April 2025 Newsletter

published by The Mountain Arts Network

A Non-profit 501-c organization.

"Inspiring Visual Arts

in the Mountain Communities" 

 This e-newsletter is expressly for members, patrons, artists and fans of the Mountain Arts Network, The Mountain Arts Gallery, The Mountain Arts Community Art Center and The Mountain Arts Photographic Society, all located in the Lake Arrowhead Village in Lake Arrowhead, CA.   

“RIP Helga Batman-Koplin. One of the good ones from Mountain Arts Gallery. Always a smile and an engaging story and your art was so colorful and tongue in cheek and joyful. And it was an honor to have a couple of your paintings in my movie.”  Statement and photo by Dean Lent - Photographer

TRIBUTE TO HELGA BATMAN-KOPLIN 

by Lisa Cook



Beloved mountain artist Helga Batman-Koplin passed away Saturday, March 22, 2025. Close to a year ago, Helga suffered a debilitating stroke and was confined to a bed with some paralysis. She was a favorite with the staff at her care center. Her spirited conversations and sometimes bawdy humor kept the staff highly entertained. She was an honored member of Mountain Arts Network and Gallery.

Helga Batman-Koplin was born and raised in Lorrach, Germany, where she began painting as a child. She was given a gift from her parents of a small box of watercolors and some crayons when she was 5 years of age. This was the impetus which inspired her artistic passion and commitment. She received a degree from the University of Mainz in Interpretation and Translation in French and English in 1959.

That same year Batman-Koplin immigrated to the United States but found French and English translators in little demand. She supported herself as a bank teller while continuing to paint. By 1970 she was working and studying in the art departments of Cypress College (Orange County) and California State University, Long Beach. Later she took additional classes in impressionist manner painting, life drawing and design with such noted Southern California artists as Hal Reed, Joseph Mendez, Mildred Walker, Kanya Bugreeff and Ted Goerschner. She began participating in juried shows.

Helga Batman-Koplin - Photo by Lisa Cook

As an accomplished painter, Batman-Koplin has received numerous Best in Show and 1st Place Awards. Among her awards was the Palos Verdes Art Center, Artist’s Open Group, Lake Arrowhead Art & Wine Festival, Fine Arts Institute, Redlands and San Bernardino Valley National Orange Show, Citrus Category. In 2000 she received a Winsor & Newton Award from the Redlands Arts Association, Miniature Show.



Her work has been purchased by many corporate and private collectors. Redlands Community Hospital and the County of San Bernardino have included her work as part of their permanent art collections. She was featured artist in the “County Heritage Show” and her work was purchased and now hangs in the Cultural Affairs Office in San Bernardino County.

 In 1990 Batman-Koplin moved into her vacation home in Lake Arrowhead and started exhibiting her work around the county. Since then she was a featured artist in several exhibitions.

In 1995 a one-person show was held in Lake Arrowhead at Gallery Rodeo. Batman-Koplin was one of the exhibiting artists in “Art Alive” 1998, 1999 and 2000 at the Riverside Art Museum, at UCLA Fine Art & Dining in 2000, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, the Fine Arts Institute in Redlands and the 31st annual national Palm Springs Desert Museum show in 2000.



Helga lost her home and everything in it in the 2003 Old Fire. All of her paintings were lost and she was forced to start anew. She is survived by her two children Kay Gobelin and Greg Batman. Her paintings and prints are currently exhibited for sale at the Mountain Arts Gallery in the Lake Arrowhead Village.

FEATURED ARTISTS

My medium is oil paint. I like to paint in various formats and techniques.  My mainstay has been maritime art, where I have been a signature member of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) for the past 3 decades. I continue to participate in many juried shows, including the annual maritime show in Coos Bay, Oregon where one of my pieces in currently exhibited.

I also like to do aviation art and exhibited twice in the annual fly-in of the Experimental Aircraft Association at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Over the years I have completed 800 pieces of miniature art, both replicas and originals, and have participated in miniature shows in London, Madrid and the Chicago Internation Miniature show multiple times. 

I continue to enjoy doing still life, western art, portraits and especially plein air painting in our local mountains with friends. Lately, I seem to be interested in local restaurant scenes and soon plan to have my display wall full of depictions of people eating their breakfast or happy hour!

Art helps you find out who you are; my approach is, although I appreciate and admire my friends that can do excellent abstract and expressionism, I find that I am much more comfortable with a realistic/representational approach to the subject. Perhaps because of my research orientation in my other jobs, I enjoy finding out stuff. I really try to give the viewer a sense of another time and place and of the emotion that that scene generated in me.

CARLOS CORTEZ

I grew up South Jersey, reaching high school in the turbulent times of the early stages of the Vietnam War in the early 60’s. As I progressed through high school, the Vietnam War progressed with more and more American troops being committed every year. My best friend at the time and I decided to join the Marine Corps on the buddy program after high school. At the time the program would “almost” guarantee that you and the buddy you enlist with would spend your time in the Corps at the same duty stations. He decided not to wait and enlisted prior to finishing high school. With the buddy program no longer being an option, I visited the Army recruiter seeking enlistment options. At the time, the Army had a program that allowed a high school graduate to attend flight school as a Warrant Officer candidate pending the passing of the FAST test, successful passing of a Class 1 flight physical, was 18 and completed Basic Training. Wow, I thought, I had never been in an airplane before but it sure sounded better fly over the jungle than humping through it. After graduating high school in 1967, I was off to flight school. 

Upon completion of flight school in 1968, I was assigned to the 254^th Medical Evacuation Detachment (Dust Off) based in Nha Trang, Vietnam. I was transferred to the 48^th Assault Helicopter Company where I served 2 tours flying Slicks and gunships. I returned from Vietnam in July of 1970. I was assigned to Ft. Meade, MD where I completed my active duty obligation. I joined the Pennsylvania National Guard at Ft. Indiantown Gap where I served in a variety positions as a line pilot, Aircraft Maintenance Officer and maintenance test pilot, instructor pilot in a variety of aircraft and my last duty assignment was a Chinook Instrument Examiner and Standards pilot. 

I have always been involved in some type of woodworking projects, from remodeling to building furniture. Several years ago my wife and I were at an arts fair in Fredericksburg, Texas. A particular vendor caught my eye. He had a display of several pieces that incorporated turquoise granules set in resin into veins in a mesquite lazy Susan. The pieces really intrigued me and I began researching the “how do you do this” part of the project. I began experimenting with making charcuterie boards with natural edged wood pieces and various colored resins. I attempt to utilize wood pieces sourced locally from the San Bernardino mountains and have also used pieces of walnut/black walnut and olive wood sourced from the central valley.

ALMA BORCUK

I'm a passionate artist who finds joy in expressing the beauty of nature through the graceful strokes of Chinese brush painting. There's something truly magical about translating the essence of the natural world onto paper! For me, each brushstroke is about more than just depicting a subject's physical appearance; it's about capturing its soul and spirit in just a few strokes.



Not only do I create art, but I also love sharing my passion with others as a teacher. Guiding students through the world of Chinese brush painting is incredibly rewarding. Together, we embark on a journey of discovery and self-expression, deepening our connection with nature along the way.

My focus has been on traditional Sumi-e and Chinese Brush painting. I have been studying under my mentor, Dr. Ning Yeh who is a premier master of this ancient art form. He is known for his Emmy award winning PBS art show and has authored several art books on the subject.

My love for Chinese brush painting and Japanese sumi-epainting techniques has quite an influence in my painting style, like my use of ink line drawings with a bamboo stick as my drawing tool and the sparse or non-existent background of my subjects.

In the tradition of Asian painting techniques, I strive to finish paintings in as few strokes as possible and to know when to stop so as not to overwork it. This produces a fresh, spontaneous and serene quality in a painting that I so admire in Chinese and Japanese art. And in the tradition of John Singer Sargent's work in portraiture, I aim to capture not only the likeness of my subject but also it's "soul".

LINDA JONES

Toward the end of 1999 I moved to Lake Arrowhead. Throughout the years I visited my brother many times and was amazed by the beauty of this place. I moved from the San Fernando Valley where I indoors as an office manager for 25 years. I was looking for something new and different. Shortly after settling in I got a job with a landscaping company. That was really new! I worked outside all day doing landscaping and splitting and delivering firewood. Several years later I got my landscaping license and went into business myself.

I can't remember why I started making wreaths but I loved it. Now after making them for 41 years I still love it.

Becoming part of the Gallery has given me a new outlook on life. All the artist have been incredibly welcoming. I am very grateful for their support. Winston, my little rescue dog buddy and I love the collecting.

APRIL 9th, 2025

MAN MEMBERSHIP MEETING - 6pm

at the MAN Lakefront Gallery location

We urge all Gallery Members to attend the MAN MEMBERSHIP MEETING on April 9th at 6pm.

The meeting will be held at the lakefront Gallery immediately after the Board's 5pm meeting. Please attend, there will be important information presented.

JOEL HENSLER Announces he has just created jigsaw puzzles of three of my favorite Lake Arrowhead photos. Available in 1,000-pieces, 500-pieces, and 300-pieces, they are made of high quality wood products and are great family fun for people ages 7 years and older. Available at the Gallery. Contact henskier@gmail.com

LINDA WHITE & REBECCA MALOOF

Linda White and Rebecca Maloof went on their 4th annual treasure hunt in Quartsite, AZ and found treasure! We found lots of new and unusual things to use in our art. Our favorite part of the trip is meeting so many interesting people. We love listening to their stories about life, seeing their art and becoming inspired with many new ideas.

LISA COOK

Golden pinecone with green aventurine and Tibetan DZI inlaid beads. 

GRAEME GALE

Manzanita and live edge pine dining table and benches.

RICK ROTANTE

Recent works by Rick Rotante and hoodie sweatshirts on eBay featuring Rick Rotante's art. Contact Rick for more details..Email: rickrotante@aol.com or 909-233-0425

Want to Join MAN or Renew Your Membership?

    MAN Memberships are good for one year from the date of joining. CALL (909) 744-8450

or check our website for more info: mountainartsnetwork.org

  ART GALLERY PARTICIPATION

is based on a jurying process. 

For more details, please contact JO ROBINSON 

jomamacita@hotmail.com

818-720-3682

Memberships: $30 Individual, $20 Seniors (55 and up), $20 Student (17 & under), $10 each additional family member

Enjoy the benefits: 10% off all Gallery items, Invitations to special events and receptions, Open Studio opportunities, teaching & volunteer opportunities.

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Mountain Arts Network

PO Box 1275 Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352 | Phone: 909-744-8450

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