Lunch with Theodore Wores

May 23, 2018

What a pleasure to learn more about Theodore Wores, California Impressionist painter (1859-1939) over my bag of almonds at the Triton Museum of Art’s Brown Bag Lunch series conducted by Deputy Director, Preston Metcalf today! The Triton has 47 of his paintings in their permanent collection, a generous gift from his wife, Caroline Bauer. A good number of these pieces were recently cleaned and restored and are included in this exhibit, Under the California Sun, which consists of landscapes painted in the San Francisco Bay Area and Yosemite. Many of his orchards were painted right here in Los Gatos and Saratoga and are so special to me as I grew up in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, surrounded by orchards. In fact, they are actually kicking off their annual Apple Blossom Festival today! Under the California Sun will continue at the Triton until July 29 when it will go on tour!

Theodore Wores – Spring Blossoms of California – Los Gatos – 1919 – oil on canvas.

Theodore Wores – Blossomtime, Saratoga, California – 1919 – oil on canvas.

Theodore Wores -Tree Blossoms – 1920 – oil on canvas

Theodore Wores – Road with Blossoming Trees – 1922 – oil on canvas.

Theodore Wores – Road by Blossoming Orchard – 1925 – oil on canvas

Theodore Wores – Spring Blosoms of Los Gatos – 1925- oil on canvas.

Theodore Wores – My Studio Garden in Saratoga, Ca. – 1926 – oil on canvas.

Theodore Wores – A Garden in Saratoga, California – 1927 – oil on canvas.

Want to see more Wores? The Triton has a batch of paintings he did in Spain that need the same loving (read professional and expensive) cleaning and restoration that these pieces had. They are gratefully seeking financial donations (to bridge the gap in grants)…just saying!

David Ligare at the Triton

June 13, 2016

There is an absolutely stunning retrospective of David Ligare‘s paintings currently on at the Triton Museum of Art. I could try to stumble around a description of his work, the impeccable technique, the fine draftsmanship, the exquisite sense of light and place, the billowing drapery caught on a sea breeze, the classically themed allegories with their sensitively rendered figures and buildings but all of this seems to exist on a higher plain that needs to be seen and experienced rather than clumsily communicated by me. David Ligare – California Classicist runs until August 14 and must be seen to be appreciated! Here are a few pictures from last Friday’s Opening Reception:

Me standing in front of Arete – simply a stunning masterpiece!

And better still standing in front of Arete with the artist David Ligare himself!

Coung Nguyen, getting his book signed by the artist, Docta Pietas – Oil on Canvas – Collection of Barbara N. Hyland and William G. Hyland, Preston Metcalf Executive Director of the Triton and Marianne McGrath, Curator NUMU in conversation.

David Molesky and David Ligare in front of Landscape with an Archer – Oil on canvas – collection of the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Artists David Molesky and Holly Lane viewing the exhibition.

The model for Penelope was present at the reception and inspired a photography frenzy!

Rock – Oil on canvas – Collection of Lorna Meyer Calas and Dennis Calas

David Stonesifer on Plein Air

March 17, 2016

“I paint what I believe in.”
Los Gatos artist, David Stonesifer gave a wonderful talk about his approach to plein air painting and it’s role in the California art scene as part of the Brown Bag Lunch series at the Triton Museum of Art. He shared lots of great painting tips and his infectious passion for the immediacy and vibrancy of the genre!

Plein air is painting that is done on the spot, outside in all kinds of weather. You have to be quick and skilled to get down your response to what you see before the light and shadows change and David Stonesifer gave us all kinds of advice he’s gleaned from great teachers and years of “brush milage” in the field. One was, “Don’t chase the shadows!” -paint those in first if that’s where your interest lies – get that down quick!

David Stonesifer spoke of Oakland’s Society of Six – a plein air group that I need to study up on! One of them had said of his work, “I have nothing to say, but much to express”. Such a lovely way of summing up the plein air experience, which has historically (pre-camera) been about capturing the scene as a study for the larger “real” painting that would be done in the studio later. These “studies” have come to be highly valued in their own right for the freedom and immediacy that the studio work often lacks. That’s what Stonesifer loves being out there with his subject and painting it as se sees it and feels it.

We were even treated to a comparison of a Saratoga orchard painting from 1925 by Theodore Wores (from the Triton’s permanent collection) to one of Stonesifer’s from last week in nearly the same spot!

David Stonesifer shared with us a number of paintings showing different weather and times of the year.

I’m delighted to have several of Davis Stonesifer’s paintings in my personal collection, Navakavich Orchard, Saratoga (above) and Saratoga Barn (below). I adore them, beyond their beauty and subject matter, for the skillfully free manner in which their painted.

One of the tips David Stonesifer shared with us is to block in a thin, general underpainting using the complementary color of what you see. When the underpainting peaks through the final brushstrokes it adds a vibrant intensity. You can see in this illustrated in the painting above where he’s used pink and peach under the sky and mountains and aqua and periwinkle under the meadow.

There was certainly a lot of interest in this well attended lecture!

I case you’d like to see more of his work, you can visit his website or his upcoming open studio Saturday & Sunday, May 7 & 8 from 10am – 5pm at 18000 Overlook Road, Los Gatos, an event not to be missed!

Islamic Art at the Triton

November 30, 2015

The Triton‘s Islamic Art Lunchtime Lecture with Nabeela Sajjad and Lubna Achikzai was fascinating and heart warming. I love the outreach their non-profit, the Islamic Art Exhibit is doing – shedding light on the beauty of the Islamic culture at a time when there is so much ignorance and fear. They are also doing some interfaith art collaborations which are so important in our multicultural world!

Curator Preston Metcalf introducing Lubna Achikzai and Nabeela Sajjad from Islamic Art Exhibit.

Nabeela Sajjad
The Opening
Al-Fatiha 1: 1-7

This Kufic painting was so admired at the opening of the, What the Triton Means to Me exhibition, (which was the setting for this lecture) that a patron purchased it that night and donated it to the Museums’s permanent collection!

Nabeela Sajjad and Lubna Achikzai co-founders of the Islamic Art Exhibit.

Artist Nabeela Sajjad.

Nabeela Sajjad describing her artistic process in this square Kufic painting, Testimony of Faith, acrylic on canvas 2015.

Co-founder of the Islamic Art Exhibit, Lubna Achikzat.

Curator Preston Metcalf thanking Nabeela Sajjad and Lubna Achikzai from Islamic Art Exhibit for their presentation and their work in the community.

Coffee with the Curator

November 16, 2015

What a great way to start the day – Coffee with the Curator at the Triton Museum of Art!

Today Preston Metcalf spoke on how to improve your chances of getting into competitions and exhibitions and one tip really surprised me. The Triton offers the chance of a solo show in their annual Salon – a statewide competition and exhibition of 2D work. I had thought that since this was the prize you might increase your chances of winning by demonstrating with your entries that you could produce a cohesive solo show. I guess that’s putting the cart before the horse – you need to get in the show first before there’s any judging, so providing a deeper variety of work may open that door to getting in. It’s the opposite of an exhibition proposal where you do want to demonstrate that continuity. Hmmm!

Deadline for the next Salon is sometime in February, 2016!

I was happy to see artists Yao-pi Hsu and Stephanie Lam there today – both solo show winners from last year! Hsu’s photography exhibit, Life. Water is still up and Lam’s show is scheduled for 2016.

I was also happy to hang out with artist Fleur Spolidor, here we are in front of Robert Schlegel’s, Horse Standing and Equine, part of Menagerie 2: Selections from the Permanent Collection.

I just want to make a note that I was sporting my fabulous hand-painted BAMR bag by artist Demetris Washington, whose work I was first introduced to by the Triton’s 50 and Looking Forward exhibition earlier this year. I love the Triton!

Golden Gala

May 7, 2015

The Triton Museum of Art celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a Golden Gala last weekend raising money for educational programming. Apart from the great food and bubbly and wonderful company, it was particularly exciting to see the art generously donated by so many bay area artists for the silent auction!

Here’s a piece that Melissa McKenzie of Santa Clara Weekly published on the event, David Stonesifer’s painting is bing bid on in the photograph below:

Triton’s Golden Gala Celebrates Museums 50th Anniversary Melissa McKenzie

Triton's Golden Gala - Mei-Ying Dell'Aquila and Marie Cameron - photo by Ron Dell'Aquila 2015

Photo courtesy of Ron Dell’Aquila

Photographer Ron Dell’Aquila, who had donated one of his gorgeous Pastel Diner photographs from his recent solo exhibition at the Triton, was there with his camera. He took these shots of me with donating artists, Mei-Ying Dell’Aquila and Holly Van Hart. Mei-Ying had donated her impressive oil painting, Dawn of Knowledge and Holly had donated a beautiful giclée from her Possibility Abounds series which also enjoyed a solo show at the Triton recently.

Triton's golden Gala - Marie Cameron and Holly Van Hart - photo by Ron Dell'Aquila 2015

Photo courtesy of Ron Dell’Aquila

The piece I had donated was Frozen Thoughts (that little purple dot on the wall below).

Here’s a close up, it was painted on a convex canvas emulating the paperweight that had inspired it.

Chief Curator, Preston Metcalf and his men in black about to announce the closing of one of the silent auction rooms.

Paparazzi about to capture the moment.

Photo Courtesy of Ron Dell’Aquila

It was such a pleasure to attend the event with my husband Robin. That’s Ron’s Pastel Diner photograph behind us (which we were outbid on). We did what we could to bid on many pieces but only lucked out with one….. and it was a goodie too – an original photograph of Frida Kahlo taken by Bay Area artist Emmy Lou Packard in 1941.

Emmy Lou Packard had lived with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in Mexico working as a studio assistant for a time, taking lots of photographs like the one above. She had also worked as Diego Rivera’s chief assistant for the Pan America Unity Mural for the Golden Gate Exposition. In this image you can imagine Frida pausing for a smoke break in the sun outside her studio.

I can’t begin to say how much it means to me to have this photograph of my favorite painter where I can see it every day – so very inspiring!

Also inspiring is how many people came out to support the Triton an institution that has been serving our community for so long and so well!

Reception at the Triton

December 16, 2013

Yes, it feels every bit as good as I thought it might to have a painting hanging in the Triton! It’s such well regarded museum with a beautiful exhibition space and to have Feathers hanging alongside the works of so many of my piers made me feel truly at home! Thanks to friends and family who came out to share this evening with me – you’re the best!

First place was awarded to two artists this year (I know both of them!) Cuong Nguyen (who also won the painting competition last time ’round and is so good they might just devote a wing to him) and Holly Van Hart (who just joined the Los Gatos Museums Gallery). They each get a solo show!

In fact, the Gallery was very well represented with nine member artists in the show. In addition to Holly and me, there was David Stonesifer (with two pieces), Donna Orme, Will Maller, Ed Lucey, Ellen Howard, Linda Smythe, and Joan Harvey.

Artists I know and love, Jaya King (two pieces), Mei-Ying Dell’Aquila, Teresa Ruzzo and Brigitte Curt were also included. So much really interesting work – I need to go back for a better look!