Celebrating the Heritage and Practices of Traditional Fine Arts Worldwide
August 20 - October 26, 2024 Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University 167 N. Atchison St. Orange, California 92866
This expansive showcase of over 180 paintings and sculptures is selected from hundreds of entries submitted by current qualified California Art Club members for review by a panel of art experts and leading artists. The final collection spotlights today’s most exemplary works by both renowned and up-and-coming artists.
As the sun begins to set over the Pacific horizon, the ocean waves seem to rise up for one last energetic crash on the rocks. While the crowds gathered at La Jolla wait in anticipation for the sun to set, my eyes are always drawn to those breaking waves and the last vestiges of sunlight reflecting off the water. It’s an experience only captured by the mind’s eye and a quick swish of a paint-laden brush.
Carmel, California, on a late morning during King Tides. I had an inspirational day plein air painting a study for this studio piece. The power of the waves and resulting mist combined with a lifting marine layer, created a symphony of muted tones and a captivating atmosphere I was compelled to capture. I used an indirect method of painting over several sessions to layer the subtle value and hue shifts. The greys in this piece are the foundation for highlighting contrast, depth and mood.
– Rebecca Argeullo
Brian Belfield
Light Wave
Oil on canvas, 24" x 30", $2,100
Sunlight through the mist. Like gulls on the cliff, we watch. Hungry for big waves.
– Brian Belfield
Brian Blood
Garrapata Light
Oil on canvas, 24" x 30", $12,500
Art of the West Award of Excellence
An easy hike down a dirt trail leads me to a perch high above the coastline. Nestled between poppies and sage plants is a cleared out area just off the trail where an artist can set up and take in this grand view. Garrapata State Park runs along Hwy. 1 just south from the Carmel Highlands down to Big Sur. Numerous hiking trails offer a wealth of possibilities for the adventurer and trained artist’s eye. The dramatic coastline with its rolling surf captivates its viewer and the sounds of the ocean calms the spirit. Garrapata Light is a scene I have painted many times over the past 35 years. At different times of the year, weather conditions, and times of day— it never seems to disappoint.
– Brian Blood
John Cosby
Big Water
Oil on linen, 9" x 12", $2,800
After I got out of school for the day I would jump on my bike and start exploring these canyons and hills. I am still drawn to them. There is so much hidden under those rocks and trees!
What really inspires me about painting the landscape is the physical evidence of God’s supernatural presence in it. His power, creativity, and truth expressed in nature excite me with wonder, mystery, and hope for a better world than man can make. It is the spirit behind the appearance that quickens my creative urge. I know that my life will not be long enough to paint all that I have planned or desire to create. For now, for today, it is enough to work, both inside and out, on the vision that God has given me: to express the beautiful wherever I find it. My job is to express God’s Creation in my own work—and I love doing that.
– Rick J. Delanty
Mark Farina
Continent’s – Edge Big Sur
Oil on linen, 12" x 9", $2,000
Painted on location in Big Sur just south of Nepenthe looking south, completed in two plein air sessions. This work captures a dramatic view of the incomparable Big Sur coastline, a thirty minute drive from my Carmel studio…Continent’s End – Big Sur.
There are few things more exciting for the plein air painter than standing at the easel next to the ocean. The sea dust in the air, the rhythmic crashing of the waves and the scattered light bouncing everywhere all combine to energize the paintbrush. This painting was completed alla prima and I hope the excitement I felt while creating it can also be felt by the viewer.
A wave catches some of the last evening light. The low sun causes the whitecaps to cast shadows, bringing out color contrast on the surface of the water.
Reflections illuminate Carmel Bay at twilight, as seen from Carmel Beach.
– Kathleen B. Hudson
Debra Huse
Harbor Cruise
Oil on linen, 20" x 28", $6,800
The gentle movement of the schooner and the open expanse of the harbor invite the viewer to imagine the possibilities of a journey, evoking a sense of freedom and joy. The afternoon light casts a warm glow on the clouds and ship, enhancing the overall experience. Take this opportunity to enjoy the timeless beauty of the historic sailing ship and imagine yourself aboard. Hear the creaking of the floorboards, the flapping of the sails, and the calls of the captain and seabirds. Feel the breeze and the warm sun, and step into adventure.
Struck by the stature of his first lighthouse, David was captured by the scenic beauty of the Maine coastline as the waves crashed over a massive rock formation; the wind moved across the glistening water and carried the salt air.
Painted en plein air at Mendocino, California, on a late afternoon in autumn; completed in studio February 2024. The shoreline at Mendocino has always been one of shadow, intrigue, power and color. The most challenging of shoreline formations are known to artists as “keyholes,” which are openings that have either been worn or broken away within a rock formation, and amplify all the waves and currents that roil at its base.
Newport Beach is a big, beautiful icon of a beach in Southern California. I wanted to focus on the harbor as well as the people learning to sail.
– Calvin Liang
Richard Lindenberg
Garrapata
Oil on canvas, 16" x 20", $2,600
Garrapata State Park has always attracted me to paint this iconic stretch of the Northern California coast. The rugged bluffs, turbulent seas and colorful succulents that descend to the cliff edges are unmatched. Whenever I’m in the area, I am compelled to spend an hour taking pictures or an afternoon plein air painting there.
This painting was inspired by the historical work of Frederick Waugh and other past masters of the seascape including many members of the California Art Club.
Having spent many summers at this beach during my high school years, painting the Huntington Beach Pier brought back many happy memories from that time. My friends and I often met and rode our bicycles from our homes in Long Beach to Huntington in the morning. We spread our towels on the sand and spent the whole day socializing, swimming, and playing in the warm ocean, some of us on boogie boards. This scene brings back to mind that time of day when we would all be thinking about getting back on our bikes for the journey home. Our bodies tanned from all the sun, and a bit dehydrated, we rode home and planned for the next days’ adventure. Ah, those were the days! Today, I’m married to one of those friends!
Malibu Pier as the sun is setting. Activities on the beach slow down and the dinner rush is about to start. The effect of light is something that continues to draw me in. It makes any place or subject matter come alive and filled with added drama, and it’s a reminder of the hope and beauty that’s so important to look for in our everyday life.
Fishermen casting their net is a timeless pursuit, a skill passed down from one generation to another, evoking a sense of tradition and camaraderie. The bright sunlight dancing on the ripples adds a little bit of magic to this snapshot of a peaceful day spent on the water, where time seems to stand still and the beauty of nature takes center stage.
My first visits to the California coast starting about a decade ago were during years of persistent drought. I grew to expect tawny hillsides and dust underfoot, much like drought years in Montana. So, it was a wonder to visit a familiar stretch of coastline this past June during an explosion of wildflowers. I’d never seen the coast blanketed in a riot of color! Over the next couple days, I drained my tube of cadmium yellow in one plein air painting after another. The late-afternoon study for this pastel painting was the last I did before heading in to prep for a workshop starting the following day. I couldn’t wait to show students this coastal abundance! I woke up to another reality: June gloom. Grey skies and coastal fog, I’ve learned, is the price that must be paid for the proliferation of flowers along the coast.
This painting’s message is all about the time of day—my favorite time of day. Walking along the shore in the mirror-like wet sand. Watching the sun slowly sink into the distant marine layer clouds at the far horizon. I am filled with gratitude as I am reminded of the grand plan of nature. I wait with anticipation for the great return of it all.
Victoria Beach Sunset was painted in south Laguna Beach. Sunsets are one of my favorite subjects to paint. I wanted to capture the beautiful moment of the sun’s light reflecting in the ocean—pure magic.
Late evening waves crashing not only on the border between land and sea, but also near the border between Oregon and California!
– Jordan K. Walker
Durre Waseem
Until the Boats Returned
Oil on canvas, 14" x 18", $2,400
PleinAir Magazine Award of Excellence
I love painting at the fish towns. There is a serenity in the sounds of the birds and boats that plays as backdrop music while I solve the jigsaw puzzle of the mast, ropes and the net creating an intricate design.
– Durre Waseem
Wendy Wirth
“Luminescence” – Laguna Beach Shoreline
Acrylic on panel, 8" x 16", $3,900
Along this famed stretch of cliff-lined coast, there are sunsets that truly dazzle the eye. The most exceptional of these coves possess a narrow depth of shore that creates an intimacy with the viewer—as if the interplay of water, sand and sky is theirs alone to experience. Here my imagination was captured by the brilliant color palette mirrored in sky and shallow surf, as if the final breath of sunlight was conveying life into the wet sand. Painting this scene was an exploration in color and light play, contrast and quiet. In my mind, I can still hear the hush as twilight waited to descend. Day’s end, especially twilight, has always held the most appeal as subject matter. It’s the singular enchantment of day meeting night that reveals both a finality and a sense of timelessness—offering a sublime invitation to capture the moment in paint.
The Ocean Beach pier is closed and damaged. Its fate is unknown and the debate to replace it is ongoing. I wanted to document its golden years before it is gone. The golden hour and a cloudbank added some useful drama.
Inspired by a plein air study, this painting captures the serene moment of an afternoon glow as cormorants settle on the rocky Malibu shore. The canvas is alive with the quiet energy of the evening, with the water softly reflecting the sun’s gentle radiance. It’s a tranquil scene that invites contemplation and a deep appreciation for nature’s daily spectacle.
