On Location in Malibu 2012, California Art Club Exhibit at the Frederick R Weisman Museum of Art May 19 – August 4, 2012

Malibu Canyon, 21 x 29. You can click on the  painting  for a larger image.

Opening reception: Saturday, May 19, 5–7 PM

 Sometimes I paint large in the studio, because a large piece of watercolor paper taped to masonite board is just like a very large and heavy sail. 

Malibu Canyon was painted from a photo that I took along Malibu Canyon Drive. It shows my fondness for shapes and colors applied in flat areas and arranged to create volume. In Southern California the hills show their structure because there is not as much vegetation covering them.

 The color in this is largely from memory since the photo greys everything out. This is my fantasy of a view I would like to have from a window some day. Another influence here is a magical phrase from a fairy tale that a princess's dress was skybluepink. I remember puzzling over this phrase as a child and trying to imagine what that would be, this looked like a skybluepink hill to me.

I am thrilled to be exhibiting in On Location in Malibu for the second time. The Juror was Museum Director Michael Zakian. 

The roster of artists(!) my painting gets to hang out with:

Peter Adams, Lisa Bloomingdale Bell, Gerald Brommer, John Brunnick, Marcia Burtt, Cathey Cadieux, John Cosby, Jose De Juan, Karl Dempwolf, Esther Engelman, Mark Fehlman, David Gallup, Lynn Gertenbach, Adrian Gottlieb, Robin Hall, Carolyn Hesse-Low, Keewon Hong, Jeffrey Horn, Virginia Johnstone, Sharon Burkett Kaiser, Laurie Kersey, Chuck Kovacic, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, Frank Lennartz, Calvin Liang, Jeremy Lipking, Bobbie Moline-Kramer, Taylor Montague, Jennifer Moses, Michael Obermeyer, Barron Postmus, Scott W. Prior, Tony Pro, Richard Probert, Robin Purcell, Gerald Rahm, Jeff Richards, Vic Riesau, Rodolfo Rivademar, Ray Roberts, Junn Roca, Gayle Roski, Frank Serrano, Herb Seymour, Liliana Simanton, Michael Situ, Christopher Slatoff, Tim Solliday, Alexey Steele, Yisun Wei, Ryan Wurmser, Jeff Yeomans, Joan Horsfall Young, Dennis Ziemienski, and Charles Zlatkoff.  

http://www.californiaartclub.org/on-location-in-malibu-2012/

Here is a link to the paintings from the 2009 exhibit: http://robinpurcellpaints.blogspot.com/2009/06/on-location-in-malibu-california-art.html

Mount Diablo Springtime

Diablo Springtime 14 x 14

This started out a while ago as a class demo and I missed posting it at the time. Since we are finally getting some gorgeous greens, I thought it would be fun to post now. This was painted from a summer version of this same place in Lafayette called " Northern View. "

Plein Air Spring Training : two small ones on my easel now

 Wine Country Wind Break 9 x 12 Available Fairmont Gallery Sonoma

Spring Barn 11 x 14 Available Fairmont Gallery Sonoma

We've had some rain and the land is starting to green up. These paintings may be finished ,I am not quite sure.
It was great to get out of the studio and paint in the fresh air. The top " Wine Country Windbreak" was painted in a hidden valley on the way to the Livermore wine country. I was next to a horse pasture and got to watch the horses and bluebirds and hawks perched in the trees. "Spring Barn" attracted me because of the quality of the reflected light on the barn. These aren't great photos and I will try to get better ones.

Paintings at the California Art Club 101st Gold Medal Exhibition

Morning Has Broken 9 x12

Sacred Grove 13 x 17

I 'll be at the artists' gala reception!

April 1 – 22, 2012
Artists’ Gala Reception: March 31, 2012

Held at the Autry National Center
4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
323/667-2000  |  www.theautry.org
Map to the Autry

 

The entire exhibit is now online and it is fantastic!


http://www.californiaartclub.org/101st-annual-gold-medal-juried-exhibition-and-sale/

Here is how mine look on exhibit at the Autry Museum. So glad I went to this world class event at a spectacular museum. Context is everything! Both paintings sold. The California Art Club promotes this exhibit to collectors and it makes a huge difference, many red dots at the reception.

"Rare Sight" to be exhibited at California Art Club "Saving Paradise" Exhibit March 8 to May 6

Rare Sight (Mt Diablo) 14 x 21 watercolor on paper

SAVING PARADISE: The Symbiosis of Landscape Painting and Environmental Awareness
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, March 8 – May 6, 2012

 The "Saving Paradise" exhibit is all about artists working with environmental and land preservation groups to preserve open spaces. I don't know what I would do without Mt Diablo being so beautiful and so close. It dominates the skyline here in Danville and literally nags me to go out painting because I can not miss it as I drive or walk around town. SaveMount Diablo.org is to be congratulated for all they do to preserve and protect the critical habitats on and around Mount Diablo.

Rare Sight was painted when the cloud cover lifted and the snow was still visible, which rarely happens because the snow usually melts. I like the contrast of the snowy summit and the green grass and  yellow spring mustard. The juror for this exhibit is Jean Stern.
Here is the link to the online version of this exhibit :

http://www.californiaartclub.org/saving-paradise-the-symbiosis-of-landscape-painting-and-environmental-awareness/

If you would like to read more, here is write up on the exhibit ( with a nod towards Mount Diablo)

> DESCRIPTION

The California Art Club exhibition Saving Paradise: The Symbiosis of Landscape Painting and Environmental Awareness will feature approximately 50 landscape paintings that spotlight the relationships that artists have with the land that they depict in their works on canvas.
Many of the works have been rendered in the California Impressionistic style that early California Art Club artists influenced more than a century ago as they painted “en plein air” (“in the open air”).
“Representational art forms that employ time-honored techniques are ideal for documenting history,” said American artist Peter Adams, who has served as the president of the Club since 1993.  “As California Art Club artists continually travel throughout the state to paint scenic vistas that they most covet, we strive to preserve these images for generations to come and chronicle how these areas are evolving with the passage of time,” he added.
Jean Stern, Executive Director of The Irvine Museum and one of the most respected authorities on California Impressionism, curated the exhibition that includes imagery of many of California’s most beloved sites, from Mount Diablo, Emerald Bay and the American River in the north to the Santa Ynez hills, Catalina Island, and Torrey Pines State Park in the south.
The exhibition also underscores the extensive efforts of artists to create paintings of specific areas of the state in order to call attention to both their awe-inspiring natural beauty and current efforts to preserve and protect these regions.  The exhibiting artists are involved with the preservations efforts of more than 50 different organizations, including the Aquarium of the Pacific, Catalina Island Conservatory, Friends of the Los Angeles River, Heal the Bay, National Park Service, the Land Conservatory of San Luis Obispo County, Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, Sierra Club, and Tejon Ranch Conservatory.
Most of the works on exhibit will be available for acquisition, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the preservation group designated by each of the artists.
The Saving Paradise exhibition marks the Club’s return to Barnsdall Park, where it was headquartered in the famed Hollyhock House from 1927 to 1942.  Paying homage to those very active years in the organization’s history, during which it sponsored a multitude of art and cultural events, the Club and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery will host a number of educational programs during the two-month display, including artist’s talks and demonstrations.
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs located in Barnsdall Park.
For more information on Saving Paradise, visit www.californiaartclub.org.

Reflecting on last year's favorite paintings and goals for 2012

Reviewing  posts from last year and my goals, it was gratifying to see some progress has been made.
I perpetually want to paint more water, trees and clouds because they are a part of the landscape I love and panoramas aren't always accessible.

Water paintings were mostly of the Pacific Ocean near Point Lobos.
The contrast of water and rocks is what excited me about these paintings.

Point Lobos Arche

Painting smaller was something I worked hard at last year. Painting large is comfortable for me and I usually have trouble caring enough about small paintings. Small complete paintings vs studies or sketches are the goal here. Thanks to two small painting exhibits, I got lots of practice and came up with two of my favorite paintings of the year.

Dark Curl One 6x 6

Windbreak at Dusk 6 x 6
I loved the subtle and limited colors on this piece.

Not a Mount Diablo in the bunch this year!
I still love the ridges in California.
" Flag Hill Sunol" was a favorite because of the camaraderie of the group I was painting with and the kinship I felt with whoever had the imagination to stand where I was and see a flag when they looked up at this ridge.

Flag Hill Sunol

This fall I painted a series of oak trees here in the east bay.
Oak Trees are the trees I see most often which helps me find graceful ones to paint.

 Golden Oak

For this year, I would  like to try painting a nocturne. The quiet and limited palette of  "Windbeak at Dusk"
 is leaning in that direction.
And I want to do at least one sky/ cloud painting.
My habit is to go out and paint when the weather is nice so getting out during the shifting colors and patterns of a partly cloudy day should be interesting and challenging.
I want to continue the Oak trees series and have been out scouting.

Thank you for stopping by my blog during this past year,
I appreciate you comments and hope you enjoy seeing my new works this year. Best ,Robin