The San Francisco chapter of the California Art Club has announced its “City by the Bay” exhibition at Studio gallery, featuring the works of 50 artists. The jurors for the show were Jim McVicker and Studio gallery owner, Jennifer Farris.
From Ellen Howard, on Painting in San Francisco:
The city is a very diverse and fun place to paint! There is so much varied subject matter to be inspired by, from the coastal areas along Crissy Field, Baker Beach, and Lands End, with their spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, to the wonderful, colorful, and vibrant areas of Chinatown, North Beach, and Ghirardelli Square. In addition, Golden Gate park boasts incredible art and science museums and a beautiful botanical garden.
The climate and weather in San Francisco can be dramatic — from foggy clouds to beautiful blue skies. One of the keys to painting these areas is to first decide what inspires you about the scene, then take a photo of the scene. Do a quick thumbnail sketch to block in the light and dark patterns in your composition, and focus on your light source. As the scene changes and the fog either lifts or settles into your scene, stay true to your original concept. Keep the light consistent, and focus on the original concept of what you wanted to paint.
Over 50 members of the San Francisco chapter of the California Art Club painted at Crissy Field in October. In the morning you could see only the bottom portion of Golden Gate Bridge because it was covered by fog. By midday the fog had lifted and you could see the whole bridge and spectacular blue skies. One of the keys to painting fog is to keep your values close. The value of the fog needs to be close to the value of the object that the fog is covering, to convey a sense of connectedness to the object.
The “City by the Bay” exhibition showcases over 50 paintings created in San Francisco by the San Francisco chapter of the California Art Club. The exhibition is quite diverse, reflecting our glorious city. Paintings range from city street scenes to nocturnes to the iconic street cars and Golden Gate Bridge, from colorful Chinatown to the more natural settings of Golden Gate Park. The range of mediums is also diverse: rich oils, brilliant pastels, atmospheric watercolors. Even the weather is portrayed with wonderful sunset scenes to our unique foggy days.
“City by the Bay” is on view February 21 through March 18. For more information about the “City by the Bay” exhibition by the San Francisco chapter of the California Art Club, click here.
For information about painting in San Francisco during the Plein Air Convention & Expo this April, click here.
