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Arts & Life
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
A painting of northern pintails by Frank Dolphens Jr. of Omaha, Nebraska, has been chosen as the winner of the 2019 California Duck Stamp Art Contest.
The image will be the official design for the 2019-2020 stamp.
The contest judges praised the anatomical accuracy of Dolphens’s painting, as well as the accuracy of the habitat.
They complimented the excellent body shape and the contrast between the subjects and the background, which seems to make the pintails “pop” off the canvas. The judges also appreciated the three-bird composition and the fact that both sexes were represented.
“I have always admired the northern pintail,” said Dolphens. “I am inspired by their mysticism and their colors and was anxious to enter this year’s contest to portray these characteristics in the painting. I wanted to present the pintails in a grouping to show the strength of their colors in a background setting that enhanced their features.”
Artists from around the country submitted entries for the contest, sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
John Nelson Harris of Groveland, Fla., placed second, Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., placed third and Roberta Baer of Redding received honorable mention.
The top four paintings will be displayed at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s 49th Annual Classic Wildlife Art Festival, which is scheduled for July 20 to 21 in Sacramento.
Since 1971, the California Duck Stamp Program’s annual contest has attracted top wildlife artists from around the country. The contest is traditionally open to artists from all 50 states in order to ensure a wide pool of submissions. All proceeds generated from stamp sales go directly to waterfowl conservation projects throughout California.
In the past, hunters were required to purchase and affix the stamp to their hunting licenses. Today, hunters are no longer required to carry the stamps because California’s modern licensing system prints proof of additional fees paid directly onto the license.
However, CDFW still produces the stamps, which can be requested on CDFW’s Web site at www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/collector-stamps .
All of this year’s top finishers can be seen here.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – If you’re a Francophile and even if you’re not (but you love parties), the Soper Reese Theatre invites you to a Bastille Fête on Sunday, July 14, at 7 p.m. to celebrate France’s national holiday, Bastille Day.
This evening of French-themed fun includes live music, dancing, surprise guests, food á la française, wine and song.
Wear your favorite French outfit, bring your worst French accent and get ready for a rousing sing-along of the French national anthem.
Headliner the French Oak Gypsy Band gives a fresh spin on French and American Swing Era classics with a repertoire from French Chanson, Gypsy Jazz, Dixieland Jazz.
North Bay vocalist Stella Heath and French/American guitar player Gabriel Pirard, lead this group of gypsies in their undeniably fun performances.
Reed player, James Inciardi, rounds out the group. With their French-inspired sound, spotlighting Heath’s magnetic vocals and the band’s tight rhythms they'll transport you straight into the bygone era of swing.
Tickets are now on sale for $25, $20 and $15. All seats are reserved. The dance floor will be open and dancing is encouraged, mais oui!
Tickets can be purchased online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or at The Travel Center, 825 S. Main St., Lakeport, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-0577.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
You may audition online or come to one of the live auditions.
Live auditions will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, and 1 p.m. Saturday, July 13, in the Friendship Hall at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, 5340 Third St.
The deadline for online auditions is Monday, July 15, at 11:59 p.m.
Information on the production is on the Web site www.eveninshadow.com with a list of characters and their sides.
This play was originally produced in 2002 for Summer Theater Workshop. It has been revised and rewritten by its producers, Carolyn Wing Greenlee and Dan Worley of Kelseyville.
This is a unique opportunity for those who have desired to be involved in making a movie. Involvement also offers profit sharing for cast and crew.
Singers who are non-actors (18 or older) are also welcome to audition for the soundtrack, which will be recorded in-studio before the video is released. This is a great opportunity for singers who don't want to act, or don't match the look or visual age of one of the characters but can deliver a fitting vocal.
Crew members of all skills are also welcome to come out and meet with the producers.
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- Written by: Ted Kooser
I am often asked if I know of a good poem to be read at a wedding, and here's one by James Bertolino, from his new and selected poems, “Ravenous Bliss.”
Bertolino lives in Washington state and I have been a reader of his poetry for almost 50 years.
When he and I were younger, we often published in the same literary journals, most of which have slipped away into the past.
A Wedding Toast
May your love be firm,
and may your dream of life together
be a river between two shores—
by day bathed in sunlight, and by night
illuminated from within. May the heron
carry news of you to the heavens, and the salmon bring
the sea’s blue grace. May your twin thoughts
spiral upward like leafy vines,
like fiddle strings in the wind,
and be as noble as the Douglas fir.
May you never find yourselves back to back
without love pulling you around
into each other's arms.
American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2014 by James Bertolino, "A Wedding Toast," from Ravenous Bliss, (MoonPath Press, 2014). Poem reprinted by permission of James Bertolino and the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2019 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.