Employing the distinctive techniques she’s christened as “transformative art,” her imaginative visual renderings on behalf of businesses has resulted in netting her another new credit: having her artwork of Nevada City’s Chamber of Commerce selected by SureWest Communications to be featured on the cover of one of their regional editions, shipping to homes and businesses this week.

Similarly, Redfern’s dreamy style was recognized by the publisher who took over Sierra Food Wine Art in 2009 which highlights entertainment offerings regionally in Sacramento, the Sierra foothills, Lake Tahoe, and Reno.

As the featured cover artist for the magazine under the leadership of publisher Jeff Pelline, Redfern’s “transformative art” showcases a regional business each issue, often leveraging the prevalence of lovely old historic buildings in the Sierra.

A veteran journalist of 30 years previously with the San Francisco Chronicle and a founding editor of CNET, Pelline recalled, “As soon as I saw one of Lisa’s paintings at a local restaurant, I immediately knew her style was ‘the look’ we’d been seeking to give our magazine distinctive cachet as well as a competitive branding edge.”

Redfern has been the featured cover artist on four quarterly issues to date for the magazine.

Now Maria Ramos’ loyal following received a new treat: An outdoor patio, round bar and expanded restaurant.

“We’re going to make the patio look like Mexico,” says Maria, who learned to cook from her Mexican- born mother. “It’s going to be fun.”

Maria’s expansion—the biggest in the local restaurant scene— was wrapped up this summer.

The patio includes cowhide chairs, a bell tower, a fountain and pink flowering plants such as Crape Myrtles. It seats more than 60 diners, who also can enjoy an outdoor bar.

Inside, the expansion includes added seating and a spectacular round bar.

Maria’s menu will be enlarged too. Maria’s plans to add specials, such as a freshly roasted poblano chile enchilada, to the regular menu.

The new bar offers fresh-fruit margaritas and more than70 kinds of tequila.

The expansion fulfills a longtime dream for Maria, who opened her restaurant in 1992. The downtown building had been a burger joint, and she gradually transformed it into a
Mexican eatery.

Her tamales, chicken enchiladas suiza and carne asada were popular draws, according to Maria’s father, Moses. The consistency of the food kept people coming back.

Maria came up with a long-term plan for her restaurant and bought the adjacent land when it came up for sale about five years ago. She hired an architect to come up with a Mexican style, complete with red-tile roofs.

Maria looks forward to serving a new generation of customers. “People feel comfortable here,” she says. “It’s like going to your grandma’s.”

Maria’s Mexican Restaurant
226 E. Main Street, Grass Valley
530-274-2040 marias-grassvalley.com

(photo credit: Lisa Redfern)

Endurance cyclists get their energy from healthy eating: grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meat — but not too much. They eat plenty of carbohydrate-rich food, such as pasta, bread and rice.

The best foods for cyclists are “whole foods” — ones that are natural and unrefined. Here are some examples and where you can get them:

BackPorch Market: For a natural “carbo load,” the fine food store, located along the Amgen bike route in Grass Valley, offers items including home-made meatballs, which can go on top of the store’s fresh pasta and sauces.

BriarPatch Market: The store offers an extensive selection of bulk foods, including staples-grains, beans and more. BriarPatch also carries organic and natural meats and poultry. Seafood is sustainably farmed. It carries local eggs seasonally, always cage-free.

Caroline’s Coffee Roasters: Cyclist often is synonymous with “java junkie.” Caroline’s has been roasting and selling coffee since 1988. All fair-trade coffees guarantee that the farmer gets a a fair wage for the green coffee. Their coffee is all organic too.

Nevada City Seafood: This fresh-fish store has now opened a second location at 115 South Pine St. in downtown Nevada City. Owner Eric Jewell sends his custom refrigerated truck to San Francisco four times a week to bring fresh seafood back to the Foothills.

Nevada County Free Range Beef: Owner Jim Gates’ grass-fed beef is available year-round at the BriarPatch and Diego’s Restaurant in Grass Valley, also along the Amgen bike route. It also is available as “freezer beef” by the quarter, half or whole.

Bike racer ice cream
Treats ice cream at 110 York St. in Nevada City plans to name some of its flavors after the Tour of California bike race.

Examples include Paceline Praline, King of the Mountain Mint Chip and Sprinters Strawberry Sorbet. The flavors will be made by owner Bob Wright using local organic ingredients whenever possible.

The Truffle Shop at the New York Hotel Shops at 408 Broad Street will offer its famous Ice Cappuccino to race-goers.

(photo credit: Lisa Redfern)

Credit: Lisa Redfern

Smith will open its tasting room at 142 Mill Street, where Bunce’s Place was located. The winery has renovated a building that dates back to 1871, when Ulysses Grant was president.

“We like being part of the downtown community,” said co-owner Chris Smith.

The Smith family’s winemaking tradition began in 1987 with Gary’s father, Dr. Wayne Smith, and his three sons. The family business is now three generations strong, as Gary and Chris, with their own three sons, handcraft small lots of classic varietals.

Smith becomes the fourth tasting room in Grass Valley, behind Avanguardia, Sierra Starr and Lucchesi.

Meanwhile, SummerThyme’s — a popular Grass Valley deli and bakery — is opening an outlet at Book Town Books, at 107 Bank Street, on April 23. The “baby” SummerThyme’s, as its owners like to put it, will feature art from local artists as well.

A wine tasting room featuring four wineries, called the Grass Valley Wine Company, is planned this summer. The wineries include Pilot Peak, Solune, Montoliva and Bent Metal.

As the process of stylizing continues, she shapes, molds and tailors the subject matter to achieve her desired vision, often implementing so many layers of subtle effects that it would actually be impossible to replicate the finished piece, even for the artist herself.

Redfern Photography is a longstanding portrait studio located in Grass Valley.

Known throughout the community for her creative portraits of graduating high school students, Lisa is expanding the studio’s repertoire to meet a growing demand for her transformative artwork,
usually inspired by her love of nature.

Lisa also enjoys accepting commissioned work including architectural photographs, which can also be transformed via her well-honed talents.
Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree from CSU, Sacramento, with a major in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing.

During her career, she’s lectured and taught, and has written and edited books, grant proposals and magazine and newspaper articles. Lisa also has designed marketing materials and websites.

She has also produced and appeared on TV and radio programs in Northern California.

In her private life, she is the doting mother of a young son, who has inspired her tender photographs and transformative art featuring wide-eyed children.

A native of Northern California, Lisa has made her home in Grass Valley since 1995. You can contact Lisa at her studio at 530-272-3656 or visit her website at redfern.biz.