FEAtUrE

Ruby Barrientos’s coloring book draws on her Salvadoran heritage. “The reason that I do this is—holiday shopping gives me nightmares,” said Tessa Miller. She owns The Nest, a little vintage shop on Keystone Avenue that’s filled wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with housewares, furniture and clothing. Each weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas, she’ll host a few different local artisans who make products she loves—soaps, hats, unbelievably pretty cookies—but don’t have their own brick-and-mortar shops.

“Box stores are crowded, people are elbowing, it doesn’t feel like the spirit,” Miller said. “If I feel that way, there are probably a lot of other people that feel that way, too. … Not, ‘Let’s feed into the corporate hamster wheel of crap.’ More like, ‘Let’s get back to the true spirit of Christmas.”

At RN&R, Miller’s vision of holiday spirit is music to our ears. And we don’t just mean the hot chocolate bar she’s setting up for her customers—whipped cream, sprinkles, schnapps and all. We mean the way she wants to avoid the road rage, the long lines, and the nagging impetus to grind our teeth to a fine powder when we hear “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for the 55th time in one day.

All year long in this office, we get to talk with artists, makers, crafters and creative, local businessfolks—so, now that the holiday shopping season is upon us, we’d like to introduce you to a few of them so you can visit their boutiques or studios, or—if “getting into the holiday spirit” strikes you as being less about the hot chocolate bar and more about finding good gifts without getting out of your PJs—right from the comfort of your keyboard.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how Miller is going to fit all of these handmade wares and warm beverages in her tightly-packed shop, she’s making extra space as we speak. “I’m having a giant couch sale right now,” she said the week before Thanksgiving.

Lisa Kurt rendered her adoration for tumbleweds on tree ornaments.

BeTween The lInes

“Art is therapeutic for me,” said artist Ruby Barrientos. She finds drawing to be meditative and comforting—and she figures that people who color in her new coloring book will, too, and so, probably, will the local high school students she intends to donate some copies to.

Barrientos explained her imagery this way: “I’m a firstgeneration American descendant of Salvadoran artists. My El Salvadoran spirit guides my art. It’s a reflection of my heritage.” Her indigenous Central American figures pack the page with kinetic, slightly trippy energy and still leave plenty of negative space to color.

“The Haphazard Doodles Coloring Book,” ($12) is available at Sol kava bar, inside the West Street Market, 148 West St., or online at www.solkava.com.

by KRiS VagneR / krisv@newsreview.com

Gifts from the mall? Not oN our watch.

A “Frog Boy” For every home

“I do banners for sideshow performers, magicians, as well as people who just simply like the nostalgic, low-brow charm of the old-style sideshow banners,” said Rex “Killbuck” Norman. The dark humor and bright colors of his cigar-smoking, tattooed mermaid and similar characters attract a lot of fans at the festivals where he shows them, but his paintings are often the size of a whole room, or even a small building. “Not everyone has the wall space,” he said. So, he’s designed a line of affordable prints that fit pretty much anywhere.

Paintings such as “Clothed in Snakes,” “Tattooed Mermaid,” and “Frog Boy” are available as 11-by-14-inch prints ($20), from bit.ly/2j3aM85 A hole selecTIon

The RN&R editorial staff is comprised of research nerds, and, to us, there aren’t many hobbies as good as deep dives into hours-long Wikipedia holes. Around this time of year, a Redbubble hole is almost as satisfying. The comprehensive online marketplace features photos and graphics by a huge range of artists from near and far, printed on posters, pillows, cards t-shirts, and all sorts of other products.

“hAndmAde For The holIdAys”

Dylan Silver offers underwater lake Tahoe prints online in various sizes.

One good starting point is the “Snowfall in Washoe Meadows State Park iphone case” ($25) by South Lake Tahoe adventurer and author Jared Maninen, rdbl.co/2j3NfnO

Fair warning: This site has a one-thing-leads-to-another appeal, and you might end up clicking around for hours. A search for “Reno” yielded over 1,200 results. (And this is where we got the First Amendment poster that’s on the newsroom door, in case you were wondering.)

storybook stocking stuffers

Painter Lisa Kurt has been prolific as of late—and not just with gallery exhibits. She’s stocked her Etsy shop with affordable, original paintings of endearing storybook animals and adorable, gray-scale vampire children. She’s also the illustrator of a book for first and second graders about India’s first female pilot. And Kurt, who is originally an East Coaster, rendered some of the everyday features of her adopted home region—cacti and tumbleweeds—cute as buttons on a new line of painted, wooden tree ornaments.

Find prints ($20 and up), paintings ($65-1,000), and ornaments at http://www. etsy.com/shop/lisakurtart or at Holland Project Rogue Art + Craft holiday sale at on Dec. 9. The children’s book Sarla in The Sky ($12.95) is available from several online book retailers.

cop some grammar

Obviously, we’re grammar groupies over here. We try not to correct people’s grammar in public—that’s just obnoxious—but, much as we try to resist chiming in sanctimoniously in polite company, we know a lot of you might have lingering questions about “who vs. whom,” “affect vs. effect,” and how the heck to use a semicolon. Lucky for you, the only person on Earth who can correct your grammar constantly without sounding like a jerk lives right here in Reno. She’s Mignon Fogarty, otherwise known as Grammar Girl, and, after publishing a website, a longrunning podcast and a few books, she’s released a calendar—not just a 12-page one, a 365-page one, with a tip for each day of 2018.

“I tried to make it a mix,” she told us over the phone the other day. “I wanted to make sure I had commonly confused words and punctuation, sentence structure—I like to also include tidbits about word histories.”

“Grammar Daily: Tips From Grammar Girl 2018 Boxed/Daily Calendar” ($14.99) is available at local and online book retailers.

make a splasH

Ever taken an out-of-town friend for an epic day at Lake Tahoe, then realized your selfies, cute as they were, didn’t really do justice to the visual grandeur of having watched the optical play of water and light next to glorious, sweeping vistas all afternoon?

South Lake Tahoe adventure photographer Dylan Silver has got you covered. Photographing Lake Tahoe is one of his passions. He has a really good underwater lens, and he knows how to use it. That means that the images you can buy from his website look a bit like something from National Geographic and a lot like that epic day. And they’re priced moderately enough that you can send a handful of them to one of those out-of-town friends you shared that great swim with.

Prints on paper or aluminum, small or large, ($10 and up) are available at Silver’s Tahoe Clarity website, www.tahoeclarity.com. Ω

artist killbuck scaled down his huge sideshow paintings to fit under a tree.

images by artists near and far are abundant on Redbubble.com.

local grammarian Mignon Fogarty has 365 tips for your loved ones.

i need this

maybe it’s the sparkle of lights strung up on houses, glowing softly on a frosty December night. Perhaps it’s the swell of bright holiday cards crowding the mailbox. It could be the sweet aroma of freshly baked sugary treats that fill the house.

Although the very notion of them seems antithetical to my normally moody self, there’s something about the holidays that brings me joy. I’m not a particularly nostalgic person—there’s no longing for Christmases past. Nor am I religious; I grew up in churches but as an adult my faith is rooted in a more abstract spirituality.

I also struggle with clinical depression, anxiety and panic attacks, which means that the holidays should probably be the last thing I look forward to come winter.

And yet I look forward to them—even as they bring on a wash of dark, complicated feelings: loneliness and regret, anxiety and worry, sadness and depression.

Last year many of us faced what felt like one of the bleakest seasons following the election. With so much at stake in the world, the thought of celebrating anything suddenly felt profoundly wrong, comical even. Certainly, I didn’t want to go out, mingle at parties or shop for presents. Everything seemed as cold and dreary and phony as an artificial tree misted with the fake scent of pine needles or the tinny jingle of holiday carols playing, endlessly, in every cafe and shop.

But then, one night, I caught that sparkle of lights. Not one of those elaborate and expensive displays in a rich neighborhood, rather this was just simple string of bulbs wrapped around a roof, twinkling in the night on my street. In that moment I felt my spirit lifted, and I realized why I’ve always loved the holiday season, even with the emotional messiness it can bring on. Those lights beckoned, revealing a family with a willingness to push on. To me, it signaled a determination to be present in the world, to shine a literal light in the darkness.

So, even as the world around me plunged into political chaos, emotional upheaval and existential anxiety, I sought out ways to bring that light into my life. I could console myself by finding that perfect gift for a friend—nothing too pricey, just something that reminded me of how lucky I am to have her in my life. I remembered that baking for others feels like a balm for the soul. And even when the holiday seemed to reach peak overload—so many parties, dinners, family outings and obligations—I knew that being busy meant that I had people in my life who wanted to see me, people who cared enough about me to reach out, send an invitation and smile when I walked through their door.

A year later and the world is still pretty screwed up. Donald Trump remains president, racists feel emboldened, peoples’ lives are at stake, and our selfish environmental practices are hastening the very destruction of our planet.

And yet. This year, despite the turmoil—no, because of it—I will embrace the holidays once again. I will go to parties, cook for friends and gaze, ever hopeful, at the sparkling lights on my street. Ω

holiday art sales

After thanksgiving, many of the region’s artists and craftspeople gather together to host holiday sales. this year, the list is longer than ever. here’s a sampling of sales at galleries, home studios, boutiques—and a wine shop.

Rogue ARt + CRAft

Reno’s one-stop youth-arts venue hosts a one-day sale with handcrafted goods, a plant bar and enough food and drink vendors to make it feel like a festival. it feel like

Holland Project

140 Vesta St. Dec. 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Chili CAsh + CARRy

The ceramicists at Wedge fill the entire studio with goods for sale, including just about every type of ceramic dish, vase or mug that exists, plus work by guest artists, including printmaker Katherine Case and housewares designer Casey Sibley. Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Northern Nevada Food Bank, and Wedge will offer you a handmade tree ornament as a thank-you.

The Wedge Ceramics Studio

2095 Dickerson Road 4-7 p.m. Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 9, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10

holidAy PoP-uP shoPs

Each Saturday in December, between one and three local entrepreneurs will set up a shop within a shop inside The Nest. Participants include Rooted Hands, a producer of organic products such as body scrubs and face masks, Moon Drop Earth jewelry, and Confection Cookies—whose Instagram profile says, “No I will not make a cookie of your face. Ok maybe.” These cookies are seriously that elaborate. Also available will be gift certificates that make it easy to donate to charities such as The Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equality.

The Nest

201 Keystone Ave. Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23 11 a.m.-6 p.m. CAsh N’ CARRy gRouP holidAy exhibitioN

Never Ender carries handmade cards, jewelry and fashions all year round, but in December, the cozy midtown boutique packs in even more. This year’s holiday sale only lasts for half a day, but it features paintings, drawings and other works by more than two dozen artists, including muralists Bryce Chisholm and Joe C. Rock.

Never Ender Reno

25 Saint Lawrence Ave. Dec. 9, 4-8 p.m.

holidAy tReAsuRes At the ARtists Co-oP

The Artists Co-op is another dependable, year-round gift spot, where watercolor painters, potters and many others sell their work. Through December, the offerings include handmade cards, ornaments and gift items.

The Artists Co-op

627 Mill St. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through Dec. 28

blue lotus studio holidAy sAle

Joan Miller’s home studio sale, six years and running, is known for its hospitality—there might be wine and cheese involved, or cookies and cider, depending which day you show up—and for an ever-evolving line of Miller’s petroglyph pottery, Barbara Harmon’s earrings and other jewelry, and Sherri Dangberg’s elegant purses, scarves and shawls.

Blue Lotus Studio

3325 Norman Drive 5-8 p.m. Dec. 1 and 11-3 p.m. Dec. 2

fiNe ViNes’ PoP uP siP ANd shoP

It’s an art sale at a wine shop, so there are going to be mimosas and bellinis, but only during the first hour and while supplies last. Definitely put down your glass long enough to check out the handcrafted accessories, such as hats and jewelry, and kitchenwares, such as cutting boards.

Fine Vines Wine Bar

6300 Mae Anne Ave. Dec. 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

suNdAy (oR sAtuRdAy) dRiVe

You want to really get out of earshot of the mall? Head north to the quiet desert hills where a few artisans’ places are semi-open to the public year-round and definitely open to the public during the holiday season. Dale Pappas hosts a sale of pottery and lathe-turned wood pieces at his Lemmon Valley studio, Peavine Pottery, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 24-26. If weather permits, he’s planning a demonstration of raku pottery around 1 p.m. on Nov. 25.

Farther north, near Doyle, California, and Red Rock, potters Paul Herman and Joe Winter have bulked up their selections of ceramic beer mugs, jugs, colanders and mugs for shoppers—and since December weather can be fickle, they’ve scheduled their holiday sales for five consecutive weekends, so if the road is icy on the day you want to go, you have a slew of backup plans.

Peavine Pottery Studio Sale

295 Oregon Blvd. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Nov. 24-26, with a raku demostration, weather permitting at approximately 1 p.m. Nov. 25 Paul Herman’s Great Basin Pottery 2017 Holiday Show

423-725 Scott Road Doyle, California 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 25-26 and Dec. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 and 23-24 Joe Winter’s Studio Sale

16620 Fetlock Drive 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 25-26 and Dec. 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17

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PiPer’s oPera house Players Presents The Nightmare Before Christmas

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newsreview.com Tickets: $25 • December 9, 15, 16 at 7Pm Sunday Matinee Dec. 17 at 1:30pm

piper’s Opera HOuse Has plenty Of tickets remaining! cOntact piper’s at 775-847-0433 Or better yet, email 4pipersHOuse@gmail.cOm 12 b st. • piper’s Opera House • 775-657-0639 • pipersoperahouseplayers.com