June Gloom Frames ArtWalk

Cloudy skies, sprinkles of rain and the roar of the Ventura Freeway didn’t stop a large crowd from attending the 14th annual ArtWalk in Thousand Oaks on Saturday.

The free two-day event, which continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, attracted serious buyers and sellers of art from throughout California to rows of booths set up in a parking lot at The Oaks mall. The show usually attracts at least a couple of thousand people a day.

“I really like the quality of the art here. It’s much higher than most street fairs and it’s a great place to find a special gift,” said Diane Harris of Westlake Village, who attended with her mom, Marilyn, and daughters Jenna, 2, and Maya, 1 month.

Harris, who has gone to the show for several years, said she always purchases something. Last year, she bought her husband a set of wrought-iron herons. This year, she splurged on pearl and stone earrings and a matching necklace for herself by artist Bea Barabas.

Barabas was one of more than 150 artists displaying work at the popular juried show, hosted by the Conejo Valley Art Museum. Some artists traveled from as far away as Arizona. Money raised from the event will help build a permanent home for the museum, whose holdings are in storage until the group can raise about $10 million.

The art show features a variety of media, from ceramics and glasswork to drawings, painting and photography.

Around the corner from a small crowd that had paused to listen and sway to the upbeat flamenco group trio benise, West Hollywood sculptor Cesar Naranjo was busy answering questions from people curious about his work.

Clinging to several tall, rectangular pillars surrounding the artist were dozens of brightly colored bronze geckos, priced from $50 to $500. Naranjo said he was inspired to design and cast the blue, green and brown creatures after spending three years in Hawaii, where he said the reptiles run rampant.

“This is the second year I’ve done the show, and I really enjoy it because it is well-organized and we have good sales,” Naranjo said.

Gail Smith and her mom, Paula Smith, took turns grabbing handfuls of kettle-cooked popcorn from a paper bag as they strolled in search of that one piece of art each had to have. Gail Smith of Thousand Oaks said she tends to buy small prints and handcrafted jewelry.

Sculptor Carrol Blacketer, who creates trains in iron and bronze, relaxed in a folding chair next to her husband, Chet, also an artist. The couple’s work, often made to order, is sought by serious train lovers, she said as she peered out from under the brim of an old cowboy hat.

“We just started messing around with the welding machine and here we are,” she said.