Marinscope
Brushstrokes add the fading light to lakes and the surrounding hillsides. The sunset begins to cast shadows across the canvas.
Mill Valley artist Michael Friedland said, “I would say that my paintings are pretty much just that — a reflection of the natural world. Certainly they are when I paint a landscape without any man-made structures.. I’m always excited to discover new patterns and configurations in the landscape that trigger that ‘I’ve got to paint that’ feeling, which of course always involves the way that light is involved with the subject. And then from there, you begin the work of taking what initially ’stopped’ you and getting to the work of thinking and planning what would make it an effective or compelling painting composition.”
He continued, “I was talking with my students about this the other day, how sometimes you come across what I call ‘ready-mades’, subjects that compel you to want to paint them where most everything that’s there is just right…and at other times, there’s an aspect or part of a subject that just hints at a painting possibility and you know right away that there is more to be done with it to make it into a good composition…what to move, what to leave out, what to change to begin the process of making it work. I think that maybe when you find the ‘ready-mades’, it’s from so many years of looking for compositions that you happen to see and recognize them more easily.”
The Baywood Artists are bringing their landscape paintings to the Marin Art & Garden Center on October 2-4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, for the group’s 23rd annual art show and sale. The show, “Open Space Visions: Baywood Artists Paint Marin”, will benefit the Marin Open Space Trust.
The nine members of the Baywood Artists created 72 original paintings of Marin’s open spaces. Paintings represent the work of Baywood Artists members Christin Coy, Laura Culver, Jon Francis, Robert Frank, Sherrill Miller, Lissa Nicolaus, Jean Sanchirico, Robert Steele, joined by guest artist Friedland.
“I do have a connection to Marin’s open spaces…certainly, as they’re just a part of all of nature that I feel a connection to,” Friedland said. “I paint the landscape pretty much primarily and so I’m constantly looking at, examining, enjoying and am fascinated by all things in the landscape and natural world. And so with that, the areas of land that are preserved as open space are something that I especially appreciate.”
Each year the Baywood Artists partner with an environmental organization to help preserve land and bring awareness and support for their partners. The goal of MOST is to conserve land in Marin County. Half of the proceeds from sales during the upcoming exhibit will go to MOST.
Friedland said, “This experience of painting with the BayWood Artists has been enjoyable in every way, including getting to know more about MOST and their mission and being able to contribute to it in my small way. I’m very grateful for MOST’s work to preserve open spaces here in Marin and not just as a landscape painter, but for the betterment of this wonderful area that we live in.”
To make the show accessible and safe, the entire selection of paintings will be available both online and on site at the Marin Art & Garden Center. To view and buy paintings online, visit www.baywoodartists.org.
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