TRUCKEE, Calif. — Local artists James Babcock and Grog Verbeck will demonstrate their talents at Art Obsessions Gallery & Wine Bar Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18 and 19, 2-5 p.m. James Babcock will show you “how to start a painting” and share his passion for creating art in the Sierra wilderness. Grog Verbeck will demonstrate the ancient art of flintknapping arrowheads.

James Babcock is a landscape artist with a focus toward realism. He paints with inspiration found from hiking adventures in the Sierra. Babcock said, “Painting nature as I see it, full of color and detail, giving one the sense of actually being there is what I want to achieve as an artist.”

Grog Verbeck is a sculptor whose focus is one of the world's oldest professions. A descendat of the Cherokee tribe, Verbeck practices the ancient, universal art of flintknapping: creating stone points by hand. His art is a form of meditation that ties him to the natural world. “There are very few people today who can create a stone point without the use of power tools,” Verbeck said. “I will show you how pieces of stone are turned into the survival tools of our ancestors.”

Wine and appetizers will be served to compliment your art experience. Art Obsessions Gallery & Wine bar is located in Historic Downtown Truckee, 10052 Donner Pass Road. Gallery hours are Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Visit www.artobsessions.com or call 530-550-9688 for information.