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Studio visit with Veronica Gross

I love visiting artists in their working and living spaces! You can learn so much about what shapes their art from their environment. What’s in their personal collections?  What inspirational objects and materials do they have lying about? What are their hobbies, and passions – it’s all revealed!

Veronica and Olive in the garden - photo Marie Cameron 2013

 

Artist Veronica Gross and Olive enjoying the winter sun on my recent studio visit. You can visit her website: veronicagrossart.com

Sentinel Snow - Veronica Gross- watercolor- 20 x 14

Sentinel Snow  watercolor  20″ x 14″

Los Gatos artist Veronica Gross is known for her beautiful watercolor florals and landscapes. I know Veronica from the Los Gatos Museums Gallery and the Los Gatos Art Association, but she also belongs to the Viewpoints Gallery where her show, Westlands is currently on exhibit through January 5, 2014.

Veronica Gross - Watercolor 2

Mt. Carmel Evening  watercolor  20″ x  28″

Palo Alto Baylands 3 - Veronica Gross- Watercolor -14 x 20

Palo Alto Baylands #3  watercolor 14 x 20″

Veronica Gross -Watercolor

Just Picked  watercolor  20″ x  28″

Veronica Gross's watercolor of Sam Pearson Painting - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Above is a watercolor that Veronica is applying the final touches to. It’s a plein air painting of our friend Sam Pearson painting the Shoreline Bridge. I’m intrigued to see how his piece turned out too!

Shoreline Bridge - Sam Pearson - Pastel - 2013

Magic…. here it is, Sam Pearson’s gorgeous pastel, Water Under the  Bridge – Thanks Sam! It’s currently on exhibit at the Los Gatos Museums Gallery.

Veronica Gross Studio - photo Marie Cameron 2013

You can see in her studio how all those big windows not only let the light come in but nature too!

Veronica Gross - at the easel - photo Marie Cameron 2103             Veronica Gross - lesson plans- photo Marie Cameron 2013          Veronica and her sister glazing tiles Veronica and Olive in the garden - photo Marie Cameron 2013

I love how you can see lots of different projects Veronica has on the go, and see all those lesson plans from years of teaching high school hiding under the table? They’ve come in handy as weights!  Veronica’s sister, Jill Rowney is glazing  some of Veronica’s tiles for her own kitchen – oh the perks of being a sister!

Veronica Gross and her sister in the studio Veronica and Olive in the garden - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Veronica Gross - brushes and sclupture - photo Marie Cameron 2013                         Veronica Gross - studio clutter - photo Marie Cameron 2013

One can usually find lots of treasure in studio clutter. In this case, it’s a ceramic figure done as a demonstration for Veronica’s high school students by Randy Shiroma who was doing some student teaching in her classroom many years ago.

Upon visiting her home and her studio I find, as with so many artists, that she’s no one trick watercolor pony!

For instance, she has this great kiln and I was taken with the series of tiles she was making which are based on her love of California natives (as is her landscaping).

Veronica's glazed tiles ready for firing - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Here are some of the tiles glazed and ready for the kiln.  If you haven’t glazed before, the heat of the firing brings out the color in the glaze and sets the desired finish. I’m partial to the lupines!

Veronica Gross - Tiles, Brushes and Glaze - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Veronica Gross - Floral Tiles - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Here you can see the color after firing.

Lupine Tile by Veronica Gross - photo Marie Cameron 2013  .Veronica Gross - Floral Tile backsplash - photo Marie Cameron 2013California Landscape tile by Veronica Gross - photo by Marie Cameron 2013

Here are some samples of finished tiles set into Veronica’s backsplash. So lovely, they remind me of the arts crafts movement of the 20’s Don’t go looking for these in galleries or Etsy though!  Veronica has no plans of mass production. When I ‘d asked her about it she confessed, “I can’t stand the feel of clay on my hands!” – too funny!  I mean, you won’t cathc me warking with charcoal or pastels for the same reason! What about licensing deals? Well, we’ll have to twist her arm!

Veronica Gross- inspiration board - photo Marie Cameron 2103            Veronica Gross- lobotomy victim 1- photo Marie Cameron 2013           Veronica Gross - Inherited Deer - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Balloon Girl, Mr Bonz, Mid-Century Bambi – they all speak to a love of color, form and careful observation.

Veronica Gross and Olive in the Studio - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Veronica Gross - in the garden - photo Marie Cameron 2013

With a fence like that you can tell that an artist lives here!

Veronica's Karen Van Galder statue            Veronica in the garden - photo Marie Cameron 2013            Veronica's willow chair

The garden is also filled with Veronica’s personality, A Karen Van Galder statue, a bent willow chair among the bamboo, her naturally weathered fence and wheelbarrow – it’a all her color palette, including her gorgeous calico!

Olive in the garden - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Olive is a fan of California natives as well and all the little critters that dwell therein.

Disclosure: I’m sure Veronica doesn’t normally lug Olive all over the studio but I woke her up from under the Christmas tree where she was curled up for a nap because I wanted her to be in the photo shoot – what a sweet trooper!

 


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