Borg’s books have won the Ben Franklin Award for Best Mystery of the Year, made several bestseller lists, and have received numerous rave reviews in journals and newspapers across the country.

Meet Todd at his premier booksigning event on Friday, July 30, from 4pm to 7pm at Artifacts  located in the Raley’s Village Center, 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

TAHOE HEAT is about a young bio-tech genius named Ryan Lear whose life is threatened when scientists at his company make an amazing high-altitude discovery at the company’s lab on the side of Mt. Rose above Lake Tahoe.

When Ryan Lear hires Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna to investigate, McKenna finds clues to a killer in a message encoded in a piano tuner’s last tuning and in a wild Mustang who is roaming Tahoe’s forests, far from the desert where Mustangs live.

McKenna can’t figure out the meaning of the piano tuning code or the reason why the Mustang is lost, but he realizes that both are connected to a vicious killer who is planning the ultimate revenge…

The mesmerizing Tahoe landscape gave Borg the idea for a series of award winning novels with a detective protagonist who lives at Lake Tahoe. The result was Owen McKenna, an ex-cop with a tragic background who moved from The City (San Francisco) to the mountains to study art and earn a slightly more genteel living as a private detective.  But that didn’t last long.

Masterfully portrayed in his eight mystery thrillers, Borg’s novels cleverly integrate Lake Tahoe landmarks and hot spots, history, local culture and the Tahoe art scene into the plot that add a captivating element for readers who try to literally find the scene of the crime. Borg’s thrillers are not only full of intrigue and suspense, they have become unofficial guide books used by many of his fans to tour Lake Tahoe’s more interesting digs.

Tahoe DEATH FALL and Tahoe AVALANCHE are set at Emerald Bay, Tahoe BLOWUP deals with an arsonist, Tahoe ICE GRAVE incorporates a manuscript by Mark Twain, Tahoe KILL SHOT includes a dead mountain biker on the famous Flume Trail, Tahoe SILENCE is about a young mute artist, Tahoe NIGHT integrates sailing and art forgery, and now Tahoe HEAT…

Learn more about Todd and all of his books at www.ToddBorg.com.  And, you can meet Todd in person at one of his talks, readings and booksignings throughout the summer and fall.

July 30, 2010 4-7 p.m. Premier Booksigning for TAHOE HEAT (the 8th Owen McKenna mystery) at Artifacts, 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd (in the Raley’s Village Center just southwest of Heavenly Village) (530) 543-0728

July 31, 2010 11 a.m. Talk/Reading/Signing TAHOE HEAT Sundance Bookstore,1155 W. Fourth St, Reno, NV (775) 786-1188, Reno

August 1, 2010 11 a.m. Signing TAHOE HEAT Borders, Reno, 4995 S. Virginia, Reno, NV (775) 448-9999

August 1, 2010 3 p.m. Talk/Reading/Signing TAHOE HEAT Eddy Street Books, 1225 Eddy St, Gardnerville, NV 89410 (775) 782-5484

August 4, 2010 6 p.m. Talk/Reading and signing TAHOE HEAT at the South Lake Tahoe/Eldorado Public Library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA (530) 573-3185 (Signing at 6 p.m., Talk at 7 p.m.)

August 5, 2010 5-7 p.m. Signing TAHOE HEAT at Lake Tahoe Master Framing, 3440 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 (530) 541-8438

August 7, 2010 11-1 p.m. Signing TAHOE HEAT Borders Carson City, 911 Topsy Lane, Carson City, NV 89705 (775) 267-0755

August 7, 2010 3-5 p.m. Signing TAHOE HEAT Bookshelf @ the Boatworks Mall

August 14, 2010 9-11 a.m. Signing TAHOE HEAT at The Red Hut @ Ski Run, South Lake Tahoe

August 14, 2010 3 p.m. Talk, reading, and signing TAHOE HEAT at El Dorado Arts Council, 459 Main St., Placerville, CA

August 21, 2010 11 a.m. Talk and signing TAHOE HEAT, at Book Seller Bookstore, 107 Mill Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945

September 11 & 12, 2010 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Exhibiting and signing at the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, Mountain View, CA

September 25 & 26, 2010 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m.Exhibiting and signing at the Saratoga Art & Wine Festival, Saratoga, CA

October 1, 2 & 3, 2010, Fri,12 – 9 pm, Sat,10 am – 7 pm, Sun, 10 am – 5 pm Exhibiting and signing at the Sacramento Arts Festival, Convention Center, Sacramento, CA

Stauss will conduct a painting demonstration at the Tahoe Art League August 11 meeting held at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center from 7pm to 9pm.  The public is invited to meet Randall who loves to capture the wonderment of Lake Tahoe and particularly the people who enjoy it that he often includes in his paintings.

Stauss’ watercolor plein air paintings have captured the essence of Lake Tahoe and the west coast for over thirty years.  He is an unassuming local figure who is often seen painting along the lake’s edge capturing local scenes.

A third generation Oregonian, Stauss began drawing and painting at an early age.  Encouraged by his parents, he began taking art lessons at the Portland Art Museum. He studied at the Portland Art Institute, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. In 1985 he was accepted as a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, which was also the year he began his popular workshops. He and his wife, Edith, often travel to paint in new surroundings and now live in Carnelian Bay. In 2007, he conducted a workshop in Paris in Oils and gave classes in Watercolor Painting in India. Randall has also published an art book, Watercolors of Randall Stauss.

Essentially a representational painter, Randall is equally comfortable in both watercolor and oil painting. “The medium isn’t so important, although we won’t be able to express what we see and feel without a certain command of our materials,” explains Stauss. “Two of my favorite painters are Childe Hassam and Winslow Homer, although they painted much differently. Hassam’s work looks like it was joy to paint, and Homer was always looking for the truth of the matter.”

The Tahoe Art League Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Shore.

For more information about the Tahoe Art League, please visit the TAL website.

Chris’ current photography exhibit at the North Tahoe Event Center is an ensemble of Lake Tahoe and international scenes on canvas. This new exhibit will include an international trilogy of scenes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand as well as Tahoe panoramas, trilogies and single pieces. Chris uses both a Mamiya 7II rangefinder camera and a solid Nikon F5. Fuji Velvia 50 is the film of choice.

“I don’t like changing what was put in front of me by God. That is not my job,” says artist Chris Talbot.

Chris has lived in North Lake Tahoe for the past 34 years. As a Tahoe based travel-resort-landscape-wedding photographer Chris Talbot has been aiming his lenses at beautiful subject matter for twenty-five years. He has travelled to over 29 countries and spends three months of the year based out of Saigon, Vietnam. Chris says, “My job is easy. Capture beautiful images and show the world. I’m a lucky man.”

More information on his Photography is available at his website www.talbotimages.com.  Also, look for the Lake Tahoe Tube (lithographs) at numerous Lake Tahoe Retail outlets.

The public is invited to visit the North Tahoe Event Center during normal business hours to view the art on display at no charge. The North Tahoe Event Center has partnered with North Tahoe Arts and the Art in Public Places program to provide rotating art exhibits available to the public. The Center hopes to provide a more inviting atmosphere through the showing of artwork with a connection to the North Tahoe Community, either through the artist or content of the work.

Teri, a transplant from Phoenix, Arizona to Gardnerville, Nevada, was a successful interior designer for 20 years. She now focuses all of her time on creating art and teaching art classes, many at the TAL Art Center. Teri has become a real force in the expanding Carson Valley art scene and opened Artistic Viewpoints Gallery and Studio with her husband Bill, in the Copeland Cultural Arts Building in Minden. In May, Teri will hold a 4-day art class at Dillman’s Bay Resort and Creative Arts Foundation in Wisconsin.

Teri has participated in numerous juried shows and has won many awards. For years, she has been exploring the various facets of watercolors.

In her own words:

“The distinctive qualities of watercolors intrigue me and keep me experimenting with different ideas. I love the fluidity and transparency of the medium and try to let those elements represent my vision in each painting. My goal is to not give a photo realistic impression of a subject, but my artistic rendition through the many unique and surprising ‘accidents’ that can happen when using watercolors. Although I have a tendency to try to control my art, I strive to turn the control over to the medium and still achieve a recognizable image.”

Introduction to Watercolor with Teri Sweeney

Every Tuesday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm

$35 (Includes materials)

TAL Workshop Classroom
Ski Run Center
Ski Run Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe, CA

For Information or to Register Contact: Dee Miller-Meyer at (775) 588-5416, or Teri Sweeney at (775) 790-9261, or e-mail: workshops@talart.org

Teri will also be teaching Landscapes in Watercolor July 22, 23, 24, 25; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Woodward received her Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from San Diego State University, where she studied printmaking and pottery. She has since instructed these mediums at California Western University, the Palo Alto Art Club, the Napa Valley Arts Council Education Program and at Lake Tahoe Community College. Woodward’s artwork has been displayed in many California art galleries and has been featured throughout the state in invitational and juried art shows. Woodward has been working and residing in South Lake Tahoe since 1999.

The Ceramic Workshop will be a hand building class in which the students will be interviewed and allowed to work at their own level of ability throughout the 4 weeks of instruction. Woodward will be limiting the class to only 15 students and working with the assistance of Larry Goodman in order to provide students as much help as possible.

The class will be held Mondays and Fridays for four weeks at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Boulevard.

Class Fee is $200 plus $35 for materials that include one bag of clay and glazes. Classes can be taken on an individual basis at $30 per class, space permitting.

For information, please call Lynn Woodward at (530)544-1482, Dee Miller-Meyer at (775) 588-5416 or email workshops@talart.org.

Yerian spent his childhood in Santa Ana and the Yucca Valley of California. The desert landscape and rustic, worn architecture have become the foundation for his artistic aesthetic.

After two separate events that claimed the lives of his younger sister and father, Bryan was left with many unanswered questions regarding the fragility, value, and purpose of life. Recent, more positive experiences have helped to answer these questions. In 2007, he married his partner of eight years, and, with the birth of their daughter that same year, entered a new phase of his life, in which he is reminded daily of the astonishing beauty of birth and the cyclical nature of life. These events have proven very influential and, ultimately, are that which drive his artistic production.

In 2003, Yerian received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State University, and was immediately hired as the Technician for the Humboldt State Sculpture Department. In 2005, he was accepted into San Jose State University’s Master of Fine Arts program, and in the spring of 2008, he received his terminal degree in the Spatial Arts.

Yerian’s work has been selected for exhibition by such jurors as Sherman Hall, Senior Editor of Ceramics Monthly, and Michael Wilson, Senior Editor of Art Forum.

Artist Statement:

My art is a testimony to the mundane; a celebration of the commonplace. I am interested in the collision of art and life, and how art can be used to interpret, as well as exemplify life. My work simultaneously contains humorous, analytical, emotional, and clinical elements that illustrate the striking contrasts I observe in the everyday. I reflect upon these ironic, oxymoronic experiences I have had in my choice of materials, objects, and processes.

In art, materials have an inherent visual language, just as objects have a symbolic language. What is the foundation of this language? For me, it originates in memories and associations I have made since birth, which are the software for my psyche. I desire the combination of visual elements, the composition that best describes the importance I find in the everyday hero of personal influence. The found objects and material combinations I am most attracted to challenge these expectations, and encourage the discovery of beauty in the overlooked and unexpected. I view my art as a byproduct of a process, the act of living. As time continuously advances, my art has become a commentary on a futile pursuit of preserving a moment in time.

The TAL meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd., from 7 to 9pm, and are open to all. Check the TAL website, www.talart.org, for more information. Also, be sure to visit the Art Center Gallery, between the Senior Center and the Visitor’s Center and the Showcase Gallery, in the “Red Hut” center, at Ski Run and Tahoe Blvd.

Clay Times® magazine invites submissions from ceramic artists and students for the juried exhibition, “A New Decade of Clay: 2010” to take place at Northstar-at-Tahoe September 18 – October 16, 2010.

Submissions are due July 12, 2010 so act quick.

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Richard Shaw will jury the exhibit which is co-sponsored by Clay Times, Sierra Nevada College, and Northstar-at-Tahoe.

Winners will receive spectacular cash awards and prizes including Clay Times cover story, Sierra Nevada College ceramics scholarships, weekend lodging at Northstar-at-Tahoe.

The exhibition will be held in the Village at Northstar-at-Tahoe, which is offering discounted lodging packages for the weekend. Richard Shaw will be in attendance, as well as Polly Beach, editor of Clay Times magazine.The opening reception will be September 18, 2010, and the show will continue through October 16, 2010.

Call for Entries:

“A New Decade of Clay: 2010″ Exhibition
presented by Clay Times with Sierra Nevada College & Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort

Eligibility:

Open to all ceramic artists from the U.S.A. All entries must be at least 70% ceramic art, either functional and/or sculptural, and must have been completed during the last three years. There will be a separate student category open to high school and college students. Submissions must be original creations by the artist.

Entry Fee:

There is a non-refundable fee of $25 for up to three entries per individual. And, if you are a Sierra Nevada College student it’s only $15.

For more details about submissions, click here.

Every Wednesday, you can learn to paint a different subject while trying a variety of watercolor techniques and having fun.

Classes are perfect for absolute beginners or experienced students and include demonstrations and lots of individual help.

Watercolor Wednesdays

July 7 – August 25, 2010
10 am to 4pm

$50 per class

Classes are limited to 12 students, so reserve your spot early. Call Jan at 775-833-1144. Classes will be held at her studio in Incline Village.

Watercolors By Jan Foss
120 Country Club Drive, #21 in Incline Village

This year, workshops will be offered on some Tuesdays as well and students will pay only $90 if they sign up for both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Subjects for each class are as follows:

• July 7 – Paint a Wildflower Bouquet in the wet-in-wet style using salt to create Queen Anne’s Lace
• July 14 – Abstract Techniques – Use plastic wrap, gauze and rice paper to create wonderful textures
• July 20th & 21st – Two-day Rose Workshop — Wild Roses in the wet-in-wet wet style and a Hybrid Tea Rose with dew drops on the petals. ($90 if you take both days)
• July 27 & 28 – Christmas in July – Paint this year’s holiday card – create a winter landscape using masking fluid & a brilliant red Poinsettia learning about negative painting
• August 3 & 4 – Landscape Workshop – Paint a forest scene with sunlight coming through the trees and a Tahoe Landscape with wildflowers. Learn to paint skies, rocks, trees and create the texture of foliage.
• August 10 & 11 – 2-day Flower Painting for Beginners – Petunias are a great summer annual and we will paint them in two very different styles so you can learn a variety of watercolor tricks and techniques. ($90 if you take both days)
• August 17 & 18 – 2-day Flower Painting for Advanced Students – We will paint hanging begonias in the wet-in-wet style and the beautiful orchid in a more direct approach. ($90 if you take both days)
• August 25 – Finishing Workshop – Give your unfinished works the WOW Factor. Find out what finishing touches — bright color, darks, more detail – are needed to make viewers go WOW! when they view your work. Bring all your unfinished paintings to class.

Continuing to display his indisputable talents in high school, he became the first recipient of the Stephen David Epstein Memorial Scholarship which made him eligible to study anywhere in the world for one year.

He chose to study in Paris. With Picasso.  Meet David Russo of South Lake Tahoe.

David’s illustrious career as a fine artist started at five years old when his mother gave me him watercolors, brushes and a really cheap pad of paper.

During the time David spent with Picasso, he stayed at the master’s home and studio in France. He traveled with Picasso, observed the master at work, and received instruction from him in various art forms and styles.

Upon returning home, he was asked about his tenure as the “National Boy of the Year.” David replied, “I met a lot of great people; governors, senators, movie stars, and even the President of the United States, but to be the student of Picasso, now that’s the greatest of all.”

David went on to receive a Master’s of Art degree from San Francisco State, a Masters in physical education from University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Art from Stanford University. He then worked in the California college system as an art instructor and coach until I retired in 1985 and has lived in South Lake Tahoe since.  David is a member of the Tahoe Art League, and has been the impetus behind the TAL Plein Air Painting summer series held at idyllic spots in Lake Tahoe.

David is also teaching a Watercolor Workshop in July 201o in South Lake Tahoe.

July 6, 8, 13, and 15
6:00pm to 8:30 pm
$25 per day or $90 for 4 classes

TAL Workshop Classroom
Ski Run Center behind Red Hut in South Lake Tahoe
Ski Run Boulevard and Hwy 50

For more information and to register, please contact: Dee Miller-Meyer at (775) 588-5416, or e-mail: workshops@talart.org

(Note: The Trolley does not allow kayaks. Doh!)

Oh yeah…And it includes the most thorough description for kayaking around the lake.

The Unofficial Guide to Kayaking Tahoe

The detail of information and pen and ink drawings by 28-year local artist and fun hog, Don Sullivan, a.k.a. Blindman, are remarkable.

The guide is riddled with meticulous drawings of kayak gear, rescue procedures, Tahoe flora, historic mansions, and campgrounds, as well as the classics like kayak camp, camo camping, and the satirical rendering of all things Lake Tahoe.

The best part – Don prints and binds the book “at my home, with my own two hands with loving care.”

Besides sharing his love of kayaking, the lake, nature and just plain fun, Don provides the inside scoop for day excursions and an unforgettable kayak trip around the Lake including an illustrated fishing guide.

Kayaking Tahoe, The Unofficial Guide includes EVERYTHING you need to know about kayaking – and more! For only $13.95 it’s a steal. It’s almost like the Unofficial guide to Tahoe …

• Boating fuel stops
• Campground maps (hand drawn)
• Lodging
• Restaurants & Bars on the water
• Supply stops
• Packing lists
• Helpful tips
• Emergency info
• Mansion tours
• Nude beaches
• Nature
• Short hikes
• Fishing guide
• Snorkling
• Golf courses (in a kayak guide?)

Don has lived in Tahoe since 1979, and his love of the outdoors and early California history lead him to write about his favorite topic: Lake Tahoe.

Own the Book.

You can find the Unofficial Guide at the Bookshelf in Tahoe City and Truckee, Tahoe Park General Store next to Sunnyside, Lakeside Inn & Casino, Fox Gas, Sierra Ski and Cycle Works, Sports LTD., Kayak Sports Rentals and the Lake Tahoe Community College.

Or contact Don via email, direct mail or phone orders:

edonsullivan@aol.com