Celebrating the Heritage and Practices of Traditional Fine Arts Worldwide
March 20 - July 20, 2024 CAC Virtual Gallery
Spring brings about the connotations of rebirth. Building upon the California Art Club’s long history promoting traditional art forms, we are pleased to present The Signs of Spring, the thirteenth installment of the quarterly Excellence in Traditional Fine Art Competition!
Our gratitude goes to Mary Platt, Director of the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, for being the guest judge and curating these images for this virtual exhibition, showcasing the most exemplary submissions as well as the prize-winning works.
Artwork is available for purchase unless listed as NFS. If you have interest in acquiring a work, please submit a purchase inquiry. In addition, we suggest consulting our Terms of Sale.
Like the canary warns a miner of dangers, so does Melancholia warn us of the darkness found in isolation and despair. She reminds us to tend to our own selves before trying to be everything for others. Too often we over-extend ourselves and give too much of ourselves away. We may appear "fine" on the outside, but slowly the well inside us dries up and before we know it, we have been hollowed out by our commitments to others. Sometimes we need a moment for ourselves; a walk in nature, an afternoon in a garden, watching waves on a beach. These activities can help wash the Melancholy away and remind us of our better selves.
As spring unfolds, we welcome the promise of new starts, facing change with enthusiasm rather than resistance. This painting reflects my journey of living in the moment, discovering joy amid challenges, and capturing the serene beauty of a spring evening by the sea.
Saucer magnolias bloom before they leaf in early spring. They provide a welcome first blush of color when the world is still gray. I tried to capture these first blooms in all their glory.
Rolling California hills and carpets of gold always announce the arrival of spring. This painting is also offered in a custom deco frame as shown.
– Steven Curry
Deborah Day
Dulci Among Flowers
Oil on canvas, 22" x 28", $3,000
• I do believe there are horse princesses. Lady Dolcinea has no knowledge of the beloved book or character from which I chose her name. She was born in my backyard some 20 years agao but from her demeanor it was a royal stable. She has airs about her; things must be just so or she will make a complaint. Smart and beautiful, she has a way of making one feel they are riding on air (until she sees something out of the corner of her eye). Dulci brings to life the dreams of young girls and us older girls appreciate how she travels through her gaits. Of course she must be painted and have her portrait displayed in the royal courts.
– Deborah Day
Victoria Deaver Dean
Catalina Eucalyptus
Oil on linen, 9" x 12", NFS
– Victoria Deaver Dean
Rick J. Delanty
Sunflowers and Peace Lilies for Ukraine
Acrylic on board, 12" x 12", $2,000
As I was thinking about the conflict in Ukraine, I painted this piece that features the national flower, the sunflowe.
Pan pastel and charcoal pencil on toned paper, 13.5" x 21.5", $4,400
My pastel and charcoal drawing of Mark Hilbert surrounded by the construction of the new Hilbert Museum embodies the theme of rebirth and renewal. My initial encounter with Mark occurred during an artist's talk at the Hilbert Temporary, where he sat directly in front of me. The soft illumination on his face coupled with his strong profile and focused gaze inspired me to capture a spontaneous photo of him right then and there. My portrait concept with the steel girders and structures enveloping him convey the idea that he is an intrinsic part of the evolution of the Hilbert Museum. This piece exemplifies the ambitious vision that Mark, along with his wife and team, is building to create a dedicated space for California art.
Spring Tumble – Canyon Live Oaks, Bridalveil Creek, Yosemite
Oil on canvas, 20" x 16", NFS
Yosemite is filled with grandeur and majesty. Everywhere one looks, God’s handiwork is on display and it all seems so huge and overwhelming. Mixed in with the panoramic views, incredible rock formations, waterfalls and giant trees there are thousands of smaller delightful gems. Many are hidden in plain sight. For most of every year, this group of oaks stand in the middle of what appears to be a large field of rock and giant boulders stair stepping down from the base of Bridalveil Falls. This is Bridalveil Creek. Most of the time it is difficult to find the main course of this creek. On occasions after rapid snowmelt, water spills over the falls so forcefully that it creates its own wind. The spray that’s generated can travel hundreds of feet drenching everything in sight. The normally dry creekbed turns into a raging torrent of water and these oaks and the rocks they are growing from are surrounded by water cascading down and around in every direction. A rare and beautiful sight to behold.
– Dennis Durrell
James Ellison
An Insignificant Life
Oil on canvas, 20" x 16", $3,500
Hiking in Ice-House Canyon northeast of Baldy Village CA I was looking for a scene that spoke to me. As a Symbolic Realist I am always looking for meaning in nature. As I walked along this cascade looking at the pines, sycamores and granite a Western Columbine perched on top of a bolder caught my eye, so small and seemingly insignificant, yet it cracked the boulder.
After a spring rain shower, low clouds remain. Poppies, Lupines, and fresh grass bloom at the base of Mt Diablo.
– Judith Feins
Dina Gardner
Sunny With A Chance of Waves
Pastel on sanded board, 11" x 14", NFS
Starting off the New Year with a new painting, “Sunny With A Chance of Waves.” I’m starting the year off with a new series focused on my favorite subject matter, the ocean. We’ve had a few days of incredibly strong surf here in California and the waves have been amazing! I’m so excited to begin 2024 with this new series of work.
– Dina Gardner
Marsha Gertenbach-Meers
Peaceful Afternoon
Bronze, 16,75" x 18,75", $6,000
This young couple is spending a Peaceful Afternoon with their dog on a beautiful spring day!
The California spring rains brought on a carpet of velvety greens mixed with a variety of wildflowers as revealed in this brief moment when the sun peaked through the clouds. Many new beginnings.
– Maggie Renner Hellmann
Ricky Hill
Kestrel in Window
Colored pencil on Strathmore paper, 14" x 11", $1,500
I believe my life experience of being raised and living in the Lake Erie area have had a significant influence on my painting and sculpting style, and because of my interest in the wildlife and the history of that area of the country, motivation comes to me from wanting to create pieces that have a sense of movement and balance and to tell a story. The inspiration for all my paintings and sculptures is about the process of creating and working with the material by using size and texture to create pieces that have balance and flow.
I frequently go to the mall by Newport Beach known as Fashion Island. One of its main attractions is that it is an outdoor mall, close to the beach. The air is always refreshing, and looking out on the sparkling ocean is a treat. Many shoppers come with their children and dogs, strolling casually outside the stores. A particular attraction is the koi pond, especially for families. I was attracted to the bronze fish and the reflections of buildings and foliage in the waters populated by the large fish. However, all those fish are off screen in this view. The gurgling water, swimming koi, and excited shouts of children remind me of the cycle of life and the energy of spring.
After a light spring rain the LA River directs the city's storm water runof to the ocean in San Pedro Harbor. Most people think of the LA River as ugly but for me I find it a symbol of hope and beauty. Today i paint it to tell its story.
I was attracted to paint this scene because of the sunlight shining on and glowing through the iris. After careful observation of the iris's standards, beards, and falls, I constructed its form in paint. The Canterbury bells and for-get-me-nots in the background were abstracted into high-spirited silhouettes of color.
– Carolyn Lord
Lee MacLeod
A Touch of Spring In The High Country
Oil on board, 12" x 16", $1,000
• This painting depicts the beginning of Spring in the mountains. The snow has just begun to melt and the proverbial " mud season' is just around the corner.
•One of our favorite hikes and painting sites is the Bagley Creek hike up to Bagley Lake in the North Cascades. It is easy and it is beautiful along the whole route. This could be titled "Painters Paradise".
This painting was inspired by a poem I wrote after my good friend, neighbor and artist, Lisa Mozzini-McDill and I discovered a hidden poppy bloom in our neighborhood of Lake Elsinore last spring and shared a Plein air adventure together. My Plein air study and a photograph were used as references. CALIFORNIA GOLD - Once barren hillsides, dry and brown... Wearing now a golden crown! Robes of silken gold flow down, unto the valley floor. Mingling with a silvery green, purple wonders weave between. Sage and wildflower passion queens... yearning to explore. The poppies now awakening, to morning skies and hints of spring. Ruffled petals opening... to the dance of stamen lore. How do I mimic this golden sea, spilling down in front of me? My brushwork tantalizingly... describing so much more? A pallet filled with pigment bold, Poppy stories yet untold! So much wonder to behold, the gold rush... isn’t o’re.
The Spring sunset through the passing shower enfused the scene with a pale, moody glow.
– William A.Schneider
Dan Schultz
Light Through the Oaks
Oil on linen panel, 11" x 14", NFS
I painted this scene on location in Ojai, California, just as the spring greens were starting to display their intensity. I loved the contrast of the dark oaks against the bright grass and the citrus orchard in the background.
– Dan Schultz
Deborah Shea
Fire and Ice
Soft pastel, 40" x 40", NFS
Spring is about beautiful colors and florals for me. Pastels capture this in the most incredible way. It is my joy to create art that reaches out and brings the viewer in to experience what I do.
I am mesmerized by light, especially when it combines with abstract shapes and patterns to create nuanced interactions, and a poetry of visual delight.
A studio version of a Pleinair painted for an event in Grand Treverse in 2023. This place was a heaven for my muse , with energy from the visitors excitement and fragrance in the air.
In early Spring in California's Central Valley, thousands of almond blossoms bloom to create a beautiful white landscape. The blossoms depend on the honeybee to spread pollen from blossom to blossom, to pollinate them to grow into delicious almonds, which are sold worldwide. The lovely blossoms and busy bees are one of the first signs of the coming Spring after a cold gray winter, and a very welcome sight.
In my figurative oil paintings, I unveil the hidden intricacies of light and color in everyday scenes. Central to my work is an investigation of the familiar, examining subtle shifts in light and color during daily walks in San Francisco. Repeated visits to the same locations allow me to shed preconceptions, revealing layers of nuanced complexity resisting classification. People absorbed in urban scenes or simplified forms in the Northern California landscape populate my canvases, inviting a moment of pause to reflect upon the bittersweet essence of fleeting moments.
