"PAINT MARIN" art show - a benefit for Marin Open Space Trust & Marin County Open Space District

On October 22nd the BayWood Artists held their opening reception for "Paint Marin" at the Bay Model in Sausalito. The gallery was packed with guests admiring over 130 newly created paintings of Marin County's open space painted by the eleven members of the BayWood Artists. This year the proceeds of the art sales, 50%, will go to benefit MOST and MCOSD to help reclaim and enhance endangered species habitat at the Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve in Tiburon.

"Paint Marin" will be open free to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays until November 20th, with the exception of Sat. Nov. 13th. Please make sure you stop by to visit this beautiful collection of outstanding original landscape paintings. We hope you will find a painting that you will enjoy having in your home or office. You will always feel good knowing that your purchase helped to protect the magnificent open space surrounding us here in Marin County.

Artwork may be purchased by credit card or check simply by picking up a "How to purchase art" form at the gallery and calling the phone number noted. You will be able to pick up your artwork on November 20th at the Bay Model in time for the Holidays.

http://www.baywoodartists.com

MALT - Ranches & Rolling Hills Show Update

For the past two days a group of us have been transforming the Nicasio Druids Hall from a dark plain looking and dimly lit space into a fantastic art gallery... "Ranches & Rolling Hills". The newly erected, well lit panels are filled with wonderful images of West Marin ranch land in a variety of styles, media, and sizes. It's a very magical transformation that takes a lot of hard work and dedication on behalf of a group of artists and MALT staff and volunteers. MALT SHOW INFO

To me, this week of show preparation is something I look forward to every year. I get to work closely with my fellow artists, some of whom I only see once a year since they are part of the Oak Group in the Santa Barbara area. We all work as a team, building walls, cleaning and touching up, hanging lights, organizing and hanging the paintings, labeling, etc., etc. It all makes us feel very lucky to be part of such a great community of artists and to be part of the "Ranches & Rolling Hills" Art Exhibit which raises funds to help permanently preserve Marin County's farmland.

Today I received an email from the Poncia's who own the ranch in Tomales where I have painted many of their sheep over the past years. They told me that "Angel", which I painted for this years show, just had her own lamb two days ago. His name is Angelo, and you can see their picture below.

MALT - Ranches & Rolling Hills Show Coming in May

Spring is here with what seems like endless rain storms with some sun in between. It all made it a bit more challenging this year to visit the ranches to do our painting for the upcoming Ranches and Rolling Hills art show on May 15th and 16th. But, landscape painters manage somehow to brave the wind and rain in order to accomplish their goal, to paint inspiring views on the MALT ranches that are located in beautiful West Marin.

My first painting this year is one of Angel, a white lamb that Al Poncia's mom raised as her pet sheep. Angel was trained much like a dog, walking in and out of the house with a little bell around her neck. I guess you could say that I have a real soft spot for painting sheep...

I visited the Gale ranch in Chileno Valley last Fall in order to do some paintings when the grasses were golden rather than spring green. As a painter I find that I prefer the warm colors of the golden grasses as you can see in this painting with the Gale's flock of grazing sheep.

On Monday May 10th all the artists will be bringing this years crop of paintings to the MALT office in Pt. Reyes Station and in the following week the show will go up once again in the humble Druids Hall in Nicasio. By Satuday morning the place will have been transformed into an incredible art gallery filled with amazing paintings of West Marin's MALT ranches.

You won't want to miss this art show...you'll surely walk away with a new appreciation for the inspiring beauty of West Marin's farmland, and maybe you'll take a part of it with you home in the form of an amazing painting created by one of the talented artists in this years Ranches and Rolling Hills Art Show.

For more information... Click Here: MALT - Ranches & Rolling Hills Show

Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott by Christin Coy on 4/11/2010 8:42:52 PM Comment on this

Last Fall I was contacted by a publisher in New York asking if they could use my image "Lucas Valley Glow" on the cover of a new book due to be released in the spring of 2010. I was then told that the book, Imperfect Birds, was written by the well established Marin County author Anne Lamott. I was truly delighted since she lives only 15 minutes from my studio where I created the painting. This is the first time that one of my paintings has been used as cover art for a book, and how appropriate thatImperfect Birds takes place in the same county where I live and work. One day recently I was out hiking on a local trail and I recognized Anne up ahead hiking with a friend. I walked up and introduced myself (we had not yet met). I told her how happy I was that she and the publisher had selected my painting and how much I was looking forward to reading her new novel. Anne said that she would send me a copy. The following week I received two copies in the mail, one with a great inscription that said this was her favorite cover of all the books she has published. It was very exciting to finally be holding a copy of the book and seeing my painting on the cover. Anne Lamott will be at two local author events this month: Mill Valley Depot Book Store on April 12th at 7pm and at Book Passage in Corte Madera on April 18th at 7pm .