LAKEPORT, Calif. – Watershed Books will host an author's studio for local author Peter MacRae, celebrating his newly released novel, “The Poppies of Mohammed,” on Friday, July 12.
The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The book traces the smuggling of a shipment of heroin from Afghanistan to the United Kingdom and the role of the heroin trade in providing weapons for al Qaeda and the Taliban's terrorist actions.
An interesting adventure, readers will gain a better understanding of the international drug trade, the nature and structure of terrorism, and the basis for the Jihad against the West.
“The Poppies of Mohammed” is the culmination of two and one half years of research and writing.
MacRae has had a lifelong interest in international affairs and conflict, and has authored numerous essays on the subjects.
He holds a master's degree in political science focusing on international violent conflict.
Watershed Books is located at 305 N. Main St. in Lakeport.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Summer is here, school is out, students with time on their hands and creative instincts will be pleased that the Main Street Gallery, located at 325 N. Main Street in Lakeport, is once again offering a variety of arts and crafts classes beginning June 25 and continuing through July 27.
The following is a listing of the classes, and all materials are supplied for each class.
For more information, please call the gallery at 707-263-6658 or Barbara Funke at 707-278-0407.
Making a mixed media artist's book – Phyllis Thiessen
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, and Wednesday, June 26; ages 7-12; cost, $15
A variety of media (watercolor, paper for collage, crayons, etc,) plus different types of paper will be offered for creating several artworks on paper. The artworks will then be bound together into an artist’s book to take home. Note: The cost is $10 per student if more than one child is from the same family.
Fun with acrylics – Jeanne Landon-Myers
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 27, and Friday, June 28; ages 12-18; cost, $12
Students will learn drawing, painting and acrylic fundamentals and techniques to create an individual painting of their choice to take home.
Beginning silk flower arranging – Susanna De Angelo
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 29; ages 7 and up; cost, $12
Students will be taught fundamentals of art and application to the 3-D art of flower arranging using 1-inch and 2-inch flowers in a 4-inch to 5-inch container for the purpose of gift giving or decoration.
Friendship bracelets – Marilyn Grock
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, July 8; ages 6-8 and 8-15; cost, $10
Students will make a woven friendship bracelet using cord and a choice of braiding techniques. This is an introductory course which will include cord and pattern. Students should be able to complete a bracelet in the two-hour session. Optimum ages are 8-15 but there will be a simple braid pattern for 6-8 year olds if they choose to come.
Polymer clay sea turtle – Naomi Key
9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 11; ages: open; cost, $5
Students will have the experience and fun of working with clay to make a polymer clay sea turtle to take home.
The art of scrapbooking – Susanna De Angelo
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 13; ages 7 and up; cost, $15
Students will create one to two pages to begin a scrapbook of their own choosing a theme, color, accessory stickers and other elements provided. Students may bring two to four photos of a similar occasion, topic or theme, if they so choose.
Beginning watercolor and collage – Diane Stawicki
9:30 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, July 16; ages 6-13; cost, $10
Students will learn basic watercolor and collage techniques to create an individual painting to take home.
Making a Mixed Media Artist's Book – Phyllis Thiessen
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19; ages: 13-18; cost, $15
Many different media (watercolor, paper for collage, crayons, etc.) plus different types of paper will be offered for creating several artworks on paper. The artworks will then be bound together into an artist’s book to take home.
Note: The cost will be $10 per student if more than one student is from the same family.
Drawing your pet or animal portraits – Susanna De Angelo
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20; ages: 7 and up; cost, $10
Start or build on your drawing skills. Students will be guided using their choice of pencil, colored pencil or other dry medium. Students may bring a photo of their pet or animal they choose to draw or photos will be provided to choose from.
Note: Cost is $7 for each additional student from the same family.
Pastel art – Richard Seisser
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 25; ages: 9-18; cost, $10
Students will learn the fundamentals of painting with pastels to create and complete their own individualistic painting to take home.
Drawing and Collage – Susanna De Angelo
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 27; ages: 7 and up; cost, $8
Students will have fun exploring the fundamentals of drawing and collage as a 2-D model.
Note: Cost is $6 for each additional student from the same family.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Art House Gallery will host an evening of poetry with Sandy Stillwell and Chris Hoffman on Monday, June 24.
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at 15210 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.
This is open to the public and is a free event.
The Art House Gallery offers many different art classes throughout the month, musical instrument instruction, a unique clothing consignment, gift certificates, art supplies and a layaway program.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Art House Gallery will celebrate its first anniversary Gala Art Reception on Friday, June 21.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. at 15210 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.
Join them for refreshments and live music with Fred and Melissa Markgraf.
The Art House Gallery offers many different art classes throughout the month, musical instrument instruction, a unique clothing consignment, gift certificates, art supplies and a layaway program.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A nearly full house greeted the young performers at the concert of the CLPA Youth Orchestra on Sunday, June 9, at Lakeport’s Soper-Reese Community Theatre.
The concert opened with the efforts of a group of tiny violinists, and ended with the sophisticated music of their largely teenaged elders.
All age groups, though, won enthusiastic applause and deservedly so, since all of them had invested many hours in practice and rehearsals to make their moment in the sun possible.
Susan Condit, who serves as conductor of the youth orchestra also teaches string classes, and created programs suitable for each grade and experience level.
It’s obvious that she takes care in choosing music that the kids like to play and they responded with gusto. She also took the precaution of leading the way for the younger kids with her own violin
Clear Lake Performing Arts, which underwrites the Youth Orchestra, also sponsored violin classes, with generous support from a grant from the Lake County Wine Alliance, and these beginners (grades K-2) opened the show with the group singing an ascending scale to “Motorcycles Stopping on the D Ladder” followed by a 11-violin version of the tune.
The familiar “Hot Cross Buns” followed the same format, and the youngsters exited the stage to enthusiastic applause.
Group 1 from the next class then played three numbers “Mary had a little Lamb,” “Ode to Joy” and “Are you sleeping?” A house full of parents, grandparents and even total strangers loudly saluted their efforts.
The final group made up of students with current band instrument experience, presented the classical “Brandenburg Concerto No. 5” by Johann Sebastian Bach and the more complex rhythms of the contemporary composition “Terra Nova.” They were lent a helping hand by Youth Orchestra cellist Elliott Serena and violinist Rafael Contreras.
The members of the Youth Orchestra then took the stage, boys and girls alike garbed in black as befitting members of a sophisticated concert group – and sophisticated they were.
After a tune-up by Concertmaster Clayton Rudiger they launched into the brisk, up-tempo “M to the Third Power,” by Carold Nunez.
Next “Tango Expressivo” featured soloists Julianne Carter and Rafael Contreras on violin and also gave bassist Max Lehman a chance to show his stuff, which he did in grand fashion with the popular Latin American dance piece.
“Cloudburst” followed and drew a musical portrait featuring bass and cellos heralding the ominous approach of a storm, the musical cloudburst, and then the gradual retreat of the storm to the music’s finish. It was a notable example of disciplined playing.
“May it be,” the theme from “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” was next, with the first half of the concert ending with the country reel, fiddle sounds of “Galena Milwaukee Breakdown.”
As with their earlier work, this song demonstrated almost perfect bowing techniques by the violins, that would be a credit to any orchestra, anywhere,
Condit took the opportunity to thank her performers stating that “every time I raised the bar they met it.” She then presented a special recognition award to violinist and Assistant Music Director Eleanor Cook who had completed three years with the Youth Orchestra.
Thomas Ganong, who has administered the Allegro Scholarship Program for the last 12 years, then took the stand to present special Musical Achievement Awards to Rafael Contreras and Clayton Rudiger, as well as saluting Symphony Concertmaster Andi Skelton and Condit for their dedication to youth music activities in Lake County.
Symphony Conductor John Parkinson also congratulated all the participants and noted that Youth Orchestra members were playing music that would often be difficult even for his symphony members.
Parkinson’s granddaughter, Taylor, age 5, joined plenty of other little brothers and sisters who were on hand, sometimes under seats, at the concert.
According to Taylor’s grandmother Diane Parkinson, the little girl has already learned to identify the music of the various instruments of the orchestra, showing that it’s never to early to start kids in music programs.
Tamsen Serena, who is a volunteer coordinator for the Youth Orchestra, was master of ceremonies for the program, and thanked both CLPA for its support and the Soper-Reese Theatre which provided the venue free of charge.
The concert’s second half opened with the classical “Rondo Alla Turca” Mozart’s famed “Turkish March.”
Next on the program was the “Theme from Canon in D” written in the 17th century by Johann Pachelbel, whose familiar melody has been copied by many 21st century artists.
The canon is a composition device where different instruments playing the same music enter in sequence, and requires precision timing by the musicians.
The orchestra then returned to Mozart, with his Symphony No. 40 in D, one of only two ever written by Mozart in a minor key.
Then came one of the high points of the concert when darked-haired Edison Serena and blonde Clayton Rudiger rose to play a violin duet of Lindsey Stirling’s “Crystallize.” It was an extravagant show-piece which spotlighted the fingering talents of both musicians, with perfectly-harmonized tones covering every range that a violin can produce, and both performed the piece flawlessly, which won them rafter-ringing applause.
The concert ended with selections from the popular Broadway hit and movie “Les Miserables” supported by images on the movie screen behind the orchestra.
They also were supported by guest symphony members Andi Skelton, Marta Fuller, Jeff Ives, Jerry Mundel, Austin Ison and Patricia Jekel, with Anne Barquist assisting on piano.
When it ended the entire audience was on its feet, saluting what is probably one of the finest youth orchestras in the north counties if not the state.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – If you missed the Main Street Gallery’s First Friday Fling on June 7, you missed an exceptional showing of art by 16 accomplished artists.
The artists showed creations in a variety of mediums from pastels to oil, watercolor, mixed media, finely turned wood vases and bowls, beautiful hot glass functional art bowls, a superb collection of fine jewelry and delicately crafted French beaded flowers.
The Linda Carpenter Student Gallery featured work by Nancy Johnson’s second grade students from the Instilling Goodness Boys School in Ukiah. The show was coordinated by well known artist and instructor Jacquie Farley.
Thorn Hill Wines were featured at the reception, while the Carmon Brittan Family livened up the evening with toe-tapping music on a variety of uniquely crafted instruments which included a washtub guitar, mellow flute and further enhanced by Eric Brittan’s pleasing voice and fine guitar playing.
Join the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St. in Lakeport, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, July 5, as they welcome four new artists, savor the fine wines of Rosa De Oro and enjoy music by the popular Kevin Village Stone and Lindy Day.
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