"I spent the first two decades of my life in the company of a vast horizon. It unified my references, grounding me in a realistic sense of scale. The constancy of that grand entity exerts a calming and often-unnoticed influence, as an overwhelming presence can be so large it becomes invisible. Living for over three decades in California, developed a unique relationship with my surroundings. In our Central Valley, the horizon is fragmented and we tend to see it as a promise and a latent asset. At the beach, the horizon comes to us. In the valley, we must go to it. So to it I go."

– Deladier Almeida

"My inspiration usually comes from the least obvious sources, places and things often ignored or overlooked and subjects that are either too simple or too complicated. In their simplicity and complexity, these subjects challenge me from beginning to end, and it is by living up to their challenge in the intuitive journey of painting that I arrive at the surprising result."

– Sunny Apinchapong-Yang

"This Utah Juniper, growing on the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at Hopi Point, has presided over its view of the Colorado River long before those of us currently on this mortal coil were born. As the Juniper can live up to 1000 years, it will likely continue its silent vigil long after we have gone. A lot of history is bound up in its wizened branches."

– Suzie Greer Baker

"I captured this painting while visiting the eastern side of the Sierras outside Bishop, California in 2019. As the road was still blocked due to snow, we traveled by foot. The scene we stumbled upon contrasted mountains beautifully dressed with snow and the cool spring greens of lower elevations. The crispness of the morning created a perfect view of the fresh snow and I longed for a closer look."

– Cindy Baron

"Throughout my creative life, I keep returning to the subject of water. I am drawn to its mesmerizing movement — the ripples that never exactly repeat themselves. Lincoln Run, the intimate creek depicted here, runs next to the home that Abraham Lincoln’s mother Nancy Hanks lived in while being courted by Thomas Lincoln. It was from here that spring water trickled, emerging to form a flow. It ran northwest into the Ohio River before merging into the great Mississippi. From these waters in Springfield, Kentucky, little Abe Lincoln ran. He later became the powerful force that brought all streams into one nation again."

– Rich Brimer

"After a heavy snowfall in the mountains I set out towards the Palm Springs area. My intention was to paint Mt. San Jacinto. Yet, the mountains before my planned destination caught my attention. I scouted the area of Cabazon searching for a vantage point which I soon found. Stranded without a jacket during a cold late afternoon, I quickly painted. Cabazon was incorporated in 1966 and unincorporated in 1972."

– John Budicin

"This oil painting was inspired by the many trips I have made to be inspired by and to paint the Cherry Creek in Colorado during the late winter or early spring seasons. I love when the contrast of snow cover meets the color of the winter/spring vegetation. The color contrasts seem to my eye to be at their best. Warms against cool colors, darks against lights. I enjoy spending many days hiking and painting along this ever-inspiring creek."

– Lorenzo Chavez

"California has many micro climates. I grew up in a dry rural inland valley south of LA. I spent many days in my early years wandering arroyos such as this one. The only rule I had was to be back home after the sun went down. BB gun in hand I felt like the young explorer I was. These days my brush and easel have replaced my BB gun, but the explorer spirit lives on in this Inland California painting, Last Light."

– John Cosby

"This scene is one my favorite California subjects…Tall eucalyptus trees against an evening sky. Even though they are not indigenous to California, they still evoke that classic early California landscape that I so love."

– Steven Curry

"On a hike to Mirror Lake in Yosemite on an overcast day, a shaft of light appeared on the trail and slanted across the flowing river. Light revealed the true color of the forest we were in, and moved me with awe of the beautiful space, mood, and atmosphere of the present moment. Afterward, I wished to paint this event in such a way that would inspire me to see all of the moments in my life like this, that I would not take a single breath on this earth for granted."

– Rick J. Delanty

"I have increasingly turned to pastel on location, which has helped me to capture what I am seeing quickly. I work on black sanded paper so my interaction with light is immediate. As I work, I create under painted textures with clear gesso. Lightly dragging pastels over the surface creates satisfying light effects. Physical light is the manifestation of God’s light and beauty and features in all my paintings. It does not matter to me what the subject of my painting is, what matters is expressing the inner natural beauty of each subject in a supernatural way."

– Gil Dellinger

"The artist’s eye reflects the gentle and peaceful atmosphere of serene Ireland in Blue Boat."

– Esther Engelman

"Twisting up and down and around a little road winding through Central California Hills, one can discover this grand view looking down on a valley dedicated to the quiet processes of vineyards producing their bounty. This was a scene that compelled being painted, and being included in a series of vineyard paintings compiled in the recent book Along The California Wine Trail."

– Kerne Erickson

"My studio is less than a mile from the Carmel coast. I generally gravitate in that direction for subject matter and paint on location. This particular day I was summoned for jury duty in Salinas, inland and in the opposite direction. I stopped and painted this scene, en plein air, on my way back. Across the road were field workers harvesting broccolini. Taking a break from their backbreaking labor, three workers came over and watched me paint. Lacking a shared language, we communicated with nods and smiles. I understood they approved of my artistic labors. Every painting has a story, especially plein air painting."

– Mark Farina

"Whenever I visit Claude Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France I head straight to the ponds and lily pads. This is where I feel the magic. I have painted there in both early morning and after closing when only the gardeners tending to the grounds remain. In this studio painting, the product of plein air studies and photos, the abstract quality created by lily pads playing against the light and color of the reflection of sky and foliage excites me. This subject offers endless painting inspiration."

– Terri Ford

"I was lucky to see this scene while visiting artist friends in Calabasas and painting near the entrance of Malibu Creek State Park. A gorgeous cool day in spring, I was charmed with the subject and pulled out a 9" x 12" linen board to commemorate the scene. I was drawn to the angles of the clouds at odds with the position of the poppies."

– Lynn Gertenbach

"Royal Sticks & Stones features one of my favorite trails located in Running Springs, California in the San Bernardino National Forest, Exploration Trail. This painting recalls one of my late afternoon visits during the winter months."

– Brandon Gonzalez

"The subject of Lifting Mist is the woods located on the coast of California near Mendocino. A complicated grouping of trees to begin with, when the fog rolled in they alternated between being partially hidden and then in full view. I found the contrast fascinating."

– Albert Handell

"On a recent winter day, I glimpsed this view of the Arroyo Seco Parkway, the oldest freeway in Los Angeles. The beauty of the Arroyo Seco, a place often painted by the early California Impressionists before a freeway disrupted the terrain, captivated me. With the snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains in the background, a painting came to life in my mind and I rushed to paint it. Old met new right before my eyes, so I titled the work Yesterday Today."

– Laurie Hendricks

"Ellen is recognized for her tranquil and peaceful landscape paintings. Her paintings reflect the beauty found in nature. Growing up in New England in an artistic family, Ellen was always inspired by the arts. She is passionate about evoking mood and emotion in her paintings. For Ellen, true enjoyment comes from capturing the light as it spreads across a scene. Some of her favorite subjects are marshes, areas along the Pacific coast, vineyards, and incredible skies at sunset and before or after storms."

– Ellen Howard

"The beauty of an epic spring poppy bloom is breathtaking. Spring Beauty was painted on location in Southern California near Lake Elsinore in 2019. The first day on location, there were only a few hikers so the artists enjoyed peaceful beauty and joy at witnessing this incredible sight. The hills were covered in orange poppies, California sunflowers, lupine, fiddlenecks, popcorn, and desert lilies. The sky was a brilliant dark blue punctuated with puffy white clouds gliding along. We shared inspiration with the California Impressionists of the 19th and 20th century. It does not get any better."

– Debra Huse

"A number of times every year I drive the Interstate down the west side of the Central Valley from Northern California to Los Angeles. I love the great open skies and the contours of the bare foothills of the Coastal Range to the west, especially when they turn green after the winter rains. In this San Joaquin landscape, a stormy February afternoon created 'symphonic' effects of light and shadow, which I tried to capture."

– David Jenks

"The past two years my muse has been Sycamore Grove Park, home to one of the state’s top five tracks of sycamore trees. My work features a very graphic set of trees. I painted this to match a quarter sawn oak frame by craftsman Tim Holton."

– Paul Kratter

"Bolinas is a small coastal town along the Northern California coast. The community is known for its reclusive residents, hippie past, and as a surfing mecca. It is only accessible via unmarked roads and any road sign along Hwy. 1 that shows the way will likely be torn down. As a supporter of the Bolinas Museum and its many events, I regularly head out there to paint the spectacular views. From the highway to town, there is a stretch of Bolinas Road overwhelmed with towering and dense eucalyptus trees. Bolinas Lagoon is visible through them toward Mt. Tamalpais on the opposite side. The light is always spectacular."

– Richard Lindenberg

"A few years ago, my friend and I were on a painting trip to the Bishop area. One evening when we on the way back to the motel, a colorful evening scene unfolded in front of us. Red and brown leafless shrubs, pale green sage, yellow and green grass, and leafless cottonwoods accentuated blue and purple mountains in the background. We were in the right place at the right time!"

– Simon Lok

"Walking Rain is the term we use in New Mexico for the fast moving summer storms that appear to walk across the landscape. These storms are both a boon and a curse. The rain brings necessary moisture, cools the day, and leaves the air heavy with the scent of wet sage. It can also come in such massive amounts that it inundates the land, erodes infrastructure, and places people in low areas in peril. These two facets are part of the drama that makes life in the Southwest exciting."

– Lee MacLeod

"I went to Oregon for the first time in 2019 and was captivated by the sublime landscapes. One memorable moment was painting on Hood River; the light hit the river in a way that made the water glow with a contagious ethereal energy. The rim-lit rocks contained many beautiful shifting shadows. I sought to capture the liveliness and sparkle of the water that seemed to be flowing through into my veins. With this painting, I wish to channel the powerful force and majestic beauty of the Hood River with bold brushstrokes and dashes of color."

– Tiffanie Mang

"As I crested the ridge into the Ojai Valley, the last light of the setting sun raked across the mountains below, and the moon began its climb into the evening sky. The moment was sublime and magical. It was golden."

– Jennifer Moses

"The title says it all. From snow covered peaks to fields of blooming poppies, seen all on one day and in one location…Only in California."

– Charles Muench

"One of the pleasures of visiting the high peaks is watching the sunrise/shadow line descend the peaks to the West, while your camp remains in the shadow of the peaks to the East. It gives one a sense of the spin speed of the earth. As the sun finally reaches the point of coming out from behind that intervening mountain, the sudden blast of full light instantly encompasses your whole world. The anticipation of that dawning is proportional to the cold of the night’s chill. We were there in 2017 to witness the total solar eclipse."

– Ralph Oberg

"The Southwest is like no place on Earth. My family is from New Mexico and we have traveled through Arizona to arrive in New Mexico from the beginning of my memories. The culture of the Navajo is part of our family heritage. My grandfather spoke Navajo and my grandmother would sew dresses for the women. Canyon de Chelly is the only National Park where the Navajo still reside in the canyon floor. I was only able to see the canyon for a day but the land is so enchanting and this painting is a start for future adventures."

– Frank Ordaz

"A little extra rain, some sun, and wildflowers accentuate Santa Ynez’s Figueroa Mountain (Fig Mountain). The scene is so beautiful it begs to be painted."

– Paul Panossian

"Ojibwa Afternoon was painted over five consecutive afternoons this past August on Madeleine Island, Wisconsin. It is amazing how one becomes attuned to the land when standing in the same spot for a long period. On this sacred Indian land, my senses heightened. I became acutely aware of scents of fresh water and wind blowing over the sunwarmed vegetation, the sounds of wind in the leaves, and the gentle give of the moss beneath my feet. Transported, I felt feral and as if I could melt into the landscape. Feral is good."

– Joseph Paquet

"One of my favorite places and times to paint is Lake Tahoe in the winter. It is so different from my home in Sonoma County where it almost never snows. This painting was created in the afternoon after the road had been plowed. I choose to feature the telephone poles to move the viewer’s focus back towards the mountaintops. The figures add life and scale to the painting."

– Camille Przewodek

"This well-known landmark identifies the division of part of the Navajo nation into two historic locations. The popular Canyon de Chelly and the adjacent Canyon de Muerto both contain vast series of ancient ruins. The sites are popular locations with both artists and tourists."

– Victor D. Riesau

"The Antelope Valley, CA is a good example of what a dear art representative of mine called a 'little big painting.' Why? It has considerable content and the potential to become a larger painting. Eventually, it will. A celebration of a “super bloom” in the Antelope Valley in the direction of the back of the San Gabriel Mountains, I wanted to emphasize a sense of vast open spaces in the finest Californian tradition. Painting is a good way to reconnect with Mother Nature."

– Rodolfo Rivademar

"Provence holds a magnetic and magical hold on my artistic life. I lived there and taught plein air workshops there for 25 years. Last June was my final Provence workshop and Long View, Le Barroux was one of the last plein air painting I completed before leaving. I will return to Provence. Nevertheless, this painting, because it was painted a couple of days after the workshop as I prepared to come home, feels like the end of a personal era."

– Ian Roberts

"Every spring I venture to different places searching for wildflowers. The hills of Visalia never disappoint. While there, I painted several field color studies and found this scene particularly inviting. It’s spring again!"

– Junn Roca

"I have painted this valley many times from several locations, large and small, en plein air and in the studio. It is like an old friend and each time we meet, it has another story to tell. On this day a new storm builds with the promise of rain, another day begins."

– Stock Schlueter

"I enjoy painting outdoors. Black Star Canyon is one of my favorite spots to paint. Capturing beautiful moments in nature is a challenging but exciting task. Through art, I share the beauty of life."

– W. Jason Situ

"Due to its incredible beauty, Ediza Lake has become a popular destination for landscape painters. It’s so spectacular that one doesn’t have to venture more than a few yards from camp to witness views like this."

– Matt Smith

"This is my most recent work. It was painted during the quarantine. I started it on the first day of lock down, March 19. 'Do art' is my answer to any crisis, internal or external. As I suddenly had to cope with the powerlessness of all my public programs being shut down, as I found ways to address the glaring needs and despair that this crisis brought to those already struggling, and as I discovered how to adopt and engage my programs for national emergency, I worked on this painting. The visceral experience of shaping and organizing my medium, shaped and organized me out of powerless despair. The inspiring force of the Eastern Sierras with their glistening ridges, faces, and summits, there long before us and to be there long after us, stayed with me through the process and gradually became this painting."

– Alexey Steele

"Fall was upon us in the high but dry mountains of Tehachapi. It was dry because of the drought’s impact on the vegetation, as the trees were giving up their leaves earlier than usual and barely turning golden brown. Regardless, it was a pleasant day to capture the warmth of light bouncing off the ground behind the studio. My time being short, I choose to use acrylic for its quick drying properties. A fresh wet into wet translucent lay in with some opaque here and transparent there made for a surprise result I am still trying to relive."

– Donald A. Towns

"I stumbled across this scene when I was nearing the final destination of an arduous hike in the Sierras. Tired and very hot, the idea of stopping to paint the scene seemed much less appealing than pressing on to my destination and taking a swim in Pear Lake. However, I felt that the majestically elevated granite cliffs, sunbaked rockslide, and contrasting shady red fir tree were calling out to complete a task that I had to fulfill. I am glad that I stopped and set up my easel."

– Ellie Wilson