Seal
Beach Artists Bring Holiday
Tidings of Joy
Sunny
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Art always tells a story. SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug
and Patti Kishel discovered that this was definitely true at the 2012 Annual Seal
Beach Art Show...
which was packed with art lovers and early holiday shoppers admiring
the artistic creations displayed against the picture-perfect backdrop of the pier,
sand and surf.
David Bassett-Parkins proudly showed off hand-blown glass
works made by his daughter and son-in-law Kailin and Chris Cringan, explaining
that the delicate sea life figures were made “in the Venetian style.”
Penny Sitko, a jewelry designer from Morro Bay, discussed
the “unique properties” of the stones she chooses for her Good Fortune Jewelry pieces.
Thalia Greely pointed out that the beautiful clothing in
her booth was “Polynesian and all hand-cut and sewn.”
The story that touched SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti
the most was the one told by Marty
Naftel. A local artist, who spent many years battling depression, he found
his way back to health through his art – paintings and miniature beach scenes –
made from things found on the beach.
Naftel said he had lost interest in his art because of
his illness, but was inspired to pursue it again after getting help from Jamboree HOMES, Inc., an Orange County
organization that provides support services and housing assistance to people
with developmental disabilities. HOMES, Inc., which stands for “Helping Our
Mentally Ill Experience Success,” seeks to enhance the quality of life for
low-income adults who are recovering from mental illness.
Marty
Naftel painting©
“HOMES, Inc. saved
my life,” said Naftel. “I was depressed and within two weeks of moving into the
HOMES house I was feeling so much better.”
Shannon Peterson, Jamboree HOMES, Inc. Supervisor,
Services for Residents with Special Needs, has seen firsthand the positive
change in Naftel. A fan of his art, she said, “I love that he takes items he
finds on the beach and re-purposes them into something beautiful.”
Naftel also credits a chance meeting with fellow artist John
Mamerck for his rekindled interest in painting and sculpting. “I met John at a
church rummage sale and we got to talking about art,” Naftel said. Later he
showed Mamerck some art pieces that he made earlier from black coral collected
from the beach.
John
Mamerck with Marty Naftel
This was the start of their friendship and business collaboration
in Beach Salvage Art, which creates
art works out of things the two of them find on the beach.
Naftel and Mamerck spend much of their time these days at
the beach gathering coral, shells, driftwood, and various discards for their
artistic creations. They’re also busy in their studio and at art shows.
They often participate in a booth sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),
which recognizes the value of art and its ability to heal.
Pat Taylor, Director
of NAMI Art Skills, said one of the things NAMI does is to “provide a place for
artists to display and sell their art.”
Pat
Taylor of NAMI
Naftel’s art has brought him much deserved recognition.
He received the Mental Health Association’s Thomas F. Reilly Community Service Award in 2010 and NAMI’s Artist of the Year Award in 2012.
Now Marty Naftel is busy turning the flotsam and jetsam he
finds on the beach into re-imagined and beautiful art works, giving them a new
lease on life…much like the new beginning that he himself has experienced.
Hearing the artists’ stories gave SurfWriter
Girls Sunny and Patti a sense of joy that has carried over through the holiday
season.
We also have one of Naftel’s miniature art scenes...
to remind us of the
beauty in even the smallest things around us.
Love,
Sunny and Patti
Some
holiday cookies for you!
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