Portfolio | Close to Nature

Meet 10 artists who paint the landscape, from the California coast to the Midwestern plains

Virginia Kamhi

Where do you live and work? I live in Thousand Oaks, CA, with my husband and long-haired Chihuahua. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is in our backyard, and it’s just a 20-minute drive to the beach, so I always have something to paint. My home studio is an attached garage that was remodeled.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? Water. I am happiest when painting the ocean, but almost any puddle will do. Water is a chameleon reflecting the color of the sky, time of day, and nearby scenery.
Where did you study art? I am currently completing my master’s at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but I have long been a student, taking classes at local colleges, visiting museums, and reading. I have taken workshops from numerous pastel artists, among them Richard McKinley, Albert Handell, Lorenzo Chavez, Desmond O’Hagan, Liz Haywood-Sullivan, and Jeanne Rosier Smith, and I have been mentored by Bert Collins and Jannene Behl in Ojai, CA.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? Being awarded signature status from the Pastel Society of the West Coast this past year was a milestone for me. Also, getting my first painting into an International Association of Pastel Societies exhibition was a big thrill.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I love to explore new places throughout the world. We have gone to Peru, Spain, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and many points closer to home. I like learning about different cultures and customs, and I love to try out recipes from various countries.
Where can collectors find your work? Gallery 113, Santa Barbara, CA; www.virginiakamhifineart.com.

Beth Cole

Where do you live and work? My husband and I live in central Nebraska near the Sandhills in the small farming community of Merna. My studio is in our home.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I believe the earth, water, and sky of the natural world is the work of a Master Artist who has the perfect paint palette. Figuring out how to make a painting from the chaos that is nature is at once challenging and energizing.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? I enjoy painting very close to home. I paint familiar scenes all around—fields, farms, barns, creeks, trees, cattle, grain bins. I am so taken by how the light falls on the land in the early morning hours.
What is your creative process like? Going outside to paint from life is my first step. I usually start with a small value sketch. I use a limited palette of white, yellow, red, and blue and mix all my colors from these four. In the studio, I again start with my pencil or value markers and carve out the design using simple shapes.
Where did you study art? I have learned a great deal by studying master painters I admire such as Isaac Levitan, Alexei Savrasov, and Edward Seago. I owe a debt of gratitude to the many wonderful artists with whom I have studied, including Dave Santillanes, Jay Moore, Kim Casebeer, and Scott Christensen.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? A few years ago an interior designer commissioned two large paintings from me. Another highlight was receiving a purchase award from the Museum of Nebraska Art; it gives me great joy to have a piece in the permanent collection.
Where can collectors find your work? Statton Gallery, Eureka Springs, AR; The Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE; Fine Arts on 5th, Malvern, IA; Juniper Metal Works, Glenwood, IA; www.bethcoleart.com.

Barbie Smith

Where do you live and work? I live and work in Northern California in the town of Orangevale, a rural community of rolling hills, orchards, the American River, and views of the Sierra Nevada range.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? My inspiration to paint the landscape comes from the awe I feel when surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. I spent most of my childhood close to nature. Painting has allowed me to reconnect with my love of the outdoors.
What is your creative process like? I first design a thumbnail sketch using large shapes and three or four values. Once I am satisfied with that, I tone my surface with a transparent wash of color and loosely sketch my design. Keeping the paint thin as I establish color relationships allows me to test the waters before I dive in too deeply with thick paint in the wrong color, temperature, or value. Once my surface is covered, I start to apply thicker paint while trying to keep my brushwork decisive and expressive.
Where did you study art? I studied art at a local community college and earned an associate degree, but then I got sidetracked and graduated instead with a degree in nursing. It wasn’t until 15 years ago that I began a full-time pursuit of painting in oils. My studies began with artist Randy Blasquez. I later enrolled in a weekly landscape class with Terry Miura.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? My first plein-air event in Los Gatos, CA, was definitely a highlight for me—I was back in the place where I lived as a child. I revisited many familiar locations, this time as an artist. Another more recent highlight was being invited to participate in a three-person show.
Where can collectors find your work? Auburn Old Town Gallery, Auburn, CA; Berryessa Gap Gallery, Winters, CA; Gold Country Artists Gallery, Placerville, CA; www.barbiesmithstudio.com.

Michael Mote

Where do you live and work? I live in California on Monterey Bay, one of the most spectacular places on the planet. For a landscape painter, this area provides endless inspiration. My studio is 20 minutes away in Aptos, next to an undeveloped state park, with trails through meadows and trees to the ocean.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? I am drawn to open spaces, from the vast expanse of the ocean to mountain meadows. I am also drawn to the elusive shapes and light of the background distance. This abstracted, mysterious part of the scene is very important to my art.
What is your creative process like? I quickly mass in the darks, searching for interesting shapes that interact well with each other. Every few minutes I back up and evaluate the painting from a distance. Up close there are simply abstracted paint shapes; it is only when I move back that the marks create realistic forms. lt is this constant use of intuition versus intellect, keeping each separate, that is vital to my painting.
Where did you study art? I started in my 20s with watercolor classes. Later I was teaching English in a local high school, and while working on my master’s degree, I decided to start taking art classes at a local college. I took one per semester for many years. I eventually took early retirement from teaching to become a full-time artist in 2003. I still take workshops occasionally from artists I admire.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I enjoy daily walks on the beach and weekly long hikes. I love to read. My wife and I have a passion for international travel. l’m trying to learn to play guitar, and l’m studying Spanish. As long as l’m learning, l’m happy.
Where can collectors find your work? Many Hands Gallery, Capitola, CA; Bronze Silver Gold Gallery, Cambria, CA; www.michaelmote.com.

Chris Lange

Where do you live and work? I live in the Texas Hill Country town of Fair Oaks Ranch. My studio is attached to my home, but my work is done in the surrounding area and in state parks and natural areas.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? From the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, there are vistas that move me and bring me solitude. My desire is to share these feelings with the viewers of my work.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? Water is the lifeblood of the earth, and the streams, lakes, and gorges tell the story of our earth’s history. The mountains and clouds that provide this water provide the dynamics and the inspiration to tell this story.
Where did you study art? I studied art in college, receiving a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from San Diego State University. However, to support my growing family, I pursued a corporate banking career for 43 years. When I retired in 2014, I began to take art classes, and I transitioned from watercolor, ink, and acrylics to oils. Lately I have taken several workshops from noted artists to continue my development.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? I have been accepted into American Plains Artists and Oil Painters of America. And I have met master artists such as Morgan Weistling, Alfredo Rodriguez, Bill Nebeker, Robert Pummill, Roy Andersen, and many others who have encouraged me to continue painting.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I enjoy riding my horse, who has also been a model for some of my equine paintings. My husband and I regularly travel through Texas and visit Jackson, WY.
Where can collectors find your work? Helotes Gallery, Helotes, TX; www.chrislangeart.com.

Debee L. Holland-Olson

Where do you live and work? I live in Northern California, halfway between Redding and the Pacific Coast, in the historic Gold Rush town of Weaverville.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? What inspires me most are the lighting conditions and atmosphere created by weather. I love late afternoon or sunrise especially.
What aspect of the landscape are you most drawn to? I am most drawn to the physical topography of the area I’m painting. It is important for me to be accurate and bring the identifying features into the composition. Most recently I have been drawn to the reflective qualities of light on water.
What is your creative process like? On my first visit to a site, I do field studies in gouache, charcoal, or pastel. On a return visit, I paint larger in oil or pastel. I first lay in the ground color I see and then draw in the scene. Then I lay in the values. I return to the studio to either finish the field painting or develop a larger painting.
Where did you study art? I completed an associate degree at Shasta College in Redding. I then transferred to California State University at Chico, receiving my bachelor’s degree in 1976. Soon after that I enrolled at Humboldt State University to do postgraduate work.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? Years ago I exhibited my work at the Shasta-Trinity National Forest offices in Redding. I could see, for the first time, the emotional impact my work had on others. I decided to schedule annual exhibitions with conservation agencies and land trusts to make people aware of the value of open space. This year I have organized the second Wild and Scenic Rivers Exhibit, opening in July at Main Street Gallery in Weaverville.
Where can collectors find your work? Highland Art Center, Weaverville, CA; Main Street Gallery, Weaverville, CA; www.debeeholland-olsonfineart.com.

Steven Harris

Where do you live and work? I split my time between a house in Manvel, TX, near the Gulf Coast and a little place outside of Bandera in the Texas Hill Country. I have studios in both places.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I’ve always been attracted to what people often call “scenery.” As a kid on family trips, I used to get fussed at for taking photos of clouds, sunrises, storms, fields, and such with no family in them.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? Lighting, value relationships, and movement are the qualities that catch my eye in landscape scenes.
What is your creative process like? I draw thumbnails in a little 5-by-7-inch hardbound sketchbook before I paint. I separate my thumbnails into two types. One notes value and object relationships, and the other is a “design” sketch with lots of directional lines showing perspective and flow. I clip my sketchbook to my easel to help get me out of the weeds and remind me of my design choices as I paint.
Where did you study art? I started on my own, but in the last few years, I’ve taken workshops from Rusty Jones, Phil Bob Borman, Steve Parker, Bruce Peil, Colley Whisson, Tim Horn, Matt Smith, Kim English, and Dan Graziano, as well as a workshop with Matt Smith, Mitch Baird, Dan Young, and Skip Whitcomb in the Arizona desert.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? I did my first in-person plein-air event last fall in Kerrville, TX, with the Outdoor Painters Society. I also did one in Galveston, TX, called Brushes on the Beach. I won awards at both of the competitions. And I’m doing my first gallery show in June this year at Helotes Gallery.
Where can collectors find your work? Helotes Gallery, Helotes, TX; www.stevenharrisart.com.

Debbie Mueller

Where do you live and work? I live in Durham, NH, and work three days a week as a physician in Wolfeboro, NH. My studio is in my home, and I have the seacoast of New Hampshire and southern Maine as my plein-air playground.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? I am particularly drawn to painting architecture. I have become known for my paintings of the Lighthouse Keeper’s House on Monhegan Island.
What is your creative process like? I first spend time planning my composition using photos that I crop and look at as small thumbnails. Then I do an underpainting using burnt sienna, darkening the darks with ultramarine blue and keeping the tone of the panel for the lightest areas. Once I have this road map, I mix the light and shadow colors on my palette and do a block-in. I then travel around my panel, adding detail and refining the tones.
Where did you study art? I refer to myself as “The Late Bloomer Artist,” having discovered painting just six years ago at the age of 56. The teachers who have had the biggest impact on my work are Todd Bonita, Timothy Horn, and Anne Blair Brown.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? Just two years after I started painting, I won the top prize in the student landscape division of the Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition. The following year, I won first place for oils at the Cape Cod Art Center national show. In 2020 I had paintings juried into the NOAPS Best of America Small Works Exhibition and the OPA National Exhibition; I won Best of Show in the Parrsboro International Plein Air Competition; and I was juried into the prestigious Rockport Art Association.
Where can collectors find your work? Cortile Gallery, Provincetown, MA; Kennedy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH; Steve Lyons Gallery, Chatham, MA; www.debbiemuellerart.com.

Shirley Stocks

Where do you live and work? I live and work in historic Hahns Peak Village across from Steamboat Lake in northwestern Colorado.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I was born and raised in southern Wyoming. I was always drawn to the wide-open spaces and spent my childhood hunting, fishing, and exploring.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? I am most drawn to the changing light. I love the way it affects the color and values, and how a subject can look entirely different according to the time of day.
Where did you study art? After I got married and moved to Southern California, I took every art class that interested me. Eventually I moved to Steamboat Springs and took a job at the Arts Council. During this time I met my husband, Richard Galusha, an artist and teacher. Together we took many workshops. Later I took a job with Riverhouse Editions, an etching studio that brought in New York artists for summer projects.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? The number-one highlight was definitely the opportunity to paint around the world. We were fortunate to have a patron, Don Wachter, who liked plein-air paintings of his travels, and we traveled the world with him for 12 years. Another highlight was starting Wild Horse Gallery in Steamboat in 1998, as was being one of the founders of the Steamboat Art Museum in 2005.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? My husband and I collect antique wooden boats and enjoy riding around Steamboat Lake and traveling to boat shows. We also have a 35-acre property that we are working on. We have created trails and cleared underbrush and are now building a barn.
Where can collectors find your work? Wild Horse Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO; www.shirleystocks.com.

Jordanne Perkins

Where do you live and work? I live in Maui, HI, and work at my studio and gallery, Jordanne Gallery, in historic Makawao town.
What aspects of the landscape are you most drawn to? I am drawn to stories in the landscape, such as when the light finds a way through the trees, or when low clouds create a shadow on Haleakala or the mountains.
What is your creative process like? My creative process is either spent plein-air painting or going on adventures with my two small children. These adventures create stories in my mind that need to be expressed using paint. I usually use a marker to create a 5-by-5-inch sketch. I might push the boundaries of the image, making the wave larger or the hills more winding. Finally, I complete the painting in one sitting with a wet-on-wet technique.
Where did you study art? I studied graphic design at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, and during my senior year, I studied art abroad in Florence. After graduation I moved to Florida and got a graphic-design job with a large restaurant chain. When that ended suddenly, I was able to visit Hawaii with my family. On the island of Lanai, I got the strong feeling that the universe was asking me to stay, so I listened to my gut and decided to live off my small savings. I started to paint the old plantation homes and to sell my work. Eventually I was able to show my work at a luxury resort where I was working. During this time I took a workshop on Maui with the late Ken Auster, and my work improved substantially.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? The biggest highlight has been selling my work directly to clients and having them come back to purchase more.
Where can collectors find your work? Jordanne Gallery, Makawao, HI, www.jordannefineart.com.

This story appeared in the April/May 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.