Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 7, 2015

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 7, 2015 

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis


“The magic happens when we invite accidents and 
mistakes to occur.” 

Lisa Agaran

Lisa Agaran teaches people like us to explore the 
true creativity within through the art of mixed 
media. If we have looked within ourselves and 
think we have no art at all crouching deep inside 
we are wrong. Lisa can coax it out through mixed 
media. What’s that? It’s blending collage, different 
acrylic applications, layering, textures and found 
objects...like those beautiful fall leaves and cute 
little acorns you walked past this 
morning, wishing you could do 
something with them. The thing 
about mixed media is that anyone 
at all, including us, with little or 
no prior experience can do it. In 
Lisa’s workshops folks are free to 
experiment, be spontaneous, and, 
as she says, the magic happens 
when we invite accidents and 
mistakes to occur. In art, there are 
no mistakes. Your art is what your 
heart wants to express.

 Having taken an art class at 
PCC once upon a time, I realized 
I was taking up the space of 
someone who actually had some 
clue about what the instructor 
was teaching. Needless to say, I 
dropped out, hung my head in 
shame and walked the three miles back to where 
I had parked my car. With Lisa and mixed media, 
there could have been a very different outcome for 
me and, if you’ve always wanted to create art that 
expresses who you are, help is in sight!

 Lisa Agaran teaches workshops for adults in 
several places, one of them our own Creative Arts 
Group right here on Baldwin. We got together 
this past week and had a splendid time. Lisa is a 
delightful person and would be fun to work with. 
She has a BFA from Art Center College of Design 
in Pasadena and a Masters in Psychology. After she 
achieved that Masters in Psychology, she stopped 
painting for a number of years and concentrated 
on being a therapist. Her Dad’s passing in 2008 
was a wake-up call for her to stop putting off art! 
She is a lifeline for those folks she calls “shadow 
artists,” people who long to express their creativity, 
but fear holds them back. Blending her artistic and 
psychology talents, she is now a creativity coach, 
helping people just like us to find their untapped 
potential. 

 If you take a look at Lisa’s website, 
ArtByLisaAgaran.com, you will see many of her 
completed works. I was particularly taken with 
her Lotus series. Lotus blossoms in various stages 
of life, from bud to full blown. The lotus signifies 
rebirth-transformation, which is what Lisa brings 
to her workshops, the opportunity for change 
within one’s self. She also has a “statue series” 
where she photographs statues, many with a 
mythological intent, and integrates them into her 
art. These are wonderful. We talked about statues 
at home and abroad, both that we’ve seen and 
would like to see. Lisa is always on the look-out for 
new statues.

 The thing about Lisa’s Mixed Media Workshops 
is that people are amazed at the end of just one day 
to see what they can do. They come in weighed 
down with fear and doubt about their ability to 
express themselves and end with a thing of beauty 
that is theirs forever. She also offers Visual Art 
Journaling, where you can record your travels, 
memorable moments, affirm your goals or dreams, 
or just have fun. If you are already journaling or 
blogging, Visual Journaling is a perfect addition 
where you can create without any prior artistic 
experience.

 Mark your calendar for the week of November 
14-21. Lisa has a solo show, “A Collective Body of 
Work,” at ArtCrush Studio, 2361 Lincoln Ave. in 
Altadena. There will be a pre-holiday sale, raffles 
where you have a chance to win an original 
piece, limited editions and prints at the Opening 
Reception which is 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, 
November 14th. Lisa will also be teaching 
workshops during the week of the exhibit. 

 Lisa says there is creativity within us all if it is 
encouraged. Remember art class in third grade 
where the teacher told you your horse looked 
nothing like a horse!! Hopefully, that doesn’t 
happen anymore. We need to have freedom to 
create for the sake of our own soul. If you don’t 
know where to start, Lisa Agaran and her Mixed 
Media Workshops might be your first step onto 
the yellow brick road of true creativity and finding 
your creative potential. For upcoming dates and 
registration, visit: TrueCreativityWithin.com. I 
hope to see you at Lisa’s show.

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 “Tablespoon of Love, Tablespoon of Laughter” is 
available there…

Christmas is coming! You’ll need gifts!


STAY SAFE WITH NIXLE ALERTS

Staying connected with the Sierra Madre Police 
Department is easier than ever. The City of 
Sierra Madre Police Department is encouraging 
its citizens to join them on Nixle, an online 
notification platform that keeps you up to date on 
the latest public safety news. As a subscriber, you 
will receive emails and/or mobile text messages 
the instant the Department issues an advisory, 
alert or community message.

 The ability to receive real-time alerts is a crucial 
asset during emergencies and natural disaster, 
including El Niño as it moves in and is predicted to 
cause frequent storms across Southern California. 
The result could lead to heavy rains, high winds 
and potential flooding. “The Sierra Madre Police 
Department, alongside other City departments, 
will be working hard to reduce the chance of 
injuries this winter,” said Assistant City Manager 
Elisa Cox. “Providing advanced warning through 
Nixle is just one way we plan to keep our citizens 
safe.”

 Signing up for Nixle is simple:

 Go to www.nixle.com and click Nixle Login at 
the top right of the page. 

 If you have previously signed up through text 
message, enter your mobile number into the 
Resident Login box and click the “Need your 
password” link. Otherwise, click on “Register now 
for free”.

 Once signed in, you will be taken to a directory 
page with suggested listings based on your zip 
code. Select the Search function at the top of 
directory.

 Enter Sierra Madre into the search field. 

 Check the box found under Sierra Madre Police 
Department and click the “Subscribe to selected 
agencies” button at the bottom of the page. 

 

 For more information about notification services 
and other online resources, visit the City’s website 
at: www.cityofsierramadre.com. 

IN MEMORIAM

DENIS PETER KEEGAN

December 17, 1949 - November 10, 2014


THE SHIP

 I am standing on the 
seashore. A ship at my 
side spreads her white 
sails to the morning 
breeze and starts for 
the blue ocean. She is 
an object of beauty and 
strength and I watch her 
until at length she hangs 
like a speck of white 
cloud just where the sea 
and sky come down to 
mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, "There, she's gone."

 Gone where? Gone from my sight - and that is all. she is just as large in mast and hull and spar 
as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of 
destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my 
side says "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to 
take up the glad shout,"Here she comes!" And that is dying. - Edward T. Sullivan


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com