Exhibition - Lasting Impressions: Colin Campbell Cooper

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Early American/California Impressionist artist Colin Campbell Cooper (1856 – 1937) is best known for his cityscapes, street scenes and architectural subjects painted during his extensive travels throughout the world.   A comprehensive exhibition of his works, “Lasting Impressions: Colin Campbell Cooper”, is currently on view at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum through October 8^th, 2010.   The exhibit features over thirty paintings that portray his views of Europe, India and the East Coast, as well as local places of interest, such as the Santa Barbara Mission and the historic El Encanto Hotel.  Cooper joined the faculty of the Santa Barbara School of the Arts as Dean of Painting after arriving in the area in 1921.

His body of work encompasses a wide variety of subjects, including still lifes, portraits, and landscapes.   Cooper created his paintings using an Impressionist style and palette inspired by artists such as Childe Hassam (1859 – 1935).  

His many trips abroad led him to Europe, including a trip in 1886 to Holland, a country that inspired many of his most accomplished and exceptional works.    

"Amsterdam", Oil on canvas, 29 x 43  SOLD

In 1889, the artist moved to Paris, where he studied at several prominent art schools, including the Academie Julian.  Traveling throughout Europe, he painted numerous views of various scenic locations, including Rheims Cathedral in France, the medieval town of Bruges in Belgium, and the poetic Wells Cathedral in England. 

"Rheims, July 5, 1906", Gouache, 21 x 15   SOLD

"Street in Bruges, Belgium", Oil on canvas, 22 x 18  SOLD

"Wells Cathedral, 1902", Gouache, 18 1/2 x 16 1/2   SOLD

During his long and successful career, Colin Campbell Cooper was a member of many of the leading art clubs in the United States, including the distinguished National Academy of Design, and the American Watercolor Society.   Examples of his elegant Impressionist paintings can be found in such renowned institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (“View of New York City”), the Dallas Museum of Art (“The Flatiron Building, 1904”), and the White House Collection (“The Capitol at Night”).

The Landscapes of Hanson Duvall Puthuff

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Early American Southern California Impressionist painter Hanson Duvall Puthuff was born to Alonzo Augustus Duvall and his wife, Mary Anne Lee,  on August 21^st, 1875 in Waverly, Missouri.  When he was two years old, his mother passed away, and Puthuff was raised by a close friend of his mother’s, Elizabeth Stadley Puthuff.  He eventually assumed her last name.

Photo Credit: “Plein Air Painters of  California – The Southland” by Ruth Westphal

After training at the University of Denver Art School he moved to Southern California.  Arriving in Los Angeles in 1903, Puthuff  sometimes worked as a billboard painter over the next several decades.  The billboards were often situated in remote areas, in locations with especially beautiful views.   After completing his work on the billboard, he would pull out his easel and begin to sketch and paint.

"Summer Evening" 24 x 30 AVAILABLE NOW

During this period, he also worked as a theater scene artist, sometimes painting the advertising curtains used in the theaters.  He painted backgrounds for the model train exhibits on display by the Santa Fe Railroad, and background scenery for the animal exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles.  One of his most notable accomplishments was the creation of a series of three panoramic dioramas for the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, commissioned by the American Museum of History in New York.

A family man, Puthuff enjoyed two strong and fulfilling marriages that lasted over thirty years each.  He was the father of five children, twins Lee and Duvall, and Robert, Paul and Matilda.

Around 1926, he began to concentrate full time on his easel paintings and the exhibition of his artworks at various venues.  One of the founders of the Laguna Beach Art Association, Hanson Puthuff is most often remembered for his majestic landscapes and quiet desert scenes. 

"Desert Landscape" SOLD

He enjoyed friendships with a number of well respected Southern California Impressionists, including fellow members of the California Art Club  Edgar Payne,  William Wendt, and Jack Wilkinson Smith.

"Beach Road"  12 X 16   AVAILABLE NOW

Puthuff’s paintings are noted for their strong compositions, beautiful impressionistic lighting and atmospheric effects, free brushstrokes, and warm, rich colors. 

"Langourous Summer"  SOLD

Many of his works were painted outdoors, en “plein air”, and display a feeling of spontaneity and vitality.

"Malibu"  SOLD

Hanson Puthuff died on May 12^th, 1972 in Corona del Mar, California, after a long and successful career.    His paintings can be found in the collections of numerous prestigious institutions, including the Laguna Beach Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Pasadena Art Institute. 

For additional information about acquiring currently available paintings by this artist, please contact William A. Karges Fine Art in Beverly Hills at (800) 276-8551.

The Nocturnes of Charles Rollo Peters

Early California artist Charles Rollo Peters, famous for his quiet, peaceful tonalist nocturnes, has often been called “The Poet of the Night”.  His paintings, often created using shades of deep blues and rich purples, evoke feelings of mystery and serenity.  In today’s high-tech, fast moving world, they bring a much needed sense of tranquility to this artist’s many admirers and collectors.  They encourage the viewer to imagine the slower paced life that existed long ago on the Monterey peninsula where the artist made his home during the early 20^th century.

Charles Rollo Peters "Monterey Adobe at Night" 11 x 14 1/4 SOLD

Artists of the Northern California tonalist movement, including Gottardo Piazzoni, Xavier Martinez, and Will Sparks, rejected the style and brighter palette of Southern California Impressionism.   Instead, they focused on creating an interpretation of nature using muted colors, soft outlines, and subtle nuances and gradations of single hues in a narrow range.  Their paintings convey feelings of calmness, peace, and timelessness, and often depict the uniquely hazy, foggy atmospheric effects commonly seen in the weather patterns of the Monterey area.  

Casa Sargenti

SOLD

The darker hues Peters used in his night scenes, the nocturnes, create a vision where the forms are often indistinct and mysterious.  A viewer of one of his paintings once remarked that “It’s like a secret being revealed”.  As one’s eyes adjust to the light, the objects on the canvas, a crumbling Spanish Adobe, the branches of a Cypress tree, or the moon behind the clouds, slowly come to life and are quietly unveiled.

Charles Rollo Peters was born in San Francisco in 1862 to a wealthy family.  He clearly had a talent for painting, and in the 1880’s he studied with artists Jules Tavernier  and Chris Jorgensen at the California School of Design.  He traveled to Europe in 1886 for a period of four years, studying at the famed Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Academie Julien.

Notre Dame, Paris

SOLD

He returned to San Francisco in 1890, married his first wife Kathleen Mary Murphy, and traveled back to Europe for an extended trip.  His son, also an artist, Charles Rollo Peters III, was born in France on September 25^th, 1892 during this period.  During his time in Europe, he was deeply influenced by the beautiful paintings of James McNeill Whistler, who was reported to have said that “Peters was the only artist other than himself who could paint nocturnes”. 

He returned to California about 1895 and soon after that, moved to Monterey, making his home there on thirty acres of land that he purchased, in an area known as “Peters Gate”.

Castro Adobe

SOLD

During his time in Monterey, he painted numerous scenes of the local Spanish adobe houses, including the Castro Adobe, as well as the California Missions, during his time in Monterey.

Mission Buenaventura

SOLD

The lobby of The Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach is currently the site of one of the artist’s most striking large nocturne scenes.  Visitors to the area often make a special trip to view it, and many feel that the night sky in this painting, with its wonderful array of stars, is one of the finest he created during his lifetime.

In 1907, along with William Keith, Karl Neuhaus and Will Sparks (another artist noted for his jewel-like nocturnes), Charles Rollo Peters established the Del Monte Art Gallery in Monterey, which was the first gallery to focus entirely on the local California artists of that time.

His first wife, sadly, died in 1902, and Peters was also deeply upset by the passing of his young daughter in 1904.  His excessive spending, often on lavish parties for his artist friends, eventually caught up with him.  Though he did remarry in 1909, later in life he began drinking on a regular basis, perhaps as a way to mute the pain of his tragic losses and his increasing depression.  Authorities foreclosed on his Monterey estate, and his health declined.  He died in San Francisco in 1928, and will always be remembered for his quiet, tranquil and mysteriously beautiful nocturnes.

For additional information about available original paintings by this artist, please contact Patrick Kraft, Director of William A. Karges Fine Art, Sixth and Dolores, Carmel, California.  www.kargesfineart.com (800) 833-9185 or (831) 625-4226.

The Art of Mary DeNeale Morgan

With the 2010 U.S. Open Golf Tournament  beginning today, visitors from around the world have begun to arrive in Pebble Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea. The dramatic beaches and sand dunes, the beauty of the Del Monte Forest, and the mysterious coastal Cypress trees continue to draw both tourists and artists to the area year round.

One of the most prominent early Carmel artists, Mary DeNeale Morgan (1868 – 1948), made her home in the quaint village of Carmel beginning in 1910, when she settled there, until her death at 80 years of age on October 10th, 1948.

Mary DeNeale Morgan  is best known for her pastels, watercolors, and oil paintings depicting the coastline, dunes, and beaches of the Carmel region. Her landscapes featuring the swaying, windswept Cypress Trees are sought after by knowledgeable art collectors, and enjoyed by the many museum visitors who appreciate this talented artist’s work.

"Three Cypresses"   SOLD

Born in San Francisco in 1868, Mary DeNeale Morgan moved across the Bay to Oakland as a young child. She was, for a brief time, a teacher at Oakland High School.

“Lake Merritt, Oakland”

SOLD

A longtime favorite student of the brilliant landscape artist William Keith (1838 – 1911) , Mary studied at the School of Design in San Francisco under several notable teachers, including Arthur Mathews, prior to her move to Carmel. She worked in her home/studio in Carmel, which she acquired from the artist Sydney Yard, from 1904 onwards.

"The Artist’s Studio-Home on Lincoln near 7th Street in Carmel"

SOLD

Mary was not only a well respected Carmel painter, but was an important part of the local art community. As a teacher and an organizer, she was instrumental in turning Carmel-by-the Sea into a vibrant art center. She was an early member of the Carmel Art Association, a group of local artists that included such famous members as Armin Hansen, E. Charlton Fortune, and master seascape painter William Ritschel. She was a student, attending William Merritt Chase’s summer classes in 1914, and eventually became a teacher, offering six weeks of instruction for $15 through the Arts and Crafts Club in Carmel. From 1917 to 1925 she was the Director of the Carmel School of art. Her paintings were also exhibited by the Del Monte Art Gallery and the California Watercolor Society.

Her beautiful, contemplative, elegant landscapes of the Monterey Peninsula can be found in numerous museums including the Monterey Museum of Art , the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Oakland Museum of California.

“Carmel Coast”

SOLD

For additional information about available paintings by Mary DeNeale Morgan shown here, please feel free to contact us at (800) 833-9185 or (831) 625-4226 at our gallery in Carmel.  Please stop by and visit the gallery this week at Dolores Street and Sixth Avenue if you’re in town to enjoy the U.S. Open in nearby Pebble Beach.

The History of the Laguna Beach Art Association

For over a century, the scenic beauty of the landscape and the coastline of Laguna Beach has attracted scores of talented and distinguished artists, including such important Early California painters as Edgar Payne, William Wendt, and George Gardner Symons. 

Photo Credit: Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau

The new California Impressionist style, emerging as a primary genre of painting in Southern California in the early part of the 20th century, was a natural match for the Laguna Beach area.  This style, borrowed from the French Impressionists who painted in the late 19th century, focused on the effects of light, a bright and colorful palette, and the loose application of paint to capture a passing moment in time.



One of the first artists to arrive in Laguna Beach was Norman St. Clair, who was originally from England.  He helped to establish the area as an artist’s colony when he arrived there sometime between 1899 and 1902.  Norman St. Clair urged the prominent landscape artist Granville Redmond to come to Laguna Beach and the two painted together there.

George Gardner Symons had a studio in Laguna Beach, and acquired property at Arch Beach in 1903.  He asked his friend William Wendt, who became one of the most significant Southern California Impressionists, to visit.  In 1913, Wendt and his wife Julia built a studio-home in Laguna Beach and settled there permanently in 1919 until his death in 1946.  Wendt was also a founding member of the Art Association.

William Wendt

"Seaside Cottages"

Oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

Frank Cuprien, (noted for his spectacular seascapes), and several other artists, rented rooms from local residents before building their own studios.  Cuprien first visited Laguna in 1912, was charmed by the beauty of the area, and later moved to Laguna and built a studio dubbed "The Viking."



The first step towards the creation of the Laguna Beach Art Association was to establish an art gallery. With funds collected from local artists and residents, the abandoned community house was repaired and renovated.   The gallery officially opened on July 27th, 1918.  The exhibition included nearly 100 artworks by 25 artists.   This gallery eventually became what is now the Laguna Art Museum.



The Laguna Beach Art Association was officially founded on August 22nd, 1918, with one hundred and fifty charter members, thirty-five of whom were artists. The group was originally organized by Edgar Payne, who served as President.  Payne, perhaps the most well known of all the Southern California Early California artists, moved to Laguna Beach in 1917 with his wife, Elsie.

Edgar Payne (1883 – 1947)

"Laguna Coastline"

28 x 34 inches

Founding members also included Frank Cuprien, Anna Hills, George Gardner Symons, and Hanson Puthuff.

Hanson Puthuff (1875 – 1972)

"California Coast"

Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

Another famous member of the Laguna Beach Art Association was California Impressionist painter and master colorist Joseph Kleitsch .  He and his wife, Edna, moved to Laguna Beach in 1920, where Kleitsch was inspired by the quaint street scenes and beauty of the coast.  His works are noted for their beautiful, vibrant colors.  Anthony Anderson, an art critic for the "Los Angeles Times" in 1922, was quoted as saying: "Kleitsch has discovered more varieties of loveliness in Laguna Beach than any other artist...he explored little intimate places, he painted quaint old streets with towering eucalyptus, and the gardens rioting with bloom”.

Joseph Kleitsch

"Laguna Boats"

Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches

J.N. (Nick) Isch, proprietor of the general store, post office, and livery stable, and brother-in-law to Joseph Yoch, owned the most famous cottage of the period, appropriately named “The Paint Box”. The Paint Box housed many artists over the years, including Norman St. Clair, Donna Schuster, Mabel Alvarez, and Edgar Payne. The building later was lost to fire in 1926.



William Griffith, distinguished painter of landscapes and coastal scenes, moved to Laguna Beach in 1920, and served as President of the Laguna Beach Art Association.  He died in Laguna Beach on May 25th, 1940.


Home to at least three major annual Art Festivals, Laguna Beach remains a vibrant artist colony today; a wonderful gathering place for those who appreciate spectacular paintings, scenery, fine restaurants, and pristine beaches.



For additional information about available paintings, feel free to contact us at our Carmel Gallery at (800) 833-9185, or visit www.kargesfineart.com

EARLY CALIFORNIA PAINTING IN CARMEL AND MONTEREY

Uniquely situated in a spectacular setting on the Pacific Ocean near the Del Monte Forest, Carmel-by-the-Sea has been a gathering spot for talented visual artists for well over a hundred years. The natural scenic beauty of the area has attracted and inspired dozens of notable Early California painters including Armin Hansen (1886 – 1957), William Ritschel (1864 – 1949), Percy Gray, and Francis McComas (1875 – 1938).

A recent exhibition at the Monterey Museum of Art, “Artists at Continent’s End: The Monterey Peninsula Art Colony, 1875-1907” clearly confirmed that the natural beauty, the rich history, and mild climate have drawn talented artists to Carmel/Monterey area since the late 19th century. Organized by the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, the display included the quiet tonalist nocturnes of Early California artist Charles Rollo Peters (1862 – 1928), who lived in the area of Monterey known as Peter’s Gate.

Charles Rollo Peters

"Adobe"

Oil on canvas, 10 x 16
SOLD

Other artists active in the late 19th century represented in the exhibition included Jules Tavernier (1844 – 1889), noted for his quiet scenes featuring California’s unique Redwood trees, and Chris Jorgensen (1860 – 1935). Jorgensen, often remembered for his highly detailed coastal scenes featuring the Monterey area’s famous Cypress Trees, built a boulder home in Carmel in 1905 which later became the La Playa Hotel.

The city of Carmel-by-the-Sea was founded in 1902, and incorporated in 1916. In 1905, the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club was formed to support the local artistic community. In 1906, following the San Francisco earthquake, a large number of talented artists moved to the Carmel area. The Carmel Arts and Crafts Club held frequent exhibitions of works by local artists and, in 1913, began providing lessons for aspiring painters. Distinguished artists William Merritt Chase, Xavier Martinez, and Mary DeNeale Morgan all taught six week classes arranged by the Club for $15 in those early days.

Mary DeNeale Morgan

"Cypress, Point Lobos"

Oil on board, 16 x 12

SOLD

In 1907, artists William Keith, Xavier Martinez, Karl Neuhaus, and Will Sparks founded the Del Monte Art Gallery, now the Herrmann Hall at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. This was one of the very first galleries focused specifically on work by California artists.

In 1923, the distinguished tonalist painter Percy Gray (1869 – 1952) moved to Monterey. His remarkable, quiet, introspective watercolor paintings are cherished by collectors today for their ability to capture the mysterious, misty qualities of the local landscape.

Percy Gray "Poppies and Eucalyptus"    SOLD

In 1927, The Carmel Art Association was formed, founded by artists Josephine Culbertson and Ida Johnson. Early members of the group included Paul Dougherty and E. Charlton Fortune. Their mission statement explains that “the Association exists to provide its members with a permanent art gallery, to advance knowledge of, and interest in the arts, and to create a spirit of cooperation and fellowship among artists and the community”. The association is the second oldest operating non-profit artist cooperative in the United States, after a group in Rockport, Massachusetts, and to this day, member artists are always selected by their peers.

Fine examples of the rich artistic history of the Carmel/Monterey area can be found in museums throughout California and the United States. Important paintings by artists including a large selection of works by Impressionist E. Charlton Fortune are currently on view at the Monterey Museum of Art in the exhibition “Land and Sea: Paintings and Photographs of Monterey and Beyond”. The exhibition continues through October 24, 2010.

For additional information regarding the available paintings featured in this post, please call William A. Karges Fine Art at (800) 833-9185 in Carmel, or visit our website at www.kargesfineart.com

Millard Sheets Exhibit at Pasadena Museum of California Art

On February 14, 2010, the exhibit “Millard Sheets: The Early Years (1926 – 1944) opened at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Curator Gordon McClelland has organized the first cohesive survey of the first two decades of this early California painter’s career.


Emma Jacobson-Sive, Pasadena Museum of California Art Director of Public Relations, noted “It is often a challenge to narrow down works of a prolific and important artist, but the emphasis on the time period--the earlier part of Sheets’ career--certainly helped focus the exhibition. The works selected capture the changes and evolution of the artist’s style and by including some of his successful students’ work, they also capture his influence too.”


Millard Sheets was born in Pomona, California, in 1907. He attended the Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles, studying with Clarence Hinkle. Following a painting trip through Europe, Sheets returned to Los Angeles to teach at Chouinard. He is best remembered for his depression-era regionalist works known as the “California Scene Paintings.” Sheets spent 20 years teaching at Scripps College, and 6 years as the director of the Otis Institute before retiring to Mendocino County in 1960.

Millard Sheets

“The Capitol Building” was a part of a larges series Millard Sheets completed in the 1950’s and early 60’s as a commission to promote areas serviced by United Airlines. The images were reproduced in a series of United Airline calendars to promote the wonder of travel.

Sheets, well known for his individual paintings, is also known for the artworks featured in the interiors and exteriors of dozens of buildings in Los Angeles County. He also drew, 1n 1957, the Los Angeles County Seal

To view available paintings by Millard Sheets, visit William A. Karges Fine Art at Dolores and Sixth Ave. in Carmel, CA, call (800) 833-9185 or visit www.kargesfineart.com