By Town Crier Staff Report

Approximately 30 Los Altos and Los Altos Hills artists, and another 10 in Mountain View, are opening their homes to the public this weekend for Silicon Valley Open Studios 2001.

The 15th annual self-guided tour, which began last week, provides exposure for some 350 artists whose work ranges from oil paintings to quilts and blown glass, photography and metal sculptures.

The Silicon Valley Open Studios 2001, presented by the Silicon Valley Visual Arts, allows for a more comfortable and convenient atmosphere in which artists can display their works. Many of the original creations can be purchased on location.

For landscape painter Denise Natanson-Marcus of Los Altos, the event is the much preferred alternative to setting up a gallery show.

“I used to show in a lot of galleries before I got married and had kids, ” Natanson-Marcus said. “(Open Studios) was a way for me to get back into painting without having to go and find a gallery and have a large amount of work for a show.”

Natanson-Marcus, who teaches art at Christa McAuliffe School, said she has started to build “a little bit of a following” through events like Open Studios. Her paintings were also included in “Paint The Town,” which features Los Altos locations painted by local artists.

Her open studio this year will also feature works by Los Altos resident Bonnie Epstein, and Bonnie Hicks and Randy Koster.

“This is third year I’ve participated and I find every year more enjoyable,” said Chris Beck, a watercolorist from Los Altos.

“I love seeing other people’s work, and I love it that other people get to see my work. It’s a low-key, relaxed atmosphere that’s just perfect.”

“There’s no question that (the Silicon Valley Open Studios) is worthwhile,” said Karen Devich, a Los Altos Hills resident who works with welded steel and ceramics.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for people that are interested in art to see what’s out there, in their own back yard. (The Open Studios) makes it more accessible for anybody who has the slightest interest in art and doesn’t want to pay the prices for a museum.”

Free maps of artists’ studios and catalogs for purchase can be found at Printers Inc. in downtown Mountain View (961-8500) or Gallery 9 in downtown Los Altos (941-7969).

For locations and more information about the Silicon Valley Open Studios 2001, call 941-5337 or visit the Web site at www.svva.org.