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G rand Gestures ARTS
“It’s very much like dancing with a paintbrush,” says artist JANE CALLISTER about her most recent series of paintings. Departing from her usual technique of pouring paint to create abstracted landscapes, Callister has begun wielding a double-headed brush, a process that clearly documents her gestures on the canvas. Callister’s first forays using this technique focused on varying shades of gray, a nostalgic nod to the often cloudy skies of her native Isle of Man. Further exploration led to vibrant color combinations, reflecting the sunshine of her adopted homeland—Santa Barbara. A side-by-side comparison of the two color schemes provokes a fascinating dialogue about light, shadow, and movement. Callister has been included in more than 100 exhibitions worldwide and has been a professor of art at UC Santa Barbara for 21 years. A show of her latest paintings opens January 7 at Royale Projects in Los Angeles. L . D . P O R T E R
Jane Callister’s SKYTOOKHOLD , acrylic
on canvas, 24 x 24 in.
The Write Stuff Like Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, TRACY AND SIMON TOLKIEN —with nine books between them—are
a literary power couple. The two met in 1982 in Oxford, England—where Tracy was studying the work of T.S. Eliot— just days before she returned to her native St. Louis. Britishborn Simon was enraptured and wrote to her daily for a year until Tracy agreed to come back to England. Marriage and children followed; the family relocated to Santa Barbara six years ago. “We came because we put a pin on the map,” says Simon, somewhat in jest. Clockwise from Adds Tracy, “We came top right: Vintage 1970s Yves Saint here as part of a holiday, Laurent metal belt and we never looked at with faux turquoise another place.” cabochons available Neither started out as on Tracy Tolkien’s a writer. Simon began his 1stdibs store; professional career as a TRACY AND criminal lawyer (Britain SIMON TOLKIEN at home in Hope separates legal tasks Ranch with Roxy, between solicitors and
barristers—Simon was both). He had always wanted to be a writer but was overwhelmed by the shadow of his worldfamous grandfather J.R.R. Tolkien, who penned The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Even so, he eventually made the plunge, starting with courtroom dramas (Final Witness, Inheritance) and moving on to historical thrillers (King of Diamonds, Orders from Berlin). In his most recent work, No Man’s Land (2016, Doubleday)—the fictional story of a young man whose life is upended by love and war—Simon pays literary tribute to his grandfather’s World War I experiences. A true history buff—it was his major at Trinity College—Simon’s books span the 20th century. Tracy’s path to writing was also indirect. Finding a dearth of jobs in London for her art history degree, she noticed the local antique market sold costume jewelry similar to what her mother collected at home. After buyers eagerly scooped up a box of jewelry her mother sent, Tracy was hooked and opened her own space. Ultimately, her passion for vintage included clothing as well, leading to the creation of Steinberg & Tolkien, a 10,000-square-foot store in Chelsea. (The store’s inventory was legendary; its closure in 2007 was mourned by London’s Daily Mail.) In her spare time, Tracy began writing about her wares, authoring four authoritative books including Dressing Up Vintage (2000, Rizzoli), focusing on the ins and outs of collecting vintage items. She hasn’t entirely abandoned retail; Tracy stocks several cases and a booth at the Antique Center Mall, 805-967-5700, antiquecentermall.com, on Hollister Avenue and maintains her online store Steinberg & Tolkien on 1st Dibs, 1stdibs.com/dealers/steinberg-and-tolkien. L . D . P .
Arts
Remmie, and Sadie.
S I M O N TO L K I E N .CO M S A N TA B A R B A R A