Wildlife photographer, Patricia Neely, captured these two owls with her lens. Photos submitted	Artist, photographer and long-time Sierra County resident, Pat Dawson, presents intimate views of hummingbirds.

Nov. 1, 2012 — Artisan Coffee in Janesville is one of those places where it’s easy to kick back with a cup of coffee, a book or maybe your laptop and pass the afternoon in its warm atmosphere. The café has become a gathering place for artists, coffee lovers or just a place to hang out and enjoy good conversation because you never know who is going to stop by.

Co-owners Adam Fike and Austin Meinert have brought both vision and heart to this little coffee shop alongside Highway 395. Meinert made all the wooden furniture in the cafe. Fike is also a woodworker and sells his work in the café.

Over the years the place has transformed from a simple coffee shop to a combination art gallery and gift shop where you can buy pottery, jewelry, hand-knit items, original artwork and more from local artisans whose work adorns the shelves and wall.

As well as a variety of roasted coffees, Artisan Coffee makes what some locals claim are the best smoothies to be found for 100 miles in any direction. They also have an assortment of teas, other drinks and snacks.

Every month Artisan Coffee has an art show featuring one or more local artists. Generally, it’s held on the second Friday of the month, but November’s show will be Nov. 2, the first Friday of the month.

This forthcoming show will be a special event, not only because of featured artists Jan Dawson and Patricia Neely, but it will also be the official unveiling of the mural painted by Mike Fike.

Fike said the idea for the mural began to formulate close to three years ago. Then she created the original drawing about two and a half years ago.

“I’ve been working on the paintings since last August,” she said, “but the drawings and studies for it have been around a lot longer.”

Many Lassen County residents are familiar with Neely’s wildlife photographs, and while her photos will be featured Friday, Neely will also display a few sketches, which is a new direction for her.

“I never dreamed I could draw,” said Neely. “I grew up knowing nothing about art. It’s only since I’ve been here that I’ve developed an appreciation of animals and learned first to photograph them, now to draw them.”

She said the emphasis of the video classes she is taking from a Fullerton professor is on gestures, learning to draw the structure of an animal.

“Once you learn to draw the structure of an animal, you can draw it in any position,” she said.

The other featured artist, photographer and long-time Sierra County resident, Jan Dawson said unlike her 2011 show, “Gentle Giants,” which depicted grizzly bears from Katami Wilderness, Alaska, on large canvases, this year’s show will feature intimate views of hummingbirds on smaller, more affordable prints.

Her beautiful landscapes and other wildlife photos will also be in the show.

The opening reception is 5:30-7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 2. Refreshments and appetizers will be served. For information, call Artisan Coffee at 253-3000.