Watch Live Art at the 'heART of Mt. Helix' 2011

Now in its fourth year, the culutural event is one of East County's most popular festivals. And the celebration of arts, music and food and wine at is only becoming more popular each year.

The event is the main fundraising event for the Mt. Helix Park Foundation. All funds raised from the event are used to preserve, miantain and enhance the park for future generations to enjoy.

Mount Helix Patch will break down the event in three preview articles, each profiling a different aspect of the event. Today, we will focus on the Arts.

For the past three years, since the "heArt of Mt. Helix" first began, local artist Chuck McPherson has created live art. Watercolors are his preferred medium and during the event McPherson will create a Mt. Helix-inspired painting, which will be auctioned off later in the evening..

Although it has yet to be created, McPherson said the image will be a view from the top of Mt. Helix including Eucalyptus trees and rocks popular for sitting.

“It’s a magnificent view at night,” McPherson, a Mt. Helix resident said.

Last year’s painting fetched $1,700 and McPherson is hoping to sell this year’s for $2,000.

“The fun part is everyone gets to watch it through the process,” he said.

McPherson also likes to involve the crowd, talking to people and also using items such as women’s lipstick to incorporate into the painting.

“It makes [them] part of the process,” McPherson said.

In addition to a live painting, artist Frank Coda will do live brutaling, a type of welding. He will be making brutalist sculptures, which will also be auctioned off.

McPherson is also part of the volunteer planning committee for the event and said last year’s festival brought in about 500 people and close to $60,000 for the foundation. This year, they’re hoping to have 600 attendees and bring in about $65,000.

In addition to McPherson's and Coda's work, there will be more than 120 items available for the silent auction, including dozens of works donated to the event by local artists and art studios.

To order tickets, visit the "HeART of Mt. Helix" website, or call (619) 741-4363 for more information. The event runs from 5:30-10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

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