Sawdust Art Festival gets festive with Winter Fantasy
The grounds at the Sawdust Art Festival have come to life once again, as the Laguna Beach festival is in the midst of its 32nd annual Winter Fantasy event.
For the past three weeks, 160 artists have showcased their work, to be taken in — and quite often taken home — by those visiting the winter show.
Whether they are new to the festival or longtime exhibitors, some of the artists say they are finding it hard to keep up with demand. That was the case for Christina Scheffe, a first-time exhibitor sharing a booth with fellow ceramicist Robert Jones.
“It’s been pretty insane,” said Scheffe, who called it a dream to be showing her work at the Sawdust Art Festival. “I’m trying to make [new pieces] as quick as I can during the week to catch up because I thought I anticipated it and made a lot of pieces, and I didn’t make enough.”
Scheffe’s station largely consisted of functional dishware and pottery. Her affinity for cute kitchen items has been shared by her customers, who have helped her mugs and flower vases fly off the shelf.
Winter Fantasy opens its doors on weekends through Dec. 18. It will also be open Friday, Dec. 16. The operating hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children ages of 6 to 12. Admission is free to children age 5 and under and veterans (with military ID).
Walking around the venue, an assortment of artwork caught the eye of attendees. The artists incorporated various mediums, from painting to photography, and from glass to jewelry.
The booth belonging to Rosemarie Rossi stood out. While she has done painting, this year she tapped into her mixed-media side to produce dozens of dolls with distinctive noses and garments she is calling the Gourdie Boys and the Gourdie Girls.
“I am a fine art painter, and I studied in many media, but I thought that Sawdust kind of needed something not real expensive and whimsical,” Rossi, 79, now in her 19th year at the show, said. “I created these dolls just for Sawdust. … They were popular right away, and now they’re really popular.”
Rossi said she found that painters did better in the summer show at the Sawdust Art Festival. With a loyal, returning group, she now makes a few dolls daily.
“I never really make the same doll twice,” Rossi said. “I’ve always been able to do that no matter what art medium I worked in, because I guess my brain just works that way. I do make one doll, I have to confess. It’s a nurse, and she holds a matchstick that looks like a thermometer, but other than that, I don’t like to make stuff twice. … Each one starts where they’ll hold something, and then that becomes the theme of the doll.”
In addition to viewing and shopping the wide array of artistic creations, families have opportunities to take pictures with Santa Claus and listen to holiday carolers. Christmas trees decorated by various community groups also provide a nice touch of holiday spirit.
A marionette puppet show and acts of magic are also being performed at the gazebo.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
