Across San Luis Obispo County, artists opened their studio doors this October, inviting visitors to see their work and meet the people behind it.
The annual Open Studios Art Tour took place over two weekends, Oct. 10–11 and 17–18. The free, self-guided tour let visitors choose their own stops, exploring everything from painting and pottery to woodworking, glass and jewelry.
Inside the studios, people could ask artists about how their art is made, see the spaces where they work and purchase pieces directly.
For many artists, those visits are a chance to build connections that continue from one tour to the next.
“As an artist, it’s great to see people that come back year after year,” glass artist Sheri Klein said. “You know, they kind of they follow you as your art progresses, as your vision progresses.”
The conversations also give visitors a look at where that progress began. Participating artists found their way into art through classes, family and experiments that grew into something more.
Jewelry and clothing by the sea
At a house in Los Osos, two friends displayed jewelry and hand-dyed clothing.
For Abby Ahlgrim, that first experiment involved material left over from making surfboards.
“I was dating someone who worked at a surfboard making shop, and so I would hang out there a lot and I noticed all of the raw material,” Ahlgrim said. “And so, one day I just started tinkering with it and made my first pair of earrings. And then people really loved them, and I kept making them, and people wanted more. And then one thing led to another, and I turned it into my whole job.”
Ahlgrim now turns that resin into jewelry, working with the layers of color already in the material.
Her advice is to find a way to channel creative energy into making a brand alongside the art itself.
“I would say that being an artist is really difficult if you don’t also find inspiration in creating a business or a brand around it,” Ahlgrim said.
Sharing the space was Sylvi Lyster, who displayed hand-dyed clothing. She got started through a community college class in dyeing and sewing.
Her process uses ice and powdered dye to create patterns on fabric, with color combinations inspired by nature. She likes this method because she can’t control every part of the result and encourages beginners to leave room for experimentation.
“My advice for someone starting their artistic career would be to not take it too seriously and to have a good time and to experiment,” Lyster said.
Six artists gather under Bishop’s Peak
A house near Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo showcased six different artists’ works, including woodturning, fused glass and painting.
For Barry Lundgren, an interest in photography is what led him to woodworking.
“I didn’t like the metal frames that went around your picture, so I started making them out of wood,” Lundgren said.
Frames led to furniture and eventually bowls. He developed his craft alongside his work as a sea urchin diver, using a broad range of woods, from local walnut to koa from a friend’s property in Hawaii.
Like Ahlgrim, Lundgren talked about the challenge of making money from art, but said the interest in making it has to come first.
“Just follow your passion to it because you love it, and that’s why you’re getting into it in the first place,” Lundgren said. “And hopefully you can figure out how to make money doing it. But that’s not always the case.”
Klein’s introduction to art came through a Cal Poly fused-glass class about 20 years ago.
A former software engineer, she now makes pieces including colorful clocks and Christmas ornaments. But she says she’s happy keeping art from becoming another full-time job.
“I call it a hobby that pays for itself. So I want to keep it a hobby,” Klein said.
Her husband, Jim Tyler, also had a career in computers. He first learned pastels from a neighbor at around 12 years old. Today, he paints portraits and landscapes, focusing on light and shadow.
Tyler described how art lets him change the scene in front of him.
“I hope that they see how I see the world, because it’s more than just a photograph,” Tyler said. “Being an artist lets me change the scene that’s in front of me and make it better from my point of view, like the lighting or the mood. So, I hope they see the world how I see it.”
He encourages new artists to keep practicing without expecting every piece to be their best.
“Paint as much as you can. Experiment. Doesn’t have to be a masterpiece to hang over the sofa. Just keep painting,” Tyler said.
Pottery between the pines
In Cambria, Jessica Garney works from a studio in the quiet neighborhood of Lodge Hill.
Garney’s introduction to pottery came through her husband’s family. As her in-laws retired from their ceramics business, she took over the studio, where she could also stay close to her young children.
Now, she carves ocean animals and other local wildlife into her pieces while making her own glazes. For anyone learning, she says it helps to have guidance.
“I think it really helps to have somebody who can teach you the right way and somebody who can mentor you through it,” Garney said.
With this year’s tour finished, those conversations offered a look at the work that comes before a finished piece—and gave visitors considering their own first attempts a chance to ask where to start.