Locals open up their studios for upcoming tour
Dale Yarmuth is expecting a few guests at his house April 16 and
17. The watercolor artist, who lives in Hollister, is participating
in the annual Open Studios Tour. The event, sponsored by the Arts
Council of San Benito County, offers a chance for residents and
out-of-town visitors to see the space in which artists work
throughout the county.
Locals open up their studios for upcoming tour
Dale Yarmuth is expecting a few guests at his house April 16 and 17. The watercolor artist, who lives in Hollister, is participating in the annual Open Studios Tour. The event, sponsored by the Arts Council of San Benito County, offers a chance for residents and out-of-town visitors to see the space in which artists work throughout the county.
Yarmuth is one of 24 artists participating in the event from Hollister, San Juan Bautista and Aromas. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors are welcome to stop by any of the locations as part of a self-guided tour. Admission is free and many of the artists
will have pieces for sale. They will also be conducting demonstrations of their art techniques throughout the day. Some of the other artists work in such media as stained glass, sculpture, pottery, jewelry and even quilt making, as well as other types of painting and drawing.
A names of the participating artists and a map of the locations can be downloaded online at the Arts council Web site at www.sanbenitoarts.org.
Yarmuth has been participating in the event since 2003.
“I’ve done a lot (of paintings) since I retired,” he said.
Yarmuth’s pieces hang on the wall of his living room and he has a workspace set up, with lots of supplies, in one corner of the room. He uses watercolor, sometimes using pen and ink to add more detail to his pieces. His subjects tend to be nature scenes, landscapes or close-up views of flowers.
“I like to go out in nature,” he said. “I ride the Harley and go out and take pictures.”
One of his favorite settings is Mono Lake, on the East side of the Sierra range. He has a nephew who works there so he often heads that way to get images of the area as well as Bodie State Historic Park.
“In San Benito County, I like to go out and do photos around San Benito,” he said.
Yarmuth had pieces up at Blak Sage Gallery as part of the preview exhibit to promote the open studios tour in the weeks before the event. He has also showed pieces at Mars Hill Coffee House and occasionally shows pieces in San Juan Bautista. But he looks forward to the Open Studios event, however, as a chance to interact with visitors.
“I like explaining art to them,” Yarmuth said. “It’s nice sharing the opportunity.”
He said most years he has 20 to 30 visitors across the weekend.
Yarmuth’s larger framed pieces range in price from $200-500 and will be available for sale. He also has smaller paintings on sale for $40, and some note cards for a low price.
The small pieces can take a few hours to complete while larger paintings might take a few days. Yarmuth said he usually works on a few different pieces at a time so he doesn’t get bored. He said his wife, who has lots of experience with color, gives him advice on improving his pieces.
Yarmuth does have a background in art himself. He studied commercial art in college. He worked in advertising and marketing before retiring. He now teaches a continuing education class through Gavilan College, on watercolor painting, and offers lessons out of his home. Those interested in lessons can contact him at
mm****@sb*******.net
or by calling 634-0821.
“I always liked art since I was a kid,” he said.
He first got involved in the tour after his wife showed some charcoal and pastel works in 2002. This year she won’t be showing any work, but Yarmuth will still be sharing his space. Steve Loos, a photographer, will have pieces on display at the house and the two still had to work out the layout of the room the week before the event.
Another photographer, Steven Snyder, will be showing his work at his home studio in Aromas. Snyder prints his large landscape photographs on site and stretches the images on canvas.
“Most of it is local landscapes,” he said. “Point Lobos, Capitola, Big Sur, the hills in San Juan.”
He has been printing on canvas since 2003 or 2004.
“The biggest benefit of getting a print on canvas is you don’t have to put glass in front of it, which reflects light and makes it hard to see,” he said. “I can also do a gallery wrap, which goes around the side so you don’t have to frame it either.”
He said he usually has 30 to 40 pictures on display during the Open Studios Tour. He’s been participating in the tour since 2005. In his busiest year, he had 50 people visit his Aromas home.
“I like to meet the people and listen to their comments about the pictures,” he said.
The artists were both finishing up the final set up for the tour in the week before the event.
“The Open Studios gives us a good opportunity to get our name out and promote use,” Yarmuth said. “I usually show 30 to 55 pieces. It’s basically my whole inventory.”
