@TO-Cal Stand Out hed:Backyard' vistas Discovery Gallery, Ventura From Ventura's beaches to the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel, Margery Spielman has always felt a deep coastal connection. She's been an avid scuba diver since 1964 and has taught scuba and oceanography courses at Ventura College and Ojai Valley School. She's even worked and dived with famed marine researcher Jacques Cousteau. Spielman is also an artist and her love for California seascapes is reflected in her work. Her new show, "In My Backyard," celebrates the area's oceans, beaches and wildlife. The exhibit is described as a "conscious meander along the shorelines and under the surface of our oceans." Featured is a variety of mixed-media work, including "Hope," pictured. "In My Backyard" will run through June 5 at the Discovery Gallery inside the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau, 101 S. California St., Ventura. It's open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 648-1235 or visit http://www.buenaventuragallery.org. Courtesy photo