EVENTS
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The Cali Life Gallery
Opening July 26, 2025
The ‘Art Couple’ of Cardiff to showcase work at The Cali Life Gallery grand opening
SD UNION TRIBUNE
By LONNIE BURSTEIN HEWITT
Every day is creative for Rosemary KimBal and Raymond Elstad, but this month is special. It’s the first time these two longtime artists are showing together, and it’s at a new gallery within walking distance of their Cardiff home.
Rosemary, a master of Zen painting, was born and raised in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. She uses a giant brush to create her meditative pieces in the fewest strokes possible and has been showing and teaching her art for decades.
Raymond, formerly known for his expressive photography, especially of the dance world, is now a linocut artist; it’s a form of printmaking where an image is created, cut into a linoleum block, then inked and transferred onto paper, and he seriously enjoys the process. Born on Staten Island in New York, he sometimes jokes that he’s both a New Yorker and an Island Boy.
How did this “Art Couple” connect?
In 1987, Raymond came to a class Rosemary was teaching on “Brush Painting in the Asian Manner.” He said he’d been painting on silk for a while and showed her one of his pieces.
“I fell in love with his painting, especially the way he did his signature,” she said. “After the next class, he asked if he could take me to lunch, and the beachfront restaurant he chose was actually the site of the house I was born in–my parents’ original home!”
It was years before they finally got married–in the 12th-century Santa Maria Del Mar Church in Barcelona–but in the meantime, he did extensive and meticulous repair work* on her Cardiff home and both of them continued their artwork. Rosemary has a separate studio on the property, where she can create large-scale pieces, though none quite as huge as her two paintings that have been on view in the lobby of Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas since 1995.
Everyone now has a chance to see some of their work side by side at The Cali Life Gallery, which is having its grand opening July 26.
For more about Rosemary KimBal: https://dancingbrush.com
For more about Raymond Elstad: https://www.raymondelstad.com
And at Cali Life’s grand opening, attendees can meet the Art Couple and gallery owners Greg and Rachel Cali, who are artists as well.
*KimBal's Note: While the article references "extensive and meticulous repair work," it's important to note that the project involved a full remodel — including structural updates, design enhancements, and a complete transformation of the space.
The Cali Life Gallery
What: Showcasing local artists and art that celebrates California soul
Where: 100 Chesterfield Drive, Cardiff, 92007, on the second floor (above Patagonia)
Event: Grand opening: “An evening of art, music, food, drinks, and good vibes”
Date and time: Saturday, July 26, 4-8 p.m. All welcome. For more about the gallery, open daily except Tuesdays, call or text 760-525-5514. Visit https://www.
Past Events
2025 PHES GALLERY EXHIBITION
Amidst 146 voices, Rosemary’s work was chosen to be one of 25 that will bloom in this tranquil exhibition. From April 6 to May 31, her art will be quietly shared in the peaceful embrace of PHES Gallery and can also be experienced online at the Guild’s website: www.sdmaag.org.
PAST EVENTS CONTINUED:
- Dancing Brush Studio on the San Dieguito Artists’ Guild Open Studios and Garden Tour (2014)
- Arts Alive Banners for Cardiff by-the-Sea Chamber of Commerce (2005)
- COVA Open Studios (2004)
- Dedication of Faricy Music Studio & Library as Dancing Brush Studio (1998)