Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/819918
Inspired by Nature's Drama C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 151 N AILED TO THE JAMBS EMBRACING THE DOOR OF A DOLORES STREET ART GALLERY ARE DOZENS OF ORDINARY, HARDWARE-STORE PAINT BRUSHES. THEIR TIPS ARE CRUSTED IN A MYRIAD OF HUES OF DRIED PAINT. THIS RIOT OF COLOR SERVES AS A WEL- COME MAT AND A TEASER OF WHAT LIES INSIDE: THE ANYTHING-BUT-ORDINARY COLLECTION OF ARTWORKS INSIDE. THESE ARE THE OILS OF JOHNNY APODACA, A MAN WITH ONE FOOT IN THE PAST AND THE RICH TRADITION OF EARLY CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE ARTISTS AND THE VERY CONTEMPORARY, 21ST-CENTURY DISCIPLINE OF ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONISM. HE MELDS THE TWO WORLDS EFFORTLESSLY—EVEN POETICALLY— INTO A STYLE UNIQUELY CALIFORNIA, UNIQUE- LY MONTEREY PENINSULA AND ABOVE ALL, UNIQUELY JOHNNY APODACA. "I ENJOY THE WORKS OF ROBINSON JEFFERS," THE PAINTER SAYS. "HIS POETRY INSPIRES IN ME A SENSE OF DRAMA, LIKE THE DRAMA WE SEE— AND JEFFERS SAW—AROUND US IN THE LAND- SCAPE OF THE MONTEREY PENINSULA; THE SEA, THE ROCKS, THE MOUNTAINS, THE SKY. IN ALL MY PAINTINGS, I TRY TO INSTILL THAT DRAMA." The Painted Poetr y of Johnny Apodaca B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D