Los Gatos Plein Air Art Show and Sale

June 18, 2016

The Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club hosts the the annual Los Gatos Plein Air Art Show and Sale. Artists from all over the US are juried into this week long event where artists paint throughout the area, producing an amazing oeuvre of fresh work to be auctioned and sold at the end – the results are always impressive!Here a few shots I manage to capture from today’s sale at the Town Plaza (artists websites are linked to their names).

Greg LaRock (Newport Beach, CA) – Best of Show

Suzy Long – ( Mendocino, CA) The Copper Bucket – People’s Choice Award

Susan Elwart Hall (Atherton, CA) – Artist’s Choice Award

Susan Elwart Hall – Pink Buzz – Oil – Honorable Mention

John Guernsey (Marietta, GA) – Courtyard at the winery -Oil -Second Place

Waye McKenzie (Truckee, CA)

Wayne McKenzie – Mountain View – Oil – Third Place

Wayne McKenzie – Friendly Rivalry – Oil

Wayne McKenzie – Santa Cruz Surfers – Oil

Anton Pavlevnko (Mollala, OR)

Anton Pavlevnko – Trickling Creek – Oil – Honorable Mention

Terri Ford (San Jose, CA)

Terri Ford – Valley Vista – Pastel – Honorable Mention (with a bit of reflection)

Kevin Kasik (San Jose, CA)

Kevin Kasik – Shannon Road (detail) – Oil

Me and Kevin hanging…

David Stonesifer (Los Gatos, CA)

David Stonesifer – Foot of Shannon Road – Oil

Ed Lucey (Los Gatos, CA)

Will Maller ( Los Altos, CA)

Sergio Lopez (Santa Rosa, CA)

Sergio Lopez – Capitola Rooftops- Gouache

Barbara Clark (Corrales, NM)

Barbara Clark – painting detail – oil

Sterling Hoffmann (Sebastopol, CA)

Abby Zhang (Los Gatos, CA)

Laura Wambgans (Santa Clarita, CA)

Art Docent Volunteers, Julia and Judith

Art lovers

Artist Lorraine Lawson volunteering with the Morning Rotary.

Los Gatos Plein Air 2015

June 23, 2015

I love plein air! It’s magical how artists go out and brave the elements and a cacophony of input and paint up a little gem in a matter of minutes – so fresh, so immediate! Los Gatos Town Plaza was filled with such gorgeous wet paintings by artists from all over the West Coast that had been juried into Los Gatos Plein Air 2015. Artists had begun painting on location last Tuesday with canvases stamped at NUMU and had wrapped up their work by Friday night with a VIP Auction.

Organized by the by the Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club, proceeds from the event are going to support Montalvo Arts Center, the Museums of Los Gatos, Lighting for Literacy, Los Gatos Music and Arts and Art Docents of Los Gatos (which was represented by this great group of women – Hey Louise and Elizabeth!).

The Los Gatos Museums Gallery was well represented with five member artists participating, Ellen Howard, Ed Lucey, Will Maller, Carole Rafferty and David Stonesifer. In fact, Carole Rafferty was awarded best in show!

Congratulations to Carole Rafferty who was awarded Best in Show!

David Stonesifer.

David Stonesifer‘s oil, View of Los Gatos from Olive Grove.

I shot David working on this piece last week on Overlook Road.

Will Maller.

Will Maller‘s oil, Morning Walk Vasona.

Ed Lucey.

Ellen Howard.

Ellen Howard‘s oil painting.

2nd Place was awarded to Greg LaRock for his oil painting of a creek in Saratoga.

I missed 3rd place, but an Honorable Mention went to Erich Neubert for A Walk in the Park.

Another Honorable Mention went to Kim VanDerHoek for this lake scene below.

Lorraine Lawson.

Susan Elwart Hall.

Susan Elwart Hall‘s Penthouse View.

I shot Susan painting this piece on Overlook Road.

Sylvia Dahlgren painting away.

Sylvia Dahlgren‘s oil, Point Lobos.

Yong Hong Zhong.

Yong Hong Zhong‘s oil, Hiding from the Sun.

Anton Pavlenko was awarded an honorable mention, for a beautiful little painting, I was going to take a photo of it but then I got distracted by this one:

Anton Pavlenko‘s oil, Morning Meditation.

Elvis and his gentleman companion taking in the art.

Mira Petkova, a fabulous new volunteer at the gallery who is helping with promotion material, and myself shooting the event (Thanks Thuy Le).

Nancy MacDonald‘s oil, Joined at the Hip – love those stabs of red!

Ripe Persimmons

December 5, 2012

Persimmon Tree - Picchetti photo Marie Cameron 2012

Picchettti persimmon tree ornamented with ripe fruit, photo Marie Cameron 2012.

The storms have past, stripping persimmon trees of all their leaves, leaving their fruit dangling naked and ripe for all to see. This tree at Picchetti tempts hiking visitors to wade through poison oak and blackberry brambles to see it they can pocket a few. Picking wild fruit is a primal urge my mother and father-in-law and son couldn’t pass up while on a family hike over Thanksgiving. While they didn’t harvest many (two actually) they were all the sweeter for the effort!

Persimmons are not only decorating trees all over the valley but hanging on gallery walls too! Here are two great works currently on exhibit at the Los Gatos Museums Gallery by member artists, Susan Elwart Hall (susanhallstudio.com) and Betty Turrentine McGuire.

Stages of Life oil painting by Susan Elwart Hall - photo Marie Cameron 2012

Stages of Life oil painting by Susan Elwart Hall – Los Gatos Museums Gallery

Persimmons oil painting by Betty Turrentine McGuire photo by Marie Cameron 2012

Persimmons oil painting by Betty Turrentine McGuire – Los Gatos Museums Gallery

So, what to do with this abundance of persimmons? The Fuyu (above) can be eaten like an apple but with the softer Hachiya I like to make persimmon chutney which is especially delicious with duck!