Two artists join Harbor Village gallery

Homeward, Acrylic on canvas, Judy Suzuki

Buenaventura Art Association, a creative force at Ventura Harbor Village since 2005, is proud to add painter Judy Suzuki and photographer Michael Maloney to the roster of talent at its seaside showcase.

Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, a BAA member enterprise, welcomes visitors and art lovers at 1559 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 106. The shop, which moved to its current site in 2016, is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week.

Suzuki, a third-generation Japanese American, lives in Ventura and has spent decades immersed in the local arts community as a graphic artist, muralist and teacher.

“By practicing tuning into my intuitions, I think less and follow the creative journey through expressions of the brush and paint,” she said. “Whether it’s people, animals or nature, I love capturing the essence of life.

“My intention as an artist is to continue practicing seeing from my heart, not from my head, and remember to have fun in the creative process,” Suzuki said.

If Ghosts Could Talk, Photography, Michael Maloney

Maloney is a former newsman now living in Woodland Hills who also pursues art by closely observing nature.

“My background is nearly four decades of photojournalism, mostly with the San Francisco Chronicle,” he said. “With the fast-paced, always-a-deadline world of news and sports photography behind me, I am now retired and enjoying the slower pace of nature photography.

“I am self-taught in photography, starting back in the days of film and darkrooms to currently using the latest in digital cameras and photo processing. I believe that printing in itself is an art form and I take pride in the process,” he said.

Maloney added, “With my images, I hope to encourage you to get out and explore this world we live in with a spirit of curiosity, astonishment and hope.”

BAA, an arts cooperative founded in 1954, also operates Studio 99 in Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave., which is open noon-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and has members’ artworks on display at SpiceTopia, a retail store at 576 E. Main St., Ventura, that’s open daily, but hours vary.

To learn more about BAA and its programs, phone the gallery at 805-648-1235 or visit buenaventuraartassociation.org.