Two New Plein Air Paintings

 Sacred Grove WIP 12 x 16

I finally finished two plein air paintings from this summer, "Sacred Grove" 12 x 16 from a paint out at Borges Ranch and "Forest Hill" 14 x 14 from the Paintout at St Mary's Hearst Gallery for the summer landscape exhibit  (see my previous post.)

The exhibit at the Hearst Gallery inspired me to try my hand at doing something other than a panorama, because all three of the painters had such gorgeous trees in their paintings and favorite trees at that!

I am really happy with the foreground on Sacred Grove, just enough suggestion of detail and the colors are very true to that paradoxical blue green from the invasive star thistle. The young oak trees were fun to paint, they seemed like they were dancing in a circle.

 Forest Hill 14 x 14

St Mary's Hearst Gallery, Opening Reception and Paintout for "Superbly Independent: Early California Paintings by Annie Harmon, Mary DeNeale Morgan and Marion Kavanagh Wachtel" this Sunday

I have been invited to paint during the opening events of this exhibit this Sunday.
I can't wait to see the works by these painters.



Superbly Independent: Early California Paintings by Annie Harmon, Mary DeNeale Morgan and Marion Kavanagh Wachtel
July 25 - Sept. 19, 2010
Nearly 100 landscape paintings by three pioneer Western women painters

Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel (1870 - 1954), Untitled (Eucalyptus Trees, watercolor, 12 x 9 inches, n.d. Courtesy of The Irvine Museum)

Tenacious and talented early women landscape painters often received scant attention from the art world. Although it was unusual at the turn of the century to find women artists working atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific or deep in the middle of a pine forest, that is just where these three artists spent much of their careers.

The Hearst Gallery first became interested in Annie Harmon because of her connection to landscape master William Keith—she was his painting student for many years, and became a family member when her brother married Keith’s daughter. Keith’s pupils were primarily women, and he was known to encourage others in their pursuit of a painting career.

While researching Harmon and her relationship with her mentor, interesting parallels emerged with her contemporaries Mary DeNeale Morgan and Marion Kavanagh Wachtel. By presenting the three gifted, independent and pioneering painters together, we are also able to look at the breadth and variety of the California landscape—from the densely wooded forests of the north, to the Bay Area and the spectacularly scenic central coast, to the bright, strong colors and tones of the desert and the Southland.

This exhibition and accompanying catalogue would not have been possible without the generous support of two dedicated collectors, Betty Boone Williams and Alberta Parker Horn. Works are also on loan from museums, galleries, public and private collectors. The richly illustrated color catalog includes a complete checklist of paintings, with biographical essays by Jean Stern, Executive Director of The Irvine Museum; independent art historian, Erika Esau; and Julie Armistead, the exhibition’s guest curator.

" Forest Hill" 14 x 14 from the Superbly Independent  Opening Day Paint Out.
I wanted to focus more on trees in tribute to Harmon, Wachtel and Morgan.

Public Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 am – 4:30 pm Telephone: (925) 631.4379 Website: www.hearstartgallery.org Contact: Heidi Donner, hdonner@stmarys-ca.edu (925) 631.4069

Sacred Mountain: a Juried Exhibition at Saint Mary's Hearst Gallery

Mount Diablo Summer Sunset, 14 x 14 watercolor

Here is the information on the opening events this weekend:

Hearst Art Gallery, Saint Mary’s College, Moraga
SACRED MOUNTAIN: IMAGES OF MT. DIABLO AND MT. FUJI

May 2 - July 3, 2009
Featuring nearly 100 works of art, including paintings, woodblock prints, photographs, works on paper,textiles, and decorative objects, circa 1650 to 2009.

Opening Events -Sunday, May 3 ,2 – 3 pm Lectures

Preserving and Protecting Diablo: Ron Brown

Fuji and the Japanese People: Naoko Uehara

Soda Activity CenterEvent

Reception following -3:15 – 4:30 pm

Hearst Gallery & patio

It will be interesting to see this exhibit. I think of Japanese Art as being more on paper, such as woodcuts and watercolor ( or actually traditionally ink) paintings vs as using oil paints. When I delivered my painting, I was the only watercolor in the Diablo portion of the exhibit at the time. It will be interesting to see the different interpretations: we all have our own views of Diablo as our population is scattered around the entire base. I am somewhat focused on painting mountains and ridges and am interested in how Mt Fuji has inspired artists on the other side of the world. My painting Mt Diablo Summer Sunset was painted from the West Side of Danville.