LONG-TIME SAWDUST ARTIST COMPLETES HER 38th CONSECUTIVE SUMMER SHOW

August 25, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LONG-TIME SAWDUST ARTIST COMPLETES HER 38th CONSECUTIVE SUMMER SHOW

Laguna Beach, Ca – Joann M. Jacomb, known among her peers as “Joie,” marks her 38th anniversary as an exhibitor at the Sawdust Art Festival. As the festival nears the end of its 42nd season, 75-year-old Jacomb reflects back over her 38 years in the summer show and recognizes the great impact this has had on her life as a native California artist. “It’s more of an emotional thing than a word thing,” she said. “The Sawdust is the greatest venue in the whole world, and has become an integral part of my life. Artists have a chance to be involved with one another like a giant family exchanging ideas.” Jacomb, whose artistic ability is captured in her oil, watercolor, ink and pastel pieces, received her formal education in Home Economics at the University of New Mexico in 1950, and then returned to California where she discovered her true passion in figurative paintings and portraitures at Long Beach Community, Goldenwest and Orange Coast Colleges. Jacomb’s first love, painting figurative   characters, was enhanced in 1967 when she had the opportunity to study with renowned artist Frank Tauriello at the Art Center in Seal Beach. Experiencing first-hand Jacomb’s intuitive talent for both figurative painting and portraiture,
Tauriello, a founding member of the Sawdust Festival, invited her to become a member in 1968, and then an exhibitor in 1970. Jacomb, an only child, spent her summers in Laguna Beach sailing, camping, and sunning with her family. And this “water-oriented” childhood influenced her many paintings and drawings, with more than half of her pieces featuring seascapes and fantasy marine-scapes. Jacomb, who exhibits this year in booth #518, displays many figure studies, portraits, still-life, Koi fish scenes, and mermaid paintings, combining her love for figurative painting and sea life. Jacomb’s artwork ranges from large wall hangings to 3” x 4” miniatures. Another unique quality of Jacomb’s is her compassion for the arts community.
She feels that “success is not measured by dollars, but what you give back to your community.” And since her first Sawdust exhibition in 1970, she has dedicated much of her time to educating the public about her artwork and that of her peers. Jacomb, a warm person by nature, knows people of various styles, media and cultures, and has experienced commissioned paintings in Honduras, Korea, Canada and Mexico. An active exhibiting member of this year’s festival, Jacomb volunteers her time supporting many of the Sawdust events, including the Artists Benevolence Fund Auction, Weekend Walkabout Tours, and Meet the Artists Tours. One of a few Sawdust artisans exhibiting for over 30 years, Jacomb is what the festival labels, “grandfathered,” which allows her to move out of the city, which she did in 1994, when she moved to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Jacomb sells her artwork during the remainder of the year at the Alü Garden Marketplace, an open-air market on the Big Island. Though she loves her home in this tropical Hawaiian paradise, Jacomb returns to her “roots” each summer and joins over 200 creative family members at the Sawdust Art Festival. She invites you to visit her at the Sawdust Art Festival before Closing Day, August 31st.

The festival is located at 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 and open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking and free trolley service to and from the Act V lot is available for $7 per day. Act V is located on Laguna Canyon Road one-half mile north of the Festival. Metered parking along Laguna Canyon Road is available for $1 per hour. Admission prices are: Adult $7; Seniors $6 age 65 and up; Children $3 age 6-12 years and Free for children under 5 years of age. For more information call 949- 494-3030 or navigate to www.SawdustArtFestival.org.