California Watercolor Art from the Early 20th Century Through Today

by Michael Johnson Fine Arts

Many of our best watercolors in an exhibition style catalog 40 Pages, featuring 48 famous California artists 94 Color illustrations, including 16 full page (10" wide) jumbo images, softcover - $18.00 Buy this book: Price: $18.00   Click Here to See More Art Books »

About This Book

This catalog features 94 beautiful images by 48 famous California artists. The paintings chosen for this catalog cover a wide range of subject matter including California coastal scenes, cityscapes from across the country, rural farm scenes, carnivals, and much more.

The artistic focus of the early twentieth century ran counter to America’s rapid technological advance. Artists were drawn to subject matter that inspired them to paint. With a population boom in the United States, artists began to document urban growth that had never been seen before. The move to take advantage of economic opportunities found in urban centers was transforming America from its small-town roots to a new, exciting and socially diverse metropolitan way of life.

Much of American scene painting conveys a sense of nationalism and romanticism in its depiction of everyday life. These artists documented and illustrated American cities, small towns, and rural landscapes with a richness never seen before. Some did so as a means of returning to a simpler time, far from the industrial ways of the twentieth century, whereas other artists sought to make a political statement with their art.

Many of the scene painters held formal positions in the art community working for companies such as Disney, Paramount, and MGM. A few also held teaching positions at well-known art schools such as the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, a school funded partially by Walt Disney to provide a steady flow of talented artists for his popular animated films and movies. Although these artists worked tirelessly throughout the day at their professions, they always found a way to paint in their spare time.

These young artists became internationally celebrated. Over a dozen of them were selected by their peers to become Academicians of the National Academy of Design, the highest art honor in our country. Numerous others were members of the American Watercolor Society and the California Watercolor Society and have displayed their art in countless museum exhibitions.

California Watercolor - California Art Book