Finished art can be a little coy about how it came to be. A canvas hanging serenely on a wall seldom reveals the wrong turns, sudden inspirations and flashes of creative panic that preceded it.
Artists at Work, however, is all about showing the work behind the artwork.
From 11am to 5pm, Saturday, Sept. 26, more than 60 artists will open their studios throughout all three floors of Sausalito’s historic ICB Building. Visitors can wander the waterfront complex, speak directly with artists and watch as paintings and other works take shape in real time.
The free event occurs only twice a year, making it a relatively rare opportunity to see ICB less as a gallery than as a functioning creative ecosystem—one complete with tools, works in progress and, presumably, the occasional inspired mess—or masterpiece.
Among the participating artists is painter Sharon Paster, who will work on two five-foot-square oil paintings simultaneously in her third-floor studio.
“Having two canvases in play at the same time gives me permission to take more risks,” Paster says. “I can push the color or make a move on one that I might hesitate to make if I had only one painting going.”
That parallel process permits a kind of creative call and response. A decision made on one canvas can provoke a different choice on the other, while neither painting must bear the full weight of the experiment.
Visitors will be able to watch those choices accumulate—and sometimes get reconsidered.
“Visitors will get to see that process unfold in real time, including the decisions, changes of direction and surprises that happen along the way,” Paster points out.
Working before an audience might sound like artistic stage fright in the making, but Paster welcomes the interplay. In addition to painting throughout the day, she has scheduled a more formal demonstration from 1:30 to 2pm.
“While I work and talk to visitors simultaneously, some interesting things usually start to happen on the canvas unconsciously,” she says. “It’s fun to see how it goes; you just never know. And it’s only paint—never a loss, even if I end up painting over it later.”
The event also gives visitors a close look at the instruments of the trade. Paster works almost exclusively with oil pigment sticks rather than conventional tubes of paint. The sticks allow her to draw, layer, scrape and blend color directly on the canvas without first mixing it on a palette.
“I think the way I use them is somewhat unusual, and I really enjoy showing people how they work,” she notes. “I’m pretty enthusiastic about my tools, and it’s fun when visitors get excited about them too.”
Her studio’s spaciousness and third-floor views may provide additional enticement, but Paster says the building’s real asset is its community of artists working together under one roof.
That community is the essential subject of Artists at Work. The event reframes art as something people do rather than merely something people buy. Works will nevertheless be available for purchase—and, according to organizers, many may be taken home the same day.
“This day is really special for all of us,” Paster says. “Visitors have the chance to understand why and how each artist approaches their work, which is what gives the finished pieces even more meaning.”
There is another advantage for the artists: The studios are presented as they actually function.
“Artists themselves love it because we don’t have to do anything special,” Paster says, “like clean up or serve food.”
‘Artists at Work’ takes place from 11am to 5pm, Saturday, Sept. 26, at the ICB Building, 480 Gate 5 Rd., Sausalito. Admission and parking are free, and all ages are welcome. Visit icbart.com.
