A sudden 2023 layoff email wasn’t a setback for Rubén Darío Villa—it was a blessing in disguise. After years spent working as a designer in big tech, Darío Villa used the transition to commit his creative drive to Gilroy and South County…

Roan’s paintings of plants and wildlife are lush and luminescent, evidence of her careful attention to detail. Her garden—filled with native plants like manzanita and sticky monkey-flowers, as well as creatures like cats, chickens, and bees—offers no shortage of inspiration. As the garden cycles through seasons and shifts in light, color, and shadow, each of her paintings functions as a snapshot, helping her to process events…