California is currently facing one of the most severe droughts on record. According to research California is probably headed into a deeper drought this summer, making it harder to escape in the future. One of the Environmental Nature Center’s core values is to maintain our commitment to the environment and the work necessary to convey our education message. To raise awareness about the California drought we are excited to present our “Drought” Youth Art Exhibit. With many thanks to our sponsors, Mesa Water District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, on May 15, 2016 young people ages 4-18 will have the opportunity to exhibit their “Drought” art at the Environmental Nature Center’s Spring Faire from 10am to 3pm. ENC is looking for art…

Calling all young artists! The Environmental Nature Center is accepting works of art for the 4th Annual Youth Art Exhibit at the Spring Faire on May 3rd. This gives kids a chance to spread their own environmental message through their artistic talents. This year’s theme is “Trashy Yet Classy,” which presents an opportunity for kids to utilize the waste generated by our society and turn it into something environmentally meaningful. “This show gives youth an opportunity to look at consumables and how they affect our environment,” says Outreach Coordinator Sama Wareh. “An added bonus is that they also have an opportunity to educate and influence others through their art.” Kids can either paint on trash or create their art from trash. Youth ages 4-18 can…

Is your child ready to unleash her artistic wild side? Our After School Nature Art Club at the ENC is here to help him navigate the intricate details of our environment to bring his creations to life. Our very own Sama Wareh, author of “How to Draw 60 Native California Plants and Animals: A Field Guide,” will be leading this inspirational session that will teach students how to capture nature with their own creativity and willingness to dive into new artistic methods. “When you take a few moments to observe something, you become more connected to it,” says Sama. “If you are, for example, observing the way California Poppies look like mini stained glass windows when light hits them a certain way, then the next…

As long as I can I remember I have always loved the arts. I grew up in a creative family and was especially inspired by my creative mom and grandmother, so creating and designing have always been a natural talent and love of mine. Now to be collaborating and working on creative projects with my daughters is one of my greatest joys! We love to visit art museums, beautiful gardens, or just experience nature at the beach.   My girls and I love to create art that draws upon our passions for Lupus awareness (the butterfly is a symbol of hope for Lupus patients), the environment, and past experiences living in Hawaii, New York & Connecticut. We can often be found with paints, fabrics, and any and all art supplies creating art…

Moore Damm Art is a partnership between artist, Dede Dammann and business manager, Amy Moore. Not only is it a play on words but also a belief that this is, “just what the world needs…” Dede has been prolific for her entire life producing a variety of paintings, hand embroidered jeans, paper mache, tie-dye, pen and ink drawings, and more. Her friends have been the recipients of most of her works. Each year, she spends her time producing a handmade Christmas project for all her family and friends, often producing 60 or 70 pieces. These pieces are still cherished years later with her friends continuing to wear tie-dyed aprons, using wire and stone napkin holders, and drinking from hand painted wine glasses. Following several years…

Calling all Picassos! Students ages 9 to 12 are invited to join in the fun at the next After School Artist: Color Workshop on June 26th, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Come learn some basic color techniques from Raymond Otis, the Artist Laureate of Newport Beach. The class will offer a great art lesson for beginners, as students get to mix their favorite colors and learn the magic of color painting. Been taking classes? Raymond will help improve your skills! Visit Raymond’s website at www.raymondgotis.com to see samples of his art. Pre-payment is required. Visit our webiste for more info and to register. Space is limited! Fee: $15 (materials included, but bring your own if you prefer). By Allison Garrett, ENC intern About Raymond Otis Raymond was trained…

At the ENC’s 9th annual Spring Faire, children, ages 4-18, will have the opportunity to exhibit their art during the Children’s Art Show and Contest on May 4, 2014. This is an exciting event that only happens once a year and an excellent opportunity for children and young adults to create art with the theme, “Wildlife of the OC.” Not only are the art submissions spectacular, but the look on the contestants’ faces’ is priceless when they see their art on display at the Spring Faire. They are proud and excited of their masterpieces. One unique aspect of this art contest is that is focuses on wildlife that we have in Orange County, which gets kids to think about the nature around us. Creating art allows…

by Sama Wareh, ENC Community Outreach Coordinator At some point in our life, someone told us that it was not right. The circle should be better drawn, the subject matter is not important, the animal doesn’t look like the real animal. Go back and find that exact moment, that exact moment that changed the course of how you thought about yourself as an artist. Society tends to place art as an extra curricular thing, as something that we can get to “if there is time”. Art is just as important as anything else in our lives. It helps us reground, make good observations, make connections, find thoughts original only to ourselves, and retain information. We are more likely to remember a picture than a paragraph….

Jill Rosoff paints her silk scarves using permanent dye, taking advantage of her love of color and shapes as she develops the designs just for these pieces of wearable art. All of her scarves are hand-painted, and signed and numbered. Ms. Rosoff primarily works in watercolors, exploring their intrinsic painterly qualities, using them in ways that diverge from prescribed styles of using them. She experiments in contrasts: textures against flat color blocks, cool vs. warm, dark to light, messier areas against simple, clean ones, and opposites on the color wheel. Her images feature her signature warm, jewel-toned palette, and are inspired by her surroundings and her travels throughout the world, especially in Europe, the Americas and the South Pacific. “I have been an artist pretty…