IN THE ARTS

Mother’s Day artist boutique

Pure Light Candle Studio will host a Mother’s Day Artist’s Boutique from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the studio, 821 Laguna Canyon Road.

Sawdust artists and other local artists and vendors will be featured at individual tables set up within the shop so visitors can browse for special Mother’s Day selections.

In addition candle makers can create their own mother’s day gifts or select from an array of candle bouquets.

Guest artists and vendors include:

?Erica Batchelder with hand-painted silk scarves;

?Olivia Batchelder’s hand-painted silk clothing and recycled fleece;

?Suzette Rosenthal and Cherril Doty with mixed media art cards and prints, crocheted corsage pins, scarves, and necklaces;

?Diana Phillips, with Diana Phillips Chocolates, with hand-painted, custom infusions from local growers;

?Nicole Brazier with imported beaded jewelry handmade by herself and her daughters in France;

?Heather Rose with Tobias and Alysia Crystals will show natural and polished crystals and jewelry;

?Susan Clemens of LittleLandscapes.compresents Living Plants in Miniature Gardens;

?Debbie Lavdas of peaceloveandmomminess.comwill offer gifts including the Peace and Mom Kits, custom jewelry, books and more; and

?CandleBouquet.comwill be featuring new, long-lasting Mother’s Day candle bouquets.

For more information, call (949) 376-7200 or e-mail judy@purelight celebrations.com.

Knife portraitist to be at Artist Eye

Artist Eye Laguna Gallery will feature palette knife portrait paintings by Laguna Beach artist Deana Duffek from today to May 30. The gallery will host a reception with the artist from 5 to 9 p.m. May 9.

The gallery will celebrate its first anniversary during First Thursdays Art Walk, 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

“We are very proud to announce our one-year anniversary, especially in light of such bleak economic news,” said Ann Jones, gallery director. “The partnership we have formed with all our artists assists us in weathering the current economic environment. We benefit from sharing our experiences in business and the world of art to help run the operations of the gallery, and we feel this business model contributes to our success.”

Duffek focuses on portraits of musical artists. While putting herself through college, she managed a music store, and music and musicians remain an inspiration in her abstract and portrait paintings. After earning a BFA in Interior Architecture, Duffek began working as a designer with an Atlanta design firm.

After relocating to California, Duffek worked in licensing and product development with an array of partners including Wyland, Disney, Anheuser Busch, Sea World and Andrews McMeel Publishing.

She also worked with leading hospitality developers as the design director for a 400-room boutique hotel in Hawaii, and spearheaded special television programming for Martin F. Weber and PBS television.

For each painting sold, a portion of the proceeds is dedicated to organizations that assist abused women and children.

“If I can use my art to influence and help other people, then I truly believe I am living my life’s purpose and serving to the best of my ability,” Duffek said.

Artist Eye Laguna Gallery is at 1294 S. Coast Hwy., Suite A, Laguna Beach. For more information, call (949) 497-5898 or visit www.artisteyelaguna gallery.com.

Passport Consortium holds name contest

The three summer art festivals “” the Festival of Arts, Sawdust Art Festival and Art-A-Fair “” along with the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau, are asking the community to help name the Passport to the Arts mascot.

A contest has been launched to find a new moniker for the human-sized tube of blue paint, known for the time being as “Blue.” The mascot will be seen throughout the summer at the Act V parking lot where he will distribute information about the special Passport offer.

“Blue” attended the recent Imagination Celebration event at the Sawdust Art Festival where 82 people submitted ideas.

Entries can be e-mailed to info@LagunaBeachPassport.com until midnight May 14.

The judging will be done by a team of three “” one representative from each of the festivals “” with the contest winner named on the Passport website June 1. Prizes include four Passports plus a dinner for four at Mark’s Restaurant on Laguna Canyon Road.

The $19 Passport to the Arts allows visitors unlimited admission to all three festivals for the entire summer season. Passports can be ordered online at www.LagunaBeach Passport.com, or by calling (949) 497-0521. The Passport will also be on sale at any of the festival box offices during the run of the shows and at the Laguna Beach Recreation Center.

As a special bonus, visitors who purchase the Passport online by June 1 will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a “Laguna Beach Getaway for Two” in the fall.

Included are two nights at a bed and breakfast, two dinners, and other prizes. Also available online or at any of the festivals’ box offices is a complete list of local businesses offering discounts during the summer festival season.

EcoFest planned for October

Endangered Planet Foundation, in partnership with the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, the city of Laguna Beach, the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau and Laguna Beach Magazine, is planning its second annual one earth/one dream EcoFest, Oct. 2 to 4 at the Festival of Arts grounds.

The festival will include interactive seminars, speakers, live entertainment, film, art, children’s workshops, fashion shows and more than 50 exhibitors.

For more info, call (949) 497-5690, or visit www.1e1d.org.

Artists open studios on First Fridays

First Thursdays Art Walk will be followed by First Fridays studio tours. Self-guided tours of 39 artist studios throughout Laguna Beach will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. May 8 and June 5. The tours are free and allow visitors to watch artists at work in their studios and discuss their work process with them.

Participating artists are:

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Downtown

Cliff Wassmann, 419 Ocean Ave.; (949) 291-6718

Doreen Mellen; 393 Mermaid St.; (949) 306-9156

North Coast Highway

Mia Moore; 1000 N. Coast Hwy., Suite 3; (949) 497-1261

Peggi Kroll Roberts; 305 N. Coast Hwy.; Suite F; (949) 715-4345

Raymond Roberts; 305 N. Coast Hwy.; Suite F; (949) 715-4345

Catherine Reade; 422 N. Coast Hwy.; (949) 499-2600

Tracey Moscaritolo; 422 N. Coast Hwy.; (949) 497-7300

John Eagle; 384-B N. Coast Hwy.; (949) 497-1080

South Coast Highway

Douglas Miller; 1873 S. Coast Hwy.; (949) 497-4035

Kirk Milette; 830 S. Coast Hwy.; (949) 497-4653

Walter Viszolay; 577 S. Coast Hwy.; (949) 497-0951

Laguna Canyon Road

Michael Phillips; 891 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 376-1555

Maggie Spencer; 2081 Laguna Canyon Road; (714) 264-5617

Edith Otto; 2307 Laguna Canyon Road, 1; (949) 494-4446

Marlo Bartels; 2307 Laguna Canyon Road, 7; (949) 494-4408

Randy Bader; 2375 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 494-8696

Terry Thornsley; 2375 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 494-8650

Michele Taylor; 2355 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 494-0439

Ralph Tarzian; 2795 Laguna Canyon Road; 949) 497-1213

Marsh Scott; 2795 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 494-8672

Judi Smolin; 2795 Laguna Canyon Road; (714) 731-5545

Gina Mead; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road B-3 (949) 715-9230

Shelley Rapp Evans; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road D; (949) 497-3180

Doug Stotts; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road D-1; (949) 637-0976

Tom Swimm; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road E; (949) 715-1705

Lorenzo; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road G-4; (949) 376-9493

Mary C Payne; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road G-5; (949) 497-2383

Mary Sherman; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road G-5; (949) 525-8491

Veronica Khristov; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road G-6; (949) 293-4646

Michael Situ; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road H-3; (949) 294-0720

Hedy Buzan; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road H-4; (949) 707-4741

Linda Ames; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road I-2; (949) 395-6003

Sheryl Seltzer; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 436-0522

Karin Worden; 3251 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 677-9800

Paul Gardner; 3275 Laguna Canyon Road M-3; (949) 300-3993

Olivia Batchelder; 20326 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 497-2703

Louis Longi; 20432 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 916-0725

John Barber; 21062 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 494-1464

Gavin Heath; 21080 Laguna Canyon Road; (949) 497-3449