“In the summer of 2019 I began a series of paintings called ‘Shadow.’ In each piece a veil of trees in dark shadow stands forward with an expansive view opening beyond in the light…and the light at first feels unreachable.Then your eye settles into the distant light to explore the expanse. The views beyond the veil are of iconic California landscapes and represent our collective dreams of hope and peace. Now, living in the era of the coronavirus, we are staying in the shadows in our homes and looking out longingly. And so art becomes life. These pieces are robust in person for their stark portrayal of the time in which we are living, and their point of view.They foretell a future once we find our way out of the darkness.”

– Chris Adessa

“In the summer of 2019 I began a series of paintings called ‘Shadow.’ In each piece a veil of trees in dark shadow stands forward with an expansive view opening beyond in the light…and the light at first feels unreachable.Then your eye settles into the distant light to explore the expanse. The views beyond the veil are of iconic California landscapes and represent our collective dreams of hope and peace. Now, living in the era of the coronavirus, we are staying in the shadows in our homes and looking out longingly. And so art becomes life. These pieces are robust in person for their stark portrayal of the time in which we are living, and their point of view.They foretell a future once we find our way out of the darkness.”

– Chris Adessa

"Pictured is an Arizona scene close to Monument Valley."

– Deladier Almeida

"Just as animals in the wild cautiously emerge from the shelter of shadows, pandemic survivors re-enter society slowly and with care."

– Karen Anable-Nichols

"In a world of tremendous uncertainty where we have been catapulted 40 years into the digital age, life as a painter continues to be a necessity for mind and soul! As I examined one of my favorite areas along the coast to paint, I noticed a lone horseback rider slowly traversing the dunes at Spanish Bay. I have seen riders in this area before. The sun was just beginning to peer through the coastal fog and I was comforted to know somethings will never change. How blessed I was to witness the magic of another day, the sun rising, and my ability to see and paint in a world of much uncertainty!"

– Maria Boisvert

"Recent research estimates the health pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people (8% of the world’s population). This would be in addition to the approximately 700 million people currently living in extreme poverty. To envision and then create a better future for all, we need to understand and empathize with their struggle. Alongside Poverty is the first artwork developed as part of Cali’s (Jorge M. Calderon's) social impact series that focuses on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The first UN SDG is 'No Poverty.' This painting is an opportunity for viewers to reflect on the long and difficult road for those who live on less than $2 a day."

– Jorge M. Calderon

"Beauty exists no matter what the circumstance. For me, the process of painting leads to wholeness in this time of sheltering in place. This painting was completed in March, as the poppies returned to a very special Briones Valley full of Promise."

– MaryLou Correia

"Plein air painting of Rush Creek in Novato, California. Painted with a few friends, and we all stayed about 10 feet apart to maintain social distancing."

– Laura Culver

"Virtual travel from the comfort of my studio."

– Laura Culver

"The boys behind a large bubble reflect the new reality of feeling as if we live in a bubble."

– Rhonda Egan

"It is absolutely mesmerizing to watch the ocean waves come crashing at the base of the cliffs. The Garrapata coast fascinates and inspires me with the mystery of the purplish-blue distant mountains, and the interplay of cliffs reflections breaking on the waves."

– Tatyana Fogarty

"I enjoyed this scene with the adirondack chairs, positioned so you can sit and enjoy the view of ever-changing ocean, on multiple occasions while visiting the Mendocino coast. I was inspired by the beautiful reflections, as well as, the calm and peacefulness of the area."

– Tatyana Fogarty

“My work painting en plein air is oftentimes a dialogue with the natural world and our environment. Painting outdoors is as much a meditative experience with nature as it is a feat of technical skill. Through this contemplative process, I am reminded of the balance that all living beings have with the earth and our role and place in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. For me, a world reimagined, is a future where the state of humanity and the natural world is in harmony. This painting is about seeking that balance even if only for a small moment in time.”

– Jerarde Gutierrez

“This was painted as the pandemic reached our shores and uncertainty about the future created lots of fear and anxiety in my community. I escaped to this isolated location along a central California river to spend the day exploring nature's beauty and to, hopefully, leave the worry behind. As soon as I looked into the water and saw all the earth tones and dancing reflections, I easily fell into the place where all painters want to be. The place where all that matters is what's in front of the easel and how that feeling is transported to the canvas. In the end, water has flowed over these rocks for millions of years and that will continue for millions more no matter our human circumstance.”

– Scott Hamill

“This scene of golden poplar trees growing along a river bed in the south island of New Zealand reminds me of nature's ability to regenerate and thrive. The autumn color reminds us that seasons change and life is cyclical. Beauty persists in isolated and pure places where man is scarce.”

– Scott Hamill

“I reimagine our future with all of us experiencing and embracing wildness as sanctuary. Wildness is a necessity, a fountain of life; a sanctuary. Painting is my way to cherish and share Nature at her wildest. John Muir said it best and I think we are rediscovering these necessities as we struggle through our current times.
‘Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.’ - John Muir
‘In God's wildness lies the hope of the world - the great fresh unblighted, unredeemed wilderness.’ - John Muir
‘Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.’ - John Muir”

– Maggie Renner Hellmann

"Mission San Juan Bautista, also called the Mission of Music, maintains beautiful gardens and sculpture. The sculpture depicted is Juniparo Serra."

– Daryl Hosick

“Mysterious Evening is a scene I witnessed driving along the Mendocino coast just before sundown. The perennial summer fog bank which lays on the horizon was rolling in toward the shore. It almost entirely blocked the setting sun, which barely peeked over the top of it. My favorite part is the subtle values and shadows in the fog just above the water. I did a quick, small oil sketch on the spot for color and used a 35mm transparency to develop the painting. It seems a fitting metaphor for our time of uncertainty about what the future holds.”

– David Jenks

“Streetlights Before Dawn is an image from the 10th story of a high rise overlooking a flat, coastal, urban landscape—almost, but not quite, like the sea. As is most often the case with me, the sky was my inspiration for this almost abstract painting. While most of the city was still sleeping, the only signs of life were the streetlights, which give the view a ghostly quality. The dark land sets off the flat, glowing, wispy sky. As we stay close to home, the world seems less populated and quieter, but there is still the promise of a new day in which we will awaken and enjoy the future.”

– David Jenks

“This pastel painting of a street in the city of Toledo, Spain, on sanded UArt paper. I painted this from a photograph that I had taken during our family trip. The photo was taken from a viewpoint that allowed us to take in the panoramic view of the beautiful city. Even from the distance what stood out amongst other things was the crooked street with its beautiful bright terracotta roofs and the awnings on the windows to shade from the bright sun. I immediately fell in love with the architecture of the beautiful buildings and the graphic quality of the layout of the street. Leaving the people out of the painting was a conscious design decision made at that time to let the focus be on the structures. Unfortunately, now it aptly reflects the reality of the current times that these streets are empty of people. The current pandemic has reduced most of the once busy towns and villages to ghost towns.”

– Deepali Kapatkar

“During this season of COVID-19 shelter-in-place, this has been a time for me to review what is important in my daily life. I have come to the conclusion that my relationships with family, friends and community from childhood are the most essential. Into the future, we begin a season of a new normal together.”

– Mary Therese Kobashigawa

"This is dedicated to all the stay at home mothers and fathers during the COVID-19 pandemic."

– Paul Kratter

"This painted was painted on distressed steel. The surface represents the STRESS rhinos are under from poaching for their horns."

– Paul Kratter

“Once again, I am humbled by the stark, ‘Hopperesque’ clarity and brilliance of the late day light along the Pacific coast. I cannot help wondering how the lighthouse keeper could have endured it on bright evenings like this.“

– Lawrence Kushner

“Since sheltering-in-place, like everyone else, we have sadly watched most of our horizons shrink—but not all. The tourists are gone! On our morning walks, we can see places hitherto inaccessible—like this view from the top of the 'Crooked Street.’ Until now Mount Diablo off in the distance has been 'shrouded in tourists.’ Indeed, we have not so much ‘reimagined' our world but, instead, we find ourselves able to see parts of it for the first time!"

– Lawrence Kushner

“There is something about summer slopes that conjures deep gulps of fresh air. Always valuable. It is more valued now as we reimagine our lives against the backdrop of a pandemic. In this piece, I savor the fresh mountain air while pondering the spaces between the mountains and each of us.”

– Leslie Landers

"This is San Francisco's famous O'Farrell Street, just off of Powell Street, during the late afternoon."

– Dean Larson

"This is San Francisco's famous Powell Street in the rain as a cable car makes its way down the hill. Union square is just off to the left. The sun was about to set as dusk fell over the city. This particular viewpoint is looking out from the St. Francis Hotel."

– Dean Larson

“On a sunny day, a foursome can easily spread out playing golf. You can congratulate or even argue wearing a mask. Distancing does not diminish your chance for a hole in one. I protect you, you protect me. Fun in safety.”

– Amy D. Leung

"We’ve had a while now to be grateful for window displays and the bevy of gorgeous art that Mother Nature curates. This beautiful jewel of a tree was born from one of many new walks in the wake of COVID-19, and is my way of bringing the outside in. Part sculpting, part color play, part chasing the dance of light, part push and pull on values, it’s a full immersion in leaves… and a reminder that transitions, however difficult, can lead to surprisingly lovely transformations."

– Diane Liguori

"A festival of color and light…an accidental discovery in the late afternoon of a bitter, stormy winter day. Urban twilight and city lights, the magical part of the day where night and day overlap, windows beckon the last of the stragglers with warmth and light, and colors transform the ordinary to the extraordinary. Imagine a world where all have a place to shelter, a place to be themselves, a place of love and security no matter what the world brings, a place to call home."

– Diane Liguori

"Having been sheltering at home for the past 80 days... I recently headed out to the Sonoma Coast to get some fresh air."

– Richard Lindenberg

"Having been sheltering at home for the past 80 days... I recently headed out for a walk to the marsh nearby."

– Richard Lindenberg

“I painted Abandoned Gas Station in Livermore, CA, as if it was made of white marble, bathed in ethereal light. The columns are not Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian; there is neither entablature nor pediment; it’s mid-20th century Googie!”

– Carolyn Lord

“The current global pandemic is an acute crisis. The devastation of our environment is a chronic crisis, and the causes and its effects can be seen behind every issue: social, health, economic, political. I reimagine our world where the use of fossil fuels is considered archaic, the environment is restored, and the infrastructure left behind become artifacts of the Anthropocene epoch. Artifacts Along the Lincoln Highway utilizes elements of ‘Capriccio’ paintings of the Romantic era which depict aesthetes and poets dwarfed by the ruins of monumental temples and baths. Instead of the classic orders of Greek and Roman architecture, I’ve painted the demolition site of a mid-20th century overpass on Highway 50, in Tracy, CA. Historically, Highway 50 is known as the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road for cars completed in 1913.”

– Carolyn Lord

"Farmworkers toil in the fields with dreams like any of the rest of us. We can share with love back to them."

– Rolf Lygren

“Fool For You was inspired by my time painting at the Carmel Art Festival in 2019, watching the waves crash in on the pink sands of Carmel Beach.”

– Marie Massey

"There is an old cement factory across the estuary from Alameda that has the most incredible shapes and colors in its rusted metal."

– Steven McDonald

"Early on in the lockdown for the pandemic, the air quality in the Bay Area became incredible and a magnificent storm head blew over East Bay. This painting was my impression of that incredible weather."

– Steven McDonald

"These blooms uplifted my spirits when viewed in the easement of the Mission Terrace area of San Francisco mid-pandemic. I felt the power of flowers!"

– Robin Mize

“In this idyllic scene of the Salinas Valley I have placed my partner, Michael, myself, and our French Bulldog, Quorra. We are floating, in limbo, sheltering in place, dancing without touching. Colors are bright and pure, our masks are whimsical and celebratory. We are in a field of poppies with little johns and various birds in the foreground. The migrant workers continue to supply our food while risking infection. Life is far from ideal but we count our blessings.”

– R. Mike Nichols

“Here we celebrate our flora, our fauna, and our interests. Our masks are a reality. Once again, we float while we await the new normal. Our floating is euphoric because we are at peace with our lives. Our French Bulldog, Quorra, is grounded and displays her position of royalty within our family. The animals go about life in their usual manner as they don’t know of the virus that is ravaging the lives of so many people. At the center is the POTUS, the man who has refused to take this pandemic seriously. He is the man who puts himself before his country. The squirrel knows he has found the nut he was looking for.”

– R. Mike Nichols

"The CA Oak trees have been here longer than people and, based on their ability to survive, will be here even with people and the environment destruction they have brought to the CA land."

– Don Nicholson

“Quiet Streets of the Pandemic is part of my cityscapes series. These works offer a fresh point of view as we look down from far away to see the rhythms and patterns of the city. I use a very limited palette (three secondary colors, plus white) to convey my own interpretation of a familiar scene. The challenge presented by Our World Reimagined led me to picture the city without traffic congestion, pollution, noise or even people on the streets. What is left is a city distilled down to a grid of abstract lines and shapes. We see a San Francisco that is beautiful in its serenity, yet missing its usual lively chaos.”

– Patricia Oji

“Imagine a world where people have time to sit still and reflect on the beauty around them. Before the vision fades to a memory, we will make wise decisions to value and protect the land and all its inhabitants.”

– Erika Perloff

“Painted just before the pandemic hit…”

– Robert Porter

"Longing for a return to the simple things that we took for granted. A beautiful sunrise on a quiet farm."

– Susan Powers

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, the earth is having a chance to renew itself. As we humans start to re-enter, I hope we appreciate the sacredness of nature and continue in the right direction."

– Susan Powers

"Lifeguard station number 5 at Santa Cruz beach. On cool windy days, beaches can be quite deserted with very few people...what I expect to be a more common scene these days."

– Gil Sambrano

"On the American River in Fair Oaks, CA, boaters are common in the early hours. The contrast and shimmering light always inspires me. But, social distancing isn't possible in a small boat...these men wear their masks so they can still be together."

– Susan Sarback

"Fishermen on the American River in Fair Oaks, CA are always active in the early morning. The light and the movement is mesmerizing. An old sport with a new addition.... a mask. At least they can still be together..."

– Susan Sarback

“Every May I visit Yosemite to enjoy waterfalls and dogwood blooms and then again in October for fall color. In autumn I occasionally drive over Tioga Pass to the June Lake Loop and see the first snow covering the Eastern Sierra. COVID-19 closed Yosemite in May. Now I look forward - with hope - to October when I can return to Yosemite. A return to my normal.”

– Bonnie Joy Sedlak

"I found this quiet valley in my rambles in northeastern California. This is private timber land, slated for clear cut logging. I wanted to paint this special spot as it should be: wild, unfenced, and untamed."

– Sarah Skinner

"This painting was therapy during quarantine. If I could not travel to my favorite spot to get away from it all, I could at least travel there in my mind."

– Sarah Skinner

"This past year took our 'normal' away. So many things we had no idea we were taking for granted! I painted this a month before restaurants went dark. Oh, to have a simple Taco Tuesday with friends and family again."

– Nancy Takaichi

"This year has been such an upheaval to all we know. But this much I know: the tide comes in, the waves rise and fall, the ocean measures time despite our woes in pandemic and political upheaval."

– Nancy Takaichi

“In January, I began organizing my work for entry in spring shows. I picked artwork for the Alameda County Fair Fine Arts Competition. Then, the Coronavirus hit. Should I enter the show? Was there going to be a Fair? I decided to go ahead and register. Eventually, the Fair was cancelled, but fortunately, the Fine Arts staff committed to having an online show and selected the top award winners. Stanford won Fine Arts Best of Show award!”

– Gerald Thompson

“Both paintings that I have in the show depict a moment in time that is waiting for someone to come back. It is the in-between time, where a moment of quiet is noticed without a thought, just a notion. I feel like the world is in a pause like that. Although there is chaos, and strange things happening, there is also a sense of holding our breaths. In the background is history, the ocean, that is also taking a breath. In the moment before it lets go, I see these images. There is comfort in knowing that life and nature will always be there, and we will catch up.”

– Cathryne Trachok

“Both paintings that I have in the show depict a moment in time that is waiting for someone to come back. It is the in-between time, where a moment of quiet is noticed without a thought, just a notion. I feel like the world is in a pause like that. Although there is chaos, and strange things happening, there is also a sense of holding our breaths. In the background is history, the ocean, that is also taking a breath. In the moment before it lets go, I see these images. There is comfort in knowing that life and nature will always be there, and we will catch up.”

– Cathryne Trachok

"Calico bass in kelp forest. The presence of healthy kelp forests tells us our local ocean is thriving. In warmer seasons and years, forests often disappear. Here's hoping the kelp returns soon and provides habitat for thousands of residents!" This is how I imagine this part of our world."

– Cleo Vilett

“After SIP, I longed to be outside — to feel the sun, to have my hair rustled by the wind, and to smell the earth. I headed west for the charming agricultural town of Winters, CA, just 40 minutes away. There, alongside an artist friend, we met up on consecutive Mondays to explore the delightful scenes. New to this area, I showed her the delights I have discovered over 15 years of plein air painting in the area. These twin barns are, to me, an icon of Winters. Continuously in use for all the years since they were constructed, they represent the steadfastness of farming, it matters not what is going on in the world neither war nor pandemic. It matters only that the pursuit of producing crops to feed ourselves continues without interruption. Painting these barns as the locals waved at us when they passed by brought me joy and a sense of connection that I desperately had missed!“

– Marti Walker

“Now, riding alone and keeping distant, with only a horse for company in the Arastradero Nature Preserve in the hills west of Palo Alto.”

– LaRhee Webster

"In being respectful to pandemic limitations, I kept my painting/hikes close to home and rediscovered the beauty of nearby landscapes."

– Marianne Woosley

"With all the turmoil of the pandemic, I'm comforted by the fact that nature's beauty continues to flow."

– Marianne Woosley