When San Juan Bautista painter Gayle Sleznick withdrew from a
recent
”
open studio
”
weekend, event organizers said there was only one acceptable
excuse: an invitation to the White House.
”
Well, I’ve got one,
”
Sleznick responded.
HOLLISTER
When San Juan Bautista painter Gayle Sleznick withdrew from a recent “open studio” weekend, event organizers said there was only one acceptable excuse: an invitation to the White House.
“Well, I’ve got one,” Sleznick responded.
And she really did. On Nov. 29, Sleznick was on hand as First Lady Laura Bush unveiled this year’s White House Christmas tree. The tree is decorated with 347 ornaments, each celebrating one of the country’s national parks, including one painted by Sleznick depicting Pinnacles National Monument.
“Mine was sitting all the way at the top (of the tree),” Sleznick said. “But it was in good company – there were plenty of big parks up there.”
Sleznick said Pinnacles Superintendent Eric Brunneman approached her about painting the ornament several months ago. Sleznick is doubly qualified for the job – not only does she specialize in painting natural beauty, but she also lived in Pinnacles from 1986 to 1994, when her husband Jim served as park superintendent.
“I was born and raised in the parks service, and I also married into it,” she said. “It’s like this reward.”
Although Sleznick may have been the obvious choice, she said it wasn’t an easy job. For one thing, she’d never painted a Christmas ornament before. For another, the artist had to figure out how to capture Pinnacles’ beauty on a small, golden ball.
After continually mulling over the ornament, Sleznick created the final product in three intense days of painting.
“It’s just easier to get going,” she said. “Then one thing led to another. When you’re finally through, you say, ‘Oh, it works.'”
The ornament includes a mountain climber, a ranger and one of Pinnacles’ famous condors soaring above it all. Sleznick said she drew from her memories of the park, as well as reference materials. For the condor, she relied on a photograph published in the Free Lance.
According to a transcript of the First Lady’s speech, Laura Bush chooses a different theme for her Christmas tree every year. With the centennial of the National Park Service approaching in 2016, national parks seemed like an obvious choice, she said.
“We think our national parks are more precious than gold to the United States,” Bush said.
Sleznick didn’t get a chance to speak to Bush, but she was right next to the stage when the First Lady addressed the crowd.
In addition to admiring the ornaments and chatting with other artists, Sleznick also stopped by the White House Historical Society, which displays a painting of the White House that Sleznick created in the 1990s.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be at an event like that again, but boy, it was fun,” Sleznick said.
