By MELISSA LEHMAN
The Cambria Center for the Arts is currently presenting an exciting exhibit, Getting High on Nature, at the gallery on Main Street. The show opened on Tuesday, September 3, and will run for seven weeks, through Sunday, October 27, and features the celebrated artist, Karl Dempwolf.
Karl specializes in plein air painting. He has received numerous awards for his art, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Plein Air Convention and Expo in April of 2017. His work has been shown in several Southern California exhibitions, among them The Museum of Science and Industry, Pepperdine University, and the Carnegie Art Museum. He has also been featured in various publications and is included in the permanent collections of several large corporations, including McGraw-Hill Publishers and the National Park Foundation. One of his paintings recently found its way back to his home country, when President Obama presented Karl’s work, “Cypress Veil,” to Chancellor Angela Merkel as a diplomatic gift when she visited the White House Rose Garden.
Here is what B. Eric Rhoads, the publisher of PleinAir Magazine, has said about Karl: “Rarely does a scholar, an art historian or an art publisher, encounter a living artist whose work is so strong and so impressive, with such unique personality, that one can predict that the artist will go down in painting history as one of the greats, not just of his generation, but of all time.”
Karl Dempwolf spent his childhood surrounded by beauty, in the picturesque countryside of Bavaria, and immigrated with his family to America as a young teenager. His scenic childhood environment inspired his future artistic style. Karl’s paintings are reminiscent of the great California masters of the past. He has a unique ability to capture the essence of a particular scene – the light, colors, mood, and even the scent of the ocean spray – evoking with each image he presents a multi-sensory experience for the viewer. It is a remarkable privilege to host such a notable California artist in the Cambria Center for the Arts Gallery.
In addition to his gallery show, Karl will offer a plein air painting workshop to interested painters from September 20 – September 22; advance registration is required at: cambriaarts.org. For further information regarding Karl Dempwolf, including images, videos and discussion of his work, please visit his website at: netmonet.com. The Gallery is located at 1350 Main Street; new Gallery hours are from Tuesday through Sunday from noon until 4 p.m.
