A Century of Landscapes: Selections from the California Art Club at the California Historical Society, on Exhibit in San Francisco until October 15th

Twisting Mountain 14 x 21 watercolor on paper
Twisting Mountain is one of my favorite interpretations of Mt Diablo. It fits the theme of historical interpretation because I purposely left out the summit building and roads and painted as it appeared to the first settlers in the East Bay.

              
                  California Historical Society
                 678 Mission St San Francisco CA



Here is the write up reprinted with permission from the California Historical Society web site :

From July 14th through October 15th, the California Historical Society will host the California Art Club’s centennial exhibition, A Century of Landscapes: Selections from the California Art Club.
At the dawn of the twentieth century, California became home to a legion of artists who came to paint the state’s awe inspiring natural landscapes “en plein air,” an Impressionistic style in which painters worked outdoors in order to capture the ephemeral moment of natural lighting across a landscape.
The California Art Club was established in 1909, by artists, patrons, and visionaries for the sole purpose of capturing the beauty of California’s landscapes in their paintings.
The California Historical Society is the only Bay Area venue for this exhibition celebrating the one hundred year legacy of the California Art Club.
The juried exhibition of works from current members will be supplemented by historical materials from the California Art Club and pieces of art and other materials on the Club from the rich collections of the California Historical Society.

Here is link to the contemporary paintings in this exhibit:

http://www.californiaartclub.org/a-century-of-landscapes-2/

I am very happy to see there is a nice selection of landscape paintings in watercolor here.
Larry Cannon, Dick Cole, John Deckert,  Carolyn Lord and Robin Purcell(me) are all represented and illustrate my thesis that watercolor is so varied in technique , it allows you to create a distinctive style that is original and immediately recognizable, something I find very satisfying as an artist.

The exhibit is over now  and the painting "Twisting Mountain"  SOLD at the Fairmont Gallery in Sonoma.

Point Lobos Series

 Point Lobos Walk 14 x 14

 Pacific Passage 14 x 14( view from the path by China Cove)

Point Lobos Arche 14 x 18

Living in California, not as close to the coast as I would like, I've wanted to paint the Pacific Ocean for a while. The challenge of painting a new, moving subject  from life has proved to be too much. So I have been painting in my studio from photographs and memory..

The hardest thing for me in painting from photographs is to avoid rendering and to try to remember what the colors actually looked like, since the camera distorts them in ways I wouldn't.
The subject that works for me is to use wintertime scenes when there is so much foam in the water that the light value creates a contrast with the darker colors of the land.
They are posted in the order they were painted. ( And look a little dark on my computer)

In case you missed it:The Artists Magazine Online

The Artists Magazine June Issue was previewed online. It can still be ordered online.
 Here is a link to the extra paintings from the article on watermedia landscapes.



http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/acrylic/watermedia-landscapes-2011

Connecting artists with ideas, inspiration and instruction

Dramatic Watermedia Landscapes

To read more about these artists creating landscapes in watermedia, see the June 2011 issue of The Artist’s Magazine. Here is some art that didn’t appear in the issue.

Magee Ranch Morning (watercolor, 14x21) by Robin Purcell

Fairmont Gallery Representation and Wine Country Invitational

 Hillside Vineyard 10 x 20 Available Fairmont Gallery

I have long enjoyed the work of Manette Fairmont who won the Gold Medal at the California Watercolor Association 2007 National Exhibition. This accomplished artist also has a gallery she curates  in the Square at Sonoma. I have visited over the years and always been impressed with the artists she represents so I am  very happy to be included.
Here is a link to the gallery web site:

http://fairmontgallery.com/   
The Gallery is located at 447 West First Street and I hope you can visit if you are in Northern California this Summer.
I am also participating in the wine country invitational here on September 17th.

Two Paintings Accepted at the 81st Annual Statewide Contemporary Landscape Exhibit: Earth Portraits at the Santa Cruz Art League on exhibit through June 26th

Pacific Passage 14 x 14

 The Curve of the Earth 21 x 14

81st Annual Statewide Exhibit       
EARTH PORTRAITS:
Contemporary Landscape Painters of California

May 28 - June 26, 2011



Juror: Scott A. Shields, Ph.D.
Associate Director / Chief Curator Crocker Museum
Curator: Ed Penniman


The first Santa Cruz Art League Statewide Exhibition was
held in 1928. This year, as a celebration of the 81st Annual
Statewide Exhibition, this competition and exhibition will revisit
the high standards for acceptance, which made this annual Landscape show one of California’s premier art events.

I am thrilled to have two paintings accepted into this exhibition.
"The Curve of the Earth" was one of the few times I've painted from the summit of Mt Diablo and I thought it fit the theme of Earth Portrait .
I've been working on a series of  paintings of the Pacific Ocean and "Pacific Passage" is my favorite so far. I have found that in winter the waves are full of foam and a much lighter value than the rocks , so the compositions  work for me because there are clear value pattens, and it is a fun excuse to paint delicate watercolor washes in a high key.


Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 426-5787
www.scal.org
Wed.- Sat., 12AM - 5PM,
Sun. Noon-4PM
Here is a statement about the exhibition by the curator Ed Penniman that I think sums up the intentions of contemporary landscape painters pretty well:



Statement by Exhibition Curator Ed Penniman
It is my belief that there is still considerable interest in stunning, inventive and inspirational landscape paintings of California by California artists. It is my hope that this exhibition will reinforce the idea that landscape painting still lives as a vital and expressive art form, particularly at a time of global environmental degradation. Perhaps the appreciation of natural beauty as expressed by these talented California painters will serve as a call-to-action and also heighten awareness that we all play an important part in the stewardship of nature.

Update 7/9
Ed Penniman was kind enough to send the link to the lecture by Scott A Shields that I wasn't able to attend.
I just watched it and it is very educational and entertaining. The topic is landscape painting through the Crocker Art Museum Collection. Here's the link:
http://www.communitytv.org/programs/online/earth-portraits-contemporary-landscape-painters-california

The Artist's Magazine, June 2011 Cover!

That's "Rare Sight" 14 x 21 on the cover!
You can order a copy here:
http://www.northlightshop.com/product/print-issue-the-artists-magazine-june-2011-ta0611?r=tamdpar041111ta0611

 Here's the entire painting.