Workshops

Henry Fukuhara, a California watercolorist and teacher who attracted many of the field's most accomplished artists to annual painting workshops at the Manzanar relocation camp in Owens Valley, where he and thousands of other Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II, died of natural causes Jan. 31 at a nursing home in Yorba Linda, according to his grandson, Paul Niwa. He was 96. A retired flower grower and wholesaler who did not begin painting in earnest until he was nearly 60, Fukuhara was known for energetic, abstract paintings, particularly of Manzanar and Santa Monica, where he grew up. "Henry had such a unique style, so different from most plein-air artists," said Bill Anderson, whose Sunset Beach gallery represented Fukuhara.

AFRICA Slide show Dave Garfinkle will show slides of his trip in June to northern and southern Africa, including Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique. When, where: 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Admission, info: Free. RSVP to (626) 449-3220. BACKPACKING Workshop Glen Van Peski will take you through the steps on how to pack lighter so you can do more. When, where: 7 p.m. Friday at the Adventure 16 store, 11161 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles.

TRAVEL Presentation Angel Castellanos will discuss travel skills, tips and tricks, airport do's and don'ts and Transportation Security Administration rules and facts. When, where: 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Admission, info: Free. RSVP to (626) 449-3220. BACKPACKING Workshop Backpacker magazine will present its Get Out More tour, with instruction on essential hiking skills as well as the latest equipment. When, where: 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Adventure 16 store, 11161 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles Admission, info: Free.

OAKLAND - Burglaries have plagued just about every corner of this beleaguered city of late: Last year, Oakland averaged one break-in every 42 minutes - a 44% increase over 2011. So when Mayor Jean Quan recently included a workshop on lock-picking in the "Something for Everyone" section of her newsletter, it didn't go over well. "Of all the incredibly unbelievable things I've witnessed in my life, this tops the list," one resident wrote in a letter that asked Quan to cancel the class.

Los Angeles Times photographer Mark Boster created a remarkable photographic record of Yosemite National Park in four seasons. His photos are spectacular -- and he shares some details on how he got those pictures. Now here's a chance to learn from the pros how to capture the wonders of California's signature park. Canon and the American Park Network are sponsoring free photography workshops three times a day to take you around Yosemite and get you snapping. The deal: The Photography in the Parks program includes free photo and video workshops at 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and sunset (around 8 to 8:30 p.m.)

Laguna Beach , home of the Sawdust Art Festival , will soon be home to Sawdust Studio Art Classes , in which visitors will have an opportunity to create art or craft pieces -- such as jewelry, pottery, ceramics or tiles -- during two-hour weekend sessions. Starting Oct. 15, classes will take place Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and will be taught by Sawdust Festival art instructors. The workshops are being sponsored by the festival in cooperation with the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau.

Some of Morro Bay ’s most spectacular scenery may be found on a “photocache” in which seekers search not for buried treasure but above-the-ground vistas in the California coastal area. The self-guided tour aims to lead photographers — from beginners with a point-and-shoot camera to advanced shooters — to a dozen treasured views in and around the coastal town. The tour is one of more than 30 workshops and events offered Oct. 22 to 24 at the Morro Photo Expo , where participants will receive hands-on lessons in taking pictures from the water, in the garden, of the moon and beyond.

Barbara Graham's book "Women Who Run with the Poodles" had me roaring out loud ("Fed Up With Your Inner Child?" July 11). These days it's a brave woman who thinks she's perfectly capable of living without going to past-life workshops or paying huge therapy bills to find someone else to blame for her problems. Graham's tweaking at the pomposities of the New Age and feminist movements is a breath of fresh air for people fed up with all the inane psychobabble. Clarissa Estes, author of "Women Who Run With the Wolves," and other feminist authors who objected to HarperCollins' publishing of Graham's book reinforce the stereotype that feminists are all humorless fanatics who quell anyone in the ranks who disagrees with them.

"Bohemia at the Beach" (Nov. 3), in which Kathleen Kelleher interviewed residents of Ocean Front Walk in Venice, was well timed. A series of workshops to decide how $10 million in Proposition A funds are to be spent in Venice will begin soon. It is important that residents express themselves. This is especially true for residents of Ocean Front Walk and streets such as Horizon, Westminster, Brooks and Rose, which bear the brunt of traffic and parking problems. One of Kelleher's interviewees said Venice is an artistic community.

Veteran news anchor Pat Harvey of KCAL-TV will be the keynote speaker Jan. 22 at a workshop titled "How to Get Your News in the Newspaper and on the Air" presented by United Media Access Panel (UMAP). Funded by the Ford Foundation, the free session, fifth in a series of nine workshops, will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Watts Health Center, 10300 S. Compton Ave.

Fans of Alabama Chanin who are brave enough to attempt the firm's stunning reverse - appliqued style of handcrafted clothing and housewares themselves will be pleased to learn that founder Natalie Chanin will be in Los Angeles on March 16 to lead a one-day workshop. Participants choose from six Studio Style DIY Kits in advance: a set of six placemats, a shawl and matching hat, an apron with four tea towels, a baby blanket and onesie, a swing skirt, or a corset. Select your design, color and size preferences, and the DIY kit will be ready upon arrival.

There are just a handful of tickets left for Food Forward's Foodsteader Tour , which kicks off in the spring. Angelenos not yet familiar with Food Forward should know that it's a volunteer-powered organization that goes around the city and the surrounding Los Angeles area to harvest excess fruits and vegetables from private homes and public spaces, and then distributes donations to local food pantries. Whether you want to sign up for individual sessions or the whole series, this year's Foodsteader Tour features four seasonal, hands-on workshops.

MOROCCO Presentation Join Bruce Carter for a look at Morocco through a geologist's eyes. As part of a group with the Natural History Museum, Carter and his wife, Cathy, crossed the High Atlas Mountains to visit major mines, and collected minerals and gemstones. When, where: 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Admission, info: Free. RSVP (626) 449-3220. WINTER SPORTS Workshop Experts will introduce and explain where and why avalanches occur.

This story has been corrected. Please see note below. "The Virgin and Child With Saint Anne," a highly prized painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the collection of the Louvre, is having a big year. Last spring, the sensitive portrayal of St. Anne with her daughter and grandson was the keystone of an exhibition at the Parisian museum. For the first time, Leonardo's "final masterpiece" - in process for years and left unfinished at the artist's death in 1519 - was exhibited with his compositional sketches, preparatory drawings and landscape studies, along with related works by other artists.

SAFETY Workshop For the winter backcountry traveler, this two-hour session introduces and explains where and why avalanches occur and provides a basic approach to managing risk. Learn to recognize basic signs of avalanche danger and how to avoid it. When, where: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the REI store in Tustin, 2962 El Camino Real. Admission, info: Free. (714) 505-0205 Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com .

Home coffee roasting: Looking to brew like a barista? Daniel Kent of Plow & Gun Coffee will teach a coffee roasting workshop on Saturday at the Institute of Domestic Technology's headquarters in Altadena. Coffee enthusiasts are welcome to join in from 10 a.m. to noon and learn how to roast, brew and taste coffee. The session costs $95 per person and includes ingredients, supplies and snacks. Register online . Zane Grey Estate, 396 E. Mariposa St., Altadena, www.instituteofdomestictechnology.com . Cupcake decorating: Georgetown Cupcake will host a holiday cupcake decorating workshop at the cupcakery's recently opened location on Robertson on Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants can frost, decorate and gift-wrap a dozen of their favorite holiday flavors such as gingerbread, white chocolate peppermint, English Christmas cake and chocolate eggnog.

The City Council has unanimously voted to sponsor a community workshop aimed at helping residents understand code enforcement. The workshop, free and open to everyone, will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Community Center, 7821 Walker St. Code enforcement means implementing city laws regarding homes and property. City Manager Pamela Gibson said there are complex state laws that become intertwined with city code enforcement, and the public often does not understand the legal process.

Workshops ranging from publishing trends to writing horror fiction and writing for movies and TV--along with a speakers' list that includes authors, agents, screenwriters and Charles Champlin, The Times critic-at-large--are on tap for the Chapman College Annual Writer's Conference Nov. 4. Registration before next Wednesday is $65 ($75 thereafter) for the daylong conference, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The price includes a continental breakfast and lunch.