Visuals August 18-24, 2022: A celebration of Ganesh and a tribute to the American Southwest.

GUNA HEBBAR

It’s that time of the year. In the Gregorian calendar, Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival celebrating the elephant god, falls between Aug. 22 and Sept. 20 every year. It inspired local artist Guna Hebbar, who painted Ganesh for an India-themed event and ongoing exhibit at the Pacific Grove Art Center. (568 Lighthouse Ave.). “Art has been a lifelong passion and I have been painting, drawing and doing some type of art my entire life,” Hebbar says. She paints diverse subjects in various media – oil, watercolor, acrylic, charcoal and more – both plein air and in her studio, portraying a variety of subjects such as landscapes, flowers, Indian folk-art paintings, sculptures and yoga-inspired art. [AP]

SHEILA DELIMONT

Painter Sheila Delimont, a California native, writes: “I paint the Western landscape – the geography of home. The West is a land of contrasts. At times the landscape is meditative and soothing, at times dramatic and exhilarating.” Once a year Delimont packs up her car and drives to Santa Fe on a trip she refers to as her “painting safari.” She is drawn to the Southwest’s skies and light. “The Southwest offers both a challenge and a pleasure to paint,” she writes. “I use a bright color palette and a variety of painting tools, from palette knives to squeegees, to capture the feeling of these striking landscapes… I hope you enjoy my interpretations of its arresting summer storms and bright fall colors as well as the magic vistas of Santa Fe, Ghost Ranch and the Chama River Valley.” The exhibit, Into the Southwest, is on display at the Carmel Art Association (Dolores between 5th and 6th, Carmel; carmelart.org) until Sept. 5. [AP]