Alpine artists open studios for fall tour

Staff Reports

Markleeville artists open their studios to the public in celebration of the changing season in the sixth annual Markleeville Artists Autumn Open Studios, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

All 18 of the artists included in the free tour live in the Markleeville area, but have diverse artistic directions.

Suzanne Barr shapes clay sculptures, Debra Esteban specializes in chocolate art, Susan Flakus sculpts steel into feminine forms, Gina Gigli creates papier-mache masks, Russel Ketenjian does paintings and pottery, Charles Muench oil paints the Sierra, Richard Shokouh mixes mosaics with stained glass and Evelyn Yonker paints abstract acrylics.

Native American Dale Bennett will be showing her beadwork at the studio of Dianna Mitzner, who will display designs of second-use fabrics. Also sharing studios will be two mother/son combinations: wildlife and scenic photographer Todd Branscombe, with Kaye Jobst, who weaves pine needle baskets, and topiary sculptor Jeff Brees, with Jan Brees, who creates metal mesh leaves.

Two husband and wife duos will show their artwork together: scenic watercolorist Peter Chope with scratchboard artist Sandy Baenen and raku potters Mark and Carolyn Vaughn.

Stop at the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, the first building on the right in Markleeville, for maps and guides to the artists' studios. Open studios will be indicated with banners. For information, go to markleevilleartists.com or call Gina Gigli at (530) 694-2253.