Good Morning Campbell.

Downtown Campbell now has a Facebook FAN page:
http://www.facebook.com/CampbellDowntown

Please like the page for the latest updates on what's happening in downtown Campbell.

Check out the photo albums of "Musicians on the Street", "Shop Keepers", "Store Fronts", "Bunnies and Bonnets", "First Friday's" and various other photos.  Please let us know if you have any photo's to add to these albums.

There is also a Downtown Campbell Twitter account @CampbellDowntwn.  Follow us and we will follow you...

Thanks!

Sonoma Chicken Coop Campbell has live music entertainment Thursday-Saturday. 
Thursday 9:00pm: Drive! Dance Party.  Grab your dancing shoes and join in the FUN! 
Friday 9:00pm: Redwood takes the stage with their smooth musicianship and vocals.
Saturday 9:00pm:  The hard rocking Degenerates bring their high quality musicianship.

Sunday, Sonoma Chicken Coop Campbell will be serving a Mother's Day Brunch,
from 9:00am until 2:00pm.  Reservations are suggested. 408-866-2699.

HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY! 

Downtown Campbell's March Sidewalk SALE!

The Downtown Campbell Business Association is pleased to present a Sidewalk Sale this Saturday and Sunday, March 10 & 11, 10am-5pm.

It's Paris Flea Market meets Old Town Bazaar!

Downtown Campbell Fun

With four blocks of fantastic finds, come on down to East Campbell Avenue for some great deals and live music.

Participating merchants will include:
Bombshell Boutique, Campbell Furniture Gallery, Celtic Shoppe, Khartoum ($5 Bloody Marys & $3 Mimosas), Recycle Bookstore, Simply Smashing!, Sonya Paz Fine Art Gallery, Stone Griffin Gallery, The Olive Bar, Tiny Tots Baby Boutique (Saturday only), and Vintage & Vogue.

Over the weekend, we'll be featuring live musical entertainment by The Mary Ellen Duo.

Winter Wine Walk @ Stone Griffin Gallery — The Aftermath

Downtown Campbell's Winter Wine Walk was last Wednesday, and we at Stone Griffin Gallery hosted Naumann Winery.

Naumann Vineyards wine corks at Stone Griffin Gallery

The next day I noticed a bag sitting on the floor behind the counter — looked inside — and saw that it contained most of the corks from the bottles of wine that was served for the wine walk.

I decided to spill them out on the counter and take a photograph! So, here are the corks on the counter, visible behind the corks are three small, 5" x 7" original oils by Terje Nordberg.

Downtown Campbell stages a wine walk twice a year — usually February and September. They are great fun, so be sure to attend the next one!

Classico Gelato is certainly one of the better Gelato locations that i have visited and of course it helps that they are my neighbor.  A sweet treat to relieve stress, one small nibble at a time. I recommend to anyone in need of relief to visit this establishment and enjoy a plethora of flavors.

Post Partum Fitness Hits The Streets Of Campbell

Baby Boot Camp meets up at Tiny Tots
 every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 am.

Moms and babes take to
 the streets of Campbell

By California standards, it was a chilly Tuesday morning. I was excited and apprehensive to participate in Baby Boot Camp.  My babies are both in their twenties now but I certainly could use the conditioning. And these ladies had all recently given birth so I thought I wouldn't stick out for my lack of fitness...too much.

Ten participants and their babies (with strollers in tow) began their fitness workout with a power walk/jog to the grass area below the water tower in Downtown Campbell. I quickly fell behind and by the time I arrived the new moms were lunging and squatting with gusto. I stepped in line only to realize that these exercises were much more challenging than they appeared. Once the lunges and squats were completed we did a hand and foot crawl on the cement (which was cold). Thankfully, it was time for another power walk/jog, this time to Campbell Park.  Again, by the time I arrived the group was well into repetitions of conditioning exercises.

August, mother of three,
 leads Boot Camp

One of the babies started crying. I took this as an opportunity to be both helpful and to save face. I'm sure the mom knew it. She graciously allowed me to hold her baby for which I was grateful.

Baby Boot Camp is a stroller fitness program that offers classes nationwide. Their slogan is "we offer fitness for you, fun for your child." Their mission is to enable women to be the fittest they've ever been without worrying about who will watch their baby. They offer programs for all fitness levels (well, maybe not mine, lol) including prenatal and postpartum. They believe that healthy women are better moms and better moms have happier (and healthier) kids.

New campbell business

The difficulty I've found in opening a new business is the time it takes to get organized. There's so much to do that the lists are coming out my ears.  But as time will slowly show, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together one piece at a time.  BYR of Belgium is waiting on a few stepping stones before its doors will open. This is just an update to let the public know that we still have you in mind. We will not forget about the coupons given for a free waffle to those that have bought gift cards.  And we will continue to give updates as to when we plan on being open.  Please continue to check Facebook and Twitter or drop by the shop to say hello, we gladly welcome visitors even if there's nothing to purchase other than a loyalty card, at this time.

Winter Wine Walk Is Coming!

We  accepted delivery of the Winter Wine Walk wine glasses just now. We have been quite busy the last few months getting ready for the wine walk. What with all the planning, getting permits, schedules and all it keeps a lot of us busy. We try to plan so that when the wine walkers (is that a word) show up everything runs as smooth as possible!

Sonya Paz posing with the pallet of wine glasses!

Vanna White er Sonya Paz is helping unloading the glasses. We simply had to take a picture as some unknown person had taken it upon themselves to mark up the plastic wrap around the cartons! Nice touch us longshoremen thought! We have them stored with the nice folks of The Olive Bar.

The Winter Wine Walk glass and flyer

Instead of working — unloading the wine glasses — we thought it best to pose for more pictures. Go figure.

Winter Wine Walk Glasses showing the sponsors

This pic shows the sponsors of the Winter Wine Walk. The Winter Wine Walk is sponsored by the Downtown Campbell Business Association and The Heritage Theatre!

The Winter Wine Walk is on Wednesday, February 8th from 5pm to 9pm. We will have wineries in many of Downtown Campbell's shops, boutiques, businesses and art galleries!

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. The Winter Wine Walk goes on rain or shine. This event is pet friendly so bring Fido if you wish. Dogs will be allowed into some shops depending on room and such, and all of our Downtown restaurants have dog friendly patios!

Mark your calendars.

Tickets can be purchased now at Sonya Paz Gallery, The Olive Bar and Bombshell Boutique. Also online at Downtown Campbell.

California Landscape Photographs on Canvas

I rode my motorcycle out over Mt. Hamilton and towards Patterson late summer last year. As my gallery specializes in California landscapes (mostly original oils and acrylics rather than photographs) I always keep a weather eye out for something that would make a good composition. I saw lots of lonely open California landscapes on this trip, barren brown hills, rolling hills with oaks and such.

Eileen Graham used several photographs that I took of the sun setting on a ridge as a basis of an oil painting that she just completed. This should be in the gallery soon.

Lonely Highway

I saved this photograph and think that it might make a good stretched canvas print to offer in my gallery. This is on Del Puerto Road, which leads from the top of Mt. Hamilton over to Patterson.

Stone Griffin Gallery specializes in California landscapes.

Come on in and look around when you are in the area.

Stone Griffin Gallery
234 E Campbell Ave
Campbell, CA 95008
408/374-5200

Downtown Campbell ArtWalk

Downtown Campbell hosts an artwalk each month. The artwalk is on the third Friday of each month from 6 to 9pm, rain or shine, year round!

We have artists showing their work in the galleries in town, we have guest artists set up on the sidewalk and sometimes inside shops, we have live entertainment setup in different nooks and doorways about town, and we make a special effort to get all the different shop keepers to stay open late and enjoy the fun!

Andrew Paz of Ample Sound playing during a past artwalk

Our little downtown is quite pet-friendly — so bring the family pooch out with you if you wish! All restaurants have outside seating — so Fido can stay with you if you want to stop for a bite or a drink.

We also have a community canvas. This is pictured below, the community canvas is setup so anyone can stop and work on some art. We supply brushes and supplies.

Community Canvas

Artists are welcome to come show. Signing up is rather simple, visit here for  instructions.

Thanks for listening and please mark your calendars — we would love to see you and the artists love interest and feedback!

The History of Gargolyes

Whether monsters, animals, people or a combination of two of the three, throughout time gargoyles have been popular sculptural figures affixed to the corners of the roofs of buildings to direct water away from the building itself. They worked as, in simplest terms, ornamental gutters. But their origins are not clearly defined. While some people believe gargoyles were developed in medieval times to ward off evil, alternative theories range from that they were inspired from a bible passage, that they represent man's subconscious fears or that they were first inspired by the skeletal remains of dinosaurs.

"Irving" and "Dedo" Gargoyles with the "Gossip Monger" Wall Plaque

Originally carved from stone, typically granite, today's modern gargoyle ornaments can be made of a wide variety of materials ranging from stone to concrete, plaster or plastic.

Gargoyle Bookends

While the most famous gargoyle lives atop Notre Dame in Paris, France the nearest large scale (model) gargoyles reside atop the Haunted House attraction at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

A Humorous Coffee Drinking Gargoyle

If you are a gargoyle lover or know someone who is, drop by the Stone Griffin Gallery in Historic Downtown Campbell, CA where we always have a collection on hand. They make great gift items and decorations for your home or yard.

New Campbell Water Tower Website

What with our gallery selling art featuring Campbell's water tower — we decided to create a new, standalone website just of, for and dedicated to the water tower!

The website is campbellwatertower.com

We offer original art (oil on canvas and watercolor on paper) signed and numbered limited editions of selected originals, photographs on canvas, and digitally altered works. Most art is on stretched canvas ready to hang no framing required.

The above image is a photograph on canvas, stretched onto wooded bars.

Our artist John Cloud has created original works of art featuring the water tower. The picture above is one of his popular Campbell Water Tower Christmas ornaments.

This image above is "My Home Tower II" and shows the humor of the artist Terje Nordberg.

While we do sell artwork (need to pay the rent of course!) — it is not all business here at the gallery. John Cloud has created a photo-board of the Campbell Water Tower! The picture above I took shows a couple working on getting their dog to pose so that they could take a picture.

The photo-board is out for free use most any day — stop by and have a smile on us!

Again the address of the Campbell Water Tower website is campbellwatertower.com

We are:

Stone Griffin Gallery

234 E Campbell Ave

Campbell, Calif

408/374-5200

www.stonegriffin.com

Campbell Themed Christmas Ornaments

New at the Stone Griffin Gallery are hand painted ornaments by talented artist John Cloud! Pictured is a Christmas tree ball painted as the Campbell Water Tower. This one is $25, others are priced from $20/up.

Come on in soon and pick out what will sure to become a special treasured keepsake!

Stone Griffin Gallery

234 E Campbell Ave Downtown Campbell

408.374.5200

Warming up Downtown!

'Tis the season to be warmer - especially in downtown Campbell where we are shining a new "light" on things!

Recently the city replaced all of the tree lights here in downtown, the stark whiter less warmer lights that were switched out last year for economical purposes did not meet the expectations.  They were too white, less glowy and simply didn't hold up as we had hoped, so the city replaced all of the lights and viola! A new brighter, warmer and cozier experience!

November evening with new tree lights in downtown Campbell!

The trees lining the street here have a much warmer and inviting presence! I happen to notice the difference right away when walking the pup-pup a couple of weeks ago and I have to say that the new bulbs give you a sense of calm and comfort while strolling the avenue.



Be careful when admiring the new lights and that you don't run into anyone  :o)

Strolling along the downtown is certainly festive in the wonderful brisk November weather, the holiday banners are a compliment to the warmer trees and adding character to the light posts.  So, if you are strolling, the avenue while taking the doggie out, or walking for shopping or dining we hope that you feel comfort and warmth while vising us downtown!

Campbell Fall Winewalk - A Wine Connoisseurs Dream!

Hey there folks - here we approaching this fall season and with summer almost over (technically) what's there to do?

Well, successful downtown Campbell events in recent times have included the lively Wine Walk, a twice-a-year event which has become a favorite with wine lovers (new and experienced) and becoming the kind of special event for which downtown has become known.

This fall’s winewalk event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28, and chair of the event, Sonya Paz has lured more than 30 wineries to enroll by setting up in downtown shops where they will be able to chat with participants about their winemaking process, which wines they recommend and how to place orders for favorite vintages.

Downtown guests can take part in the Wine Walk Raffle to win a wine basket including favorites from several participating wineries and proceeds to benefit The Assistance League. This event will include opportunities for late evening shopping, as participating shops will also be open for shoppers.

This is the fourth such event sponsored by Campbell’s Downtown Campbell Business Association (DCBA)who also booked some downtown music and artists to add to the festive atmosphere.

How do I get my tickerts?: Registration for the event can be made at www.downtowncampbell.com/winewalk.
Advance tickets can be reserved for pickup the night of the event beginning at 5 p.m. (Last spring’s wine walk sold out so advance ticket purchases are advised.) Headquarters for the event and the location where raffle tickets will be available is in the parking lot between First and Second Streets. Merchants also selling tickets currently are Bombshell Boutique, the Olive Bar and Sonya Paz Fine Art Gallery.

Ticket holders will be given a commemorative wine glass in which to sample the wines. All those purchasing tickets will be required to provide a proof of age and will be given a wrist band which is used acknowledge their participation. The Heritage Theater and the downtown Campbell Business Association (DCBA) are the official sponsors for this fall event.

Some of participating wineries include Aver Family Vineyard, Brassfield Estate Winery, Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, el Sol Winery, Kings Mountain Vineyard, Naumann Vineyards and Roudon-Smith Winery.

Story submitted by Sally Howe of the Campbell Express.

"Alice's Restaurant" by Terje Nordberg

Just off of the easel (and the creative mind of Terje Nordberg) and currently on display at Stone Griffin Gallery is "Alice's Restaurant."

This piece continues Terje's mission to capture the beauty, splendor and the sheer nuttiness of California and California Living, and with that being the goal — I feel that Terje hit the bullseye with this piece!

In this painting we see two Happy California Cows arriving at the restaurant, about to park their hot pink Vespa next to a Harley, to pop into Alice's for Brunch.

"Alice's Restaurant" is an original oil on canvas, 30" by 40", please inquire on price and availability.

The Gallery's number is 408.374-5200

Downtown Campbell's Creepy Crawly Trick or Treat

Downtown Campbell hosts a Trick or Treat every year — usually the Friday night closest to the actually Halloween date.

This year we will have the event on Friday, Oct 28, from 5pm to 7pm. This event is sponsored by the Downtown Campbell Business Association (DCBA).

Our celebration includes the door to door trick or treat and a costume contest.

This picture below shows kids trick or treating in a local shop. We have about 50 Downtown merchants participating in the trick or treat. The Downtown area for the trick or treat includes the businesses on E Campbell Ave between Third St and the railroad tracks.

We have a very dog friendly downtown — and this extends to the Trick or Treat event. People bring their dogs along with and also part of their enjoyment of the event. The picture below shows someone in costume with their dog part of their costume.

Dogs are not only welcome, we also have a costume category for dogs (any pet really) with prizes!

This picture below shows a costume contest from some years ago. The location for the contest has not been chosen at this time, the contest will start at 7pm and the DCBA will award prizes to the best costumes in several categories, from infant up to early teen.

We also have categories for Adult/Infant and best pet!

Visit downtowncampbell.com for details, and while there be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss a thing!

The Photo-Board is Finished!

John Cloud has completed his magic — the photo-board is now finished! I had it out last Saturday night, and during Downtown Campbell's Farmers' Market.

This first picture was taken Sunday with two children posing:

On Friday night children and 'children at heart' stopped by to use the board as a photo prop. Here are two of the later, Sharon Eakes and her daughter Lilliann

Here is another copy of the kids again. I mistakenly uploaded two copies up to Blogger and can't figure out how to remove it. My only thought would be to delete the blog and start over, don't want to do that. *sigh.*

The board will be out for free use most days that the gallery is open.

Stone Griffin Gallery
234 E Campbell Ave, Downtown Campbell.
408/374-5200

Stone Griffin Gallery's New Location!

Its been a while since the gallery has moved into the new space — and it is about time that I post all the new contact information here on Downtown Campbell's Blog!

The gallery moved into a real nice space, #234 E Campbell Ave. This location is two blocks east of the prior location.

To give you a handle on where this is, the gallery's new next door neighbors are The Olive Bar and Cardiff Lounge — and just across the street from Vintage & Vogue, Twist Cafe and Simple Smashing!!

All the proper details are:

Stone Griffin Gallery

234 E Campbell Ave

Campbell, Calif 95008

408/374-5200

www.stonegriffingallery.net

We still specialize in California landscapes by local artists, also display landscapes, figurative, and other work by local and national artists.

Come on in! We are open seven days a week — and open late Friday nights.

Plywood Cut-out Photo Op Board

Hello Downtown Campbell:

I have been moving along on my fun little Downtown Campbell community project — which is a board painted with the Campbell Water Tower, images of kids 'climbing' the tower, and with holes cut into the board so that kids can stick their heads out and pose for pictures.

The picture with this blog shows the board in front of the real McCoy. As you can see it has the base coat of primer, the image is sketched out, and the holes cut out.

I bought the board at Home Depot, had them cut it to size; the artist John Cloud sketched the images on the board; and Ed Arrowsmith just cut out the opening.

I will try to convince John Cloud to paint it this coming Friday night (as the Gallery is open late on all Fridays and John is always in attendance doing live painting); perhaps finishing it up on Sunday, as John paints here on Sundays during the Farmers' Markets — then I will have it set up and see how the kids react!