Painting His Splendor
Artist Profile - Toni Danchik
By Drew Tilton

“I remember walking into an art gallery in Laguna and staring at the William Wendt and Edgar Payne paintings. I was in total awe. As a ‘want-to-be artist,’ I longed to be able to paint like that,” Toni Danchik recalled.

Though years ago, Toni still...

How do you bring your boldest self to your greatest creative challenges?

This is the question The Grove recently explored on the opening evening of our Cultivated Artist Experience four-day getaway. Bob Murphy and I challenged all of the artists in our Journey 2 & 3 groups to bring their boldest self to their creative challenges. We then...

If there is one thing our 12 acre organic lemon and avocado grove has taught us about farming during seasons of drought and freezing cold, creating sustainability is a challenging task.

Farming, like art making, is not for the faint of heart. Last year during a summer heat wave, the temperature reached a scorching 117 degrees Fahrenheit in...

I love and long for being in a creative flow. 

On a good day of writing, I can get in a zone for hours immersed in my work, completely enjoying what is before me. It's a lovely state where distractions are distant and time disappears.

When I am in a creative flow, it is like scuba diving where I pop on my mask, zip up my wetsuit,...

What if you're a painter and I only gave you one color, say yellow, to paint with?

What if you're a photographer and I only gave you one subject, say buildings, to shoot?

What if you're a writer and I only gave you one topic, say Gorgonzola cheese, to write about?

What if you're a musician and I only gave you one note, say a G#, to play on your...