Art and connection — these are two things you can find at the Open Studios Tour in Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara Studio Artists (SBSA) are returning with their 24th annual Open Studios Tour this Labor Day weekend. This event offers a rare opportunity to meet local artists and step into their private workspaces. This year’s tour will feature 28 artists, whose studios will be open to the public and marked with yellow flags to guide the way.
One of the featured artists, Tricia Evenson , graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena and spent three decades as a creative director and designer for high-profile Los Angeles clients. Evenson is inspired by abstract artists such as Mark Rothko, Wassily Kandinsky, and Jackson Pollock. I had the privilege of interviewing Evenson in her own home studio, which is filled with both her and her husband’s work. Her studio space and home reflects her nature-inspired style with animals, trees, lakes, etc. being the focus of her paintings. Though she experiments with various color palettes, her works tend to be vibrant and are inspired by natural landscapes and subjects. “I’m inspired by the ocean, water, sky, clouds, trees, and living things, everything from insects to elephants,” she said.
Evenson’s painting origins stemmed from her client-based design agency in Culver City as a graphic design artist. In 2012, she wanted to infuse her company with new life through self-directed painting and collage. Through this exploration of painting projects, she and her husband found an interest in fine art and moved to Portland, Oregon, to pursue that dream. “My journey has been from a 35-year career in graphic design, branding, and packaging to fine art, and I started as an abstract landscape artist, and then I started doing wildlife painting. Those are the two things I like doing the most. I also dabble in mixed media, collaging, and bringing different elements to painting. I’m always evolving, and I don’t stick with one thing too long,” Evenson said.