Coastal Art Studios Tour to showcase works and homes in La Jolla, Pacific Beach

On a small patio turned art studio, Ann Chaitin turns seed pods, leaves, shells, twigs, stones, copper foil, paper and “all kinds of random doodads” into images.

“The bits of nature all work for me to capture a special memory, a special time or place or person,” the La Jolla resident said. “These images, with all their depth and variety, bring to mind for me the elemental nature of home.”

Art lovers curious to see studios such as Chaitin’s can do so on the San Diego Coastal Art Studios Tour set for Saturday, Sept. 13.

Visitors to the fifth annual event will be able to view hundreds of art pieces of all types, meet more than 30 professional artists and tour the gardens and art studios at four homes — two in La Jolla and two in Pacific Beach.

“I’m always amazed at the new, unique and exciting art and artists that I come across creating this event,” said Dot Renshaw, who created the tour with friend and fellow artist Leah Higgins. “We have some really unusual things for sale this year, and I’ve seen art that I’ve never seen before.”

More than 1,200 people attended last year’s tour, and 20 new artists and one new studio will be featured this time, organizers say.

The locations of the homes on the tour are being kept secret until Monday, Sept. 1, when they will be revealed on the tour website, sdcoastalartstudios.com.

Ann Chaitin

Chaitin’s home is new to the event this year.

The studio — which Chaitin said her grandchildren refer to as “the playroom” — contains boxes filled with bits of nature, drawers sorted by colors, jars with handpainted animal lids and much more.

“The walls are covered with work, mixed media, embossed copper and painted mirror frames, while painted designs on wood — contemporary totems — are on the floor,” Chaitin said.

Her husband, Alan, a retired physician, also is an artist, known as “Dr. Pottery.” His finished work is on shelves above a desktop, now his workspace, with a wheel and clay materials in the garage, Chaitin said.

The couple have lived in their mid-century California ranch home for 50 years.

Chaitin, who was born in Montreal, where she lived in a brick and stone home, grew up in Tucson, Ariz., in an adobe house with vigas, or wooden beams.

“I’ve loved them all,” she said. “No wonder my art works with texture and layers and varied materials.”

Leah Higgins

Higgins’ La Jolla home brings a strong touch of history to the tour. It was designed in 1926 by famed local architect Irving Gill and was the first custom home of renowned San Diego horticulturist Kate Sessions.

Highlights of the property are a detached art studio and many mature trees and plants from Sessions’ original garden.

Higgins said she enjoys a wide variety of subjects for her paintings but specializes in landscapes, homes and portraits.

Neil Murray

Murray and his wife, Carla, purchased their 1941 Pacific Beach home in 1994 and added a second-story art studio and “granny flat,” or accessory dwelling unit, to expand the original small footprint.

The mostly xeriscaped water-conserving yard provides Neil with plenty of inspiration for his contemporary portraits of the lush plants.

Dot Renshaw

Renshaw’s Pacific Beach residence was renovated from one story to two and features an 18-foot-tall art studio. The 1920s Moorish-style home overlooks a garden filled with flowers, ferns and fruit trees.

Renshaw often paints her oils and pastels in the plein air style, choosing neighborhood sites, camping spots and small trails for her work.

If you go

The free self-guided tour will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The locations are all within a few miles of one another, with free street parking at each site.

“Because of the reputation of our tour, we are able to secure high-quality, award-winning artists to our event,” Renshaw said.

Prices of artworks for sale will range from $10 to $5,000. Styles will cover ceramics, jewelry, clothing, pottery, paintings, drawings, pastels, photography, fused glass sculptures, stained-glass pieces, quilts, reclaimed wood carvings, mosaics, collages, cutting boards, pine needle baskets, steam punk polymer art, handmade books, embellished geodes and more.

“We work on getting as wide a variety of art and artists included as possible,” Renshaw said.

A complete list of participating artists, including bios and samples of their work, is available at sdcoastalartstudios.com/artists.