Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Wildlife at Gulls Way Estate!


We had a great day Sunday August 22nd at the Dick Clark Gulls Way Estate in Malibu! Whooo hooo! Such a terrific cause to support: The California Wildlife Center "Rescue, Rehabilitate, Release" is their mission.
The Silent Auction alone had over 800 donated items. We brought in hundreds of dollars with pet portraits, building onto already thousands of dollars in support with those already created for the center. (see www. californiawildlifecenter.org ) . A $250+ donation to the center will earn you one of your very own commissioned watercolor portraits of your pet or favorite animal. $500+ for an oil painting.
Volunteers at the Arts For Earth Foundation booth (one of only two offered to their supporters) included: Roy Wells, Joette Snyder -artist, David and Lynne Schindler -photographer, Michelle Nosco-artist). We made many new friends eager to work together towards our mission of promoting sustainable living on the planet through the arts.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Facelift for AFEF Center

The cute little picket fence will be down temporarily along with the tent over the porch next week. The county is giving us a facelift as it pours a concrete curb, sidewalk and driveway for us.

A special design is "allowing" us to keep the only parking spaces we have. That was close... they were going to block off cars from the front and make the street a "no parking" zone. When the plans were drawn up last fall we were a mere twinkle in the eye. No one went to bat for any future the place might have had.

But when we started to see the orange vests gathering outside of our shop we got involved. Might as well close our doors as take away our parking. Curious passersby stop in all the time when there is easy parking. The plans have been officially altered. Not only will we get a new driveway and approach but this whole area of Mt.Pinos Way is getting a facelift courtesy of the stimulus program? Thank you Mr.President. I don't want to think of all those orange clad construction workers as going without. My hope is that they spend their money here so we can make it too. It's been a month since drive-by traffic has stopped in to see who we are.

The shop will be reorganized inside and out. Hope we'll make up the missing revenue cause we'll be so cute.

Seriously, it will be better for all concerned. It's just the hanging on that hurts.