The Power of Place

The Ilan Lael Foundation welcomed seven talented and established San Diego County artists to be featured in its 2024 Visiting Artist Program. Artist Fellows were invited to immerse themselves in Ilan-Lael’s unique environment and create works inspired by the beauty of the property and the Santa Ysabel landscape. Following James Hubbell’s philosophy of connecting people with nature through art, “The Power of Place: Inspirations From Ilan-Lael” exhibits their collective works created over the Spring and Summer of 2024.

Union Hall Gallery is now hosting the “The Power of Place: Inspirations from Ilan-Lael,” exhibition featuring over 40 original works by regional artists as well as pieces by the late James Hubbell. Running through December 1st, the collection, presented by the Ilan-Lael Foundation’s 2024 Visiting Artist Program, celebrates Ilan Lael’s legacy as a center for creativity, education and connection to nature.

From en plein air (paintings done outdoors at the Hubbell property), to photography and poetry, attendees can experience and purchase the various art pieces, with proceeds benefiting both the artists and the galleries that support them, and also helps fund the operation and preservation of Ilan-Lael’s grounds, studios and buildings.

 

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Ilan-Lael 2024 Artist Fellows 

Robert Treat
California-based artist Robert Treat is celebrated for his paintings and photographs, which are exhibited and collected nationwide. His work, primarily inspired by nature, demonstrates a keen structural awareness that often leads to an almost subconscious abstraction. This blend of natural elements and structural focus is evident in his paintings as well. Utilizing natural materials, like beeswax and asphalt, Robert creates paintings with rich, tactile surfaces and dynamic shapes.

 

Linda Todd-Limon

San Diego native Linda Todd-Limon has loved photography since childhood, capturing a wide range of images that span her local surroundings and travels across the country. A former educator with 27 years in the Cajon Valley Union School District, Linda holds degrees from Boise State University and San Diego State University. She studied photography at the San Diego In Focus Learning Center and has won awards at the San Diego County Fair, including being voted “Favorite Artist” in the Julian Arts Guild 2016 Art Show.

 

John Durant

John Durant is a professional writer and film maker from Los Angeles, currently residing in San Diego. For decades, John has specialized in architectural photography and short films documenting his life as well as the built environment surrounding him. When not out capturing the world, John enjoys one of San Diego’s wonderful outdoor activities, surfing.

 

 

William Gullette

William Gullette has been a visual artist since childhood, holding degrees in painting, drawing, printmaking and photography. He taught for 24 years at Palomar College and has created award-winning photography that has appeared in numerous national and regional publications. Since retiring, he has returned to his true passion for painting and drawing. William originally focused his attention on painting “En Plein Air,” painting on locations directly from the subject, and is widely recognized for that work as well as his studio paintings.

 

Mark Fehlman

Mark is an impressionistic painter who captures life’s moments with energetic brushwork and a rich palette. He practiced architecture for 30 years, spending half of that time as a design partner with Fehlman LaBarre Architects before pursuing his passion for painting. Mark’s artistic journey began as a fiber artist with successful shows in Laguna Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco. For the past 15 years, he has dedicated himself to painting and studying under renowned artists, and now paints full time in his studio in San Diego, traveling extensively to capture new inspirations.

 

Joe Garcia
Joe Garcia, a native Californian, is an established landscape and wildlife artist living near Julian. The natural setting among the scenic hills of Southern California provide endless inspiration and subjects for his art. Now, Joe continues to paint in oil and watercolor, highlighting composition, value and spontaneity within each medium. His work reflects his deep passion for nature, capturing landscapes, birds, mammals, and other themes found in Julian. Joe’s enthusiasm and commitment drive his ongoing success as he paints what he loves.

 

Karla Cordero

Karla Cordero, a descendant of the Chichimeca people from Northern Mexico, is a Chicana poet, educator, and ARTtivist raised in Calexico, CA. A three-time Pushcart nominee, she has received fellowships from several esteemed arts organizations. Karla teaches creative writing and composition at the college level, earning recognition for her contributions to education and social justice. She is also the founder of Voice 4 Change, a spoken word showcase that promotes diversity through performance and workshops. To purchase Karla’s poem created for the Visiting Artists program, which Sybyl Rubottom made into a poetry “broadside” through traditional letterpress printing, please visit the Hubbell Gallery. 

 

Sybyl Rubottom 

Sybyl has long been one of the grand masters of San Diego printmaking, and she worked in partnership with poet Karla Cordero to create a new letterpress broadside featuring artwork and words inspired by the Hubbell property. She holds an MFA from Yale University and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, where she was awarded European Honors and studied in Rome for a year. For over 25 years Sibyl made fabric art for the interior design trade. She is former proprietor of Bay Park Press, which was a small fine arts press specializing in limited edition artists’ books and fine intaglio prints. Sibyl recently retired in 2024 as manager of the Print Studio at the Athenaeum Art Center. Sibyl’s books are held in numerous collections, including the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, John Hay Library at Brown University, Sterling Library at Yale University, Geisel Library (Mandeville Special Collections) at UCSD, the Malcolm A. Love Library at SDSU, the Athenaeum, and various public and private collections. To purchase Sybyl’s traditional letterpress print and artwork, created for the Visiting Artists program in collaboration with poet Karla Cordero,  visit the Hubbell Gallery.