Gwen Novak Reveals New Garner Valley Pastels

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Gwen Novak release 6 new images of Garner Valley

By Marcia E. Gawecki

Gwen Novak likes to paint with light.

On her resume, she says she chases light all over the state, often getting up very early.

Recently, she submitted six new pastels about Garner Valley for The Acorn Gallery next to Café Aroma in Idyllwild.

Even though the award-winning artist lives in La Qunita, she adores Garner Valley.

“It’s a vista that changes with the seasons,” she says.

Garner Valley floods

Oftentimes, Novak would pass by Garner Valley on her way to Idyllwild for plein air art shows. Although she hasn’t entered them recently, she has hundreds of photographs of Garner Valley, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning.

Some are created with pink or yellow flowers in the spring. Other times, it’s red grasses in the fall.

Novak works mostly from hundreds of photographs that she’s taken over the years.

She and her husband, Art, are retired, but Novak draws every day.

She uses pure pigments that are expensive, and are used to make paints.

“Some pigments are mixed with charcoal or chalk, but they’re expensive like $16 each,” Novak says. Some are hard as a pencil, while others are soft, and crumble away in her hands as she uses them.

The new pastels range in sizes from 8 x 10 inches, 11 x 14 inches and 16 x 20 inches.

Most of what Novak makes from sales is reinvested into gold-leaf frames and museum-quality glass.

She’s a true artist, who doesn’t have a web site with photos of her latest works, or even a business card.

Garner Valley with red grasses

“All I want to do is draw,” Novak says.

And she draws in her La Quinta studio every day. She draws desert scenes of the area, and sometimes draws pictures of the neighbor’s dogs.

Sometimes, one pastel drawing only takes a day to make. Four to five hours.

She sells about one pastel a month at the Acorn Gallery (next to Café Aroma) in Idyllwild. She doesn’t show her work at any other gallery because there’s no need.

“Gwen is on fire right now,” says Kirsten Ingbretsen, owner of The Acorn Gallery in Idyllwild. “We’ve sold a lot of her works recently.”

Novak showcases Garner Valley in a variety of seasons

Sales range from two Garner Valley pink flowers to a Carlsbad seascape.

Customers who have lived in Garner Valley and the area appreciate Novak’s ability to capture the uniqueness of the terrain in different seasons. The pink and yellow flowers are abundant in the spring, while the red grasses are more prevalent in the fall.

“Garner Valley floods a lot,” says Novak. “Sometimes, the water takes on a pink look because of the algae in it.”

One woman in Idyllwild who bought “Yellow Winter,” which features snow in Garner Valley bathed in yellow light, liked it so much that she kept it for herself. She had originally planned on giving it to her daughter as a present.

Now she is eager to look at Novak’s new works, to see which one she’ll purchase for her daughter. Garner Valley is special to her because it’s where she boards and rides her horse.

Although Novak creates her pastels from photographs that’s she’s take over the years, she welcomes commissioned pieces. She’ll work from anyone’s submitted photograph, without obligation.

“If someone comes to me with a photograph of their favorite spot in Garner Valley,” Novak says. “I’ll create a piece or two from it, and there’s no obligation. If they like it, they can buy it.”

New works by Gwen Novak can be seen at The Acorn Gallery, next to Café Aroma in Idyllwild. For more information, call the gallery at (951) 659-5950 Prices range from $220 to $1,100 for larger, gold-leaf frames.

Channeling Sinatra in Idyllwild

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Poster for “Frank Sinatra & Friends” event Oct. 18

By Marcia E. Gawecki

In his 40s, Scott Foster looks like a young Frank Sinatra. He’s got the same steel blue eyes, similar facial features, a slight build and naturally, he was wearing a fedora. We were talking outside Cafe Aroma during the 18th Annual “Art & Wine Walk” in Idyllwild on Saturday, Oct. 12.

“I don’t really look like him,” Foster said with a big smile. “It must be the hat.”

Like Sinatra, Foster grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey, and used to sing at a piano bar, while attending art school.

“There was an old piano player there, who would let you sing a few songs,” Fisher recalled. “As long as you had some chops.”

Then Foster sang a few bars of “Send me to the Moon,” in pitch-perfect Sinatra.

Foster will be performing from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 at Cafe Aroma. The show, “Sinatra & Friends” refers to some of Sinatra-era singers like Neil Diamond.

Foster used to get in trouble in art school for impersonating singers like Sinatra and Diamond.

“My teachers would tell me not to sing exactly like them,” Foster said. “They wanted to hear my voice.”

Although Foster sings with other contemporary bands, he likes impersonating Sinatra’s voice.

“I sing like the older Frank,” Foster explains. “He wouldn’t always hit every note, but would go back and hit it and be right on!”

Foster admits to “channeling” Sinatra when he sings.

“When I’m in a tuxedo and singing from Frank’s songbook, I don’t feel right unless I have a glass of whiskey in my hand,” Foster said.

Foster is not a fanatic who knows every detail of the crooner’s life. But he’s studied his voice enough and knows a little bit about his history, namely that he died in Palm Springs.

“It’s just an hour away, but I haven’t been there yet,” he admits. He hasn’t performed his “Sinatra and Friends” gig in Palm Springs, but isn’t ruling it out.

He’s just taking it one step at a time.

Foster gets great enjoyment when people come up to him afterwards and say, “You sing better than Sinatra!”

Then I showed him my Frank Sinatra banner hanging outside the Acorn Gallery, and he mugged for pictures.

Frank Sinatra & Friends event with Gawecki art banner

Tickets to “Sinatra and Friends” for the Oct. 18 show are still available. Call Cafe Aroma at (951) 659-5212. The restaurant is located at 54750 N. Circle Drive in Idyllwild.

A Long Road to Pop Art Peggy Rose

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My mother in Pop Art colors!

By Marcia Gawecki

For my mother’s birthday party on Oct. 6, I decided to create a Pop Art invitation. I didn’t tell her beforehand.

I was kind of giddy, painting my mother in bright colors. It seemed almost dangerous. Like painting a Catholic nun with pink hair.

Then over the next several weeks, Peggy’s portrait went through a distubingly “ugly” phase. Her hair was pink, then yellow, then mint green. Nothing seemed to look right!

Then I added too many colors to her face and neck, making her look Surrealistic. You know, babies and old ladies should not be painted in a Surrealistic style. I just makes them look freaky. Not the vibe I was going for!

During the weeks that I worked on Peggy’s portrait, I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working out. In deperation, I’d take a picture to get a perspective. They’d always look too bright or too “muddy.”

I was beginning to think that, after 20 years of painting, I was incapable of painting my mother’s portrait!

Peggy’s portrait went through a multitude of color combinations

Then I remembered my childhood.

You see, I come from a family of artists, writers and teachers. But my mother doesn’t really understand art. She’s a retired nurse and very practical. She raised seven children, practially alone after her divorce. She’s tough, but really shouldn’t be giving artistic advice.

It can be devestating.

My brother, Mark, who is a product designer, is a true artist. He creates sculptures, paintings, and photographs that would make you cry. He really has an artist’s eye. Yet, for his entire life, Peggy would nearly send him into a rage.

“What’s it supposed to be?” she’d ask, thinking of dishware.

“It’s a reclining woman,” he’d say, staring down at the mermaid-looking aqua-tinted sculpture.

“But where are we going to put it?” she’d ask.

What she should have done was congratulate him on finishing the piece, that took nearly 80 hours to complete. Then she should have encouraged him to create more pieces, thereby raising another artist to grace this world.

Instead, she would always say the wrong thing, setting my brother off in a mad rage.

I would console him, warning him not to ask for approval.

“She’s only going to make you mad,” I would say, sounding more like a counselor than a sister. “You’re not going to get what you need from her, so skip it!”

My mother paid for my painting lessons from age 9 to 11 years old, which was an extravagance for our middle-class military family. Yet, it was a lifeline for me as a shy adolescent.

Yet, after every finished piece, my mother would always make me add green paint “so they’d match the couch.”

“But I already signed it,” I would protest. “You can’t change a painting once it’s been signed!”
We both knew that was baloney. I never wanted to add green to match the couch. It was a matter of integrity. What would my teacher say? “Spineless” would probably be a word that would come to mind. In the end, Peggy paid the art bills, and had a stronger will than me.

My paintings always matched our couch.

Photo of Peggy that inspired the portrait

It took me nearly two months to complete the small birthday portrait of my mother, about one month longer than it should have.

I was thinking too much, maybe worrying about her response. It reminded me of the time that I was working on a portrait of a baby. It was a commission from my manager at work.

But then she started being difficult. Nothing that I produced pleased her. Then I would come home and paint, not realizing that her son was starting looking demonic!

I had to shelve the painting until things improved.

That’s when I realized that there’s a strong correlation between an artist and her subject. I was putting too much pressure on myself to paint the mother who meant so much to me. She was both mother and father growing up, smart but not savvy, often critical and always practical, but not very emotional. Like my brother, I was the exact oppositeI don’t know how a brood of artists came from her!

“Pretend it’s for another client,” my friend suggested. “Don’t think of her as your mother, but just as another commission that you need to finish.”

It sounded like good advice, but impossible to disassociate myself from the woman who gave me life.

The final invite with sticker

In the end, it was the squawking of relatives that made me finish Peggy’s portrait.

“Her party is only weeks away, where’s the invitation?” my aunt asked, clearly annoyed.

When I finally told Peggy that I was creating an original painting for her invitation, she wasn’t impressed.

“Oh, that’s ridiculous to spend so much time on an invitation! I can just pick some invitations at Walgreen’s!”

A Poltergeist voice came out of me.

“Don’t you dare pick up some Hallmark invitations! I’ve been working on this portrait for two months now!”

She relented.

Printing a full-color invitation was costly, about $2 each for 15. Everyone, including my friend, thought it was ridiculous to spend so much money on an invitation. In the end, I got the date wrong, and Peggy had to buy a sticker to cover it.

It was the ultimate embarassment!

“Did anyone say they liked the invitation?” I asked.

“Yes, everyone said that it’s certainly bright!” she exclaimed.

Bright is different than good. It had to be good.

At the party, I’m tempted to ask her friends what they thought of the invitation. Yet, it’s not going to be what I’m looking for.

An artist once told me that you should not look for approval from others. Even if no one likes your portrait, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you do.

Yep, it’s just an 80th birthday invitation, but I’ve put a lifetime into it.

Marcia Gawecki shows her Pop Art Portraits at Acorn Gallery in Idyllwild.

Painting the “Bronze Buckaroo” in Idyllwild

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At 100, Herb Jeffries is as dapper as ever!

By Marcia Gawecki

I have been painting the “Bronze Buckaroo,” red, yellow and blue for years.

Herb Jeffries, who appeared in the first black westerns also sang with Duke Ellington’s orchestra. When I heard he would be celebrating his 100th birthday on Sept. 24 at Cafe Aroma in Idyllwild, my heart raced!

Most of us in Idyllwild hadn’t seen Herb and Savannah for years since they moved to Wichita. To us, it seemed like the ends of the earth. But they had driven back to California, and wanted to celebrate this milestone with some old friends.

Cafe Aroma put out a last-minute announcement for anyone in Idyllwild to come and share birthday cake and champagne with Herb.

Lucky for me, I was working right next door at the Acorn Gallery when the truck pulled up. Lots of well wishers rushed up and Herb flashed that winning smile! He looked dapper in his cowboy hat, boots and tie.

Like a groupie, I took pictures through the gallery window. I was nervous that he wouldn’t remember me, and that I would be in the way. But taking pictures from that vantage point proved to be unsuccessful. And since I had to work at the gallery, I couldn’t join in the festivities.

Sachmo banner at Cafe Aroma with Herb Jeffries banner in background

Yet, Herb and I already had an arts connection. He and Savannah own one of my banners. In 2008, I painted a door-sized banner of Herb that hung outside Cafe Aroma during Jazz in the Pines from August to October.

Along with Herb’s banner, I painted jazz banners of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and Marshall Hawkins, who heads up the jazz department at Idyllwild Arts. Marshall’s banner was the only one that sold that year.

Years later, Cafe Aroma hosted a fundraiser for Herb, who was in the hospital and battling a bad respiratory infection. Cafe Aroma asked local artists to donate pieces to help raise money for his recovery. Since my banner was already on Cafe Aroma’s deck, I donated it.

Hubert Hawkins, Cafe Aroma’s owner, bought it and donated the money and the banner to Herb and Savannah. It made me happy to know that it was in Herb’s possession, and that I helped him in a small way with my art. Over the years in Idyllwild, Herb had performed pro bono for many charities, including one for ARF (Animal Rescue Friends of Idyllwild).It was our turn to give back to a man who had given so much to Idyllwild.

Herb ended up recovering and my banner of him (which I never got a good picture of) was somewhere in Wichita.

And suddenly, on Tuesday night, he was right next door celebrating his 100th birthday with friends. During the evening, Savannah went out to the truck to check on their one-eyed terrier, and I was outside. She told me how happy they were to have my banner in their home.

“Will the banner be donated to a museum?” I asked.

“Oh, he has so many things in museums now, we’re going to keep this one,” Savannah said.

Those words made my heart sing! Herb Jeffries wanted to keep my banner in his private collection!

I wanted to ask Savannah where the banner was hanging, in the garage or somewhere, but other people came up and started talking to her. And that was the last of it.

Herb Jeffries print by Marcia Gawecki. He and Savannah now own it.

Feeling nostalgic, I picked up a smaller print of Herb that I had done years ago. He had sunglasses on and I captured his signature smile. I ran it over to Frank Ferro at Cafe Aroma.

“Can you give it to Herb for me?” I asked Frank. “Or, if he doesn’t want it, sell it for $20?”

Frank smiled and put it on the bar for everyone to see.

The next day, I reviewed the Idyllwild Herald, Hubert’s online paper, and saw many pictures of Herb and friends. He had a great time! He was celebrating at Cafe Aroma for nearly two hours.

About five years earlier, Herb was the last one to leave an event hosted by Jeffrey Taylor from Cafe Cinema at the Caine Learning Center. He kept talking about how much fun he had.

In fact in 2008, Herb was still performing before a live audience at the Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival.

Later that night of Herb’s 100th birthday celebration, a few well-wishers came into Acorn Gallery.

“His voice is a little higher now, and harder to hear,” one said.

“I think it’s a result of all the medication they gave him in the hospital,” another added.”But he looked great! He recognized so many people!”

I was happy and sad at the same time. I wished I wasn’t so shy and would have greeted Herb on his big day, even if he didn’t recognize me as the banner artist.

Then on Thursday, Sept. 26, I got a chance to talk to Herb!

Again, I was working at the Acorn Gallery next door to Cafe Aroma, when the truck pulled up. I watched as Savannah got out and was greeted by their friend, Harley (who is a farmer and a gourd artist at the gallery). Savannah went to make table arrangements at Cafe Aroma, and Harley took their dog for a walk.

So, for a moment, Herb Jeffries was alone in the truck.

I looked out the window, not knowing what to do! But let me tell you, if you get an opportunity like that, you should take it!

I strode up to the truck, and spoke to Herb through the window. He said the door was locked and was trying to open the window, when Harley walked up with the dog.

Harley opened the door, and Herb immediately tried to step out, but Savannah wasn’t back yet with the wheelchair.

“He’s really mad,” Harley warned. “He wants to go eat.”

Legend Herb Jeffries with artist Marcia Gawecki and her portrait of him

“Hiya, baby!” Herb said, flashing a smile. “Where’s Savannah?”

He was trying to get out of his seatbelt like a precotious child, while Harley was holding him back.

“Just wait!” Harley warned.

I asked Harley if I could get a picture of Herb with one of my portraits. By then, Savannah had come up with the wheelchair.

“Smile, Herb!” Savannah and Harley both shouted.

I got a picture with Herb, just before they whisked him away to lunch. His eyes are as blue as can be, and there’s barely a wrinkle on him.

I credit his good looks with a positive outlook on life. Whenever I’d see Herb at events, he was always gratious and thanked God a lot for his good fortune. It just peppered his conversations so naturally.

“Would Herb want another one of my portraits?” I asked Savannah.

She said sure, and I ran to get one from the Acorn Gallery, and grabbed the other one from Cafe Aroma.

I handed both to Herb and asked him to decide which one he liked best. He turned it over to see his name printed on the back.

“He likes the blue one,” Harley said after a few seconds, and Savannah ran it back to the car.

“Stop by later and get a picture of him smiling,” Savannah said.

But I didn’t want to impose again. I was happy knowing that they owned two of my portraits.

Herb Jeffries portrait at Acorn Gallery Idyllwild

On Oct. 28, Herb and Savannah were headed to Apple Valley Inn for another banquet to celebrate being a centenarian. For more info, call the chamber (760) 242-2753. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!

Giants, Scoundrels & Locals at Honey Bunns

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Nanci Killingsworth stands before Marcia Gawecki’s Pop Art portraits

Honey Bunns & Joe is a small-sized bakery with a big heart for art. For the past year, they’ve given away wall space in their Idyllwild business for artists to host shows . The June show is called “Giants, Scoundrels & Locals,” a motley crew of Pop Art portraits by Idyllwild artist Marcia Gawecki.

Granted, it’s not a big space. The sign on the wall says there’s a capacity for only 10 people. But ask any artist whose shown there, and they will tell you that you can do a lot with those four walls.

“I had 25 prints and three small banners, and I managed to fill the space,” Gawecki said, with the help of her friend Nanci Killingsworth.

Gawecki’s show features $25 prints of jazz giants like Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. Most of them were created for Jazz in the Pines, a two-day jazz event held on the Idyllwild Arts campus in August each year.

There’s also prints of scoundrels or celebrities who have “fallen from grace,” such as Michael Jackson and Mel Gibson. Gawecki sized up her choices in her “Artist Comment” posted on the wall:

“Many Hollywood stars that I have painted have “fallen from grace.” I don’t have to like them, only get a good likeness.”

Gawecki has had an art gallery refuse to show Mel Gibson because of his anti Semitic beliefs.

Mad Mel Gibson by Marcia Gawecki

“For this show, I titled it ‘Mad Mel’ to give viewers an idea of my feelings towards him,” Gawecki said. “I didn’t want to offend anyone with the image, but open up a dialogue . There’s been some anti Semitism in Idyllwild, and we need to get it out in the open. I don’t think it should be tolerated.”

Besides the title, Gawecki showed a bloody red cruxifix protruding from Gibson’s eyebrows. It was painted shortly after the release of his 2004 film, “The Passion of the Christ,” which many say depicted Jews as being exceptionally brutal to Jesus Christ.

Gawecki has not been one to shy away from politicizing her views in paint. The image of Michael Jackson originally had the title, “The King of Pop is Not” to discuss his many child molestation accusations.

“If you look closely at his ears, you can see their pointed or elf like,” Gawecki said.

And the image of Ronald Reagan was reframed for the Honey Bunns show. The original one was a wooden frame with camoulflage on it. Gawecki had just come back from living two years in Chile, and had an earful of Reagan’s offenses.

“Reagan has a slight bit of red under his nose,” Gawecki said. “Its not a shadow, but blood.”

The rest of the painting was all done in green hues. The red is subtle but is more obvious when you add the camelflage frame, she said.

There’s also Idyllwild locals, including Marshall Hawkins, who heads up the jazz department at Idyllwild Arts who was just inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. He started Jazz in the Pines which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

In addition to Marshall, there’s American Idol heartthrob Casey Abrams, the ‘Bronze Buckaroo’ Herb Jeffries, who turns 100 in August this year and Jeffrey Taylor, who owns Green Cafe Internet and has been promoting films for 15 years now.

“I like to title my shows because then it gives them a framework,” Gawecki said. “But everyone’s giant could be someone else’s scoundrel.”

Gawecki sold one painting yesterday, but other artists at Honey Bunns have had more success.

Originally, Gawecki’s portrait of Ronald Reagan had a camouflage frame

Nanci, a mosiac artist from Idyllwild, had made the most of her show space last fall by adding shelves, and using her interior design know how. Before her opening, she had already sold five pieces.

“I called her with the good news, but she was up until midnight making more mosaics to replace the five that were sold,” said Dan Slattery, one of Honey Bunns & Joe’s owners.

“After he called, I was happy that people liked my work, but I also had to raise my prices,” Nanci said.

As a memento, Nanci left Honey Bunns one of her mosiac cups for their stir straws. Other artists have left paintings, prints and photos on the wall as a “thank you” for not charging for the space.

“People can’t believe that we don’t charge any commission,” Dan said. “But the way I see it, every month someone comes in here and redecorates the place. It’s really great! Not like getting bored seeing the same old painting.”

For other artists like Helen Ziler, who had her Honey Bunns show in May, sales aren’t the mark of success. The fact that her son considers her art “family heirlooms” meant more than any sale.

“My son looked around the room, and told me that he wanted to keep all of them in the family,” Helen said wistfully. “That meant a lot to me.”

This was also Ziler’s first art show, and it was comfortable enough for her to want to continue in her pursuit.

Billie Holiday is one of the giants in Gawecki’s “Giants, Scoundrels & Locals” show at Honey Bunns in Idyllwild

Dan’s wife, Laura, is the baker who also has talent.

“I’m just creative,” Laura Slattery said, when someone called her an artist. Some of her confectionary creations include lavendar-almond scones, snickerdoodles and of course, sticky honey buns.

“She likes to mix it up by combining different ingredients and not featuring the same thing all the time,” Dan added.

On the wall above the door features one of Laura’s photos. It’s a close-up of her hands kneading dough. The reflected light makes the pose more intimate. It was a collaboration with a photographer friend over the internet, she said.

“Giants, Scoundrels & Locals,” a collection of Pop Art portraits by Idyllwild artist Marcia Gawecki, will remain at Honey Bunns & Joe through June. The bakery is located at 54385 N. Circle Drive in Idyllwild, and is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Call (951)659-8606.