Shoka is associate editor for Comstock’s magazine. She is a journalist, copy editor and photojournalist who specializes in covering arts, culture, animal rights and sustainability.
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Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Switching Careers Doesn’t Mean Starting Over
PODCAST: Is it ever too late to change careers?

Comstock’s Talks: Camera Ready (The Next Chapter)
PODCAST: Michele McCormick sold her public relations company and became a model, actor and photographer who specializes in travel and nature photography. This profile is part of The Next Chapter, in which we check in with Capital Region professionals who moved into new pursuits or retirement after successful careers.

A Different Dance
The Next Chapter: What life and work looks like for the former co-artistic directors of the Sacramento Ballet
Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda were co-directors of the
Sacramento Ballet from 1988 to 2018. Since then, life has looked
different.

Camera Ready
The Next Chapter: Michele McCormick sold her public relations company and became a model-actor-photographer
MCC Communications founder Michele McCormick is a model, actor
and photographer who specializes in travel and nature
photography.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Be Fair When Considering Outside Candidates
PODCAST: How can employers solicit outside candidates for open positions without offending employees?

Art Exposed: Octavio Valencia
A photographer talks about fashion, mental illness and a close encounter with Anna Wintour
Octavio Valencia has a secret identity. Or two.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: New Systems Require Proper Training and Patience
PODCAST: How can employers help ease the transition into new software and systems?

Our Top Stories of 2020
Look back on 2020 with a list of our top-read stories and our editors’ favorites.

Art Exposed: Demetris ‘BAMR’ Washington
The Sacramento-based artist talks murals, Oak Park and the business of art
Demetris “BAMR” Washington is inspired by graffiti, cartoons and his faith in Christianity, the latter of which was also the inspiration for his alias: BAMR is short for Becoming a Man Righteously.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Easy Ways to Thank Employees in a Hard Year
PODCAST: How can employers offer year-end rewards to employees when there isn’t much cash to spare?

Art Exposed: Jennifer West
The Sacramento Film + Media film commissioner shares her thoughts on the state of the local filming industry and where it’s going
Jennifer West was still new to her role as film commissioner for the City of Sacramento’s Sacramento Film + Media office when she was sent home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Why Attendance Policies Are So Important
PODCAST: How can employers design an attendance policy that works for both themselves and their workers?

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Why Startups Need HR Help Before They Launch
PODCAST: Do small businesses with just a few employees need an HR professional, or are there other options?

Art Exposed: Deziree Dizon
How one woman overcame cultural expectations, self-doubt and a motorcycle crash to become a fine artist
Deziree Dizon was dragged to art school, but she is now making fine art and showing her work at galleries.

Family Farmers
Family business close-up: Otow Orchard extends its family farm in Granite Bay to the community
The Granite Bay farm was established in 1911 by a Japanese
immigrant and is still run by his descendants, including his
104-year-old daughter.

Art Exposed: Craig Martinez
An artist explores culture, religion, ritual and the human condition in his sculptures
Craig Martinez knows his sculptures, made from reclaimed materials, can be challenging, and not everyone is going to like them.

The Bright Side: Got It Covered
Old Country Tailor in East Sacramento began making and selling
cloth face masks in April and sold around 4,000 that month.

Art Exposed: Benjamin Della Rosa
The designer and illustrator’s career is all about connections
Della Rosa’s signature style can be seen in the visual branding of companies around the Capital Region, including restaurants, food and beverage brands, creative festivals and more.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Why Onboarding Is Critical for New Hires
PODCAST: How can a small-business owner give new hires the guidance they need to come onboard — without breaking the bank?

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: How Working Remotely Can Be Effective for Your Company
PODCAST: Employers are considering making the temporary measures for people to work from home caused by the coronavirus lockdown more formal. What are their obligations to their employees?

Art Exposed: Aliyah Sidqe
How one Sacramento artist wants to help fellow artists understand their worth
Aliyah Sidqe, a mentee of the artist and activist Milton Bowens, uses her paintings to uplift the community.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Why Is a New Employee Looking to Transfer?
PODCAST: A bored new employee quits instead of applying to an open position within the company because of a policy that prohibits job changes within one year. Is this a wise policy?

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Are Perks and Benefits Negotiable With Salary?
PODCAST: An employer asks whether perks such as vacation time and telecommuting privileges can be negotiated with a job candidate.

Emerging Leaders: Nicholas Haystings
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Nicholas Haystings, executive director of Square Root Academy, says he has had two goals since he was a kid: to become an engineer and to give back to the community.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Using a Coworker’s Salary as Leverage
PODCAST: I just found out a coworker is making more than I am, even though I have been here longer. How can I bring this up to my manager without giving away how I found out?

Emerging Leaders: Rosie Dauz
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rosie Dauz was elected president of the Philippine National Day Association, an organization that works to empower and promote equity in the Filipino community, around the time COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

Art Exposed: Laurelin Gilmore
The Sacramento artist’s paintings show a reverence to nature, as she recognizes environmental issues are social issues
Laurelin Gilmore weaves zodiac and earthy elements to show the connectivity humans have to nature.

Comstock’s Talks Trailer
Did you know that Comstock’s makes podcasts? Check out our Comstock’s Talks trailer to see what we’re about.

Art Exposed: Lindsay Swearingen
Tusk and Cardinal embroidery artist and illustrator discusses art versus craft in fiber arts
Lindsay Swearingen was introduced to needle and thread at 8 years old, when her mother taught her how to cross-stitch. She was young and didn’t stick with it, but “about eight years ago, I picked it back up around when there was a resurgence of embroidery and fiber art,” she says.

In the Making: A Daring Brew
Based in Auburn, the Common Cider Company produces around 75,000
gallons of hard cider monthly. Owner Fran Toves began brewing
cider on a dare in 2012.

Art Exposed: Manuel Fernando Rios
A West Sacramento Chicano artist confronts ethnic identity in his work
Mentored by Ricardo Favela of the Royal Chicano Air Force artist collective, Manuel Fernando Rios describes his artwork as “neo-Expressionist, neo-Chicano, mixed in with pop culture.” His solo show scheduled for May has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he is continuing to make new work.

Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Mending the Gap
PODCAST: If employees are scheduled to begin working at 6 a.m., but no one from management shows up until 7 a.m. to unlock the doors, can the workers be penalized and docked an hour of pay?

Art Exposed: Serena Cole
After 15 years in the Bay Area, Serena Cole returns to Grass Valley to make art and find community
Cole uses mixed media — watercolor, gouache, colored pencils and vinyl paint — to create vulnerable, delicate and harsh portraits that reflect the way women are viewed in art and society and how the artist digests it all.

Follow Her Lead: Alice Sauro
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Alice Sauro became executive director of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in 2015, during what she calls the Philharmonic & Opera’s “dark season.”

Follow Her Lead: Nicole Montna Van Vleck
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
When Nicole Montna Van Vleck, president and CEO of Montna Farms, left the family farm to go to college and start her career, she didn’t think that she’d return.

Art Exposed: Eden Halbert
Founder of Sierra Luna Photography used misfortune as an impetus to create her own business opportunities in the foothills
“If you had told me 30 years ago I would be a professional photographer, I’d be professionally working with dogs, I would have laughed,” Halbert says. “Now that I’m here, this is the only place I should be.”

In the Making: A Fresh Crush at Coldani Olive Ranch
Unlike a typical orchard with rows of olive trees, Coldani Olive Ranch’s olives are grown on trellises, resulting in dense, long walls of olives for its oil label, Calivirgin.

Art Exposed: Stephanie Taylor
After 40 years of making art, this Sacramento-based artist isn’t slowing down
If you have been to Sacramento in the past few decades, there is a good chance you have encountered artwork by Stephanie Taylor.

In the Making: Where Flowers Bloom
“We are flower nerds to the max here,” Melissa Cowan, owner of Placerville Flowers on Main says. “We squeal on the daily when new products come in or when seasons change.”

Art Exposed: Jose Arenas
Davis-based artists brings migration, culture and his experience as a first-generation American into his paintings
Belonging to two places and not quite fitting into either is a familiar feeling for many first-generation Americans.

Brand Builders
Cousins Katherine Bardis-Miry and Rachel Bardis continue the family legacy of building homes with their own approach
A latex unicorn mask hangs on the back wall near the window of Katherine Bardis-Miry and Rachel Bardis’ shared office.
“We’re kind of weird,” Katherine laughs.

Art Exposed: Julie Clements
A veterinarian technician left behind the clinic for the studio, but continues to work with animals
Julie Clements worked for 15 years as a veterinarian technician in Alaska, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the San Francisco Zoo before moving to Sacramento to be a full-time ceramic fine artist.

In the Making: At Conscious Creamery, a Good Dessert
The walls of Conscious Creamery’s commercial kitchen in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood are lined with stainless steel freezers, constantly humming loud and keeping chef Andrea Seppinni’s plant-based gelato frozen.

Art Exposed: Brandon Gastinell
From street art to corporate commissions, a Sacramento digital-mixed-media artist is finding success with his artistic clickbait
Because of some bold moves on his part and the exposure and connectivity that social media provides, Brandon Gastinell has transitioned from doing street art to work for major film studios and musicians.

Art Exposed: Adam Wever-Glen
Sacramento fine artist explains his business model and how the city could become a national art hub
Wever-Glen says he wants to stoke a sense of wonder in his viewers, often with surreal results — “kind of like a dreamscape.”

In the Making: One-of-a-Kind Sound Machines
Vintage suitcases, canteens, metal carrying cases and wooden boxes of varying colors and sizes occupy nearly every inch of a ceiling-scratching shelf in Kaden Hill’s suburban Sacramento garage workshop.

Art Exposed: Colleen Sidey
A ceramist in South Lake Tahoe reaps inspiration from her natural surroundings and motherhood, and ventures into opening a studio for the community with her husband
The charming effect of the forest finds its way into her ceramic sculpture, along with her greatest inspirations, her two children, ages 11 and 7, and her formative years being surrounded by the urban environment in Southern California.

Art Exposed: Natalie McKeever
A video and digital media artist finds opportunities in Sacramento
Natalie McKeever creates fine-art digital video, abstract and without narrative, with analog collages that are digitally manipulated to put the viewer in a meditative state.

Art Exposed: Angela Tannehill
Elk Grove graphic designer on finding a second career in her first choice of fine art
Angela Tannehill considers herself lucky. Although the Elk Grove-based graphic designer of more than 26 years earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts, she only began working as an artist a few years ago, and now her mixed-media work is drawing the attention of private art collectors, art consultants and public-art project organizers.