California Light: A Century of Landscapes

A first-of-its-kind celebration of the California Art Club, a society whose members have for one hundred years captured California’s staggeringly beautiful landscapes in resplendent plein air paintings. At the dawn of the twentieth century, California became home to artists from all over America and Europe who aspired to depict the state’s awe-inspiring natural landscapes on canvas. In 1909, these artists founded the California Art Club, which stands today as one of the most esteemed painting societies in the United States. The club has achieved distinction for its commitment to plein air painting, an Impressionistic style in which painters work outdoors in order to capture the ephemeral moment when the natural lighting of a landscape elevates an already beautiful scene into something sublime. Celebrating a century of unique artwork, this volume presents impeccable images of the art club’s masterworks, including unforgettable paintings of California’s stunning and varied beauty—desert vistas, plunging coastlines, verdant vineyards, charming towns, and snow-topped mountains.Jean Stern is the executive director of The Irvine Museum. An authority on California Impressionism, he coauthored California: This Golden Land of Promise and has contributed to several books about California artists. He also appears in the PBS documentary series Impressions of California: Early Currents in Art, 1850–1930. Molly Siple is an artist member of the California Art Club. She contributed to the book Enchanted Isle: A History of Plein Air Painting in Santa Catalina Island and has written for magazines such as American Artist and Workshop.