Imagine holding an entire art exhibition in the palm of your hand. For Orcutt-based contemporary painter Lori Mole, the concept isn't far-fetched, especially in the form of a desk calendar for 2021. Mole is one of a handful of local artists showcasing their original works in the form of next year's calendar.

"It makes a great stocking stuffer," said Mole, who usually draws inspiration from her travels around the country.

While the pandemic put a halt to most of her trips this year, Mole was able to paint new works from her past sketches, compiled in multiple sketchbooks for more than a decade.

With one painting per month, Mole's desk calendar highlights 12 of her acrylic pieces. Rockin' Cab, featured on the September page, was inspired by a drawing Mole sketched at a Cajun restaurant in Chicago.

• Courtesy Image By Lori Mole
• THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED Orcutt artist Lori Mole's desk calendar highlights 12 of her acrylic paintings, including Rockin' Cab, featured on the September page, which was inspired by a Cajun restaurant she once visited in Chicago.

"Musical instruments hung from the ceiling and all over the walls," said Mole, whose illustration of the eatery is riddled with musical notes and other stylistic details, inviting viewers to play a round of I Spy within the frame.

Mole's other pieces in the calendar include August's Chardonnay Day, a still life painted from a sketch she drew at Hudson Street Winery in Healdsburg, and November's In the Mood, inspired by a big band concert she attended in Santa Rosa years ago.

Meanwhile, Lompoc printmaker Angelina LaPointe is showcasing a variety of her block print illustrations through her 2021 calendar. As a linoleum block printer, LaPointe carves each of her images into the linoleum's surface, "creating what is essentially a giant stamp," she said while discussing the process.

"Each color has its own block, and they are layered to create the final image," said LaPointe, who is inspired by the traditions of Japanese woodblock printing, the bold color blocking of many comic books and children's books, and other motifs.

• Courtesy Image By Angelina Lapointe
• WILD AT HEART Lompoc printmaker Angelina LaPointe is showcasing a variety of her block print illustrations through her 2021 Flora and Fauna calendar. Each month includes a different portrait of local wildlife.

The theme of LaPointe's 2021 calendar is flora and fauna, as each month includes a different portrait depicting either local or regional wildlife—both "familiar and exotic," the artist said.

"We have such a diverse climate and ecology. Go 50 miles and you're in a completely different microclimate," said LaPointe, who also attributes the style of her wildlife prints to art found in the science books she grew up loving.

"The 1970s earth tone color palettes and faded illustrations have a special place in my heart and are mirrored in my work," she said.

As for other locally produced calendars, a few Central Coast photographers are showcasing their portfolios through the format, including Paul Irving of Big Big SLO and Bayside Life. An avid boater as well as photographer, Irving captures most of his coastal landscapes around Baywood Park and Morro Bay. Irving's classic wall-style calendar offers patrons the chance to enjoy these scenic views "all year round," according to his website. Arroyo Grande local Amy Joseph, owner and founder of Central Coast Pictures Fine Art Photography, also specializes in landscapes and is using her 2021 calendar to highlight several destinations throughout San Luis Obispo County.

• Courtesy Photo By Amy Joseph
• CAVE OF WONDERS Arroyo Grande photographer Amy Joseph, owner and founder of Central Coast Pictures Fine Art Photography, is using her 2021 calendar to highlight several destinations throughout SLO County, including the sea caves of Pismo Beach.

"It's paradise for a photographer," Joseph said of her home region. "The landscapes are so diverse on the Central Coast. You can be at the beach taking amazing coastal shots one minute, and drive 5 miles inland and be at a vineyard in Edna Valley, or a few miles north and be hiking up one of the nine sister volcanic mountains with 360 degree views. I mean, what more could a photographer ask for?"

Of all the locales featured in her new photography calendar, Joseph's favorite spot to shoot at was probably the sea caves of Pismo Beach, based partly on nostalgia, she explained.

"That is where I used to spend most of my time as a kid at the beach. It was the place to get away from the crowds at Pismo or Avila," Joseph said. "They were always fun to explore, even if you knew every inch of them. It was like having your own private paradise." Δ

Send stocking stuffers to Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood at [email protected].