Linda Sorensen, Art Trails 2016 Oct 5 - 31 at Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery, Wed - Sun, Noon 'till 4:00 PM
Official Open Studios: Sat & Sun, Oct & 9, and Oct 15 & 16, 10 'till 5
Stop by for Art, Demos, Refreshment and Fun, Make one of Linda's Paintings your own. | LindaSorensenPaintings.com
Linda Sorensen
Linda Sorensen, Art Trails 2016
Hi all - Welcome to my October 5 through 30 solo exhibition at the gallery, including the Art Trails 2016 weekends of October 8-9 and 15-16.
Hawk Hill to Pt. Bonita
and the Farallones
24 x 30, dated Sept. 2016
I am a studio oil painter principally of landscapes -- coastal and rural Sonoma County and The Southwest and Northwest, occasionally Hawaii. My approach blends California Impressionism and mid-Century Regionalism with a type of modernism exemplified by Iowa’s Grant Wood and Marvin Cone.
My process is not quick: pre-envisioning on site, high quality materials, a minimal pastel sketch on my canvas, and several layers of differing oil colors to enhance depth and liveliness. Plus Gamvar varnish so that my original colors are permanently presented and protected.
I also see parallels in my style with certain contemporary Western artists whose stylized and dramatic landscapes are featured in Santa Fe and Scottsdale, some pretty "wild" by comparison. I greatly admire the styles of Maynard Dixon and also the Taos group of historic painters.
When I was a young person in the late Fifties into the early Seventies, I developed as an abstract expressionist, creating images from my imagination. This was back East and later in that center of expressionism, Berkeley, California. For many years now I have specialized in expressive landscapes with a representational basis, using references from my photography but frequently altering compositions and combining points of view.
Trail to the Lighthouse
(Point Reyes National Seashore)
12 x 16
Moonrise Sunset, Monument Valley
now on exhibit at Corrick's in Santa Rosa
14.5 x 19
I emphasize the iconic. I hope for "story." I am most pleased when I succeed in evoking the exhilarating vistas and moods of the natural world, and human story in that world. In this 100-Year Celebration of our National Parks, those special places are my frequent focus of travel and painting. And as an animal lover it is not unusual for me to paint some critter, such as the ravens at the Grand Canyon.
Blue
(Crater Lake National Park, Oregon) 30 x 24
High Surf (Scotty Creek Beach) 30 x 30
Mt. Jefferson
from Mt. Hood's Timberline Lodge 12 x 12
It has been said, “All art is abstract.” In my view there is an unchanged focus linking my landscapes back to my earlier abstracts and directing my choice of scenes.
I was born in 1945 in Eureka, California, and lived in Chicago and Oak Lawn, Illinois, then Summit, New Jersey, and finally Elmhurst, Illinois, before the University of Wisconsin at Madison. After college I moved to Berkeley in 1967, and then Bodega Bay in 2003.
Shadows on the Temple of Zoroaster (The Grand Canyon, Arizona)
24 x 36
Nature's Abstract (The Grand Canyon, Arizona)
30 x 30
I have been a San Francisco attorney, Boalt ’76, now consulting part-time from my home office. I agree with the observation about me that I am an artist who happens to be an attorney, rather than vice versa.
Overhill
20 x 24
Left-Leaning Oak
16 x 20
Not that long from now the owner of the building where our gallery has been will establish his own gallery instead. So change is coming. Having a gallery studio that has allowed me to interact with the public on a regular basis, including with other artists, has been a great opportunity. I am happy to share information such as the latest in varnishes or what paints I use, or to discuss historic art. I have been privileged to share display
space with deservedly famous artists of the past, and with excellent local artists such as Jean Warren and Diane Perry. I’m not sure what the next phase will be, but I’m looking forward to the adventure.
Art Trails is the annual county-wide "juried" open studios program sponsored by the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Many of you have met me because my artist studio has been the farthest back room of the gallery for the last few years since Gary Smith's framing moved out. I look forward to seeing you and also new friends.
Art Trails rules require that no other inventory be shown except the participating artist, so my apologies in advance for any inconvenience, but if you would like to view particular other artworks on a visit here during October 5 through 30, it is best to make advance arrangements with Dan. My "Moonrise Sunset, Monument Valley" is at Corrick's in Santa Rosa for that Art Trails exhibit, and my "Defiant (Crater Lake)" is on view at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Most of my paintings that will be available at the solo exhibit are displayed on my website (link below), and we try to keep it current by promptly deleting what has been sold.
West County
East County
Sebastopol to the Coast
With nearly 200 Open Studios, it is nearly impossible to see them all.
Of course, we suggest allocating time to West County, especially Studio 63 in Bodega Bay