Saturday Mornings, the award-winning morning discussion and lecture series collaboration of Sierra Nevada College and Incline Village Parks & Recreation Senior Programs continue this fall.

College faculty and other knowledgeable locals present bite-size offerings of intellectually stimulating material to pique people’s interest and challenge their sensibilities.

An optional continental breakfast will be provided for $3.

Sierra Nevada College Professor Katie Zanto has been nominated as one of L.L. Bean’s top 10 Outdoor Heroes based on her work founding the Adventure Risk Challenge Program—a place-based program that integrates wilderness challenges with a rigorous literacy and leadership curriculum. Zanto is an educator, who, fueled by a great dedication to the environment, has created a variety of unusual unique opportunities for youth to discover their own passion and love for the outdoors. It is Katie’s broad interpretation of environment that is unique, which she blends into all areas of her work.

She speaks Nov. 12 from 10am-noon at Sierra Nevada College, Prim Library, Room 213, 999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village.

For details, contact Debi Noonan at (775) 831.1314, ext. 7420, dnoonan@sierranevada.edu.

Kitty Meow is a nice cat who would love a lap to call her own. She is very friendly and has a big purr.

She is litter box trained and would prefer an indoor only home.

Kitty Meow is spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated. She is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes.

Call (530) 573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

— Karen Kuentz

The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts and vampires. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have changed dramatically. Today, Halloween is celebrated many different ways, including wearing costumes, children trick or treating, carving pumpkins, and going to haunted houses and parties.

The average age for trick-or-treaters is 5 to 14, with the potential number in the U.S. in 2010 being 41 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Illinois produced an estimated 427 million pounds of the vined orange gourd last year. California, New York and Ohio were also major pumpkin-producing states, each with an estimate of more than 100 million pounds.

Some places around the country that may put you in the Halloween mood are: Transylvania County, N.C.; Tombstone, Ariz.; Pumpkin Center, N.C.; Cape Fear, N.C.; and Skull Creek, Neb.

In 2010, each U.S. resident consumed the equivalent of 24.7 pounds of candy.

By Jennifer Eddy

MEYERS – Party-goers watched in terror as pill popping alcoholic confessional poet Anne Sexton scanned the crowd for Valium, and Bertha Rochester contemplated which part of the venue was the most flammable.

That’s what happens when the ghosts of literature come out to play Halloween weekend.

Slam winner Janet Smith as Anne Sexton. Photos/Suzanne Roberts

The 2nd annual Scary Slam emceed by Reno slam poet Benjamin Arnold at Bona Fide Books in Meyers on Oct 29 was an opportunity for local writers and literary aficionados to play dress up as creepy literary greats as they battled each other for a cash prize for scariest poem and costume.

Jan Smith came dressed as the deceased, mentally ill, mid-century Sexton. Suzanne Roberts was Charlotte Brontë’s “madwoman in the attic” of Jane Eyre.

It was safe to assume Smith won the slam, not from the screams, but from the gasps, followed by a moment of uncomfortable silence in the room as she read Sexton’s lines from the poem addict: “My supply of tablets has got to last for years and years. I like them more than I like me. It’s a kind of marriage. It’s a kind of war where I plant bombs inside of myself.”

The costume winner of the slam was Rita Geil as the sparkling, voluptuous citrus colored Little Mermaid.

Costume contest winner Rita Geil as the Little Mermaid.

After winning the slam Smith stayed in character while summing up the event. “It was a nice little provincial crowd and the casinos here are like the third circle of hell.”

The competition was $5 to enter, winner take all.

“The Scary Slam is like a poetry slam where people come to read, but instead of slamming a poem, they’re here to scare us with a scary story,” said Kim Wyatt, owner and editor of Bona Fide Books. “It’s a Halloween party for literary geeks.”

This scary slam differs from the inaugural Scary Slam by replacing the use of a psychic with a Tarot card reader. The original Scary Slam hosted by Wyatt has also been revved up by the addition of Arnold, a professional poetry slam host who encourages guests to read everything scary whether it meant, “your mortgage contract, the Department of Defense budget analysis or anything you want.”

Each of the eight competitors had five minutes to read, with the winner chosen based on the audience’s highest decibel level in screams by iPhone. The slam was followed by guests sashaying across the room while yelling out the literary figures and characters they were portraying as the Gothic musical stylings of Morrissey and New Order blared in the background.

The festive crowd enjoyed black licorice flavored absinthe, three dimensional decapitated werewolf cupcakes with black and white scary pops, frosted into day of the dead skulls. Guests also had the opportunity to have a Tarot card reading so they might gain insight into the future.

“This has really become a community event here in Meyers and Bona Fide Books is here to build that community in addition to publishing books,” Wyatt said. “That’s why we have these parties.”

By Kara Rose, USA Today

The editors of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary decided to remove the term “cassette tape” from its pages this summer to help make room for 400 new words including “cyberbullying” and “retweet.”

Jesse Sheidlower the editor-at-large for the dictionary, said the term was considered “so past its prime that it was not worth keeping it in.”

For those who don't know, these are cassette tapes.

It’s starting to look like that move may have been premature.

The 2.5-by-4-inch compact cassette that overtook vinyl albums and passed by eight-track tapes in the 1970s and ’80s is experiencing a bit of a comeback, which some say is being fueled by the growth of indie music popularity.

A growing number of indie bands are turning to the format to get their music out more quickly and inexpensively, according to Rob Mason, the owner of Old Flame Records.

The Brooklyn-based record company released the band Total Babes’ album Swimming Through Sunlight on tape before the full-length album was formally released Aug. 30 on CD and vinyl.

Read the whole story

Community educators are joining forces to bring another 21st Century Education Speakers Series to the Lake Tahoe Basin. This year’s series kicks-off with author Bernie Trilling on Nov. 8 from 6:30-9pm at Sierra Nevada College in the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences.

Trilling is a key organizer of the nationwide Partnership for 21st Century Skills initiative – 33 organizations advocating education readiness by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders. Trilling will talk about the profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and what is needed for a thriving 21st century community and workplace.

Trilling is a 21st century learning expert, advisor, author, and the former global director of the Oracle Education Foundation, where he directed the development of education strategies, partnerships, and services for the Foundation and its ThinkQuest programs. He has served as board member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and co-chaired the committee that developed the highly regarded “rainbow” learning framework.

Trilling co-authored the seminal book on the subject, “21st Century Skills; Learning for Life in our Times”. Through a multi-media and interactive presentation he will help participants both envision and experience the skills and capacities that children need to be successful adults in our rapidly changing society.

This event is free and open to all community members. On Nov. 9, Trilling will facilitate a teacher development day for all local educators to focus more deeply on means and methodologies for implementation of these new ideas. The teacher workshops are free to local educators and will take place from 3–5pm at the Parasol Foundation, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village.

For more information about the sessions and to reserve a seat, go online.

By Howie Nave

Oh, how I love Halloween and all that goes with it. From the costume parties, the trick-or-treat candy to the horror movies — Halloween is my favorite time of year.

I remember staying up late as a kid on a Saturday night living in the Bay Area watching “Creature Features” on KTVU Channel 2 (before it became a FOX affiliate) and marveled at all those classic horror flicks that would keep me up in to the wee hours of the morning so it would be daylight when I knew the monsters wouldn’t try to kill me and the vampires were asleep in their coffins.

I give you 15 of my all time favorite scary movies because a Top 10 just wasn’t enough. I still love a good scare and there’s nothing like taking your mind off the real horrors of the world by escaping into a theater or staying up all night watching good horror flicks on DVD at home until the wee hours of the morning where I know the daylight will give me some time to sleep before the monsters decide to wake up later that night.

Halloween, R (1978)

What better way to begin than with the title flick that would spawn so many sequels? “Halloween” is director/writer John Carpentaer’s horror masterpiece and introduced us to the new Queen of Scream, Jamie Lee Curtis and became the sci-fi/horror standard in which other movies copied. Starring the late, great Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, “Halloween” had it all, didn’t it? A psychotic murderer, The Shape (later to be known as Michael Myers in subsequent sequels) who loved to slash his victims, a terrifying music that sticks to your soul and by far one of the most frightening experiences I have ever had in a theater. There were some equally scary sequels but nothing that captured that first scream as the original.

Alien, R (1979)

To this day when you witness that alien bursting out of John Hurt’s stomach you know director Ridley Scott’s terrifying flick has you captivated. “Alien” and its sequel “Aliens” (1986) are still two of the better sci-fi/horror flicks out there even though their version of high tech by today’s standards looks antiquated. The aliens are still some of the creepiest and scariest I have ever seen in a movie which by the way were based on the work of H.R. Giger (for which he received an Academy Award under Best Visual Effects category).

The Exorcist, R (1973)

It would forever typecast its little known actress, Linda Blair. After this flick it was tough for Blair to get any real serious roles forever typecast as that possessed girl who spit up pea soup. Of course it was supposed to be barf, but soon everyone found out it was pea soup and then people would always imitate her making a mess. One of the scariest and psychologically tinged movies ever, “The Exorcist” caused a sensation when it first premiered including religious protesters that of course only made me want to see it more. And yes, there were countless sequels and prequels, but none of them holds up to the mother of all satanic movies.

Hellraiser, R (1987)

Clive Barker knows a thing or two when it comes to messing with people’s minds and this to me is one of his best in that department and one of the most original, too. Originally titled, “Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave,” Barker (who wrote, directed and produced) must have been on some sort of medication (or stopped taking it) when he came up with this classic horror gem. The character of Pinhead, the lead Cenobite is truly one of the more original icons in horror. You’ll never play with a Rubik’s Cube again if you haven’t seen this classic that’s for sure. Go ahead ,I dare ya.

The Grudge, R (2004)

Based on Takashi Shimizu’s Japanese movie, “Ju-On: The Grudge”) the American version is just as good. Why? Because someone out there in Hollywood was smart enough to let Takashi Shimizu do a remake from his own movie. How about that? The original creator gets to do his own work and wow – the results are impressive. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as an American nurse living and working in Tokyo, she discovers (and is exposed) to a mysterious curse that causes a person to experience an uncontrollable rage before taking their life. The part that still creeps me out is that of images of zombied looking kids in this waterlogged black and white image with freaky noises that stay with you long after the movie has ended. You’ll never want to enter an uninhabited house again unless accompanied by an army of eye witnesses.

The Thing, R (1982)

Hands down one of the best remakes ever. There’s a new one out that’s more of a precursor but this version is still one of my absolute favorites. I first saw this as a double feature in the theater not knowing what to expect, but was blown out of my seat it was that good. Starring a bearded Kurt Russell as the head of an American Antarctic expedition, “The Thing” still boasts some of the best special effects ever and has an all-star stellar cast that includes Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard A. Dysart and Charles Hallahan. Directed by the master himself, John Carpenter, you’ll be grabbing anything when you see what happens when an alien being replicates itself into anything starting with huskies and moving on up from there. Every movie mentioned so far has had a sequel or two and yet this one is the one that I wanted to see a sequel but alas Carpenter felt otherwise.

Poltergeist, PG-13 (1982)

Would you believe that back then executive producer (and writer) Steven Spielberg had to lobby to give this movie a PG rating? The film was originally given an R rating so he (along with the filmmakers) protested successfully and got a PG rating (the PG-13 rating did not exist at the time). This was the movie that gave us the immortal line, “They’re baaaaaack” that was uttered by Heather O’Rourke, the cute little blonde who played Carol Anne, daughter of Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams in the movie. The movie is a stark reminder of what happens when developers, in their zeal to construct urban sprawl forget to move bodies from a cemetery they are building on. The movie took on a life of its own with real life actors dying in each production. The eldest daughter in the movie (played by Dominique Dunne) was killed in real life by her boyfriend upon completion of the first film. Actor Julian Beck died of stomach cancer after shooting the second film and actress Heather O’Rourke died of a mystery case of intestinal stenosis shortly before completion of the third film. Also, many cast members’ careers have suffered after appearing in the films. The ghosts at first appear friendly moving moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone but then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they “kidnap” Carol Anne. Still a great scare factor to this day, “Poltergeist” has a great story and great effects that rival only that of “The Thing.”

Psycho, PG (1960)

The one movie that would forever make showers a scary experience (if you’re a woman) and would brand those of the male species who were too close to their mom a horror just waiting to unfold. Think of it as a momma’s boy becoming momma. Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to deliver one of the truly frightening masterpieces of all time. Phoenix office worker Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam (John Gavin) at lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony payments. One Friday afternoon Marion is entrusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and run, Marion leaves town and heads toward Sam’s California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman (Anthony Perkins) who seems to be dominated by his mother. An interesting piece of trivia: After the film’s release Hitchcock received an angry letter from the father of a girl who refused to have a bath after seeing “Les Diaboliques” (also on this list), and now refused to shower after seeing “Psycho.” Hitchcock sent a note back to the father simply saying “Send her to the dry cleaners.”

28 Days Later, R (2003)

Movies that contained a virus theme in them have always creeped me out because you just can’t see them and in the current climate we live in you never know what’s going to kill our species. Will it be an in-your-face detonated device or an anthrax type of monster? Whichever it might be director Danny Boyle plays on that scenario combining the terror of its after effects and the tried and true zombie story. The movie also takes a look at what might happen if we experiment on things that go unchecked. It’s that unknown element that can be the scariest psychologically. Londoner Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital room all alone. No one else is in the entire hospital. He puts his clothes on, walks out into the empty streets. He does meet other survivors but how long will they survive? Not just that but it’s the manner in which they die that will make you writhe.

Night Of The Living Dead, R (1968)

If this movie were made today, it would be considered tame for the current crop of gore permeating the marketplace, but “Night of the Living Dead” is a true classic that definitely deserves its place in the Smithsonian Institute of Horror. The movie is still quite effective. I had the rare privilege of seeing this film in a theater at a midnight screening. The audience found themselves screaming and jumping as I did in certain parts. It’s raining weird rays from outer space that causes the dead to awaken from their graves to feed on human flesh for sustenance. After seeing this movie originally on television, I never slept near my sister again when camping with the family.

Diabolique, R (1955)

This movie (original French title “Les Diaboliques”) centers around a nasty headmaster having an affair on his wife who, as it turns out treats his mistress just as badly as he treats his wife. In a twisted three-way the two women conspire to do in the headmaster. Robert Bloch, author of “Psycho,” called this his favorite horror movie.

The Fly, R (1958)

You know a movie is good when a generation of fans who creeped out on the original decide that when they become filmmakers in the next generation to try and top the original. They don’t. Tough to make a better one when you have Vincent Price in the original. When a scientist experiments with matter transference and a fly accidentally becomes part of that matter well, let’s just say if you’ve never seen this classic you’ll never look at flies the same way again.

Seven, R (1995)

For one thing I liked seeing Brad Pitt in a role where even he looked scared. David Fincher’s “Seven” stars Pitt as a rookie detective with veteran detective Lt. William Somerset (played Morgan Freeman) tracking a serial killer who gruesomely kills for world’s ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. It gets really good when they get into the killer’s mind and start thinking as he does.

Jaws, PG (1975)

The was the movie that literally put a young Steven Spielberg on the cinematic map and if you think the PG rating is too tame, you’re correct. But back then they hadn’t come up with the PG-13 rating which is what this should be if seen today. This is one of the best psychological horror-adventure flicks I’ve seen in a while. The idea of a lone, killer shark bent on eating people in a vacation resort community just begs buffet specials. That coupled with the signature shark music of John Williams makes this an all time fav of mine and even to this day I ask myself, “Is it safe to go into the water?”

Paranormal Activity, R (2007)

Maybe it’s the low-budget quality that made it so real with its single-camera, rapid-movement-shot in the first-person style but whatever it was sure scared me and this was the first one. Less than four years later the second sequel is released and still raking up box office receipts. With the success of another very low-budget flick, “The Blair Witch Project,” “Paranormal Activity” works because the tension is just a shaky as the movie plus since there’s no big names in this movie you don’t know who is going to be killed off or saved.

OK, some Honorable Mentions worth checking out too:

There are so many other flicks that make Halloween worth celebrating include the original “Saw” (2004), “Basket Case” (1982), “The Omen” (1976), “House of Wax” (not the Paris Hilton version but the original 1953 rendition with Vincent Price), “The Haunting” (1963), “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984), “The Blair Witch Project” (1999), “Scanners” (1981) and the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, “The Birds” (1963). For campy horror fun you must see “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), “Scream” (1996) and my personal fav, “Shaun of the Dead” (2004).

Howie Nave is host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys. You can hear him Monday-Friday 6 to 10am on KRLT FM-93.9.

By Rebecca Wass

South Lake Tahoe now has a diagnostic hearing service through Barton Health. Danielle Knowlton was recruited to offer testing and treatment for those who have potential and current hearing issues. In partnership with Ronald Roth of Barton Ear, Nose and Throat, audiologist, Knowlton brings more than 25 years of experience to Barton Audiology.

Together Roth and Knowlton have created a full-service E.N.T. and hearing center in South Lake Tahoe. While promoting healthy hearing, communication competency, Knowlton is assessing and improving quality of life for persons of all ages.

Brayden Blackwell, 6, has his hearing checked by Danielle Knowlton. Photo/Rebecca Wass

“I hope to bring greater awareness of hearing loss to the community, so those who have hearing difficulties or children at risk for hearing loss will reach out, seek evaluation and obtain help for themselves and/or their children,” Knowlton said.

The Better Hearing Institute reported in 2010 that three in 10 people older than 60 have hearing loss. At least 1.4 million children (18 or younger) have hearing problems and it is estimated that three in 1,000 infants are born with serious to profound hearing loss. Many others have lesser degrees of hearing loss that can impact their development.

“The critical language learning years for children are from birth to 3 years of age,” Knowlton said. “If a hearing loss is missed or diagnosed after this age, it can have a devastating impact on a child’s language, learning and emotional development. If we can help to provide earlier identification and intervention in this age group, we can make a huge difference in the lives of so many children.”

Knowlton provides education on prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing, auditory function and other related systems. She graduated from Holy Names College in Oakland, where she received a bachelor of arts degree, cum laude in speech correction and has a Master’s Degree in Audiology from CSU Sacramento. She also is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.

“My area of expertise has been in the evaluation and testing of very young and challenging children,” she said. “I also have been involved in implantable hearing technology such as cochlear implants and bone anchored hearing systems in both the clinical setting and as a clinical specialist for a manufacturer.”

Her unique education and training enables her to assess and diagnose hearing loss, auditory disorders and counsel regarding intervention and options. Knowlton’s experience spans from a clinical director role at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, to a clinical applications specialist with Cochlear Americas in Centennial, Colo. She began her career at St. Luke’s Hearing and Speech Center in San Francisco where she served all age groups. Her broad experience has enabled her to bring the latest techniques and technology to the Lake Tahoe area and its surrounding communities.

“I look forward to my work here at Barton, and hope that I can make a difference.”

Rebecca Wass works for Barton Health in the public relations department.

By Carly Flandro, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Tim Blixseth, former billionaire and founder of the Yellowstone Club, has written 250 pages of his autobiography, which is to be titled: “You couldn’t make this up.”

But he’s waiting to finish it until next year.

“It’ll be a journey about my life and some of the interesting things, the hardships, the joys, just life,” he said. “Neither you nor I know the ending yet.”

Blixseth is known for envisioning and creating the Yellowstone Club, a private club in Big Sky for the ultra-rich that features a golf course and ski area, where members have access to “private powder.”

He’s also known for his messy divorce from Edra Blixseth and the series of lawsuits he’s been involved with since.

But before coming to Montana and making millions, Blixseth grew up in a poor family in Oregon. His father was a Norwegian immigrant who Blixseth said came here for the “American dream.”

“My father’s American dream never came to fruition, I don’t think, but mine sure has,” Blixseth said in an interview with the Chronicle. “I’m thankful I was born in America.”

After learning young that he had a knack for making deals, Blixseth would eventually make millions from the timber industry.

He told CNN Money in 2008 that when he was about 13, he bought three donkeys for $25 each after seeing a classified ad for them. Then, he turned around and sold them for $75 after rebranding them as pack mules.

“So he gives me the $225, and a light bulb went on and I went, ‘Huh, okay,” he said in the CNN Money article, “Paradise Lost” by William D. Cohan.

Blixseth went on to make a series of timber deals that made him millions, and he retired in North Tahoe Lake, Nev., at the age of 40, according to the article. But he got bored and decided to tour 164,000 acres of Plum Creek Timber Co. land that was for sale in southwest Montana.

Read the whole story

By Robert Schimmel

Right in the middle of a perfectly eloquent description to a client of how many artists work, I notice a disconnected, puzzled or glazed look that begs, “No kidding, must be a French pastry. Just what are you talking about?” And thus begins an enlightening exchange to edify me on presumption and my client on the purpose and discipline of plein air painting.

In my days of gallery sales I often rode the fence of saying too much and conversely blowing right by details the embarrassed or timid clientele would bluff, avoid or not realize they should request. Hence, the often subliminal query, “What does it mean so I can decide to care or not?” Fair enough. Plein air means “full of air” literally and “outside, on-location, and in the presence of one’s subject” more practically. This stands in stark contrast to art done strictly from reference material (usually photos), imagination or both.

Robert Schimmel

“But who cares?” you ask with a hint of indignation. After all, you just want something beautiful on your wall. OK, that’s legit and appreciated from a sales point of view. But for one who enjoys a back-story or the sizzle that makes fillet preferable to London broil, plein air has a history that literally gives us the foundational verities of light, form and recession (no, not our economic indicator, but how objects recede or appear more distant). Most often this truth and the emotional, physical connections between artist and subject are what energize, permeate subconsciously, and completely describe the artwork in ways unplanned or anticipated.

Let’s face it, every day or vantage point at any location will be unique due to dozens of constantly changing influences (weather, direction of light, growth, season, etc.) that only the first-hand, caring, inquisitive eye will detect and record. Thus, plein air art will generally have myriad, unnoticed subtleties not included in studio work that the casual buyer needs to be aware of or taught. (Now, before anyone thinks I am favoring one kind of creative process over another, let me assure you that I am not judging anything here.) This certainly applied to me, not as a collector, but as an excited young artist in pursuit of understanding and accuracy.

I began my art career and courtship of nature (or perhaps she of me) from the painter’s viewpoint with just a sketchbook and all the influence I could muster from my father’s tutelage. Like too many relationships, ours became dependent on convenience and conditions not to mention the element of attraction … hey, I’m a guy; what can I say? And like any self-respecting femme fatale, her whims and wiles challenged and enticed my sincerity and devotion. On a perfect day it’s easy to just sit and focus on the miracles of creation and practice rendering all the nuances of form and light laid out like a tasty buffet. But add the not-so-perfect elements – wind, heat/cold, bugs, nowhere to sit and the passersby with endearing critiques and helpful comments – and one’s powers of loving, accurate observation begin to deteriorate.

Suddenly the cool drink, bug spray-free finger prints and odor, seductive chair and absence of sweat/chills are all lecturing your sensitivities about the wonders of your camera and how a “digital moment” is far better than anything you can duplicate, much less create! Yet nothing could be further from the truth. You know the adage “adversity builds character” or some such painful cliché. Well, the artist must feel, smell, and taste the bitterness as well as the sweetness in order to produce or evaluate his own work at a depth beyond just the visual. And this is what will be transformed and transmitted to the viewer ultimately through the plein air process.

So why do I digress with part of my background? Because this is the basic, requisite encounter any artist encumbers who seeks a very personal relationship with the landscape, in particular, and desires to pass along that intimate connection and experience to the public. More important to today’s commentary, this is the very story that the art enthusiast, buyer, collector and investor need to know in order to look with appreciation, sensitivity and acumen into, and not just at, any given artwork. (By the way, notice the word “artwork”; it is two words that combine creativity and effort, for you rarely get anything of value without both.)

Robert Schimmel is a professional artist and teacher in South Lake Tahoe as well as host of “Lake Tahoe Art Scene” on KTHO radio on Thursdays at 5:15pm.