Rowena R. Smith

Early 20th Century California Sand Dunes Landscape

1930

Beautiful early 20th century plein air-style landscape by Margaret Wherry Ziegler (American, 1909-1989), c.1930. Trees, rocks, and meadow grass and flowers bask under a blue sky in this sunny summer landscape scene. Signed and dated 1930 on verso stretcher bar. Presented in a vintage wood frame. Image size: 14.25"H x 12.25"W Ziegler was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1909 At a young age she traveled with her parents to the Philippines, Japan, India, Italy, Greece, and Europe. She studied art at the Cincinnati Art Academy, Minneapolis Art Institute, the University of the Philippines, and the California College of Arts and Crafts. While in Japan she studied Japanese brush painting...

Plein-air landscape painting of trees along the Monterey Bay, California by Carmel artist Alicia Meheen (American, 20th century). Signed "A. Meheen" lower right. Displayed in a wood frame. Image size, 24"L x 20"H. Alicia Meheen was born in Evanston, Illinois. Her family later moved to Carmel, California on Monterey Peninsula. She attended and graduated from Carmel High School. She studied art at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Meheen paints primarily in plein air, in both watercolor and oils. She began her watercolor study with Dorner Schueler in 1963. She has painted in plein air with such well known artists as Frank Myers, Richard Yip...

Consigned to the gallery, Pasadena, California; By descent to a private collector, Encino, California; Acquired in 1998 by a private collector, San Carlos, Palo Alto, and Oceanside, California; From the Santa Barbara Historical Society Signed "Carl Sammons" on lower right Description This luminous coastal landscape by Carl Sammons is a striking example of the artist’s signature plein air style, depicting the rolling coastal dunes and lush vegetation of California’s shoreline. Best known for his depictions of Carmel and Monterey, the composition and palette of this work suggest inspiration from the Monterey Peninsula dunes. Sammons’ ability to merge vibrant, clean color with a sense of atmospheric perspective is evident here in the interplay of bright, sunlit sands and the rich greens of windswept foliage. His vibrant yet naturalistic color harmonies, crisp edges, and keen sensitivity to light bring the fleeting beauty of the coastal environment to life. The hazy eucalyptus grove in the background adds a distinctive regional touch, situating the composition firmly within California’s coastal identity. Sammons’ paintings of California’s unique landscapes played a significant role in documenting the natural beauty of the state during the early 20th century. Connection to the Monterey Art Colony By the 1920s and 1930s, Sammons became closely associated with the Monterey art colony, an influential hub for plein air painters such as Armin Hansen (1886–1957), William Ritschel (1864–1949), and Percy Gray...

This iconic Impressionist beach scene was celebrated by this artist who had many successful exhibitions during his life of his beach scenes. Done on masonite which is a panel and his preferred material, it is framed in a gold leaf hand carved frame...