Inside the Art with the SBSA

Twenty-eight fine artists will once again throw open the doors to their home studios over Labor Day Weekend for the Santa Barbara Studio Artists’ 24th annual Open Studios Tour. The tour, a much-anticipated event on the yearly art calendar, allows art lovers across the spectrum to step inside the normally private workspaces, offering visitors a unique opportunity to not only view artworks where they were created, but also engage with the artists at the point where the ideas become tangible pieces of art. 

This year’s event marks the first SBSA tour for nine-year veteran painter Danuta Bennett at her new Montecito digs in the historic Arcady Estates, this after years of working and exhibiting on the Mesa and in Goleta. Being mobile has defined much of her life dating back to her childhood in Poland. 

Unlike many of her peers, Bennett didn’t grow up painting or come to the field through design or illustration. In fact, she had a full career as a scientist after earning a PhD in biology. She worked for years doing (yes) invasive species climate reconstruction, including a period after moving to Santa Barbara at the turn of the century when she worked at UCSB on both fire studies and invasive species in the freshwater ecosystem in the local streams. 

The slow transition to full time artist happened in the 2010s, so it’s no surprise that the world of science and painting come together in Bennett’s work, which she describes as abstract expressionist – with the realistic form and a touch of surrealism. 

“I call my art the art of visual metaphor,” she said. “I usually start with one realistic element or recognizable object that is more cohesive. Then I just start messing around and sometimes the painting leads me to what it’s supposed to become.” 

Bennett’s “About Me” section on her website starts with a quote by Chaim Potok, the American author (The Chosen) whose parents were Polish.  She paraphrased Potok’s words as “art happens when we mix what we see with our inner psychological landscapes.”

That aspect of her work was amplified when Bennett contributed 225 illustrations for The History of Psychology Through Symbols by psychologist Dr. James L. Broderick, while the science-based flame was sparked by her early years in Santa Barbara. 

“I was very enchanted with the architecture here, and I still do a lot of drawings and sketches of the buildings that are very refined and realistic,” she said. “My art uses both sides of my brain, with both the abstract approach and the comparative precision of the architectural drawings.” 

The scientist persona also shows up in the physical space of her studio, which visitors will see if they drop by over the weekend. 

“My studio is very organized,” she said. “There are labels for everything, and I even keep my pencils in the test tube stands – leftovers from my science life.”

Bennett said she was excited to rejoin the SBSA tour after skipping last year while her Montecito studio was still being set up. Much of the work on view will be recent abstracts from her Oceanic Visions and Undiscovered Universes series and others in the Untold Stories section. 

“The people who are interested in my work are usually poets, writers, and others who are not just seeing the artwork, but looking for the stories in the painting, viewing them through their own lenses,” she said. 

Which explains why, unlike many abstract artists, Bennett enjoys engaging in conversation about the pieces and hearing what viewers see in the paintings. 

“I love it,” she exclaimed. “It’s amazing when people point out something in my paintings that I may not have noticed. Just recently someone was looking at one of the images and was visibly moved as she recounted the experiences the painting brought to mind. We were going back and forth experiencing the painting together. Seeing it through her eyes was as exciting for me as my own vision of the piece.” 

Bennett – who regularly exhibits at Illumination Gallery at the La CumbreCenter for Creative Arts – said if there are downtimes over the weekend, she’ll continue working on the handful of paintings that are currently in process, but is thrilled when someone walks through the doors. 

“Often people aren’t just my customers, but also sometimes friends. It’s very personal to open your own private space, a different way of socializing that I just love.” 

Studios are open 11 am to 5 pm Saturday-Monday, August 30 to September 1, with the annual preview/artists’ reception taking place 5-8 pm on Friday, August 29, at Community Arts Workshop, where visitors can see a single piece of artwork from each of the 28 artists and pick up tour tickets and maps. 

Featured artists on this year’s tour include Marlene Struss, Cynthia Martin, Tricia Evenson, Kerrie Smith, Brian Woolford, Kathy Leader, and Sophia Beccue. 

For those out of town or otherwise occupied on Labor Day weekend, or if you didn’t make it to all the artists’ studios on your list, note that Santa Barbara Studio Artists’ members are open year-round for visits by appointment. Feel free to reach out by phone or email. 

Visit https://santabarbarastudioartists.com/tour.