Local artist aspires to mentor others

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers CREATOR- Douglas Tharalson adds texture and color to one of his paintings. The local artist is inspired by the cubist style and the Bohemian lifestyle associated with the art form. Although the cubist movement didn't last long, it triggered a creative explosion that still resonates in the works of Douglas Tharalson, a local painter, sculptor and welder who hopes to create a nonprofit institute for artists of all types.

"Art is the great communicator. It surpasses all languages. It allows people to take a pause in their busy daily lives and imagine," said Tharalson.

In cubism, objects and portraits are delineated, enabling viewers to see multiple dimensions at once. The style was developed in the early 20th century by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso who were influenced by Paul Cézanne's post-impressionist art.

Passion in paradise

"The cubist lifestyle is equally as important as the art itself," said Tharalson, who was mentored by California artists Jirayr Zorthian, Jean Varda and Robert Branham.

These individuals created their own environment and they had an unstoppable passion for building, painting, sculpting and living life to its fullest through art, said Tharalson, who noted that Branham lives in the Malibu area.

Tharalson lives with his family on a 2.5-acre property nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains between Agoura and Malibu. The idyllic site is a perfect springboard for the imaginative man who handcrafted almost everything on the homestead, including the rust-colored rebar front gate, a pig-shaped barbecue, and sculptured walls adorning the back of the parcel.

"Instead of standing on the outside of his dreams he (Tharalson) creates them constantly," said his wife, Diana.

Nowadays Tharalson spends most of his time in his studio, painting richly colored acrylic and oil canvases for local street art fairs and Arizona's annual Celebration of Fine Art show.

"Every painting or sculpture teaches you how to do the next one," said Tharalson. Each piece or painting has a life of its own, he said as he added textured shades of green paint to his latest work.

Tharalson first began to show his work at the Calabasas Art Festival and things took off from there, he said.

He now travels to Scottsdale, Ariz. at the beginning of each year to participate in the Fine Art show. The 70-day event enables him to spend time working around other artists without distractions, he said.

More than 1,000 artists apply to be part of the event but only 100 or so are accepted, said Tharalson. He earns more than half his annual income selling his works at the show.

Aside from the Scottsdale show, Tharalson displays his work only at local outdoor art exhibits because he likes to meet neighbors and invite them to his studio where they can select an art piece that appeals to them.

"They're not just buying a piece of art, they're adopting it," said Tharalson, comparing his studio/ gallery to an orphanage. "People look at their painting and they communicate with it and it communicates back to them," he said.

"Tharalson's art is visually unique and dynamic," said longtime family friend Betsy Melber, owner of Agoura Dance.

Dream to reality

Now that he's almost an elder in the California art scene, Tharalson hopes to pass on what he's learned from his mentors to the next generation of talented artists.

"You can't just have an idea, you have to execute it," he said. Tharalson is working to form a board of directors to fund the Cornell Institute for Artistic Exploration, which would be located on his property.

Six artists would live onsite to create in a no-pressure setting for three months without distractions or financial worries, said Tharalson. The institute would not be an art school, just a quiet,inspiring place where artists are encouraged.

"I believe," he said, "that for every desperate artist who is a genius waiting for his or her work to be discovered, there are three philanthropists out there willing to support them."

The art culture and exchange of ideas would help sustain the area as a whole, said Calabasas City Council member and local Resource Conservation District board member Dennis Washburn. "The environment is part of the artist and the artist preserves or conserves the environment," said Washburn.

"Doug and his wife, Diana, are working to preserve the area's culture, using the quality of the land to promote artists and natural conservation," Washburn said.

Building a foundation

The Tharalsons are both creative people. In addition to owning a welding business and working in construction doing carpentry and woodworking for many years, they also hold several patents for a successful line of baby products conceived when their four daughters were young.

"Doug owned a structural steel production corporation where he and his crew have created some of the most unique homes and buildings in the region. His place is like a giant sculpture and it's ideal to promote artistic expression and natural conservation," Washburn said.

The Tharalson property is one of few in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains zoned for commercial use. It is surrounded by the Peter Strauss Ranch and several art businesses which work together to preserve the artistic feel of the region, according to Washburn.

A retrospective of Tharalson's paintings will be exhibited at the nearby Cornell Winery and Tasting Room at 29975 Mulholland Hwy., which is slated to open before Thanksgiving.

"We're surrounded by artists so I decided to dedicate all my walls to art," said winery owner Tim Skogstrom.

Tharalson is a high-caliber hands-on artist who uses multiple media in his paintings. "I fell in love with his art," said Skogstrom.