Talking art, Italy, the magic of creation and “stretching the creative cord” with bead artist Mara Colecchia.
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
From a young age, Mara Colecchia was steeped in art. She grew up in...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
With Feb. 14 just days away, chocolates, wine and flowers will be on every sweetheart’s mind. And when you want to “make hearts smile,” Sweet Peas on Johnson Drive in...
Donna Granata on the power of creativity and documenting an artistic legacy.
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Arts archive and library Focus on the Masters has been the steward for Ventura County’s artistic legacy since its founding in 1994. Through extensive...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
In the hillsides behind Ventura’s City Hall are several acres of natural paradise. A place where picturesque trails wind through a landscape filled with thousands of plants and stonework elements, gently rising for nearly a...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
On April 1, 2022 — April Fool’s Day — a trio of winemakers welcomed the public in to their brand-new tasting room, where they uncorked their first vintage. Aptly named Trois le Fou, which roughly...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Stephen Bates is perhaps best known as an expert on free speech, censorship and media politics. The graduate of Harvard Law School is a professor of journalism and media studies at the University of Nevada,...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Ventura County is blessed with a tremendous agricultural bounty. The area’s fields, ranches and farms cover thousands of acres, producing numerous fruits, vegetables, flowers and more. An industry that generates over $1 billion in revenue...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Talking with Byrds co-founder, country rock legend and musician
extraordinaire Chris Hillman.
Chris Hillman is a legend in his own time. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist — a master of guitar, bass and mandolin — has...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Luis Chavez
Vic Thasiah loves to run. And he loves the natural world. The California Lutheran University professor (who earned his Ph.D. at Oxford) recently merged his two passions into a single...
Jeff Hull, the owner, designer and driving force behind Jeff Hull Custom Boats in Ventura, is as relentless as the waves his custom boats are designed to ride. Every boat-building project he takes on is made to order, and...
