Jon Gariepy, Artist and my Father

This is my Dad, Jon Gariepy

He is one of the coolest guys I know. He brought to me a love of art in many forms. When I was a kid growing up I knew a visit with my Father would involved something to do with the arts. A haircut, my Father is a hair designer, a trip to the Laguna Beach Art Festival, watching him add split shingles in the condo in Tahoe, a Monet art exhibit, watching him photograph a still life papier mache' "picnic" out on the brick path he laid himself, going to a documentary of surfers doing what they do best, catching a wave and riding the tube. So many things....

I am no where near as good as him in painting, drawing or ceramic sculpture as pictured here. Matter of fact I really suck at it. My artiness took me in a different direction. I went in a crafty direction. I re-purposed old mason jars and garage sale furniture with paint. Boxes of bowling pins from friends that owned a bowling alley into people with air dry clay and rigid wrap. While I enjoyed making those things, I was a bit embarrassed to tell him that's what I did because I didn't think of it as "art". He asked me one time if I was doing anything and I said no, just some craft stuff. He said, "well, that's art. You're being creative and that's what art is all about."

Yeah, my Dad is one cool guy. He work is just as cool as he is. I love his style. It's unique and makes me smile. It's comfortable. If I wasn't his daughter I would definitely buy a piece or two. A ship or a car or the Russian Icon... (hint, hint, hint)

My art has turned a new direction, I'm still re-purposing things from garage sales and the Goodwill, now it's mainly clothing and cigar box purses, but I do have my eye on some old snow skis for a winter scene for the front yard. I have taken up sewing and I am almost as bad at it as I was in high school, but I am getting better with practice. I have more patience now for it, unless my forty year old, twenty-five dollar sewing machine isn't having one of it's fits.

I'll just keep doing the things I love, because I am my Father's daughter as my Mom always tells me.