Art Seeks Home in Pacific Palisades

It was beautiful. A room of children, ages seven through fourteen, silent, focused, creating art. And they had been that way for more than two hours.

Thus was the scene on Thursday when I visited the temporary storefront of Katie O'Neill's Fine Art Studio on Via de la Paz.

The students easily broke their stoic silence when I asked them about attending O'Neill's classes.

“I feel very comfortable with Katie,” said Chelsea Masri, 14, a student of six years.

“It's really fun,” added Lily Steinberg, 13, who was recently introduced to the studio by her friend and classmate, Carson Horky.

“You get to choose your own projects,” Horky, 13, pointed out as a plus.

“She's insanely good at art!” exclaimed long-time student Finn Gresner, 13, of his teacher. Gresner attends along with his brothers Rory, 10, and Tuck, 7.

“She's amazing,” added father Zen Gresner. “The boys have blossomed under her care and teaching. She's got a wonderful way of communicating and encouraging the kids to to their best.”

“We're big supporters of Katie,” offered another parent, Sarah Stagg, whose son, Harrison, has also been with the studio for several years.

Before moving to this location last December, O'Neill held her art classes in Malibu for fifteen years, creating a following of students that now commute to continue their study. New students from the Palisades have joined, as well, like eight-year-old Will Nordstrom, who told me his favorite artists are Tim Burton and Pablo Picasso.

Whether students aim to be the next Picasso, or just want an expressive outlet, all ages and levels of experience are welcome to O'Neill's classes, held Tuesday through Saturday for adults and children. The local community has equally been welcoming to the studio, with passers-by occasionally dropping in to express gratitude to have O'Neill's studio here in her hometown.

Even with such resounding endorsements, the studio will most likely have to move out by the end of February.

“It's very up in the air,” said O'Neill of her predicament to find a permanent space in Pacific Palisades.

The current space, which sat for months as the vacant Chefmaker's kitchen, is leased by the owners of Toppings, a frozen yogurt shop opening up here later this year (following the opening this week of The Yogurt Shoppe one block over on Swarthmore.) Though there are a couple of potential possibilities in play, there is no sure spot for the studio's relocation.

Not that there aren't plenty of empty spaces in town.

Pacific Palisades has seen a rise in business turnover in recent years. Many locally owned shops and restaurants have had to shut their doors or move to make way for larger enterprises that can afford the rent. One glaring example is last month's closing of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's two restaurants, The Oak Room and The Village Pantry. Some spaces just continue to stare out at the street in empty silence, month after month.

Sign of the times? Or is this an overall trend for the town?

Either way, O'Neill remains positive about her prospects. And I believe she'll find a way, guided by her passion for art and for sharing it with others.

After studying film at USC to be an editor, O'Neill decided she couldn't sit in a dark room all day in tedious solitude. She then turned to her mother, who had formal art training. Once she learned enough from her mother, the pair started a six month lease in a Malibu location that turned into fifteen successful years of teaching art to others. O'Neill's mother retired a few years ago.

O'Neill teaches classical drawing and painting techniques, individualizing her teaching to each student.

“That keeps it interesting for me,” she said of her training philosophy. “Different students have different goals.”

Classes also have mixed ages, so students can learn from each other and feel less competitive. Student commentary about self or others' works is all kept positive rather than negative, as well, to create a free and safe atmosphere for creative expression.

The atmosphere is also meditative and focused.

“It's wonderful, developmentally, for children,” O'Neill explained. “There's no pressure, no stress, no competition. It gives them a chance to forget their troubles for a few hours.”

“They're also learning how to see. It makes you stop and really see things,” she added.

I certainly agree. In this world of short attention spans, incessant marketing, huge HD screens, tiny phone screens, Tweets and the popular fascination of all that is superficial, it's encouraging to see someone fighting for the art of seeing. To really see takes a little more time, patience and effort than most of our diversions. As a sometime schoolteacher, I know how easily distracted and unfocused children often are, especially when they have mobile devices fused to their fingers.

When I walked into the studio that evening, I felt like I was in the presence of children who were quietly expanding their worlds by just seeing.

I hope we can continue to see Katie O'Neill's studio thrive in Pacific Palisades, wherever that may be.