Montrose Art Walk draws visitors from beyond city borders

Spattered across Honolulu Avenue on Saturday morning were booths filled with jewelry, acrylic paintings, wood etchings as part of the Montrose Art Walk.

PHOTOS: 2014 Montrose Art Walk

The walk — the third of four this year hosted by the Montrose, Verdugo-City Chamber of Commerce — included about 17 artists’ booths stationed between Ocean View Boulevard and Wickham Way from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with musical entertainment by Geno Escaregga and Ann Louise Christensen.

As locals and patrons of nearby shops and restaurants strolled through, Jim McGuire, a Santa Clarita resident, owner of Wood-N-Tole, was focused on showing a passerby how he creates pictures carved into wood slabs using a scroll saw.

Lining the booth he and his wife, Arlene, had set up were carvings of famous figures — fictional and real ones, animals and scenes in nature.

McGuire said this was their fourth or fifth year at the art walk, which they typically participate in twice a year.

While McGuire worked on the saw and did demonstrations, his wife was there to help run the booth — and — and to pet all the dogs that come through, McGuire said.

The McGuires are retired, so the show is a good way to get them out of the house, he said.

“We have a lot of fun at these things,” he said. “It’s a smaller show, but it’s always a fun show. A lot of interesting people come by and they like to chat.”

Artist Stan Cline was also out with paintings from his “Nostalgia Gallery” — acrylic paintings on canvas.

“These are scenes from the past — scenes that aren’t around anymore, a lot of them from Southern California,” he described. “A lot of the old drive-ins, cars from the 50s and 60s.”

He and his wife, both Winnetka residents, were running their booth for the first time this year, after taking part in two of the art walks last year.

Echoing McGuire, Cline said the number of pieces sold per show varies greatly.

Not only did the walk bring out artists from different cities, but attendees as well.

Rick and Elizabeth Johnston said they enjoy coming out to the art walk because of its unique and “on the edge” artists, said Rick Johnston.

And while it’s a bit of a drive for the Rancho Cucamonga residents, they like to make a day out of it and stop by the Americana and Glendale restaurants in the area.

“We enjoy coming out here and seeing the different artists and also, just the community and being out here,” said Elizabeth Johnston. “There’s a very eclectic mixture out here — you always see something different.”