An annual event for 36 years, Mission Federal ArtWalk has continued to attract artists and buyers from all over the globe. Originally begun by local artists in 1984, the first ArtWalk was born in 1984 in Little Italy. ArtWalk Liberty Station was created fourteen years ago and will take place this year on Aug. 10 and 11. Several artists from East County will be featured. El Cajon resident Linda Drake will be showcasing her paintings. Born in Iowa, Drake said that has always had an affinity for rolling hills, big skies filled with amazing clouds and the quiet and peace of the countryside. “My series of ‘Seas and Skies’ draws on those early years of cloud-watching and interim years of being enamored with our vast oceans,” Drake said. After she married, Drake and her husband moved to Milwaukee, then to New York City, finally settling in San Diego. Eventually, Drake enrolled in the Design Institute of San Diego. “Even though I had taken art and music all through high school, and had always drawn and played with color, the interior design program taught me how to really ‘see,’” Drake said. In 1991, she took her first watercolor workshop at the Athenaeum in La Jolla, and in subsequent years broadened her workshop experiences through that venue and the San Diego Watercolor Society, located in Liberty Station. Since then, she has participated in many group and solo shows. La Mesa resident Jason Humphrey, an artist in pointillism, grew up in Los Angeles and got into the graffiti scene in his teens. After a stint in the Navy, he returned to art, learning pointillism in a drawing class at Grossmont College. Pointillism is the process of creating images with thousands of tiny dots of ink, Humphrey explained. “It is a very intricate process, and it is extremely peaceful for me. I believe that my work comes from a place of deep creativity, and that it is recognized as such,” he said. “I am honored to be included in the line-up of talented artists. Getting to inter-act with people, and explain my process is always fun.” Cindy Teyro of El Cajon developed a unique twist on ceramics after a 20-year career in doll design specializing in product development. “It was time for a new adventure. After several weeks of playing with clay, my style of table top “whims” emerged — Alice in Wonderland meets Dr. Seuss– without the use of molds,” said Teyro. The planters, bowls, plates, teapots, clocks and vases are entirely hand built. A ball of clay is either pinched into shape or rolled in thin slabs then cut into assorted shapes and the parts are assembled. The planters, posy pots and hanging face vases are formed into the shape of a head and the faces are sculpted. Hand-formed clay flowers, leaves and various flying critters are added to complete the look. Teyro’s recent additions to the line have included clocks and large table top vases all in whimsical and wonky shapes which are glazed in a watercolor floral look. “Inspirations come from everywhere I look. A profile of a chair became a clock, a triangular tea bag became a tea set and Toulouse- Lautrec’s dancers became a ruffled top vase,” she said. Teyro’s work has taken her to wholesale shows all over the United States. “I believe that I was accepted into ArtWalk because I fulfilled their desire to include artists who created handmade work of good quality, craftsmanship and uniqueness that would appeal to the local residents and visitors who attend,” she said. This year’s ArtWalk at Liberty Station is guaranteed to inspire other artists and motivate art lovers to buy up treasures. The show is especially meaningful for Humphrey because his life literally comes full circle at Liberty Station. “I went to boot camp here when it was still a Navy base,” he said, “to see it become such a wonderful place with shops, artists, and restaurants is really something wonderful.” Drake had similar sentiments. “Liberty Station is a terrific venue for artists. It gives us an opportunity to talk about the different approaches we each take to complete our works of art and to share our vision,” she said. For more information about ArtWalk at Liberty Station, go to www.artwalksandiego.org/libertystation/ festival-info/.
