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DAY 3, Saturday, October 12 I returned to Santa Cruz for the second weekend of the show, and was anxious to get better acquainted with the town. I spent the morning cruising the west side, along Mission, then West Cliff Drive, and into the tight knit neighborhood around Erret Circle.

After breakfast at La Mission restaurant, and the best huevos rancheros I've had since San Miguel Allende, I started my tour of the west side. A lucky hunch, and a personal love of unique ceramics, led me to the skillfully crafted work of Karen Massaro. Karen's pieces are clearly the work of a master ceramist.

At the home of Renee Flower, I found myself caught up in the excitement of patrons selecting their favorites from stacks of whimsical, illustrative watercolors prepared especially for the Open Studios event. Renee's work ranges from children's illustration to larger gallery pieces.

I focused my explorations on a group of artists located on or near Mission Street, where I discovered the studio of Nicholas Coroneos in a busy light industrial center. Nicholas paints monumental natural scenes. A series of images of cacti was the focus of his work for this year's show.

In a smaller commercial structure on west Mission I had my second look at the work of Steven Lundberg. Steven creates elegant blown and molded glass in a well organized studio setting. Steven is clearly a professional, and the dedication to his craft is obvious in his work.

The afternoon was waning, and I headed north from Mission Street. I selected a promising grouping of artists off Western Avenue, across the street from the rolling hills of the Wilder Ranch State Park. There I found the home and printing studio of Andrea Rich. Andrea is a prolific woodblock printer. Her images of animals and nature are both sensitive and expertly crafted.

I ended the day viewing the work of Lea Pianna. Lea's fiberglass sculpture is vivacious and illuminating. Each piece is theatrical, personal, and endowed with a somewhat disturbing inner life.