Artist says art helps to keep her young, healthy, creative
By Heather Milo
Acorn Staff Writer

Pastels artist Anita Stoll found getting involved in art rejuvenated her world.

Her pastel landscapes helped her rediscover an adolescent love of the outdoors, as well as to recapture her desire to paint, kindled when a child suffering from severe asthma, confined inside her home for long periods until she outgrew the illness. Now, thanks to the Hogan Family Foundation, Stoll has the opportunity to exhibit her latest collection at Gardens of the World Community Park,.

The art exhibit, which features some works of actual sites inside Gardens of the World as well as many other landscapes, will be available for viewing from June 24 through July 27. There will be a public artist’s reception from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sun., July 6.

Stoll works primarily in pastels. Many of the pieces are done from landscapes in Palmdale where she now resides.

LISA ADAMS/T.O.A. GARDENS OF MY WORLD-Pastel Artist, Anita Stoll, holds pieces of her artwork currently on display inside the Resource Center at The Gardens of the World Community Park.

Her love of nature is part of what motivates her work. As a grandmother she has taken up backpacking. Stoll made the decision a few years ago to no longer be what she called her "Couch Potato" self, and started down a path that lead to healthy weight loss. Backpacking and hiking filled her time as she began to explore the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains. From there, her passion for nature intensified, carrying over into her art when she was seized with the desire to again create. "I want to bring the beauty of nature closer to the people who can’t get to it," she said.

A senior citizen, Stoll’s desire to share the outdoors no doubt encompasses empathy for her peers who may not be able to so easily stroll the mountains. Proceeds from her show are going to the Goebel Senior Adult Center and the Hogan Family Foundation.

Stoll’s collection totals 29 original pieces, matted and framed in glass. Sometimes she completes a work in less than a day, and sometimes she works on them piecemeal, living with a work where she can view it everyday and add to it for six to nine months. "The painting controls itself—it tells me when it’s done," she said.

The Gardens of the World exhibit will be her second solo show, her first being near her hometown of Palmdale last year. Four galleries are currently representing Stoll, so she has also had the chance to be involved in shows with multiple artists.

Dale Cowgill, Gardens of the World director of development and public relations, said the park is booked for art exhibits through September 2004 as the center can be used by local artists whose work is in keeping with the image of the park.

"The reason we do this is to allow local artists to have a venue to show their work, and to support the arts," said Cowgill.