Lifelong Conejo Valley Resident Helps Animals Through Her Art

It was through Twitter that I recently came into contact with Stella Violano, a lifelong resident of Newbury Park.  Stella is a professional artist who has a distinct passion for painting animals.  In fact, she has dedicated thousands of hour of time to an organization she founded called Art Helping Animals (www.arthelpinganimals.com). AHA raises funds for non-profits that help animals in need.

Take a look at this amazing montage of some of the over 200 paintings of homeless animals that Violano painted between 2000 and 2006. All of the animals shown found loving homes.

And I love this touching video of Brigette, a homeless senior dachshund who found a home through Old Dog Haven, a charity supported by AHA. Violano's work transforming the aging pooch into Queen Elizabeth is magical. 

Given the Conejo Valley is named after a rabbit, I asked her if she had any bunny art to share with us.  Oh she certainly does!  I selected 3 of the 6 pieces she sent my way. If you like these, let me know and maybe I'll post more at a later date!

For more of Violano's work, visit http://smvstudio.com and http://paintingaday.blogspot.com.

Sheep to Chic: North Ranch Sheep Herding Pictures From January 1983

Photographer Scott Harrison took these wonderful pictures of Mario Palomino of Peru and 800 sheep he was tending in the hills of North Ranch before it was fully built out in January 1983. Palomino lived in a trailer along with his two sheep dogs. I don't see too many sheep around North Ranch these days! For more pictures and commentary from Scott, visit his website at www.harrysonpics.com.  Thank you for bringing us baa-ck in time, Scott!

Chuck Trunks' Latest Work - "Zuma Beach"

One of Chuck's most vivid memories from his first days in Los Angeles in the late 1980s was spending time at Zuma Beach.  His latest precision abstract captures the feel of Zuma Beach in Chuck's own unique way.   I had to find a picture to compare it to and found this one.  Visit www.chucktrunks.com for more of Chuck's signature work and click here and here for more on Chuck on Conejo Valley Guide.

Chuck was also selected by the Simi Valley Town Center in a countywide competition to have his work featured in its monthly calendar.  Over 400 artists submitted entries.  See the other winners at www.simivalleytc.com/go/Poolb.cfm?MallID=781&FPURLID=2129965923.

Grand Opening of Brand New Muvico Theaters at The Oaks on February 27th!

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2/28 UPDATE: We went tonight to see Slumdog Millionaire in the Premiere VIP section.  Wow, what a beautiful theater!  These balcony seats are very roomy and comfortable.  Our overall experience was excellent.

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Our seats were purchased in advance on the Internet. So we walked up to the self service machines, I slid my credit card through and within seconds our tickets were printed.  Loved not having to wait in a line!

We walked around a bit and checked out the arcade on the first floor.  Somewhat small, but large for a movie theater arcade.  There was an air hockey table and probably around a dozen games in there.

Bogart's Restaurant 2nd Floor of Muvico

Bogart's Restaurant 2nd Floor of Muvico

On the 2nd floor is Bogart's Bar and Grill.  Already quite popular.  The wait was 25 minutes tonight so we did not eat at a table, but we did order from the Bogart's "premier" concession stand adjacent to the bar.  In fact, I spent $60 on food and drinks there tonight, a personal record!

For the first time in my life I ate sushi in the movie theater (the tuna roll was a bit bland though) and my wife had a glass of champagne, fried calamari, grilled artichokes, portabella mushroom flatbread (or pizza) and steak skewers, topped off with popcorn.  She didn't tell me how the food was probably because she was chewing for 2 hours straight.  That must mean she enjoyed it.

Bogart's is not yet allowed to sell alcohol at the consession stand.  But the full bar had great service and they let us bring the drinks into the VIP seats.

The concession stands downstairs had more typical movie food.  It looked pretty good.  In fact, next time I go, I'll be ordering the hot dog and curly fries for $7.  That would have been more fulfilling than my sushi roll.

The movie itself was unbelievable.  No wonder it won Best Picture.  Just amazing.  And the clear picture and perfect sound made the experience outstanding.

The exterior of the theatre is also beautiful and there is a nice connection between the new section of The Oaks mall and Muvico.  In fact, The Oaks has a large outdoor section now that looks really top notch.  Beautifully done.

Muvico Grand Opening Weekend begins on Friday, February 27th at The Oaks in Thousand Oaks! Muvico's 14-screen, 109,000 square foot theater will complement the graceful Southern California architectural design of the new and improved The Oaks. And more great news for the local economy! Hey, our 401(k) plans may be down 50%, but we can splurge a bit on local entertainment, right?

These theaters are state-of-the-art, with curved wall-to-wall screens and all digital, Sony Premier 4K (high definition) Digital Projection technology. Muvico will also feature Bogart's Bar & Grill, an upscale restaurant along with a full-service bar.

Or better yet, buy tickets starting February 24th by visiting the Muvico website at www.muvico.com. This should be a really big event as it has been several years in the making! for an overview.

Technology:

Southern California's only Sony 4K ultra high definition projection - all 14 auditoriums (stadium style)

3D capabilities in four (4) auditoriums

The latest in sound technology from JBL-Harman Pro.

General Admission

$9.50 Matinees before 4pm

$11.00 Adults after 4pm

$8.50 Seniors 55 and up, all times

$8.50 Children 12 and under, all times

Muvico Pepsi Experience and Reserved Seating

$1.00 up charge for Reserved Seating, includes Giant screen and Leather seating with spacious legroom

The Premier - (Ages 21 and older only. Valid ID required prior to entry.)

Admission includes reserved seating, a voucher for the Premier concession or Bogart's Bar & Grill, and Free popcorn

$16.00 Matinees before 4pm

$20.00 All Shows after 4pm

Additional Charges:

$3.00 up charge for all 3D features (includes 3D glasses)

$1.00 up charge for General Admission reserved seating (Select theaters only)

Boney Mountain Looks Great Year-Round but Even Better in the Spring!

These pictures were taken in years past by local photographer Nancy Lehrer.  Take a look at the 2825 foot tall Boney Peak in Point Mugu State Park today, after the recent rains, and you'll see its timeless beauty.  For a vigorous, 5 hour round-trip workout, pack a lunch and hike up to the peak with friends...but bring sunscreen and lots of fluid!  Andy pack your camera because you're gonna get some amazing 360 degree views of Newbury Park, Camarillo, Channel Islands and the Pacific

For more of Nancy's work, visit her photo blog at www.inancy.wordpress.com.