On Saturday, Nov. 7, Raul Gilbert, Lourdes Thuesen and Mary McMillan will explore the issue of “Writing as Expression.”

Look for lively debates and thought-provoking discussion.

During the hour, Thuesen and McMillan also will discuss their experience as editors of the Lake County Record-Bee column, “Creative Expressions.”

Based on the true story of an adopted dog who finally found his home, "Darby's Story" is a heartwarming family tale for readers and listeners alike.

Steward will hold signings on the following dates:

• Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Kamp K-9, The Lodge at the Blue Lakes, 5135 West Highway 20, Upper Lake;

• Saturday, Nov. 7, to Sunday, Nov. 15, Cobb Mountain Art Galleria, Cobb Mountain Village, in the 16000 block of Highway 175, Cobb;

• Saturday, Nov. 21, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wild About Books, 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake;

• Friday, Dec. 4, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Watershed Books, Author's Studio, 305 N. Main St., Lakeport.

The event will take place from 5:30 p.m to 7 p.m. at the gallery, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport.

New in the November show are Toni Stewart's one-of-a-kind handcrafted hats. The popular artist Ray Farrow returns to the gallery with his fine oils, and Elaine Lewis displays her flair with acrylics.

Continuing in the October show are Bill Bartram in oils and Paula Strothers, Diane Constable and Paula Starkey in acrylics. Bruce Vandariss is exhibiting vivid paintings done in colored pencil. Keith Nelson's 8-foot metal giraffe gains immediate attention as you walk into the gallery, but take time to examine his other work as well.

Each of Bill Blum's miniature wooden gnome homes hold a surprise. To accompany them, Chris Schreier has fashioned wee folk art gnomes. Sunny Franson's beautifully executed oils reflect wonderfully soft landscapes and wildlife of Lake County. Judy Cardinale continues in this show exhibiting her versatility as an artist as she changes out her animal collection to vibrant watercolor landscapes and seascapes. Rounding out this fine collection of artists is the intricately fashioned jewelry by Anna Koot.

Returning to the Linda Carpenter Gallery to show their ever-growing talent and experimenting with various mediums and techniques are students from Cobb Mountain under the energetic tutelage of Linda Prather.

This is not just a student exhibition but a fine example of how art expands our lives by having us explore other cultures, nature and science.

Mrs. Liotta's class of fifth, sixth and seventh graders did just that by using the Internet to check out masks from around the world and then using Smart Board to examine them and determine how they would create their own masks.

Mr. Weiss's third and fourth graders studied the values of colors, learning warm and cool shades, and through the medium of watercolors learned to mix, blend and apply washes to their paper. You can view the end result of this creative process in their display of vases and flowers in the Impressionistic style. Two art docents, Jennifer Prather and Merilyn Mahnke, contribute their time and talent to this class.

Please join us for this evening of art, meet the featured artists and sample the award winning wines from Gregory Graham Wines.

Enjoy the delightful music of Ian Shaul on acoustic guitar as he plays and sings his own compositions.

We look forward to meeting you, sharing our gallery and bringing even more and new artistic talent to you in the months ahead.

For more information call 707-263-6658.

Shelby Posada is executive director of the Lake County Arts Council.

The boutique will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The location is 2698 Greenway Drive in Buckingham Park.

For more information call Leah Adams at 707-279-0642.