Ojai is one of the world's exceptional places where summer days are long and delicious. The Ojai Valley is a haven for artists from all over the world. The Happy Valley Foundation owns 450 acres of land in the upper Ojai Valley where the Beatrice Wood Studio is situated. This is where Wood created her celebrated artwork and where in 1998, she passed away at the age of 105.
The Beatrice Wood Studio showcases a gallery and exhibition rooms set among native California plants and cactus along with an assortment of hummingbirds, wild rabbits, and other various wildlife.
"You walk through the front door of the studio and see the beautiful pink walls, Wood's favorite color. Then tour the art gallery and her workroom-studio," says Martin Gewirtz, studio director. "It was her dream to establish a cultural center here. Wood didn't want a museum but would have loved to have visiting artists."
According to Gewirtz, Wood's pottery can best be described as sophisticated primitive but she is best known out in the world for her lustre pottery glazes and lustre ware. Over the years, Wood gathered an extensive collection of folk art that is displayed today throughout her studio.
"Ojai is a wonderful eclectic mix full of different people. It is a small town in this huge valley with mountains,' said Gewirtz. "In the late winter our mountains will be snowcapped.
As the long summer day shortens into night, I carry away memories of a day spent appreciating a gifted artist and the beauty of the Ojai Valley.
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