, be available at the official website<br />
www.GoMendo.com.<br />
Willits Mayor Holly Madrigal<br />
59
Gallery of <strong>Art</strong>ists<br />
Ellen Athens<br />
Jewelry<br />
Mixed media jewelry blending<br />
metals, enamels, fiber<br />
micro-knotting and beads.<br />
Designs from classic <strong>to</strong><br />
eclectic.<br />
707 937-2642<br />
athensdesigns@yahoo.com<br />
www.mendocinoartists.com<br />
www.karencahill.com<br />
Karen Cahill<br />
Fine <strong>Art</strong>, Original Oil<br />
Paintings,<br />
Still Life, Portraits, Land<br />
and Seascapes.<br />
Available at Panache<br />
Gallery on Main St.<br />
707 937-1234<br />
Ann Berger/Sea Bluff Studio<br />
Sculptural Ceramics<br />
Unique, whimsical, exuberant,<br />
sculptural ceramics that make a<br />
statement! Studio always open<br />
if I’m home. Come and be<br />
impressed.<br />
707 785-2044<br />
www.seabluffstudio.com<br />
berger@mcn.org<br />
Celtic Creations<br />
Jewelry Studio & Gallery<br />
Jewelry artists Chris &<br />
Shani Christenson create<br />
fine Celtic & Nature<br />
inspired jewelry and<br />
specialize in cus<strong>to</strong>m wedding<br />
rings. Upstairs, corner of Main & Kasten Streets,<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong>. 707 937-1223<br />
www.celticcreations.com • email: jewels@mcn.org<br />
60<br />
Karen Bowers<br />
Painter & Teacher<br />
• Workshops at <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
and Gualala <strong>Art</strong>s <strong>Center</strong>s<br />
• Locally shown at <strong>Art</strong>ists’<br />
Cooperative of <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
• Visit my Studio Gallery, by<br />
appointment<br />
www.karenbowersstudio.com<br />
• highpt@mcn.org<br />
707 937-3163<br />
Robert Burridge<br />
Contemporary Painter<br />
• Monthly Online<br />
Newsletter.<br />
To sign up go <strong>to</strong> www.<br />
RobertBurridge .com<br />
It’s free!<br />
• New DVD<br />
• New Workshop<br />
Schedule<br />
Lynne Butler<br />
Brilliant Paintings<br />
on Handthrown<br />
Pottery<br />
Available at the<br />
MAC Gift Shop.<br />
Shown by<br />
appointment:<br />
707 937-1215<br />
Melvin Cooper<br />
Oils, Acrylics,<br />
Watercolors,<br />
Ceramics & Bronzes<br />
INVESTORS<br />
WANTED!<br />
707 357-2209<br />
www.MelvinCooper<br />
<strong>Art</strong>.com<br />
Maeve Croghan<br />
Expressionist Nature Paintings<br />
The paintings are begun plein<br />
air, conveying the essence of my<br />
Nature subjects.<br />
Exhibits at <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
Auberge Inn, Little River. Studio<br />
visits by appointment,<br />
707 937-3475.<br />
www.maevecroghan.com<br />
Zola de Firmian<br />
A Passion for Nature and<br />
Light…<br />
Fine Ceramics, Tile Murals<br />
Upcoming Events:<br />
<strong>Art</strong> in the Redwoods,<br />
Studio Tour<br />
707 882-2393<br />
zinfusionz.com
Patrick Doyle<br />
Fine Burlwood sculptures,<br />
handcarved furniture, room<br />
dividers, 2 & 3 dimensional<br />
pieces.<br />
www.pwdfinewoodworking<br />
.com<br />
www.edgewatergallery.net<br />
(707) 367-4<strong>50</strong>9<br />
Edgewater Gallery <strong>Art</strong>ist<br />
Feebee Feenix Enterprises<br />
Using the unexpected <strong>to</strong> create<br />
nonpareil jewelry, accessories<br />
and clothing.<br />
A.M. Valente<br />
feebeefeenix@msn.com<br />
www.ffejewels.com<br />
John Fisher<br />
Sculpture: All Media<br />
www.fisheroppenheimer.com<br />
Fine <strong>Art</strong> for Home and Garden<br />
19600 Benson Lane<br />
Fort Bragg, CA 95437<br />
call: 707 964-0359<br />
Heath Frost<br />
Handmade Books &<br />
Altar Cards<br />
Inspirational text<br />
with unusual book<br />
structures and papers.<br />
hfrost@speakeasy.net<br />
Visit my website:<br />
www.heathfrost.com<br />
Tibi Geis<br />
Mixed Media<br />
In my work, the realms of<br />
religion, politics, humor,<br />
horror, are interwoven<br />
creating a flow of ideas in<br />
the mind of the viewer.<br />
tbgeis2@mcn.org<br />
Gallery of <strong>Art</strong>ists<br />
Pamela Goedhart<br />
Original Watercolors<br />
& Oils<br />
Award-winning paintings<br />
with an emphasis on<br />
spontaneity & beauty in a<br />
wide variety of subjects.<br />
Visit my Sea Ranch studio,<br />
Spindrift Gallery, Gualala<br />
or Panache Gallery, <strong>Mendocino</strong>. 707 785-2253<br />
pgoedhart@gotsky.com.at<br />
Julie Higgins<br />
Original<br />
Pastels,Paintings,<br />
& Prints<br />
Studio visits by<br />
appointment.<br />
707 937-4707<br />
www.artistjuliehiggins.com<br />
julie@artistjuliehiggins.com<br />
Jan Hinson<br />
Sculptural Mosaic Furniture<br />
Original forms covered in reset<br />
broken tile (alicatado);<br />
Shape, color and whimsy.<br />
707 937-0404<br />
hinson@mcn.org<br />
www.mendocinoartists.com<br />
/janhinson<br />
Sheri Hoeger<br />
Pastel<br />
Sheri captures the<br />
endearing personality<br />
of your pet in vibrant<br />
layers of color.<br />
www.sherihoeger.com<br />
888 761-8586 Sheri@BigOak<strong>Art</strong>s.com<br />
Sharon Hudson<br />
San Francisco Bay Area<br />
figures<br />
portraits<br />
still lifes<br />
abstracts<br />
sculpture<br />
byhudson@peoplepc.com<br />
www.byhudson.com<br />
61
62<br />
Gallery of <strong>Art</strong>ists<br />
WWW.BILLMARTINGALLERY.COM<br />
Bruce Jones<br />
An array of watercolor<br />
paintings, from seascapes<br />
<strong>to</strong> still lifes, florals and<br />
people. Drawings in ink,<br />
wax pencil and pastels.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>ne carving in marble<br />
alabaster & limes<strong>to</strong>ne .<br />
707 884-3381 bsjones@hughes.net<br />
www.art.mcn.org/bruce-jones/<br />
William H. Lewis Studio<br />
Sculpture & Painting<br />
www.williamhlewis<br />
studio.com<br />
[Studio Visits<br />
by Appointment]<br />
whlewis@mcn.org<br />
707 937-2241<br />
The World of Suzi Long<br />
Pastels<br />
Suzi Marquess Long came<br />
<strong>to</strong> the Coast <strong>to</strong> housesit, and<br />
now has a successful and<br />
unique pastel gallery in a<br />
water<strong>to</strong>wer <strong>to</strong> showcase her<br />
incredible paintings. Don’t<br />
miss this!<br />
707 937-5664<br />
Suzilongonart@yahoo.com<br />
Bill Martin Studio/<br />
Gallery<br />
3611 Navarro Ridge Road<br />
Albion, CA 95410<br />
707 937-4848<br />
billmartingallery@mcn.org<br />
Only on Sundays -<br />
Call ahead<br />
Julie Masterson<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>graphy<br />
My unmanipulated images<br />
present encounters with the<br />
natural environment from<br />
around the world, from<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> <strong>to</strong> Tibet, Antarctica,<br />
Patagonia, India, Arabia, and<br />
Africa. jcmpho<strong>to</strong>@mcn.org<br />
www.Juliemasterson.com<br />
Edgewater Gallery <strong>Art</strong>ist<br />
Jack McBride<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>graphy<br />
An award winning<br />
pho<strong>to</strong>grapher who<br />
has been shooting<br />
here since 1987.<br />
See more of his<br />
local images at the<br />
Highlight Gallery in <strong>Mendocino</strong> or at www.<br />
JackMcBridePho<strong>to</strong>graphy.com<br />
www.naturebeingart.org<br />
Larain Matheson<br />
Mixed-media, Pastels, Acrylics<br />
<strong>Art</strong> inspired from nature,<br />
figure, and abstract for<br />
bringing the unseen <strong>to</strong> light.<br />
Professional, experienced<br />
painter, MFA, from UCLA.<br />
Commissions accepted -<br />
LarainMatheson<strong>Art</strong>.com<br />
Mickie McCormic<br />
Printmaking, Fiber <strong>Art</strong><br />
Image transfer workshops,<br />
& a new instructional DVD,<br />
“Image Transfers on Fabric.”<br />
mccormic@charter.net<br />
www.mickiemccormic.com<br />
Jamie McHugh<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>graphy<br />
Impressionistic<br />
Images from the<br />
Mendonoma Coast<br />
415 255-1886<br />
Arna Means<br />
Etchings, Monotypes, Block<br />
Prints, Paintings, Drawings, &<br />
Mixed Media<br />
Extensive portfolio, years of<br />
teaching & doing art.<br />
707 884-1608<br />
Arna@mcn.org
Alexis Nichandros Moyer<br />
Ceramics<br />
Visit The Pot Shop, a working<br />
pottery studio producing<br />
sculptural and functional artworks.<br />
74<strong>50</strong> Highway 128, Philo. Hours<br />
vary, please call ahead for<br />
schedule.<br />
707 895-2810<br />
potshop@saber.net<br />
Edgewater Gallery <strong>Art</strong>ist<br />
Sandy Oppenheimer<br />
Mixed media / Collage<br />
www.fisheroppenheimer.com<br />
Gallery of <strong>Art</strong>ists<br />
Janis Porter<br />
Watercolors<br />
Coastal scenes, landscapes,<br />
flowers, etc.<br />
Shown at Edgewater<br />
Gallery, Prentice<br />
Gallery, <strong>Art</strong>ists Co-op<br />
of <strong>Mendocino</strong>,<br />
Stevenswood and the<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
707 964-8884 Edgewater Gallery <strong>Art</strong>ist<br />
Lynne Prentice<br />
Prentice Gallery<br />
Original Alkyd Paintings 17701 N. Hwy 1<br />
707 962-0732 www.prenticefineart.com<br />
Painting with paper, pattern<br />
and design, Portraiture,<br />
Still Lifes and Landscapes<br />
call: (707) 964-0359<br />
Walking Trac<strong>to</strong>r<br />
And other Country Tales<br />
by Bruce Patterson<br />
Ranching, logging and carousing<br />
in the heart of Redwood County.<br />
“An American Original.”<br />
Robert Butler, Pulitzer Prize winning<br />
author. 25 S<strong>to</strong>ries -<br />
Trade paperback - $14.95<br />
S<strong>to</strong>ries & Pics at www.4mules.com<br />
More info at www.heydaybooks.com<br />
Marine <strong>Art</strong> by Rick<br />
Oil<br />
Marine & Hawaiian Oil paintings<br />
originals or Comission.<br />
Mission Statement: Through<br />
donations from sales <strong>to</strong> provide<br />
care, research & protection<br />
of endangered marine<br />
life.<br />
www.marineartbyrick.com<br />
480 251-2791<br />
Jan Peterson<br />
Sandpaintings<br />
Jan Peterson’s 25 years<br />
showing with the<br />
Highlight Gallery has<br />
made him a favorite<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> visual entertainer.<br />
All aspects of the<br />
shoreline inspire his natural sandpaintings.<br />
thehighlightgallery.com • mendocinoartists.com<br />
707 937-3132<br />
Robert Rhoades<br />
Painting Original Prints,<br />
Sculpture<br />
Professor Of <strong>Art</strong>,<br />
CRMC leads exclusive<br />
painting, art, &<br />
culture <strong>to</strong>urs<br />
abroad. See web-site<br />
<strong>to</strong> view his work and<br />
current trip info. www.creekwoodstudios.com<br />
Rush Studio<br />
Cus<strong>to</strong>m Gold & Silver Jewelry and<br />
Repairs<br />
Over 35 Years Experience<br />
Shown at Prentice Gallery,<br />
17701 North Hwy 1, Fort Bragg<br />
& @ The Dolphin Gallery, Gualala<br />
Unique one-of-a-kind jewelry!<br />
707 882-2441 rushstudio.com<br />
rushstudio@starband.net<br />
MAC Summer Festival Exhibi<strong>to</strong>r<br />
Cynthia Crocker Scott<br />
Paintings in oil and water media<br />
My paintings are expressions<br />
of the brilliant color and light<br />
relationships between sky, sea<br />
and land – the natural world<br />
and man’s built environment.<br />
Prentice Gallery, Fort Bragg<br />
& Highlight Gallery, <strong>Mendocino</strong>. www.mowsart.com<br />
ccswns@aol.com<br />
63
Gallery of <strong>Art</strong>ists<br />
Shaggy Bear Studios<br />
Ceramic, Wood, S<strong>to</strong>ne & Steel<br />
Unique elements for home<br />
& garden. Sculptures, benches,<br />
fountains, birdbaths and<br />
more by <strong>Mendocino</strong> artists<br />
David Russell and Thais<br />
Mazur. Visit our studio and<br />
sculpture garden.<br />
707 964-7085 • www.edgewatergallery.net<br />
Edgewater Gallery <strong>Art</strong>ist<br />
Linda Shearin<br />
Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel<br />
Abstracts, flowers, wavescapes,<br />
and coastal scenes<br />
are shown at Edgewater<br />
Gallery, Prentice Gallery,<br />
<strong>Art</strong>ists’ Cooperative of<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong>, Stevenswood<br />
Lodge and the <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Center</strong>. LShearin@mcn.org; www.Edgewater-<br />
Gallery.net or www.artgallerymendocino.com<br />
Larry R. Wagner<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>graphic <strong>Art</strong> and Portraits<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> Coast Pho<strong>to</strong>grapher<br />
Guild and Gallery<br />
www.wagnerpho<strong>to</strong>art.com<br />
wagner@mcn.org<br />
707 964-<strong>50</strong>63<br />
Leona Fern Walden<br />
www.WeddingPho<strong>to</strong>graphs.<br />
com<br />
Wedding, Family &<br />
Senior Class Portraits<br />
Specializing in Intimate<br />
Outdoor Weddings<br />
on the <strong>Mendocino</strong> Coast<br />
Since 1995<br />
By Appt. 707 937-0900<br />
Paul Stein Studio/<br />
Cow House Gallery<br />
presents:“Missile Millennium”<br />
A Studio Gallery Show<br />
November 2008 - January 2009<br />
Contemporary wheel thrown<br />
porcelain vessels, sculpture & tiles.<br />
43851 Crispin Road, Manchester<br />
707 882-2686<br />
Marge Stewart<br />
Cloisonné Jewelry, Digital<br />
<strong>Art</strong>, Graphic Design<br />
Jewelry shown at the<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
Commissions available.<br />
Digital Pet Portraits of<br />
your favorite pet available.<br />
Cloisonné and Digital<br />
instruction offered. 707 937-0999 • margcrft@mcn.org<br />
Linda Weiss Designs<br />
Jewelry, Holloware,<br />
Silver, Gold, Platinum<br />
Cus<strong>to</strong>m Design<br />
by Appointment<br />
www.LindaWeiss.com<br />
707 528-2262<br />
Zacha’s<br />
Bay Window Gallery<br />
<strong>50</strong>th Anniversary<br />
Serigraphes, Woodblock<br />
Prints, Watercolors<br />
Please come by:<br />
560 Main, <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
707 937 5205 www.<br />
WilliamZacha.com<br />
Lucia@mcn.org<br />
64<br />
Peggy Templer<br />
Non-fiction memoir<br />
Country living with lots of<br />
animals in Fort Bragg and<br />
Anderson Valley. Available<br />
at local books<strong>to</strong>res, Amazon.<br />
com, or contact author<br />
at macdirec@mcn.org.<br />
Paperback, 128 pgs, $15.<br />
To have your <strong>Art</strong> listed in the Gallery of<br />
<strong>Art</strong>ists in our Spring 2009 issue, please call<br />
David Russell at 707 964-7085 or email him<br />
at drtm@mcn.org
WRITING LOCAL<br />
HISTORY –<br />
Two Books by<br />
Comptche Resident<br />
Katy Tahja<br />
Review by Peggy Templer<br />
Katy Tahja has always loved his<strong>to</strong>ry and minored in<br />
it at Humboldt State. When she married David Tahja and<br />
moved <strong>to</strong> his family’s 1880’s homestead in Comptche, her<br />
interest in local his<strong>to</strong>ry was greatly piqued. She’s been a<br />
student of local his<strong>to</strong>ry ever since.<br />
RAILS ACROSS THE NOYO: A Reader’s Guide <strong>to</strong> the<br />
Skunk Train was published earlier this year and is a mix of<br />
<strong>to</strong>urist information and serious research suitable for rail<br />
fans. It provides in text and pho<strong>to</strong>s not only a detailed<br />
his<strong>to</strong>ry of the Skunk Train, but also describes the natural<br />
scenery and geology along the line, assorted wrecks, abandoned<br />
lines, whistle signals, a his<strong>to</strong>ry of each locomotive,<br />
coach and mo<strong>to</strong>rcar – and more! Even if you’ve ridden the<br />
Skunk several times before, reading this book will make<br />
you want <strong>to</strong> run right down <strong>to</strong> the depot and climb aboard<br />
the next train <strong>to</strong> Northspur!<br />
EARLY MENDOCINO COAST, published by Arcadia<br />
Publishing as part of their “Images of America” series, is<br />
a spectacular pho<strong>to</strong>graphic record. The premise of the<br />
book is, 100 <strong>to</strong> 130 years ago, what would you have seen<br />
as you travelled the coast north from Gualala all the way<br />
<strong>to</strong> Bear Harbor/Needle Rock on the Humboldt<br />
County line? One thing the pho<strong>to</strong>s make<br />
clear is that it was not a pretty sight. “It was a working<br />
industrial landscape with logging, milling and shipping<br />
driving all activity.” All of the pristine beaches we so enjoy<br />
now – Big River, Van Damme, Russian Gulch, Caspar,<br />
Usal, <strong>to</strong> name but a few – were strewn with the colossal<br />
mess of mills and logging. Nonetheless, when you<br />
study the pictures you have <strong>to</strong> give credit <strong>to</strong> the ingenuity<br />
and determination of the early residents. In fact, Katie<br />
describes the book as her “homage <strong>to</strong> the ingenuity of the<br />
people who first settled along the coast. They had trees, rivers,<br />
an ocean, and ships, and somehow figured out how <strong>to</strong><br />
connect it all <strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> successfully harvest and transport<br />
lumber.”<br />
Katie used pho<strong>to</strong>s from Bob Lee, a pho<strong>to</strong> his<strong>to</strong>rian<br />
from Ukiah with over 30,000 pho<strong>to</strong>s of <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
County in his personal collection, as well as pho<strong>to</strong>s from<br />
the <strong>Mendocino</strong> County Museum and the Kelley House<br />
Museum. The images are so striking that you will find<br />
yourself still thinking about them long after you have<br />
closed the book.<br />
Katy Tahja was a librarian for many, many years<br />
and has worked as a bookseller at Gallery Bookshop<br />
in <strong>Mendocino</strong> for over 20 years. For fun she portrays<br />
“Madam Kate,” an his<strong>to</strong>rical persona for living his<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
events. Madam Kate was the senior madam in <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
Village.<br />
RAILS ACROSS THE NOYO and EARLY MENDOCINO<br />
COUNTY are available from Gallery Bookshop in <strong>Mendocino</strong><br />
and at other local independent booksellers. RAILS is also<br />
available through the Skunk Train.<br />
<strong>65</strong>