November 17-December 17, 2023, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. rain or shine!
Actual dates: November 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 & 26, 2023; December 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 & 17, 2023
Sawdust Festival
935 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
sawdustartfestival.org
$10, $30-45 season pass
http://www.seecalifornia.com/images/sawinter.jpg
By C. MacDonald
The Annual Winter Fantasy at the
Sawdust Art and Craft Festival in Laguna
Beach featured 107 very talented
artists, including a former star golfer
on the LPGA Tour.
Muffin Spencer-Devlin, who won three
tournaments and more than $1 million on
the pro tour, is getting to be known
even more for her blown and sculpted
glass.
"I used to stroke it and now I blow it,"
joked the energetic, humble artisan.
"I'm still learning the art."
Muffin Spencer-Devlin center photo with glass art
"I'm in my seventh year and probably
have a 16 handicap," she said. "I've
been learning the technique and I can
now feel more of what's going on." The
modest Muffin already has created some
beautiful glass sculpture champion
trophies for the LPGAs' Kia Classic and
Ladies Senior Open Golf Tournaments.
She even sometimes incorporates glass
golf ball designs in her work. A
fascinating piece for sale at the
festival had a ball hanging on the edge
of a cup, a sight every golfer has seen
on a different cup—the one you try to
get the ball in on the green."
Muffin admits there are several
similarities between golfing and glass
blowing. "They're both very physical and
you have to be in shape," she said. "The
action of your hand and wrist is so
important and the touch, the feel you
give to what you're doing is critical.
In both activities you have to be
disciplined, extremely focused and pay
attention to detail. Each requires
mastering the right tools and many hours
of practice."
Muffin said whereas professional golfers
have caddies, blown and sculpted glass
artists often have interns that carry
the necessary tools and equipment.
The Ohio native retired to Laguna Beach
in 2000. Six years later, she became
captivated watching her best friend
Megan Ekstrom blow glass. "The heat was
intense and the fear factor high,"
Muffin recalled. "It ignited my passion
and Megan agreed to teach me. It was a
trial by fire. The first thing we
produced were little bowls."
In 2009, famous Laguna Beach glass
blower John Barber asked Muffin to
assist him during his glass
demonstrations at the Sawdust Festival.
She spent four years as his apprentice
before starting her own company, Trophy
Glass, in 2012. (To find out more about
this creative, bundle of energy, who
also has acted in film and television
(i.e., "Star Trek: Voyager"), go to
lovemuffinglass.com.)
There are so many other fascinating
artists at the Winter and Summer
festivals that you need to come and meet
them for yourself. At the 2013 event, a
Winter one day attendance record was set
on a Saturday when more than 4,300
guests showed up, according to Cynthia
Fung, the Marketing and Public Relations
Director. Fung, a talented violinist
literally grew up at the festival, where
her aunt has been a seamstress artist
for years.
Acrylic Painter Douglas Miller said this
was his 43rd year at Sawdust. "I've
created 14,860 paintings as of today,"
said the prolific and hilarious guy, who
wrote on his booth: "I date all my
paintings but I don't go out with them."
(He can be reached at dougpaintslaguna@cox.net.)
The unique tree-shrouded magical
village, comes alive with skilled and
soulful musical groups like "Upstream,"
which literally got the whole place
grooving, singing "I love to move it,
move it." While they sang, artists in
their booths and guests alike were
moving their shoulders, feet or arms to
the sounds throughout the grounds. It
was a sight to behold.
Thousands of people come from all over
to see the genius displayed at Sawdust.
Jennifer Gordon of Camarillo saw a
KTLA-TV news report on a vendor's super
hero paintings and convinced her
grandparents, Aaron and Sheila, to drive
her there right away.
Over 2 ½ hours later, the Gordons
arrived and Jennifer happily purchased a
colorful Michael Phillips acrylic on
wood panel, called, "Should I get the
car?" (Robin posed the question to
Batman in a wonderful superhero
painting). (To see more, go to
michaelphillipsart.com)
There
are terrific Sawdust Studio Art Classes, taught by Sawdust artists, offered all
year long! Workshops are offered in a wide variety of media that can turn your
art dreams into reality.
Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.