I recently had an opportunity to interview Lena Garcia, a humble and talented Edmonds local who is an oil painter, art instructor, teapot enthusiast and volunteer extraordinaire

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your life as an artist?

A. I have been creating art since a little girl. I always loved sculpting, painting and creating. I studied art and took drawing, acrylics, watercolor and design all throughout my education. After college, I wanted to try something new and took an oil painting class at Fullerton Community College. I felt immediately that I found my medium. I love oil painting because of its slow tempo, and the ability to “add more paint!”  

Q. Who/what are your muses?

A. One of my favorite things to paint is teapots. I love their shape and the way the light reflects off them. They come in so many different styles and have such different personalities. Finding beauty in everyday objects and helping others see the beauty in that moment.

Q. What got you into teaching art in Edmonds?

A. I knew I wanted to change directions with my career and focus on teaching and creating fine art. Living in Edmonds, I wanted to build my business and community here. So I reached out to Edmonds Heights K-12, Frances Anderson Center and Homeschool Connections to inquire on how I could offer classes in their program, and the rest in history!

Q. What should students expect in your classes?

A: I have students work mostly from still lifes, starting from simple 3D shapes (ball, cone, cube) and then moving up to more complicated shapes and compositions. Everything we see can be broken down into these simple shapes and then represented on the paper or canvas, so we always start there and then build from this understanding.

Q. Can you tell us about your pieces being featured at Cafe Louvre?

A. Cafe Louvre is displaying a number of still-life paintings. The focus of this series is Beauty – beauty from everyday items. You’ll see flowers, teapots, hands, teapots, and teapots (did I mention that there are teapots?). I also hint at a story within each painting. 

Q. Do you offer private lessons?

A. I do! 

Q. Anything else you would like to share?

A. There will be an artist reception on Jan. 18 for myself and the two other artist at Cafe Louvre. 

Thank you Lena for taking the time to talk with My Edmonds News! If you are interested in taking classes with Lena, the following classes are available at Frances Anderson. You can register online at www.RecZone.org, or contact Lena directly here

Oil Painting, Intro thru Advanced : March 18 – May 27, Each Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., except March 25

Intro to Drawing: Jan. 16 – Feb. 20, Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon

Intermediate Drawing: March 5 – April 16, Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, except Thursday, April 9

Fine Art Day Camp for Teens (11 – 16 years): Aug. 10 – 13, Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

 ~ ~ ~ ~

What to Hear

A variety of entertainment awaits you in January, from eclectic music at ECA to jazz at the library and Edmonds United Methodist Church

Edmonds Center for the Arts Presents Dan + Claudia Zanes

Grammy Award winner Dan Zanes with his wife, Haitian-American jazz vocalist and music therapist Claudia Zanes, will be coming to Edmonds Saturday, Jan. 11. Their performance is highly interactive, inviting children to dance and sing along in a fun and party-like atmosphere (with a little education sprinkled in along the way).

Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.
Saturday, Jan. 11, 11 a.m.
Tickets are $10, with $2 Arts for Everyone tickets available for low-income families
Learn more here

Music at the Library: Richard Cole Jazz Quartet

Nationally acclaimed Saxophonist Richard Cole will be joined by some of the best local Jazz Musicians. The Richard Cole Jazz Quartet will be performing traditional jazz tunes influenced by the masters. Come enjoy this lovely evening of Jazz at the library.

Edmonds Library
Edmonds Plaza Room
650 Main St.
Thursday, Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m.
FREE

Edmonds Center for the Arts Presents SheshBesh

SheshBesh is an Arab-Jewish ensemble comprised of three members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra along with four musicians from Israel’s Arab community. There will be a free pre-show talk before the performance where the artists will discuss the model of two cultures living in harmony and how music can be a bridge between people.

Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $19 – $49
Learn more here

Cascade Symphony Orchestra celebrates Beethoven’s 250^th Birthday

The Cascade Symphony Orchestra — under the direction of conductor Michael Miropolsky — is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Three internationally renowned musicians will be performing the “Happy Birthday, Ludwig” concert — Mae Lin (violin), Eric Han (cello) and Jessica Choe (piano).

Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.
Monday, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. (pre-concert lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Tickets are $15 – $27
Learn more here 

Jazz, Rags and Blues Concert by Jeremy Siskind

The Edmonds Music Teacher Association (EMTA) is sponsoring jazz pianist Jeremy Siskind for an evening concert, celebrating the Jazz, Rags and Blues Festival at the Edmonds United Methodist Church. A pianist-composer, Siskind is the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition and two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association.

Edmonds United Methodist Church
828 Caspers St.
Friday, Jan. 31, 9:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 – $15
Learn more here

What to Do

An opportunity to celebrate MLK Day with a variety of performances and activities, some of which are free for the whole family.

Be the Light: A Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Be the Light, the Second Annual Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a full day event with family-friendly activities starting at 10:30 a.m. and going until noon. The morning event is FREE and has a variety of performances for families and children. The evening event begins at 7:30 p.m. with critically acclaimed composer, conductor, gospel/jazz vocalist and pianist Dr. Stephen Newby. Both morning and evening programs are designed to inspire Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community – a local living environment free of hatred, injustice and poverty.

Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.
Monday, Jan. 20. 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $12 – $15
Learn more here

What to See

This month, take a moment to enjoy an evening of music and art at Cascadia Art Museum, or wander through the Frances Anderson gallery to see the hard work from the “Draw-Every-Day-For-A-Year” participants of 2019.

String Quartet plus Flute at Cascadia Art Museum

String quartet, plus flute, playing selections by Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Shostakovich, plus pieces by Bach and Benjamin Britten. The musicians playing in the new independent string quartet include Amy Crenshaw and Luis Alcantara-Nenninger (violin), Veronica Ho (viola) and Norma Dermond (cello). Your ticket admits you to the museum as well as the concert. Enjoy an evening of music, art exhibits and all the wonderful offerings at Salish Crossing.

Cascadia Art Museum
190 Sunset
Saturday, Jan. 20, 6 p.m.
Learn more here

ARTSpot Draw-Every-Day-For-A-Year Group Show

If you are looking for inspiration to bring art into your life in 2020, this is an excellent opportunity to see what can happen when you commit to drawing every day. Last year ARTSpot sent out a challenge to draw every day for a year, expecting about 20 people to join in. To their great surprise there were 52 registrants! The hard work of this group is on display at the Frances Anderson Center Arts Commission Gallery until Jan. 27. ARTSpot is holding a 2020 Drawing Challenge, join now to create a new art goal for the new year. Learn more about the 2020 challenge here.

Frances Anderson Center
700 Main St.
Now – Jan. 27
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

— By Rachel Gardner

Rachel Gardner has a heartfelt appreciation for art in all forms and believes everyone is an artist, some just don’t know it yet. A dedicated and involved Edmonds resident, she can often be spotted onstage cracking jokes between sets or in the audience enjoying local live performances. She enjoys being playful with her art and finding unique ways of expression, like forming a boho-grunge-folk ukulele trio with local Edmonds moms.