Go Local This Holiday: Matranga Studios

"I'm letting the neighborhood know 'an artist lives here,' " Frank Matranga says of his customized house on North Ardmore Avenue. Matranga has been in this home, which also serves as his studio and store, since 1970. 

You can't get lost on your way to . The home's external features, including murals on the walls and a custom-designed mailbox, point the way to this unique pottery and sculpture shop. Matranga began his work in 1967, bought the home three years later, and has been selling his crafts to locals and distant customers alike.

Matranga does a lot of dinnerware and small bowl pieces, which are popular gift items. One of his clocks features a relief of the Manhattan Beach Pier. But if you want to know what defines Matranga's unique art career, just look at his fireplace.

"I remodeled the home a few years ago, and this was the center of the remodel," Matranga said of the ceramic mural spanning the two-story-high hearth. Matranga completed seven much larger murals, 20 feet by 30 feet, for the Sears Escondido store in 1970. He has since completed commissioned murals for libraries, corporate offices, banks and residences.

Matranga showed a reporter around his home, pointing out the intricacies of each piece he creates. He's well-known for his branch handle pots, made from pieces of local scrap wood. "People even bring me branches," said Matranga. He cleans and sands the raw branches then treats them with oil. "I just love the way they twist and turn," he said, while pointing to a unique wooden handle.

These sculptures were featured on HGTV's Carol Duvall Show. Matranga has also paid homage to Frank Gehry, designer of the famed Disney Concert Hall, creating sculptures made of overlapping ceramic pieces with no straight lines; one of these sculptures is a working fountain. 

If you're looking for a small, one-of-a-kind gift this holiday, Matranga has a collection of bowls, pots and chalices that will delight any recipient. If you want to knock it out of the park, a larger Matranga original mural or sculpture will continue to delight for years to come.

Matranga Studios is located at 118 N. Ardmore Ave. You can't miss it. And if you want to fulfill your nosy side? No problems here. "I want people to come in and look around," Matranga said. You're invited to browse the sculpture gardens and shop weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.