Style Magazine - October - El Dorado County Foothills - 2021

| arts & culture |
Also participating is
Mya Louw (myalouw.
com), classically trained
in oil painting with a
degree in fine arts
from Rhodes University
in South Africa.
Louw’s process depends on her choice
of medium; for oil paintings, she starts
with sketching, then layering the canvas
with thin oil paints, building from lights to
darks, and continuing with thicker paint
near the end. As for acrylic paint, she says,
“you can do anything and everything, as
there are no strict rules.” Many of Louw’s
commissions and larger works are usually
acrylic because it’s easier to clean up and
complete in a shorter amount of time. Much
of Louw’s inspiration comes from Northern
California—particularly the rolling hills and
vast spaces. As a challenge to herself,
Louw depicts what she sees by pushing
for happy and vibrant colors like yellows,
oranges, and bright blues—and creates
while listening to uplifting music. Her most
notable achievement thus far would be the
absolute privilege of being able to get up
every day, paint, and continue to master
her craft.
Part of this year’s “Passing it Forward” story
is father-daughter duo Paul and Alana
van Altena (nicholsonvanaltenaglass.com).
Alana will be showcasing her blown glass, while
her father will display his wood slab art in the
same Auburn studio. Alana developed her skills
by working nearly five years for her partner’s
parents, the Nicholsons, while her father used his previous
experience as a contractor to build on his skills. Alana’s process
usually begins with clear molten glass on one end of a pipe, adding
layers of color in between layers of clear. If creating a blown
glass piece, Alana and her partner, Hannah Nicholson, gather the
mass onto a six-foot pipe and begin to slowly inflate it, whereas a
sculptural piece requires hand tools to manipulate the glass. “[It’s
cool] working with a medium in a state that most people don’t get
to see,” Alana says when asked what attracts her to glass blowing.
Meanwhile, Paul starts with a log or rough-cut slab that needs
to be surfaced, straightened, and sanded. For Paul, the process
isn’t linear, and he often finds that the results aren’t what was
expected, which is what makes the medium enjoyable. He’s inspired
by nature, much like his daughter, and is always on the lookout for
cool pieces of wood. Now retired, he’s able to spend more time on
his craft and is excited to explore more of his creative side.
Top to bottom (right):
Almost Home by Mya Louw
Inner Landscape Collaboration by
Alana van Altena
Paul van Altena
FOR MORE INFO ON THE TOUR AND AN INTERACTIVE,
DOWNLOADABLE MAP, VISIT PLACERARTISTSTOUR.ORG.
30 stylemg.com | OCTOBER 2021 | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags