Santa Paula Art Museum
117 N 10th StreetSanta Paula, CA 93060
(805) 525-5554
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Santa Paula Art Museum
7/26/2021 - 8/31/2021
A California Morning
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
14 x 11 inches (L x W)
Getting up before sunrise to explore a California hillside can bring a smile to your face as you begin to see the early morning sun shining across the golden grasses and through the nearby eucalyptus trees.
Adah Menken as Mazeppa
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
24 x 12 inches (L x W)
Adah Isaacs Menken was a celebrated American songstress, dancer, actress, author, and poet. The costume she is pictured wearing for the stage play Mazeppa titallated audiences in San Francisco. Well educated, creative, and mercurical, her friends included poets Walt Whitman and Bret Harte, artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and novelist Alexandre Dumas.
All That Glitters
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
16 x 12 inches (L x W)
In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Carson City, the fall colors glitter like the gold and silver that the prospectors were seeking. They found many things that glitter, but they weren't all gold.
Beachcomber
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on linen panel
18 x 24 inches (L x W)
Along the shore of Lake Tahoe this Canada goose was happily dabbling in the shallow water. He looked so perfect, every feather in place, with a long flight behind him and a long flight ahead.
Buffalo Soldiers
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
18 x 24 inches (L x W)
Buffalo Soldiers traveled west to seek their fortune after serving in the Civil War.
Bullish
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
14 x 11 inches (L x W)
Inspired by a close encounter in Taos, New Mexico
Canyon Sycamores
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
22 x 28 inches (L x W)
In Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs
Cold Gold
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
11 x 14 inches (L x W)
Winters in Tahoe in the late nineteenth century were sometimes brutal and the prospectors were forced to limit their mining activities to the warmer season. But the streams still ran with gold.
Dawn's Early Light
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
30 x 40 inches (L x W)
If an adventurer gets up early enough to hike in the Sierra Nevada, they are graced with a gift of great beauty and awe. (Fern Lake vista)
Desert Dwellers
Nita Harper
Oil on canvas
11 x 14 inches (L x W)
One of the oldest and most successful species on Earth
Desert Spring
Nita Harper
Oil on canvas
18 x 36 inches (L x W)
In the California desert
Dreams of Gold
Marian Fortunati
Oil on canvas
36 x 24 inches (L x W)
A lone rider looks to the Sierra Nevada and dreams of a fortune in gold and silver. Will those dreams become a reality?
Engine 29
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on canvas
30 x 40 inches (L x W)
Engine 29, christened the "Robert C. Gray,"¬ù steams along the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, following the same route that the lumber and mining trains ran during the Comstock Lode silver rush of 1859.
Flight
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
16 x 20 inches (L x W)
Every fall, 40,000 sandhill cranes flock to wetland preserves near Lodi, California, for the winter. It is such an awesome sight that it makes for a popular tourist attraction and story in the local papers. I had fun trying to create a bit of fantasy in the design while keeping the birds as the focus of the painting.
Flight
Sharon Weaver
Oil on canvas
8 x 24 inches (L x W)
I woke early one day on a trip with the PAC6 and realized I had the opportunity to see the sunrise. It proved to be spectacular. As I was squinting at the glare of the rays coming over the ridge, a flock of birds took off from the brush to greet the new day.
Gold Rush Fever
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
18 x 24 inches (L x W)
These young miners posed for a photo to document their quest for gold.
Golden Inlet
Sharon Weaver
Oil with gold leaf on panel
11 x 14 inches (L x W)
Sharon continues to explore the relationship between landscape and gold leaf in her Golden Hour series. With Golden Inlet, she takes chances and pushes her ideas. "The distant cliff face creates interesting negative space and abstract shapes which highlight the rugged pines. It is always a matter of push and pull, yin and yang, gold and paint."
Golden Water
Sharon Weaver
Oil with gold leaf on panel
14 x 11 inches (L x W)
The golden sun is reflected in the blue waters of Lake Tahoe as Sharon combines oil paint with gold leaf. “The coast along the north shore of Lake Tahoe has deep inlets where sunlight sparkles between the rocky outcrops. Capturing the magic of the light against the silhouettes of the pine trees creates a wonderful contrast of light and shadow.”
Headin' Home
Sharon Weaver
Oil on canvas
11 x 14 inches (L x W)
Cowboy, horse and dog all share the satisfaction of a job well done after herding the cattle from one pasture to the other. The folks at Rankin Ranch continue to work the ranch as their family has done since 1863.
Heading for the High Country
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
20 x 30 inches (L x W)
Approaching the Eastern Sierra
Hold on to Your Hat
Sharon Weaver
Oil on canvas
14 x 11 inches (L x W)
The Eastern Sierra has a special place in the heart of the PAC6. The view of the Minarets from the shore of Ediza Lake was breathtaking. Riding in on horseback to the remote camping spot was a great adventure.
Jackass Rabbits
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
24 x 18 inches (L x W)
Mark Twain referred to the multitude of long-eared rodents populating the West as "jackass rabbits."
Julia Bulette
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
24 x 18 inches (L x W)
Julia, or "Jules" as she was called, was not only a prostitute in Virginia City, she also served the city as a full-fledged firefighter.
Jumpin' Jack Splash
Debra Holladay
Oil on panel
8 x 10 inches (L x W)
Hanging out in the "frog spa," a very green contender named Jumpin' Jack Flash rests up for the famous jump competition at the Calaveras County Fair.
Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
24 x 18 inches (L x W)
The jumping frog event still takes place every year at the Calaveras County Fair in a nod to Mark Twain's short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."
Leave the Light On
Sharon Weaver
Oil with gold leaf on panel
24 x 30 inches (L x W)
Lotta, The Nation's Darling
Debra Holladay
Oil on canvas board
24 x 12 inches (L x W)
Lotta Crabtree started acting at age 8 and never stopped, becoming one of the most beloved and well-paid actors and comedians of the nineteenth century. She is shown here in an early role playing a boy (hence the britches) and smoking a cigar.
Miwok Mother and Child
Debra Holladay
Oil on panel
12 x 16 inches (L x W)
Yosemite Valley and the surrounding area was home to the Miwok tribe.
Moment of Reflection
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
24 x 24 inches (L x W)
Near Zion, Utah
Mono
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
18 x 36 inches (L x W)
In the 1860s, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) explored his way across the Sierras Nevada mountain range many times. He explored Mono Lake. His account of a boat ride on Mono Lake with his pals and a dog during a storm are hilarious. You can find the account in the book "Roughing It." The story highlights the unusual quality of the water at Mono Lake!
Overlooking Emerald Bay
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
10 x 10 inches (L x W)
Emerald Bay on the California side of Lake Tahoe is a popular destination because of the beautiful color and clarity of the water. Emerald Bay provided the setting for one of the first summer homes built at Lake Tahoe. Ben Holladay, stagecoach magnate and early-day transportation king, constructed a home there in the late 1860s.
Paying Respects
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on linen panel
11 x 14 inches (L x W)
While on a painting trip in Sequoia National Park, I discovered this old cowboy on his horse visiting a place called Boot Hill. He didn't say much (cowboys tend not to talk a lot), but his eyes said it all.
Raven Tales
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
18 x 18 inches (L x W)
Along the desolate Emigrant Trail
Sacred Lands
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
16 x 20 inches (L x W)
Monument Valley, Utah, home of the Navajo
Sage Country
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
16 x 24 inches (L x W)
The endless sage prairie of the Great Basin, California
Saguaro Song
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
14 x 18 inches (L x W)
A breeze sings through the spines of a southern Arizona saguaro (cactus).
Sam
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on canvas
30 x 40 inches (L x W)
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known to most as Mark Twain, has been called "the father of American literature." He was the first American author to write in the unique voice of each of his characters. He is one fellow I would have loved to have met.
Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on canvas
30 x 40 inches (L x W)
Lake Tahoe was a place to rest for travelers headed to San Francisco from the territories east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Before the settlers arrived, Sand Harbor Cove, along the lake's eastern shore, would have been an idyllic spot to make camp for the Washoe tribe in the summer months.
Searching for the Mother Lode
Debra Holladay
Oil on panel
12 x 16 inches (L x W)
The promise of riches lured many people west, but the reality was often vast desert and rugged terrain. Life was hard and disappointment the norm.
Sierra Gem
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on linen panel
18 x 24 inches (L x W)
The author Mark Twain had a lumber claim in the forest between Lake Tahoe and Truckee until he burnt it down by not keeping an eye on the morning fire. It's a typical story from Twain's adventures out west. This small lake is on that land and I like to believe Twain stood here looking at this very scene 160 years ago.
Sparks
Sharon Weaver
Oil on canvas
24 x 36 inches (L x W)
Travel, exploration and camaraderie are all important parts of the PAC6 experience. This painting was inspired by our trip to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City. The warmth of friends enjoying a fire on a cool fall day is a scene that recalls fond memories. Through our paintings you are invited to the party too.
Stanislaus
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
14 x 11 inches (L x W)
The PAC6 were exploring the area near Angels Camp where Mark Twain's story about the "Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" began. As we explored the area, we went down to the river and I saw this gorgeous river rushing down the gorge.
Steam and Snow
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on canvas
40 x 30 inches (L x W)
Steam dances with the heavy winter clouds above, while the engine of the iron horse below huffs her power with each breath.
Sunrise on the Plains
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on linen panel
14 x 18 inches (L x W)
Tahoe Diamonds
Sharon Weaver
Oil on canvas
8 x 10 inches (L x W)
The PAC6 painting trip to Lake Tahoe was memorable. My first sighting of Lake Tahoe had me eager to paint the turquoise water. The calm day made the surface look like glass and enhanced the reflections in the water. This piece was painted en plein air, on location, on a beautiful morning.
Sold
Teton Blues
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
8 x 16 inches (L x W)
Grand Tetons, Wyoming
The Gambler
Nita Harper
Oil on canvas board
20 x 20 inches (L x W)
A man I saw in Virginia City, Nevada
The Lookout
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
18 x 14 inches (L x W)
Almost any expedition through California will delight the traveler with a glimpse of a covey of quail, California's state bird.
The Miners' Shacks
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
12 x 16 inches (L x W)
Near Virginia City, Nevada
The Old Green House
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
12 x 16 inches (L x W)
Near Virginia City, Nevada
The Shadow Side
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
10 x 12 inches (L x W)
Rock formations of the Sonoran Desert
The Source
Marian Fortunati
Oil on linen panel
24 x 20 inches (L x W)
Prospectors and explorers crossed the Sierra Nevada range on foot, mules, horses, and wagons. They always had to keep the essentials in mind: food, water and shelter. Finding a source of water was often the primary goal for explorers.
The Stalker
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
10 x 8 inches (L x W)
Inspired by a visit to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California
The Yellow House
Nita Harper
Oil on panel
14 x 18 inches (L x W)
In Carson City, Nevada
Up Among Them
Linda Brown
Oil on linen panel
20 x 24 inches (L x W)
On a trail in the High Sierras
Wild and Free
Nita Harper
Oil on canvas
18 x 24 inches (L x W)
Inspired by the wild horses in Nevada
Wild Country
Laura Wambsgans
Oil on linen
20 x 24 inches (L x W)
Glacier National Park, Montana