FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nicki Clendening
nclendening@rizzoliusa.com / 646.330.4878

300 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
Tel. (212) 387-3400
Telefax (212) 387-3535

CALIFORNIA LIGHT

A Century of Landscapes

By Jean Stern and Molly Siple

In association with the California Art Club

Hardcover / 264 pages / 11” x 10” / 300 color illustrations / $50 U.S.

ISBN: 978-0-8478-3625-3 / Publication date: April 2011

“From the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the desolate splendor of the Mojave Desert; from the wildflower-covered coastal hills to the countless, secluded valleys; from the dazzling beaches of the south to the rocky coves of the north; all these vistas were ideal subjects for the landscape painters who first came to California over a hundred and thirty years ago.” –Jean Stern, from California Light

At the dawn of the twentieth century, California became home to artists who came to paint the state’s awe-inspiring natural landscapes “en plein air”, an Impressionistic style in which painters work outdoors in order to capture the ephemeral moment of natural lighting across a landscape.  In 1909 the California Art Club was founded and since then this society of artists, patrons, and visionaries have worked to capture the beauty of California’s landscapes in resplendent plein air paintings.  A first-of-its-kind monograph, CALIFORNIA LIGHT: A Century of Landscapes, by Jean Stern and Molly Siple, offers up a comprehensive look at this esteemed society’s paintings over the past one hundred years.

Divided into two main sections, the first half of the book addresses the beginnings of “Art in California, 1880-1925: A Perspective” and offers a historical narrative on the inception of painting the California landscape. The second half of the book, “A New Chapter for Plein Air”, picks up the narrative and offers a contemporary account of the club members’ paintings to-date, as well as efforts to educate art enthusiasts about California’s rich art heritage.

Celebrating a century of unique artwork, CALIFORNIA LIGHT presents over 300 impeccable images of the art club’s masterworks, including unforgettable paintings of California’s stunning and varied beauty—desert vistas, plunging coastlines, verdant vineyards, charming towns, and snow-topped mountains.  It’s a must-have for any art enthusiast!

Beginning in February 2011, The California Art Club will mark its historic 100th anniversary by paying tribute to a century of landscape paintings with a series of art exhibitions to be held at museums and historic sites throughout California. Venues for the Painting the Golden State exhibitions include the Bakersfield Museum of Art in Bakersfield, California Historical Society in San Francisco, Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, Oceanside Museum of Art in Oceanside, Pasadena Museum of California Art in Pasadena and San Luis Obispo Museum of Art in San Luis Obispo, as well as the California Art Club Gallery at The Old Mill in San Marino.  Further information may be found at: www.californiaartclub.org

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Jean Stern is the executive director of The Irvine Museum. An authority on California Impressionism, he coauthored California: This Golden Land of Promise and has contributed to several books about California artists. He also appears in the PBS documentary series Impressions of California: Early Currents in Art, 1850–1930.  Molly Siple is an artist member of the California Art Club. She contributed to the book Enchanted Isle: A History of Plein Air Painting in Santa Catalina Island and has written for magazines such as American Artist and Workshop.

Credit for the book must read: © CALIFORNIA LIGHT: A Century of Landscapes, Skira New York, 2011.  Images from CALIFORNIA LIGHT: A Century of Landscapes may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally, without written permission from the publisher, and must be credited on a case-by-case basis.  For information please contact Nicki Clendening at (646) 330-4878 or nclendening@rizzoliusa.com.

California Light: A Century of Landscapes

By Jean Stern and Molly Siple

In association with the California Arts Club

Hardcover / 264 pages / 11″ x 10″ / 300 color illustrations

ISBN: 978-0-8478-3625-3

$50 U.S., $59 Canadian, £35 U.K.

Skira Rizzoli

Publication Date: April 2011

Painting by Jennifer Moses

Congratulations to all of the new juried CAC Artist Members. As always, you can see all of our members’ individual websites linked in our online roster.

Douglas Andelin, Gene Costanza, Mark Fehlman, Timothy Horn, Robert Hunt, James Jiang, Chuck Kovacic, Jim Lamb, Greg LaRock, Richard Lindenberg, Jennifer Moses, John Powell, April Raber, Michael Reardon, Michael Siegel, Bryan Mark Taylor, Ramon G. Velazco, and Karen Winters.

(Are you a member and don’t see a link to your website or an image? Check out this page for more info on how to take advantage of this free service for current and up-to-date members! Not a member? You can join today! It’s easy and secure.)

John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shallot (1888)

JOHN WILLIAM WATERHOUSE EXHIBITION
John William Waterhouse–The Garden of Enchantment, the largest assemblage of this latter day Pre-Raphaelite’s paintings in history, is currently on display at the Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal (The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts). This will be the exhibition’s last venue, closing February 7, 2010.

by William Stout, CAC Signature Member

Waterhouse (1849-1917) had an outstanding sense of design and a brilliant sense of color. The features of his men and women are both beautiful and timeless. The erotic qualities of his women (particularly in Hylas and The Nymphs and La Belle Dame Sans Mercie) are almost palpable. His work is a perfect combination of tight and loose painting, well-informed by his plein air studies.

The presentation of the paintings is superb and unique to Montréal. Although this version of the show does not include Hylas and The Nymphs, Montréal is displaying more Waterhouse works than the exhibition’s previous two venues, including a room of all of his Lady of Shallot paintings. The walls that display the paintings are solid black. Some are draped with solid black ivy. His largest painting is draped above and on the sides with copious amounts of luxuriant black velvet drapery. There are the patterns and shadows of ivy on the floors, as well as water effects on one floor.

Out of Our Minds, a 28-minute film by Canadians Melissa Auf Der Maur (bassist for The Smashing Pumpkins) and Tony Stone that was inspired by Waterhouse’s work is included as part of the exhibition.

If you are unfamiliar with this great artist’s work and would like to see a variety of Waterhouse paintings, just Google “Waterhouse” and select “Images.”

A softcover catalogue of the exhibition is available at the museum; the hardcover edition is available on the internet. As comprehensive and informative as this catalog is, the reproductions do not do justice to Waterhouse’s extraordinary color.

Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal//The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts
Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion
1380 Sherbrooke West
Montréal, Quebec
Canada H3G 1J5
514/285-2000 or 1-800-899-MUSE
http://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/index.html

For group activities: 514/285-1600, ext. 440

Reposted 12.12.2009 09:37 am from Happy 100th Birthday CAC! by Eric Merrell

One Hundred Years! It’s an amazing feat for any group, let alone an art club where the demands of the career as well as individual temperaments generally keep members working in isolation. Today marks the Centennial of the California Art Club. The founding of the club was first reported by Antony E. Anderson in the Los Angeles Times on December 12, 1909, one hundred years ago to the day. The early meetings took place along the banks of the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena and throughout greater Los Angeles, and included artists like Franz Bischoff, Aaron Kilpatrick, and William and Julia Wendt. The CAC’s predecessor, The Painters’ Club of Los Angeles (1906-1909), had limited its members to male painters in the L.A. area. With the founding of the new club, the rules were widened to allow women, sculptors, and others living as far away as New York City to join. Throughout the CAC’s storied history it has embraced time-honored techniques found in the grand traditions of painting and sculpture, molding them into contemporary relevance; at the same time it helped to present such progressive events as the first black American art exhibition in Los Angeles (1929) and the first G.I. Arts & Crafts exhibit (1946, also in L.A.), and maintained a venue to present exhibits of diverse themes and backgrounds.

Over the past century, the club has counted among its members Sir Winston Churchill, architect Richard Neutra, illustrator Dean Cornwell, artists Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Sergei Bongart, Nicolai Fechin and Theodore N. Lukits, as well as many distinguished guests and speakers: the Mexican muralists David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco, conductor Leopold Stokowski, violinist Xavier Cugat, architects Frank Lloyd Wright and his son, Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. (And of course, most of the well-known Southern California artists throughout the years, too numerous to mention in this post but listed online here).

In recognition of this milestone, I thought I’d link to my article on the Birth of the California Art Club, originally published this past spring. Here’s to the next hundred years!

The California Art Club will be publishing a large coffee table art book (due out in early 2011) with Rizzoli Publishers to commemorate the Centennial, and will be full of paintings by historic and contemporary members of the CAC. Purchase your copy here.

The new logo above was designed for the Centennial by CAC Associate Artist Member Stan Prokopenko.

Brian Blood, "Climbing Hyde Street"

A new exhibition by Northern CAC Members will be opening at the Thomas Reynolds Gallery in San Francisco on December 1st from 6-8 p.m., and running through January 9, 2010. Preview the exhibition, titled “THEN & NOW: Artists Explore the Bay Area,” online here.

The exhibition features Brian Blood, John Burton, Larry Cannon, Christin Coy, Suzanne D’Arcy, Teresa Dong, Drew Fagan, Mark Farina, Robert Hunt, David Jenks, Laurie Kersey, Jeanette LeGrue, Karen Leoni, Richard Lindenberg, Huihan Liu, Kim Lordier, Ann McMillan, Ning Mercer, Clark Mitchell, Kristine Pallas, Camille Przewodek, Michael Reardon, Robert Semans, Thomas Soltesz, Bryan Taylor, Alfredo Tofanelli, Kay Young and Jeff Ziarno.

Pati Bruce, "Strike Up The Band!"

The newest CAC exhibition featuring the Pasadena Art Colony at Marston’s Restaurant is titled “Pasadena on Parade.” It runs November 16, 2009 – January 2010, and you can preview it online here. Members of the Pasadena Art Colony included in this exhibit are Susie Bishop, Pati Bruce, Kathy Dooling, Karen Hammond, Kay Henry and Eva Margueriette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Richard Lindenberg’s blog about the trip here.

A few testimonials:

Who could have imagined that 40 artists could hold such a fun weekend at the most incredible spot ever and have such beautiful weather?  Christin and I want to thank you all for coming and especially those who drove such long distances. Except for the snoring, I think we all really enjoyed ourselves.  Can’t wait to see all the photos.
~ Richard Lindenberg
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Richard, A BIG, BIG thanks to you and Christin for putting this event on. A lot of nice folks and an “A” for getting the CAC going on a field trip. The weather was the BEST I’ve ever had painting in Point Reyes. The food was wonderful and brought everyone together, as we all chipped in to make it feel festive. I may have contributed to the snoring, but I don’t think it bothered anyone too much. I look forward to another CAC event and hope it brings out the best in our part of the state.
~ Paul Kratter
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Richard ~ You and Christin and the whole Northern California Art Club group totally ROCK!!!!!!  Thank you so much for a great weekend.  It was awesome.  Please know that if you come south, there will be a place for you to stay.
~ Lizz Tucker
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Thanks Richard!
You’ve done a fantastic thing with this event.  I think we all had a great time. And I thought it was funny that all the snoring complaints were coming from the women’s side of the dorm.
Cheers!
~ John Deckert
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http://www.californiaartclub.org/home/ch_sf.shtml

California Art Club members, from left, Barbara Chung, Eric Merrell, Monika Ramnath, Lisa Cavelier, Elaine Adams and Peter Adams.

Pick up a copy of today’s Pasadena Star-News to read the article about the California Art Club’s Centennial book project. Read it online here or download a PDF here.

The members of the Portola Art Gallery cordially invite you to enter the 2nd ANNUAL PAINT ALLIED ARTS - Plein Air Paint-out & Exhibit at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, October 24th from 9 am – 4 pm.

The primary focus of this day is to bring artists and friends together to share in the beauty of the Allied Arts Guild and to help promote the arts in our communities. There will be an Artists Choice Award, a People’s Choice Award, live music and refreshments during the afternoon reception.

25 artists will be selected by a nationally known award winning artist from applications received by August 8th.

Juried Artists will be asked to bring one framed and ready to hang painting, 11×14 or smaller to hang outside on the display panels furnished by the Portola Art Gallery, while they paint the AAG grounds. Artists will have time from sign-in till noon to complete a painting. After framing their new work, the artists will add the freshly painted paintings of AAG to the display panels for consideration for awards. Participating artists will have their name included on all promotional materials including local advertising, Portola Art Gallery and Allied Arts Guild web sites.

20% of the proceeds will benefit the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, artists to retain 80%

The application may be downloaded from the web site, www.portolaartgallery.com.

Please mail in your application and entries to:

Karen Leoni at 105 Seville Way, San Mateo, CA 94402

When: Sunday, June 28, 1 – 3 p.m.

 

Location: Wells Fargo Theatre, Autry National Center

4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA, 90027
Please click here for directions. 

 

Event: Summer Critique Session: The Makings of Great Art 

 

Cost: $10 CAC Members/$15 non-members 

         Museum admission is available for the group rate of $6.50 ($4.50 Students  and Seniors) with advance reservation to the CAC.

 

R.S.V.P.: 626/583-9009 or californiaartclub.org

               No later than 6 p.m., Friday, June 26

 

Note: Images of paintings and sculpture submitted anonymously by CAC members will be projected onto a large screen for review and constructive criticism by a panel of award-winning artists.  This year’s distinguished panel will include painters Lynn Gertenbach, Dan Goozeé and Joseph Yuhasz, and painter and sculptor Vic Riesau.  The panel will be moderated by artist and CAC Vice President David Gallup.