Friday, April 13, 2012

Gold Medal Honors Awarded to California Art Club Artists at the Opening of the 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition at the Autry National Center! Exhibition runs from April 2, 2012 through April 22,2012 PhotoJournal Review by Ginger Van Hook

Los Angeles is still considered the Wild Wild West 
and there is no better way to see the history of the Wild West evolve in splendid color
 as it is embraced by the artists of California Art Club! 
Right inside the George Montgomery Gallery space at the Autry National Center
audiences will delight in the realistic charms, the precise detail, and the dramatic impressions that document a paradise all along the Pacific Rim of the California landscape.
On this Fine Art Trekkin' tour through the area pertaining to the Griffith Park Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo and the intersection of the major freeways of Interstate 5,  and the 134 Ventura Freeway, I took my mother Martha to admire the work of one of the oldest arts organizations in California. 
We received a comprehensive personal gallery tour 
from Beverly Chang who described each artwork and artist 
as if she had known them for years, which she does, as her work with CAC spans 10 years!
It was really difficult to have favorites in this show,
 but we managed to select a few that particularly captured our hearts. 
Additionally, it was wonderful to experience the paintings and sculptures up close as these pictures I took that day do not do the work justice. One has to stand in front of the work to realize the breathtaking emotion that comes from stepping into paradise 
and watching a historical moment of pleasure leap off the canvas. 
I will  include the Gold Medal winners in this review as well as talk about our favorites. 
Keep scrolling down to view all the images in this story. You will NOT be disappointed; nevertheless, I encourage you to attend this exhibit so you too can marvel at the texture, the character and the dimension of the work to get the full experience!
There is still time to enjoy this marvelous exhibition 
of work by the California Art Club until April 22nd 2012.
Of particular note are the events planned around the closing of the show.
There will be a "Paint-Out/Sculpt-out" on Sunday April 22, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
California Art Club painters and sculptors will set-up the tools of their trade on the grounds of the Autry in Griffith Park to create new artwork featuring live models. This event is free and open to the public.
The Closing Tour and Membership Open House is later on, Sunday afternoon, from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
The Gold Medal artists will lead tours and share insights on the artwork on view.
 It is free with museum admission.

THE GOLD MEDAL WINNERS!

Ray Roberts, winner of the Gold Medal for Painting.

From left:  David C. Gallup, Vice President of the Club; Ray Roberts, winner of the Gold Medal for Painting for "Crashing Waves at Garrapata"; and Peter Adams, President of the California Art Club.


Photo Credit:  James Carbone

Lynn Christopher with her Gold-Medal award-winning art
- The Silence of No - Figure 1 and 2.

Photo credit:  James Carbone

From left:  Sergio Sanchez, winner of the Guy Rose Gold Medal for Best Multi-Figurative Composition; Jeffrey Lutz, the tattoo artist at work in the painting No Pain No Gain; and Elaine Adams, Executive Director of the California Art Club.


Lynn Christopher

The Silence of No - Figure 1 and 2

Terra cotta and paint

28" x 17" x 12" (Figure 1 - male)
32" x 16" x 12 (Figure 2 - female)
These Photos courtesy of California Art Club Artist Lynn Christopher

Simon Lok
California Temple, San Diego
Oil   20" x 30"
The Edgar Payne Award for Best Landscape Painting was bestowed upon Simon Lok for the urban landscape California Temple, San Diego.

Ray Roberts
Crashing Waves at Garrapata
Oil     30" x 40"
Photo courtesy of California Art Club. 2012

Sergio Sanchez
No Pain No Gain, Portrait of the Artist Jeffery Lutz
Oil on linen  30" x 48"
The Guy Rose Award for Best Multi-Figurative Composition was awarded to Sergio Sanchez, an up-and-coming figure painter and former tattoo artist, for No Pain No Gain, Portrait of the Artist Jeffery Lutz, an internationally acclaimed tattoo artist.  


"Morning Bath" by Gayle Garner Roski Watercolor  22" x 30"
Photo of Gayle Garner Roski Painting by Ginger Van Hook@2012


In this exquisite watercolor painting by Gayle Garner Roski, 
she reveals the tranquility and harmony of the environment 
blending both the light filtering in through the leaves of the trees 
as well as the personality of the pelicans enjoying their "Morning Bath".
This is one of my favorites in the show and my mother agreed with me wholeheartedly.


For the watercolor enthusiasts, the work by Gayle Garner Roski is a treat 
especially if one were to explore the entire range of 
subjects which she has mastered throughout her career. 
In her website, Gayle Garner Roski has organized a number of galleries by subject matter. 
Her work is innovative as well as traditional. 
She creates soothing images rich in color and depth of character. 
Gayle Garner Roski states she enjoys traveling and has numerous subjects involving countries she's visited, for instance Italy where she created luscious images of the traditional pottery of the culture. 
Her travels to China influenced her images to evolve into the
 exploration of brushes and her love affair with antique calligraphy brushes began.
She created a number of meditative and contemplative paintings involving the seascape, pelicans, ocean views and a great deal of 'still life' work as well.


Although watercolor painting can be traced to cave painting of paleolithic Europe, the history of watercolor as an art medium developed more fully in the Renaissance era and has enjoyed notoriety of such greats as Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) with a school of watercolor painting begun in Germany led by Hans Bol (1534-1593) Among notable early practitioners of watercolor painting were Van Dyck (during his stay in England), Claude LorrainGiovanni Benedetto Castiglione, and many Dutch and Flemish artists. 
 (Source information courtesy of Wikipedia.Org)
Gayle Garner Roski is in good company of a number of watercolorists at this California Art Club Exhibition on view at the Autry National Center which also includes works by,

Gerald Brommer (Pt. Piños Lighthouse Watercolor on paper 15" x 22"), 


David Damm (Lido Bridge, Late Afternoon Watercolor 11 1/2" x 15 1/2"),


 Ray Hunter (Santa Barbara Harbor Watercolor 16" x 12"), 


Carolyn Lord (November Afternoon Watercolor on paper 11" x 15", and 


Michael Reardon (Palace of Fine Arts Colonnade Watercolor 18" x 11").

Gayle Garner Roski attended the School of Fine Arts at the University of Southern California, where she now serves on the Executive Board. She is noted for her vibrant watercolors based on her extensive world travels. Museum exhibitions include: the Pasadena Museum of History, the Pasadena Museum of California Art, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University, the Bowers Museum, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and The Autry National Center in "Masters of the West". Roski has illustrated two award winning children's books, Mai Ling in China City and Thomas the T.Rex. Gayle Garner Roski is a Signature Member of the California Art Club and is Chairman of Art for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and has headed public art projects throughout the City of Los Angeles.
For a complete portfolio of Gayle Garner Roski's paintings, please visitwww.gaylegarnerroski.com  
This information is courtesy of the Gayle Garner Roski website.
David Jenks
Evening in the Hills
Oil on Canvas 24" x 40"
Photo of painting by Ginger Van Hook©2012
This image by David Jenks is one of the favorites
my mother and I agreed  upon which takes us to the specific place
and inspires us with the emotion
of peace, harmony and the pleasure of taking in our California paradise.
David Jenks stated this about his own work:
"I'm always painting form but always prospecting for light,
 striving to see a deeper harmony--to open the door to pure energy."


Lee MacLeod
Sonoma Oaks
Oil on board
18" x 24"
Photo of painting by Ginger Van Hook©2012
This exquisite painting of the ancient Oak tree took my breath away!

Lee MacLeod said in his statement:
"Last summer, I had the privilege of painting with Craig Nelson in and around Sonoma.We spent five days exploring the varied locations of that area, from the coast to the vineyards. The ancient oaks and field of golden grass were some of my favorite subjects. When I returned to my studio in New Mexico , I want to create an image that summed up my experience--and this painting is the result. With luck, it evokes what I felt for the Sonoma countryside.

Jackie Chiu
Still-Life with Persimmons
Oil 24" x 30"
Photo of painting by Ginger Van Hook©2012
I love the way Jackie Chiu has arranged the  persimmons with the basket, the tablecloth, the pitcher and the sugar bowl. Such attention to detail brings this image to life for me! -- Ginger Van Hook

Jackie Chiu states:
"Artist by nature are creative. It is not uncommon for artist to sep changes after working in a fixed way for a period o time. I too yearned for change in the last ew years. Inspired by Cezanne, I have picked up still-life painting, a genre that never interested me before. Painting still-life has not only allowed me to create, it also makes me more sensitive to the relationships of forms and colors in space."

Cathy Cadieux
What's Past is Prologue
Pastel on paper
"20" x 18"
Photo of Cathy Cadieux Painting by Ginger Van Hook©2012
This particular portrait of a blond haired child is both elegant and mysterious.
It is my mother's favorite painting in this exhibition and I totally agree with her.
It is not just the connection about the innocence of childhood
that my mother makes with this image;
It is additionally that the portrait Cathy Cadieux has created
engages my mother to think of the joys her own grandchildren as well.
The reason I find this image incredible
 is because I see the values of the pinks in the background
that  complement the pink of the subject's sweater and the pinks of her cheeks as well.
Her face is radiant with inquisitiveness. According to the artist Cathy Cadieux, she states:

"In this painting, our young subject looks backwards, while the wind carries her hair forward.
It is as though she is contemplating her past, yet unaware of those events
that are sweeping her into the future. Her life is about to be changed forever."








Of Special note, is the realistic detailed strokes of the brush that Alexander V. Orlov utilized to create a scene of pleasure with with the senses. Depicting the female subject sipping a glass of White California Chardonnay with the brilliant sunshine splashing into her cozy nook of her home inspires a moment of quiet contemplation. I cannot emphasize enough that the details created in oil painting are so meticulously rendered that at first, I thought this image was a photograph. Yes, while the artwork I create is often a detailed photograph, I can really appreciate when a painter takes that much time and attention to demand the reality of a scene and emphasize the dramatic details recreated in oil paint.

Alexander V. Orlov "Lazy Afternoon with a Glass of California Chardonnay"
Oil on Canvas 38" x 48"
Photo of Painting by Ginger Van Hook©2012
Do check out that in the details of this painting, Alexander V. Orlov does not ignore or forget, even the most simple detail of all...the manicured and painted toenails of the foot!

In this quaint Oil painting titled  "Glenrose" by Meredith Abbott, I found a part of myself and my own history.
At once, this image of a Victorian farm house drew me in with familiarity. And then I realized I had been inside this house! This white house located near Carpinteria, California, with the French Style windows and  yellow window frames drew me into the memory of the time that I was a broadcaster with KLITE radio in Santa Barbara and I attended a party there. This home was built in 1874, and Meredith Abbot explains that this home has lasted nearly 150 years with grace and steadfast courage through major earthquakes-floods-fires and intrusions. She states that her painting of this home is a portrait of reverence. I must concur. My experiences while living in Carpenteria for a time helped me to gain compassion for an area hard hit by wildfires. The importance to capturing this historical frame of reference is that these artists document a real memory of the way our culture lives and lived during a unique part of our growth as a community.



Another delightful image captured our attention and our hearts as
Candice Bohannon painted the delicate portrait of "Grace" Oil on Linen 67 3/4" x 35"
The expression of quiet joy as depicted on the figures by Candice Bohannon comes across as the
peaceful moment when the young female subject holds her little pet dog who sits, patiently upon her lap.
Truly an elegant portrait, the "Grace" of this painting comes from within the depths of this artist's soul.
My mother and I were transfixed with this painting for quite a while and came back to it to enjoy it once more with a deep regard before retreating into the gift store at the Autry.






 About the California Art Club
The California Art Club (www.californiaartclub.org), 
established in 1909 by early California Impressionists or plein air painters,
 is recognized as one of the oldest, largest and most active leading professional art organizations
 in the world. 
The mission of the Club is to promote traditional fine arts in the fields of painting, drawing and sculpture; produce and promote art exhibitions that foster greater understanding of traditional art heritage 
and California history; and furnish educational opportunities in the fine arts. 
Members include nationally renowned artists, art students, art scholars and patrons, 
and leading collectors and members of the business community 
in order to interject different perspectives into the ongoing dialogue about traditional fine arts.




Note to Editor:  Photos are available of the Artists Gala Reception and the artists with their award-winning works. Please contact Beverly Chang at (310) 472-9323 or beverly@brcart.com.

About the Autry National Center
The Autry National Center (www.theautry.org) is an intercultural history center dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories, experiences, and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West. Located in Griffith Park, the Autry's collections include those of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian and the Autry Institute’s two research libraries: the Braun Research Library and the Autry Library. Exhibitions, public programs, K–12 educational services, and publications are designed to examine critical issues of society, offering insights into solutions and the contemporary human condition through the Western historical experience.

Weekday hours of operation for the Autry National Center’s museum at its Griffith Park location are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours for the museum and the Autry Store are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors 60+, $4 for children ages 3–12, and free for Autry members, veterans, and children age 2 and under. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month.







Spring Snapdragons in brilliant color,
swaying in the breeze at the Autry National Center in April 6, 2012
Photos by Ginger Van Hook©2012



CALIFORNIA ART CLUB ANNOUNCES GOLD MEDAL HONORS AT THE OPENING

OF THE 101st ANNUAL GOLD MEDAL JURIED EXHIBITION AT THE AUTRY


Veteran California Landscape Painters Ray Roberts and Charles Muench,
as well as the Up-and-Coming Former Tattoo Artist Sergio Sanchez Receive Top Awards
at this Annual Showcase of Contemporary-Traditional Fine Art Paintings and Sculpture


LOS ANGELES  (April 2, 2012) – As a nod to its rich history and a glimpse into its future, the California Art Club bestowed Gold Medal honors upon both veteran and up-and-coming artists at the opening for the 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, on view through April 22 at the Autry National Center.
Renowned landscape painter Ray Roberts and sculptor Lynn Christopher received Gold Medals for “Best of Show” honors before the more than 400 in attendance at the exhibition’s Artists’ Gala Reception on Saturday, March 31. Christopher’s terra cotta and paint sculpture The Silence of No and Roberts’ seascape Crashing Waves at Garrapata were selected by their peers, the 163 exhibiting artists in this extensive unthemed exhibition.
Paying tribute to the Club’s founders, the organization also presented two additional Gold Medal awards named after leaders of the California Impressionism movement. The Guy Rose Award for Best Multi-Figurative Composition was awarded to Sergio Sanchez, an up-and-coming figure painter and former tattoo artist, for No Pain No Gain, Portrait of the Artist Jeffery Lutz, an internationally acclaimed tattoo artist.  The Edgar Payne Award for Best Landscape Painting was bestowed upon Simon Lok for the urban landscape California Temple, San Diego.
Selected for the Irvine Museum Gold Medal Prize for the work of art that best represents the California Impressionism movement was Charles Muench for Parker Lake Waters.
Other honors announced that evening included awards presented by magazine sponsors of the exhibition. D. Eleinne Basa received Art of the West’s Award of Excellence for Warm Spring Dawn and Brian Blood received the award of the same name from American Art Collector for China Cove, Point LobosDavid Kassan received Awards of Excellence from two magazines, Southwest Art and Fine Art Connoisseur, for his painting of a Belgian baron in SolemnFine Art Connoisseur also honored Tanya Ragir for her cast stone sculpture Doubt Kills the Warrior, and Plein Air magazine singled out Jeffrey Horn for this landscape Crown of the Sea.
The award-winning artworks can be viewed at www.californiaartclub.org.
Majestic Realty Foundation, Tejon Ranch Company and Tejon Mountain Village and First Foundation Bank are sponsors of the 101st Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, which will be on display through Sunday, April 22.


LOS ANGELES  – The California Art Club will present its signature exhibition, the 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, for the very first time at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles from April 1 to 22, 2012.

The highly anticipated display of more than 200 representational works of art is unthemed to encourage artist members of the Club to challenge themselves and significantly raise the bar with their art.  The featured works in this year’s event, selected for inclusion by a jury that included representatives from five major California museums, spotlight sculpture and paintings of genres ranging from pristine landscapes and grittier urbanscapes to figures and still lifes.

 “The California Art Club is honored that the Autry National Center will present the 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, as the Center’s dedication to sharing the stories and experiences of the people that have lived in the American West provides an ideal platform for documenting in artwork the Club’s unique voice and vision in American art history,” said American artist Peter Adams, who has served as the organization’s president since 1993.

The exhibiting artists include a number of renowned contemporary-traditional fine artists, who have been active in expanding the interest in the plein air heritage associated with the organization’s beginnings in 1909. Among these artists are painters Peter Adams, John Cosby, Dennis Doheny, David C. Gallup, Steve Huston, Ray Roberts, and Mian Situ, as well as sculptors Béla Bácsi and Christopher Slatoff.

(more)


            During the exhibition, the California Art Club will present a number of events and educational programs that will enable art enthusiasts to meet the participating artists and learn more about traditional art forms.  Information about these activities, which include the Artists’ Gala Reception on Saturday, March 31, a panel discussion on “When Fine Art Meets Moviemaking,” and a “Paint-Out/Sculpt-Out at the Autry” on the closing day for the exhibition, is detailed at www.californiaartclub.org.

# # #

Media Contact:
Beverly Chang
(310) 472-9323



KEY INFORMATION FOR THE 101ST ANNUAL GOLD MEDAL JURIED EXHIBITION

Exhibition Dates:  April 1 to 22, 2012

Location: Autry National Center
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Telephone: (323) 667-2000

Public Information:  (626) 538-9009 or www.californiaartclub.org


Related Programs and Events:

Artists’ Gala Reception - Saturday, March 31, 6 to 9 p.m.
Art enthusiasts can meet the exhibiting artists at this preview reception. Tickets are $75 in advance, $100 at the door, and include a copy of the exhibition catalogue. (626) 583-9009.

Figure Painting Demonstration with Steve Huston - Sunday, April 1, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Gold Medal artist Steve Huston, best known for his iconic archetypes of both the masculine and feminine forms, will present a figure painting demonstration. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members (does not include museum admission).  (626) 583-9009.

“When Fine Art Meets Moviemaking” Panel Discussion - Sunday, April 15, 1 to 3 p.m.
Gold Medal artist William Stout, whose credits include Jurassic Park and Pan's Labyrinth, will moderate this discussion, at which panelists will discuss the intersection of traditional fine arts and filmmaking. Panelist include Peter Brooke (Jim Henson's Creature Shop), Glen Eisner (Terminator 2, Passion of The Christ), Ernesto Nemesio (Pixar), and Drew Struzan (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones). Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members (does not include museum admission). (626) 583-9009

“Paint-Out/Sculpt-Out” at the Autry - Sunday, April 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
California Art Club painters and sculptors will set-up the tools of their trade on the grounds of the Autry in Griffith Park to create new artwork featuring live models. Free.

Closing Tour and Membership Open House - Sunday, April 22, 3 to 5 p.m. 
On the closing day of the exhibition, Gold Medal artists will lead tours and share insights on the artwork on view. Free with museum admission.




Digital images of artwork in the exhibition are available upon request.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                            Contact:            Beverly Chang

                                                                                                (310) 472-9323 office

                                                                                                (310) 709-4922 cell

 




CALIFORNIA ART CLUB ARTISTS SET UP EASELS AND SCULPTING WHEELS

 AT THE AUTRY TO CREATE ARTWORK OF VIGNETTES OF LIFE

IN THE WILD WEST DURNG THE LATE 19th CENTURY

 

More than a Dozen Costumed Models will Recreate Scenes to Inspire both Painters and Sculptors
to Create New Works “en Plein Air” on the Closing Day of the Club’s 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition


LOS ANGELES – As the California Art Club closes its 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition at the Autry in Griffith Park on April 22, painters and sculptors affiliated with the 102-year-old organization will set up their easels and sculpting wheels on the museum grounds for a “Paint-Out/Sculpt-Out” of vignettes of life in the Wild West during the late 19th century.
            More than a dozen models donning authentic period costumes will pose in a series of scenes that artists will capture on canvas and in clay, utilizing traditional fine art techniques associated with working “en plein air” (in the open air).  Vignettes to be recreated include “High Stakes” in which two gamblers vie for the winning poker hand and “Burro Bob,” based on the famed frontiersman popularized in dime novels.
            As part of this free event, the Club will also have art materials for children to use to create their own plein air sketches of the costumed models.
            “Presenting the Paint-Out/Sculpt-Out at the Autry in conjunction with the closing of our 101st Annual Gold Medal Exhibition allows the California Art Club to provide art enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to both witness the creative process of representational artists and view exceptional examples of contemporary-traditional artwork being created today,” says American artist Peter Adams, the Club’s president.
            Following the Paint-Out/Sculpt-Out, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Club will host a closing reception from 3 to 5 p.m. during which exhibiting artists will lead tours of the Gold Medal Exhibition.  The closing tour is free with museum admission.
              Additional information on the Paint-Out/Sculpt-Out and the Gold Medal Exhibition can be found on the Club’s Web site, www.californiaartclub.org.



1 comment:

  1. I went to that exhibition and there was some real nice artwork but no one came close to Sergio Sanchez, his no pain no gain painting is one of the best paintings I've ever seen by anyone new or old!

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