It's a rare but inspiring feat when a person can truthfully say they've attained their dreams, that their once far distant wish-upon-a-star of becoming an artist, a successful one at that with a large enough property to house and inspire budding and aspiring artists actually became a reality.
Douglas Tharlson is one of the lucky ones. He revels in life as a metalsmith/painter/musician/installation artist who owns a beautiful ranch home in Malibu, complete with an adjoining art studio he built, a giant metalsmith facility on his property, self-made installation pieces (see the mobile pictured below) and plenty of fun makeshift toys (throw the sharp star blades into slabs of wood anyone?) Tharlson lives in Old Malibu, just beyond the neatly built mcmansions on a dusty road that when driven onto, feels like a piece of old world charm. The land is surely a bit of untouched history remaining from the hippie days of yore. And Tharlson keeps those roots alive with a kind of artist 's commune, music jam/drinking round the mobile outdoors sessions on most nights.
I came across this whimsical place while out to brunch with my parents at our favorite little known restaurant, Old Place. Tharlson was dropping off artwork at the winery next door when my parent's friends spotted him (Tharlson had recently completed metal work at their Big Bear cabin). Greetings were exchanged and soon we were all invited up the dusty street, beyond the beautifully crafted metal gates that beheld his residence. He was kind enough to open up both his art studio and metal workshop for us to see.
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