Double Vision

Libby Smith and I had a fun opening reception for our show at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara - good turnout and so many kind comments, plus great food and conversation. We were pleased with how the Gallery looked - our work was framed beautifully and we spent a lot of time hanging everything in a balanced and complimentary way. We have forty pieces in the show - 20 each - and we grouped them by area. My frames are walnut and hers are maple, so people could figure out who's who. The paintings were all done 'plein air' from our Monday painting outings, so there is a freshness and immediacy to them.
Not a lot of over-done studio work or using only photo references.

Here is a shot of one of our walls

Our statement, some info about Rose Compass and a photo of us.

Some of the work is very similar in subject matter, but different in style and approach:

beached boat, Goleta Beach

Other paintings were done at the same location, but looking at an altogether different view or time of day:

These were both done at Marcia Burtt's ranch - Libby's early morning view looking west and my sundown view looking north.

I will post all the paintings soon - just need some time to organize them.

Next up is the Sullivan Goss 1st Thursday opening for "The River's Journey - a Wider View" that will feature larger oils and new gouaches from the Rose Compass group. We will be doing a radio interview with Elizabeth Stewart on the Friday morning after, and then hosting a film event and panel talk at the Faulkner Gallery on Sunday the 7th. We have partnered with David Grannis from Cal Lutheran to show his film "Turf Wars", the Santa Barbara Water-Wise folks and the Book Den which will feature books about water issues in California.

more in September

The Annual Museum of Natural History Art Walk will be held this weekend - I'm showing two paintings:

Island view from the Botanic Garden, 6x12" oil on panel

Old Oak-Tucker's Grove, 9x12" oil on panel

Unfortunately the opening reception for this show overlaps the opening reception for Double Vision! But folks can come at 5 to the Architectural Foundation and then get to the Natural History Museum by 6 and make both events. ArtWalk is open Friday Night through Sunday, the 23rd.

Falling into September

After spending weeks preparing for several upcoming exhibits, we took some time to visit St.Paul Minnesota. My brother lives there in a beautiful old warehouse that has been converted to live/work spaces for artists and craftspeople. We had a great visit and took a day to drive to Winona, MN to see Thomas Paquette's beautiful exhibition of paintings he did following the Mississippi River from it's beginnings above Minneapolis to it's final flow into the Delta. Thomas's work was so inspirational to our Rose Compass project -The River's Journey. We were all intrigued with his small gouaches and how much beauty and information were packed into them. It was a treat to see these dynamic, larger paintings beautifully displayed in the Minnesota Museum of  Maritime Art. The Museum itself had a varied and rich collection - a real gem.


Installation of Thomas Paquette's exhibition"America's River Re-Explored" the Mississippi from Source to Gulf.

 

We also took some time to go to the Sierras for an overdue holiday. Clear skies after all the horrible fires of the summer. Finished another gouache of a small shack nearby.

sportplatz, camp la salle

Last Thursday, we held the opening reception of "The River's Journey Re-visited" at the Santa Barbara City Hall. It's a smaller venue, but we had some room to play and added some interesting elements: a floor map of the Santa Ynez River that goes the length of the hallway, clouds that change color and a video.
There are a lot of new works telling the story of our watershed to a new audience. Both Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann and Santa Barbara Public Works Director spoke about our project and the important message it brings to the public about our precious water resources.

Estuary, Lompoc, 10x10" oil on panel

Oak, Cachuma Lake, 10x10" oil on panel

Equipment Shed, Gibraltar Dam, 6x4" Gouache

SCAPE will have a 2-day exhibition at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden on the 14th and 15th of this month. We spent a lot of Mondays painting there so it will be good to see some of the work on display.

shady steps, botanic garden, 6x8" oil on panel