Dear Friends and Collectors,
I am back from northern California where I was privileged to have a short, but intense, garden residency. It felt so great to be back out painting in a public garden! I have had my eye on the Ruth Bancroft Garden for many years and it was wonderful to be there for two weeks in October 2023 as a resident artist.
The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery in Walnut Creek is small but mighty. Ruth created her own garden beginning in 1971 and her original curator still works there. This land originated from a larger fruit tree farm that was owned by Ruth’s grandfather-in-law. When the last walnut orchard was cut down, Philip Bancroft Jr. gave the bare land in the newly formed Walnut Creek to Ruth to plant a new garden from her extensive succulent collection. Ruth studied architecture and arranged her garden with structures and low, medium, and high level plantings.
I completed six paintings in a short two weeks, working every day in front of the subject and in the amazing green shade workspace. Part of my residency included conducting a sold out pastel workshop, which received excellent feedback from participants.
The highlight of the residency was the exhibition reception that showcased my paintings alongside the wonderful work of the 20 workshop participants. It’s my practice for a significant residency to donate a painting; garden director, Alice Kitajima, received the painting for future fundraising activities, as The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery is a nonprofit foundation. I’m very happy to support this wonderful garden gem in the east Bay Area.
During my residency, I visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see their very important collection as well as the Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Love installation, an immersive experience in vivid color. It was fabulous.
Back at home in Laguna and Orange County, the art world is busy and there is much to see and do in SoCal!
I was a featured artist in the Art Access Program of the Laguna Art Museum that included a studio visit from LAM members.
I am in the current Laguna Art Museum annual Art + Nature group show and continue to have featured work in the group show at the SusiQ.
Please Save the Date for the Laguna Artists Studios annual open studios event, December 2-3 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. It’s a great chance to interact with artists in their studios.
Also come by the very cool OCCCA space in Santa Ana to see our member pop-up holiday show/exhibition. December 1, 12:00 to 5:00 pm preview and silent auction. December 2, Opening at Art Walk from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. The gallery is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00-5:00 pm, and the show closes December 15.
Yours in art,
Gianne