Rik Olson – February Artist Profile for Sonoma Gazette

Rik Olson with Painting in Progress

I once made the decision that all interviews must conclude before 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  The light is better in the morning – I am awake – and most artists have something to say prior to tea time.  Alas, the only time to schedule was in the evening.  At 6:20 P.M. in the pouring rain, I entered the driveway of Rik Olson – pitch black with only faint streams of light through the trees, I see a figure approaching my car with a welcoming smile. Thankfully, Rik gives good directions and has great signage or I would have buzzed right past the Vinegar Lane sign and ended up in Occidental.  Most thankfully, my artist is Rik Olson – easy going, hospitable and uberaus talented.

Why do I use the German word “uberaus” to describe Rik?   Because it fits perfectly.    

Many of you already know Rik’s work. He is the informal trademark of The Sonoma Gazette.  Take a look at this paper – front to back. All of those wonderfully detailed depictions of trees and landscapes and fruits are from the steady hands of Rik Olson.  You have seen Rik’s signature style on Sebastopol Apple Blossom posters and the Sierra Club logo.  In fact, once you start looking, you will notice that his stamp is well spread around Sonoma County and throughout the world.  

While Rick is known for his woodcuts and scratch board prints, he is also a painter, a woodturner and a connoisseur of printing presses.  His workshop has an antique printing press with the requisite cabinet of typeset, a modern Apple computer and everything in between.  An etching press from Bologna, Italy sits near an old Sharp copier that with modification can pass as a print making device.  If it has to do with printing, Rik either has it or knows where to get it.

So who is this person and how did he end up out on Occidental Road?  Rik grew up in the town of Clayton in the northern shadow of Mt. Diablo.  His first award in art was in third grade while attending school in Walnut Creek.  The certificate hangs in his studio amongst his diplomas and many other parchments of distinction.  Rik ventured to the great city of Oakland to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts (which is now known as California College of the Arts – CCA).  After graduation in 1967 with a BFA in Illustration, Rik was drafted into the US Army and served two years in Germany as a Military Policeman.  While in Germany he sought out a print shop to hone his skills and met his wife, Brita.  Recognizing that he had a good thing going, on discharge he stayed in Germany and spent the next 8 years teaching Art & Crafts for the US military in Germany and Italy.  He worked in a print shop on Palozzi Strozzi in Florence.  He had art shows.  He took in the European experience and enjoyed the life of an expat artist.  This is the life of dreams for a young man from a one-street American town.

But all things must come to an end.  Rik and Brita returned to his native Northern California and settled in South San Francisco.  Rik continued his prolific contribution to proving that illustration is a true artform.   He studied under John DePol and Barry Moser and drew inspiration from the 14^thcentury printmaker, Albrecht Duerer and San Franciscan, William S. Rice. 

With his great talents and engaging demeanor, Rik successfully participates in the upper circles of his chosen craft.   He has illustrated over 200 books and is currently working on a rendition of Herman Melville’s Norfolk Island and the Chola Widow from the Encantadas with Nawaken Press. Rik is an active member of the San Franciso Center for the Book (SFCB), a place to learn the many arts of the book.  He teaches workshops each month on methods he utilizes in book illustration such as linoleum prints and wood engraving.  Each September for the last six years, a group of artists make 3’ by 3’ linoleum cuts and take their work to the streets – literally!  A San Francisco street to blocked off to traffic and a steamroller is the press for 6 to 12 prints.  The event is called ROADWORKS and the prints made are sold at auction to support the work of  SFCB.  Rik is a favorite at these events, returning each year to wow the crowds.  Rik is a member of the Graton Gallery in Graton and Local Color in Bodega Bay.  Beginning on February 28, Rik will have a 2 month exhibit at Sonoma Academy, complete with a lecture to the student body, faculty and friends on March 10.  Look around and you will find Rik’s art and if you are lucky, you will run into Rik.  You can learn more about books and locate Rik’s workshops at www.sfcb.org.   Or check out Rik;s website at www.rikolson.com.  Rik participates in ArtTrails.  However you find him and his art, you will be thankful for the experience.

It is time to prune those roses!

Karen Ernsberger Pruning the Rose, Renae

The rain has put a real damper on the rose pruning in my garden.  Thankfully, we did not have rain the first two Saturdays of the year because those are the days a dedicated group of rosarians prune the garden at Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center.   The Redwood Empire Rose Society not only keeps the rose garden at the Center in beautiful shape throughout the year but, also, teaches pruning techniques from 9 to 12 those two days.  In 2011 we will need to move to the second and third Saturdays to accomodate that January 1 Saturday. 

A well pruned climbing rose

The one type of pruning that gets the most questions are climbers.  Climbers take some extra care but are not all that different from shrubs.  You just need to think of the long cane as a huge above ground root with a bunch of  little rose bushes growing from it.  Tie the cane to the fence or trellis instead of weaving it in and out.  A healthy rose can destroy a fence or a wooden arbor.  Don’t even think about those flimsy trellises at the garden center because a rose will pull them apart in a season.

Right now the ground is so wet that even when it is not raining, I am sloshing around in mud.  Not to fear, pruning can be done as late as March in our moderate climate.  Yes, we are very fortunate in Sonoma County. 

If you have any pruning questions, just post a remark and I will be happy to respond.

Am I in Sonoma County? What is this wet stuff in the sky?

On January 21, 2009 the top business headline was Economic Climate Not Grape Growers’ Top Fear.  The accompanying picture was of dry dirt where a reservoir should have been.  Well, that is not the lead story today.  I have not seen the Press Democrat for January 21, 2010 but it has to be all about the rain, the hail and the wind!

The NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – website claims that Santa Rosa received 2 inches of rain in the last 24 hours.  That is after getting at least that much the 24 hours before and a good rain the previous Tuesday night.  The rivers are not even close to flood level but roads around Laguna de Santa Rosa are sporadically covered with water.  A simple trip to Santa Rosa yesterday turned a bit scary as I decided to take one of my “no traffic” routes and ran into water flowing across the road in about ten places.  Thank goodness there was a pickup in front of me who showed me how deep the water was and where on the road to drive.  Without that, I would have turned back and taking the truly “higher” road.

How is all of this rain effecting real estate?  Even though few of us want to leave the comfort of home or office,  real estate is being transacted.   In typical winter fashion, inventory is very low.  For the Sebastopol area – Sebastopol, Graton, Occidental, Freestone and the areas between - only 59 listings are active, 28 listings have offers on them but are still in the contingency stage, 6 listings are just waiting to close and 15 homes have been sold since Christmas.   Whoever said that winter is not the time to sell your home has not looked at the statistics.  There are fewer buyers but the buyers out there are wanting to purchase a home – now!  There are fewer properties on the market which makes their search both easier and somewhat frustrating if there needs are not met by those fewer homes.

This last weekend a home with a fabulous view was offered.  It came to market on Wednesday.  By Saturday there was an over asking price offer and on Monday there were two backup offers.  The downstairs needs to be remodeled.  This is not an unusual scenario.  When Spring comes around, there will be competition for a property such as this.  Today – no.  Oh, yes, the asking price was $739,000 so no stimulus rebate is driving this purchase.

So here we sit – in the rain, the economy in some space that we do not want to comtemplate and real estate is selling.  I just love Sonoma County.

Turkey Meatballs Seemed Like a Good Idea

Please accept my apology for being AWOL for the last few weeks.  Life is getting in the way of blogging!  It seems that the post holiday activity is as great as the preparation this year.  Lots of real estate business going on and then there is the cleanup of the previous year that takes way too much time.   But life must go on.

During the post New Year clean, I discovered that there is a bit more frost in the upright freezer than is probably good for energy efficiency.  In observing this phenomena, I pledge to clean it out and let the frost melt.  Sometimes I need quite a while to use up all that is there.  This time I spotted some ground turkey and my mind immediately went to meatballs.  It is Winter when vegetables and thick stews are the choice of every tasty eater and I was providing dinner to some friends for helping me with my winter clean out of excess plants.  I wanted something special that met my need to purge the frozen foods. 

I started the search for an interesting recipe with turkey meatballs and came upon a blog from Boston.  It was written in August but it suits a California January just fine.  The link below will take you to the site.

I had planned to make the meatballs early and then finish off the stew right before serving but my day got a bit out of hand.  I was taking the ingredients out of the frig when my dinner guests arrived at the door.  Not my usual mode of operation!  Shortly, everyone was doing their part - be it browning of the meatballs or setting the table.  I should have taken a picture but as stated in the original blog – the picture does not do it justice.

The stew turned out fantastic!  I want to give a big thanks to Boston Food Diary for sharing her culinary skills with us web browsers.  I am definitely going to make this again.

http://abostonfooddiary.blogspot.com/2009/08/roasted-vegetable-stew-with-turkey.html

There has to be more – Christmas in SF

Barbara Shula, Barbara Benda, Dorothy Copenhaver in the Lobby of the Palace

Any San Francisco weekend would not be complete without some fine dining.  We decided to buck the trend and spend our calories for lunch instead of a dinner that would conflict with seeing Young Victoria at the Embarcadero Center Cinema.  What we learned was that a fine dining lunch in the Financial District on Saturday is not readily available.  After much discussion with the wonderfully helpful concierge, Blaine, we headed off to XYZ at the W Hotel.  I am embarassed to say that it took me all of lunch to figure out the W-XYZ connection.  We had not wanted to eat at a hotel restaurant and our first reaction was disappointment when we saw the brief menu.  Not much to select from – but we were absolutely delighted with the tastes and presentations that we experienced.  We would go back there in a heartbeat.

Shoppers at Gumps

After lunch we did the Union Square Christmas tour.  No trip to SF at Christmas is  complete without a stop at Gumps and a walk through Neiman Marcus.  I recall the big tree of the City of Paris in the 1960’s that traveled up to the dome.  City of Paris was on the decline nearing the 70’s but the tree was spectacular.  On my last visit to City of Paris while a student at UC Davis, The upper level where there is now the restaurant were the linens – all stacked haphazardly on large tables.  On one extreme was random chaos and just beyond the railing was the top of a magnificant tree in Christmas splendor.  Needless to say, Neiman Marcus spreads the splendor throughout the store.

I love the old glass domes - Neiman Marcus

Our afternoon was spent strolling and gawking and fully taking in the beauty of the holiday.  Hotel lobbies were a bit less dressed this year and some of the shop windows only had a dash of red or a single ornament but we headed back to the Palace Hotel with great memories and lovely images – and no packages!

To complete our weekend in the City (and because we had not seen enough bling) on Sunday we headed to the Cartier exhibit at the Palace of Legion of Honor.  Since we were in the neighborhood (not) we drove out to the end of Golden Gate Park and consumed a most statisfying breakfast at The Beach Chalet.  The food is excellent but the true treats of visiting the Beach Chalet are the Depression Era murals and mosaics still vibrant after all these years and the unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean.  We fueled ourselves for the anticipated observations of some of the most famous jewelry to be worn in modern history and headed for the museum.   A few hours later we were resting in the cafateria with a spot of tea and the joy of the season.  We find our moods cannot be dampened once we have experienced the bustle of the city, the brilliance of the decor and the laughter of children with friends who will be with us forever.  We wish everyone a wonderful New Year and many, many warming memories of Christmas 2009. 

 

The Decorations Match Barbara's Scarf!

Christmas in San Francisco

Market Street Christmas Display

The Sheraton Palace Hotel - Lobby Restaurant

Over the last twenty years, a dear friend and I have spent an afternoon enjoying the window displays and hotel lobby decorations.  Circumstances this year allowed us to take in the city for a full weekend and include another reveller.  Our first evening was consumed with checking in at the Palace Hotel and grabbing a quick bite at Max’s near Union Square.  The time sink was waiting for the bellman to collect our bags and take the car.  Who would have thought that a dozen people would be trying to get their luggage unloaded and slip inside.  While the wait was long, the Palace was well worth it.  The lobby was resplendent with red roses, amaryllis and 19th century elegance.  What more could one ask for? 

Our first morning outing was to walk along Market Street to the Farmer’s Market.   The businesses were decorated both inside and out.  Polar bears and feathered columns, trees of poinsiettas, wreaths of evergreen.   The real treat was at the end of the walk when we entered the farmers’ stalls.  There were the most fantastic pears and flavored sugars and peppers and wreaths.  We looked through the jewelry and antique dishes.  We tasted chocolates and oogled the pastries.  We walked along the waterfront and watched a toddler dance to the music of a street fiddler.  It was a perfect holiday celebration. 

The Farmer's Market is for Vegetables

Cooking the Turkey

A rare event occurred last Thursday - actually, two rare events.   The third Thursday of each December is the Installation of officers and gala potluck at the Redwood Empire Rose Society. This is not rare but happens every year.  We eat, we talk, we share presents.   The Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center is decorated for the holidays with at least 8 tables dressed with finery by 8 hostesses.  I usually go with a blue and silver theme with tall candle stands and lots of crystal.  I looks lovely and I enjoy sharing the table with good friends.  So what was the rarity?  I did not take my camera out of the bag!  I have no pictures of the evening.  Thankfully, Jack Coulter - President extraordinaire – was there with camera in hand.  I expect that I can modify this post once he sends me some pictures.  But for now it is just words, words, words. 

The second unusual happening was that I roasted the turkey.  Many of you know that I have not been the cook in the house for lo on twenty-five years – so when I took on this task it was with some trepidation.  With a true investigative spirit, I scoured the internet and found sfgate.com with a great, easy to follow guide for thawing, brining and roasting a 20 lb. turkey.  The turkey thawed for five days in the refrigerator – was just thawed in time to be placed in the brine for 24 hours prior to popping it in the oven.   The only variation I made from the instructions was that I found a roasting bag in the drawer and made the decision that basting was not in my schedule for the day.   The turkey was cooked to perfection in the exact time that I had planned and I swooped it into the waiting trunk of my trusty Prius and headed for the Center.  Thankfully, Jerry Scoville came through with a spectacular carving job and turkey was had by all.  Unfortunately, I was not so successful with the gravy.  It was more of an aus jus and didn’t look all that appealing.  None the less, good friends tried it and there were no complaints.  Many people have asked me if the turkey was salty with the brining – the answer is an unequivicable, no.  It was moist, perfectly flavored, a major hit.  Forty-eight rosarians cleaned that platter bare. 

So, the only turkey picture I have is the remains of the carcus as I prepared to pack it for the freezer.  This great bird will provide another great meal at another time.  

The Remains of my Great Roasted Turkey

If you ever find yourself in need of great company, exceptional food and fun activities set in a beautifully decorated hall, come to the Redwood Empire Rose Society potluck.  We have them in June and December each year.

Zak Zaikine – December’s Artist Profile

Zak Zaikine

Press kits are not an everyday occurrence in my mailbox and often unsolicited materials are immediately relegated to the circular file in an attempt to eliminate clutter in my life.  So when I received a large envelope a couple of months ago, I immediately looked with skepticism at the elaborate addressing and sighed.  The return address was Zak Zaikine, artist of considerable talent and a name on my list of artists that I must meet.  The book that emerged from the plain manila encasing was a colorfully crafted tribute to one of my favorite places in the world, the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The Magic of Hanalei Bay is the story of Kauai rain and wind, the chickens that survive in this environment and the mercreatures of the sea.  Inside was a personally inscribed message offering rainbows and blessings to me and my family.  A coy little chicken graces the middle of the inscription and holds a heart with the words “for you.”  The package was a hard sell that immediately grabbed my attention and warmed my heart.  Such was my second introduction to Zak Zaikine. 

I had first heard of Zak from Janet Charnofsky in 2006. (She was featured in this column in May, 2006.)  Janet gave me a greeting card with one of Zak’s whimsical images and suggested that I contact him.  “He is going through some health issues right now but please keep him in mind,” was Janet’s advice.  The card has been amongst my desktop collection for these three and a half years – reminding me that someday I will meet this young man with a flair for bright colors, fanciful images and apparently poor health.  Little did I know that this “young” man has produced art for over 60 years!  The vibrancy and joy in his paintings and children’s books reflect youth and optimism that is not anticipated.  But meeting Zak takes away all preconceived notions of age or health. 

The first thing that comes to mind when entering the lair of Zak Zaikine is that he loves to make art.  His art is everywhere and comes in all varieties.  The kitchen walls and surfaces are covered with ceramics (he has two kilns), sketches and metal figurines of Zak’s making.  As he leads the tour of his house, each room has a theme – although not necessarily adhered to – of a genre or era in his lifetime of creating.  He talks of making sculptures out of hangers in the 50’s and the famous patrons he has known over the years.  He reminisces about the house he built on Long Island and sold to Paul Taylor, the choreographer, because their numerology was compatible.  He beams as he speaks of his two daughters, Lynda and Anastasia.  He insists that the people who have cared for him during his struggle and recovery from MRSA and the loss of his leg be mentioned because without them, he would not be having this discussion today.

Zak was born in Queens, New York to immigrant Russian parents with the name Victor Eugene Zaikine.  His New York heritage is woven through his conversation as easily as his life in California.  He has resided in many places but Sonoma County is the final refuge that supports his desires to be in consort with the universe and partake of the fruits that abound.  While no part of his artist endeavors take a back seat to others, Zak’s current emphasis is on his children’s books.  In addition to The Magic of Hanalei Bay, two other books are currently available – A Mother’s Love, a story of kittens based on his experiences while living on a ranch outside of Healdsburg, and Eugene and the Magical Carrot Tree.  Any child would be delighted to have one or all of these books under the Christmas tree.  They are beautifully produced on recycled paper with soy inks.  You can purchase the books on Zak’s website www.zakzaikine.com or you can locate one of the many local galleries where Zak’s work is displayed.  I know that you will find signed books at Quicksilver Mining Company in downtown Forestville.

Zak’s large collection of art works is truly as magical as his stories.  I sincerely hope that you will take time in this busy holiday season to find a little magic.

In honoring Zak’s wishes to give praise to the many who have helped in his recovery, I am including this thanks from him.

My Healing could not have happened without the help of my Darling Daughter Anastasia, My Dear Friend Karin O’Keefe, My Friend and Acupuncturist David Walker, My Dear Friend and Neighbor Ron, Dr. Thomas Yatteau, Cheryl Caletti, N.P., Vicchi Oleski, Claude Smith, Rick Hobbs, Natalie Slanina, Adrianne Sinclair, Lorenzo De Santis, Shayne Cook, Bud D’Orazio, Elizabeth Draper, Joshua Muscat and Steve of Buffalo Direct.  Let these few represent the countless other folks in my extended community.

Baking for the Holidays

Lemon Cookies for the Office Party

The holiday season is fully upon us.   The kitchens are busy.  The parties have begun.   You may have noticed that a new link was added to the right side of this page under Blogroll – Sonoma County Foods.  If you click on this link you will be taken to www.feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com.   You will find wonderful insights into cooking – lots of baking – and great recipes.  The author is a friend, fondly referred to as Elle in her blog, who is passionate about cooking and is eager to share her experiences in wonderful prose and beautiful photography. 

Last Thursday was the Prudential CA Realty - Sebastopol holiday office party.  I was asked to bring cookies and decided that I needed to fire up the terrific Dacor ovens in the kitchen and create my offering.  My first decision was what type of cookie could I be proud to share and still have the ingredients in the house.  With a bag full of lemons languishing on the counter, I decided lemon cookies were a good choice.  I pulled up Elle’s blog and quickly found the August 20, 2008 entry with a recipe for Chocolate Dipped Lemon Butter Cookies.  She somehow managed to get golf, work and cooking all in one post – and it reads well.  You can take it in yourself by going to http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/08/something-new-ish.html. 

Lemon and Chocolate - Yum Yum

I love the combination of lemon and chocolate so these cookies were perfect for me.  My diet has been so void of butter and sugar that I knew that I could not eat many of these little delights.  I am proud to say that I only ate one slightly crispy one with the chocolate that was leftover from the dipping.  Without constraint, there could have been none for the party. 

The only disappointment was that my chocolate did not have that smooth, easy flowing look of Elle’s.  But it tasted fine.  I am wondering if the high cocoa content of the Dagoba 73% has anything to do with it.  I followed the instructions for preparing chocolate for dipping given in Chez Panisse Desserts.  It never completely melted even though by all descriptions it should have.  I guess that I will need to make them again so that I can develop experience with the chocolate procedure. 

Right out of the Oven

The little discs looked perfectly cooked with the narrow crispy ring around the edges.  The best part was that everyone who ate them was impressed that I did not stop at one of the myriad of local bakeries and purchase cookies – what fun is that? 

Fortunately, I was able to send cookies home with other agents so that I did not eat beyond my official taste test.   Don’t get the impression that I was virtuous throughout the whole affair.  The food made by fellow agents was spectacular and I ate my share of rich and glorious dishes.  With two eating orgies in three days, my body is telling me that this cannot continue.   No amount of workouts will return me to my feelings of health and wellness.  I just need recovery time.  I am thankful that the next party cooking commitment is a turkey.  Check in at the end of the week for how it went.  It has been many a year since I cooked a 20 pound turkey on my own.

Thanksgiving in Sonoma County

Autumn Morning in West Sonoma County

Autumn is definitely here when the mornings are cold – even frosty – and the days are only brisk enough to encourage a hardy walk in the afternoon.   I love to snuggle in the covers knowing that I will have wonderful temperatures for doing fall garden cleanup.  This year I am planting a draught tolerant garden in place of the water hogging lawn in the front so a lot of the cleanup is just not happening.  Yesterday was perfect for walking 20 acres of undeveloped land in hopes of finding the perfect building site for clients.  Is there a time of year that I do not love Sonoma County?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  The preparations are enough to know that something special is going on but the duration is limited to a couple of days at most.   Over the years we have celebrated Thanksgiving by hosting an extended family and friends gathering (often including those people with whom we worked that did not have local family) to intimate family gatherings of 4 to 6.  A few years ago it was only going to be the two of us and we did not know how to deal with that.  Solution – friends invited us to their traditional celebration.  It was great fun with meeting new people, helping in someone else’s kitchen and being introduced to “sock” golf.  It was so much fun that we have gone every year since.  This year our son, daughter-in-law and new granddaughter were included in the festivities which made the day as close to perfect as possible.

Practice Range for Sock Golf

“So, What is sock golf?”, you ask.  Sock Golf is a take off on golf where instead of a ball and club you have a sock with the toe filled with sand/dirt/rocks.  The goal is to get the sock into the coffee cans associated with a particular course.  Most holes are par 3 and they all seem to have a tree or shed or fence as an obstacle.  There is a technique to flinging the sock and, sometimes, it goes behind you or only a few feet forward.  There are penalties for losing your sock and landing in the flower beds.  If you hit a turkey, you are allowed to take away a stroke just as long as you do not hit a grapevine.  If a player is over 80, they get a two stroke handicap which comes in very handy.  The team with the lowest “best sock” score is awarded a prize after dinner.

Resting and Eating after Sock Golf

Once nine holes of sock golf are in the bag, the food starts coming out.  With about as many cooks are eaters, the kitchen is usually full.  My specialty to bring is the cranberry sauce which has become an expected condiment.  My recipe calls for dried apricots soaked in sherry and then cooked with the fresh cranberries, honey and sugar.  It is always a hit where ever I take it.  Tom took some of his cheeses so he had a number of great conversations about fermentation.  This group is largely drawn from Palo Alto, previous home of our hosts as well as us, so there is a broad spectrum of techical folks who want to get into the nitty gritty of what is happening scientifically.

The Spread for Warming Up to Eating - including Cheeses by Tom

Dinner was a group activity with turkeys, dressing, gravy, brussel sprouts, sweet potato salad, cabbage, green beans and mashed potatoes.  Great Russian River pinot and lively conversations topped off the meal – a good time was had by all.  We are so fortunate – even in these times of depressed housing costs and high unemployment – to live in a country, county and community that protects our surroundings and nutures our souls.  I wish everyone a heart full of thanksgiving.  My your table be laden with health and your bodies full of love.  Namaste.

One of the Two Thanksgiving Tables