Art features an element never before included on posters
OXNARD — The third time proved to be a charm to Charis Werner of Thousand Oaks who won the 2012 Official Poster Contest for the 29th Annual California Strawberry Festival. Werner was awarded $2,000 center stage at a press luncheon on Feb. 28 at Yolanda’s Mexican Café in Oxnard, the organization reported in a media release.
Her masterpiece will be featured on Festival T-shirts, posters and collectible merchandise at the heralded celebration getting underway May 19, 20 at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard.
Werner submitted entries on two other occasions but this year it was her watercolor depiction of “Bringing in the Berries” that captured the attention of the Festival judging committee. Selected from 76 submissions, the alluring design boasts a nostalgic feel and features a decorated plow horse — the first animal ever highlighted in any festival poster design – along with old-fashioned bushel baskets brimming with strawberries atop a wagon cart.
“I love to paint horses and noticed that through the years there has never been an animal featured, so I incorporated the field theme with rolling hillsides and put the horse to work,” said Werner who has two beloved horses on her Ventura County Ranch. “I’ve been to the festival many times and I’m thrilled that my design will represent such a fabulous event.”
Growing up in the southland, Werner was an art major at the Art Center College of Design in Hollywood. She put her talents to work for 30 years at beauty salons specializing in manicuring and makeup artistry. When she retired seven years ago, she renewed her passion for watercolor painting and enrolled in classes at Doyon Studio in Camarillo.
“For me, painting is more of a hobby now, so I jumped at the chance to submit a design in the contest,” Werner stated in the media release. “I really enjoyed the process with this piece. My neighbors have some wagons I was able to use as a point of reference, I toured the back roads of the county to see how they laid out, and my horses Klass and Ali were the perfect models to dress up with a bow.”
Werner will be signing posters for festival attendees from the Souvenir booth on Saturday and Sunday, event weekend.
“Enjoying the chocolate dipped strawberries at the Festival is sort of a tradition, so I’ll also be making time to indulge in the berry goodies,” Werner said.
The Studio Gallery in Channel Islands Harbor (2741 So. Victoria Ave., Oxnard — 805-985-1546) will have the poster available for purchase prior to the 2012 festival. The location at also showcases all the festival posters since the event premiered in 1984, or a collection of festival posters throughout the decades is available for viewing at the official website.
The California Strawberry Festival is a non-profit corporation that pays homage to the region’s stellar strawberry industry while giving back to the community through fundraising efforts now exceeding $3.5 million dollars to charities, with scholarships, allocations and grants bettering the community, bolstering tourism and instilling a sense of community pride.
More information about the 2012 California Strawberry Festival — May 19, 20 — is available by calling the toll free number 1-888-288-9242 or
Visit us: http://www.strawberry-fest.org
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