Today, my terribly urban attorney daughter and I took each other on a quest for art in the wilds of West County. That is where a lot of sweet artistic souls camp out in wonderful rustic settings amid eucalyptus and redwood trees, up and down twisty turny rutted narrow roads on the eyebrow of a hill. We stopped in Graton, my mother's hometown, and after perusing the antiques and the Graton Gallery, had lunch at the Willow Wood Market, where I showed kiddo a picure of her grandmother in a fifth grade class photo in a book on Graton. It used to be the other side of the tracks, terribly poor, and is now a chichi little community like Mendocino, you know, Disneyland for grown-ups. From there, full of chicken, spinach, apples and walnuts, we headed to Occidental, big name for another miniscule place on earth, and saw a variety of art styles, all equally wonderful in their own way. Mylette Welch's dogs are a favorite of mine, dog lover that I am, goofy, slap-happy, and somehow tender as well, in vibrant Crayola hues. And Amber liked Tamsen Donner's work, especially a little painting of a sponge. Well, you had to be there, I guess. I was interested in her work because she started painting around the same time I did, though I think she didn't take the long breaths between works. And she is brave in her subject matter, painting a drainer full of dishes, or cabbage on a chopping block. Kiddo liked these, can't get her head around still lifes because they seem contrived. That is because they are! And, you know, I agree. Full of ideas, ready to get going on my own stuff. There's a plan!
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