Occupying the northwest corner of Pier and Manhattan avenues in Hermosa Beach, Java Man coffee house has gained somewhat of a reputation for its support of local artists who display their many pieces inside.

During the month of September, the work of former Hermosa Beach residents Jill Spivak and David Finstrom will be on display in the shop. The monthlong exhibit captures the different cultures and places of both Spain and Mexico along with the diverse people living in Los Angeles County.

Spivak and Finstrom named their exhibit, “Las Caras y Los Lugares,” which means “Faces and Places” in English. The exhibit features 15 pieces comprising Spivak’s black and white photographs transferred to canvas, and Finstrom’s clay and copper sculptures.

Spivak, who recently moved to Redondo Beach following a 10-year stay in Hermosa Beach, works at the UCLA Medical Center where she oversees a $700 million research project inside the center’s Psychology Department.

Spivak first moved to Hermosa Beach after graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and accepting a position with the South Bay division of the American Red Cross. Spivak’s interest in photography and painting surfaced at an early age.

“It has become a hobby of mine and I wanted to blend my passion for both areas,” she said. “I don’t know about doing it full time just because I really love what I do.”

Spivak, who lived in Madrid, Spain, for three months in 2000, took numerous black and white photos during her stay. She experimented with the images and thought of digitally transferring some of them onto canvas and highlighting portions of the photos with oil paints.

“I’m in love with Spain’s language, architecture, values and people,” she said. “I was really into taking pictures of windows because I love the Moorish and Islamic influences present in the Spanish-colonial

architecture. I also love the nuances of everyday life often missed.”

Spending time on her art has allowed Spivak the time to unleash her creativity that she rarely uses at work.

“I’m really able to tap into my creative side and use my talent,” she said. “I think it’s very different from what I do at UCLA which is very structured. I think my art is a very rich blend of different mediums. I think this exhibit has something for everyone.”

Finstrom, a graphic artist who now lives in Playa del Rey, first met Jill through his brother. He first got involved with sculpture during his high school days and took some classes on the subject in college.

“It’s something I love to do in my spare time; I’ve always loved the 3-D aspects of sculptures,” said Finstrom. “We put this same exhibit up in Santa Monica last Christmas and it’s a mixture of clay, copper, paint on canvas and photographs.”

Often, Finstrom will sculpt faces he observes around him while at other times, he will shape facial characteristics common to many people.

“Most of my stuff is local, unlike Jill’s,” he said. “A lot of my pieces I do in rock clay and sometimes I have a specific image in mind. They are not usually generic faces but rather recognizable similarities of people I’ve seen before. ”

According to Finstrom, the process may take as long as two years or as short as two months, depending on the subject matter. Finstrom would love to become a full-time sculptor if the opportunity ever presented itself.

“It would be wonderful to do what I love and get paid for it,” said Finstrom. “Some of my pieces just come together in a few months. It just depends on the piece because they kind of take on a life of their own.”

The “Faces and Places” exhibit will be up in Java Man through Sept. 30. For more information on the art, contact them at facesandplaces2001@yahoo.com.