In The Arts: Vail elected the association president

The Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. has elected Greg Vail as president for 2010-11.

Vail, who is the association’s first non-artist leader and has served on the board of directors for the past year, succeeds founding member Saim Caglayan, who was elected chairman of the board.

A former Laguna Beach planning commissioner and Design Review Board member, Vail was also director of Forward Planning and Sustainable Development for the Athens Group and led the planning effort for the Aliso Creek Area Redevelopment Plan.

He is president of Selva Partners LLC, a sustainable development company.

“The board felt that Vail’s management skills, coupled with his passion for landscape art as a collector, local community involvement, wide-ranging professional network and landscape architectural background can all be harnessed to bring LPAPA to a new level of excellence as a prime keeper of the landscape painting heritage that is emblematic of Laguna Beach and a national treasure,” Caglayan said.

Vail said he plans to significantly enhance the organization’s capabilities and visibility in regard to landscape sustainability and climate change through the painterly expressions of Laguna’s artists.

Artist Jeff Horn was elected as vice president; Mary Linda Strotkamp as secretary; and Ron Marshall as treasurer.

Artists collaborate on cookbook

Thirty-six prominent Orange County visual artists are showcased in “The Art Lovers’ Cookbook,” a volume co-edited by Orange County art writers and educators Suzy Casey, Rita Goldberg and Karin Schnell.

A “Meet the Artists” event will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Artist Eye Gallery, 1294 S. Coast Hwy., to introduce the full-color book.

Cookbook editors Casey, Goldberg and Schnell will be present, along with many of the participating artists, to meet with guests and personalize copies of the book.

Attendees will also be treated to tastes of food from the book.

“Fine art and fine cuisine have long been associated,” Casey said. “We (the editors) found a host of highly respected artists in our county who had as deep a passion for cooking as for painting and drawing. The unique intersection of art and food is represented in this book with delicious recipes inspired by the artworks depicted, delighting the cook in the kitchen with the art that inspired the recipes. It is as much an art book as it is a cookbook.”

The hardcover book will be available for $27.50.

For more information, visit www.artloverscookbooks.com.

Art class on the beach Sunday

Laguna Outreach for Community Arts will host “Watercolors on the Beach” from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday on Treasure Island Beach at Montage Resort.

Students will observe live crabs, shrimp and urchins, and create a watercolor journal under direction of instructor September McGee.

All supplies are provided including a tote bag, watercolors, gel pens and a snack courtesy of Montage.

Cost is $35 for adults; $20 for children accompanied by an adult.

Advance registration is required; call (949) 363-4700 or e-mail LOCAarts@yahoo.com.

Workshops at Laguna College

Laguna College of Art & Design will offer Figure Painting and Color Theory workshops with Jason Dowd as part of its summer program.

In the Figure (oil) Painting workshop, students will focus on the model figures while looking to master artists such as William McGregor Paxton, George William Joy and Arthur Hacker. Dowd will demonstrate techniques and examples of work.

Cost is $375 for a seven-week session, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays June 15 to 27. Registration is due June 1.

Color Theory will offer assignments that deal with color as it relates to value and light.

An extensive color/value wheel will be the first project. This will be an advanced version of earlier workshops, adding the effects of glazing and its influences on color enhancement, and applications to painting.

Additional exercises in color harmony ranging from neutral to vibrant, and a master copy will be used to incorporate techniques learned.

Cost is $325 for a five-week session, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays June 26 to July 31. Registration is due June 11.

For more information, call (949) 376-6000 ext. 240 or e-mail kredeker@lagunacollege.edu.

Tonys celebrated at Laguna Nursery

Ruben Flores, owner of Laguna Nursery, is hosting a garden party celebration of the Tony season at 7 p.m. June 5 at the nursery, 1370 S. Coast Hwy.

Guests will enjoy music from pianists Saif Eddin and Wayne Abravanel, with musical direction by Tedd Firth, plus Broadway singer Sally Mayers performing songs from her musicals. Rex Reed will sing a song or two from his newest concert, “Ira Without George,” honoring the songs Ira Gershwin wrote without his brother George.

The musical lineup includes Polly Bergen, Tom Wopat, Linda Purl, James Naughton, Marilyn Maye and Kurt Reichenbach.

Tickets may be pre-ordered at $45 or $60 for VIP (VIP tickets include an autographed copy of Mayers’ latest solo CD). For more information, call (949) 494-5200.