CALIFIA

OPENING JULY 31st,2020

SULLIVAN GOSS, Santa Barbara, California

Woman at the Beach,48x48”, Oil and Cold Wax. Images of beach clad women from multiple generations are painted over collaged ephemera that hold clues to coastal identity.

The Califia Series plays with California’s namesake, Califia.

Califia is a mythical warrior queen, who raises an army of women warriors. The paintings in this series feature strong female figures who unravel the numerous layers of culture that continue to accumulate in California.

What parts of our folklore are true? In our rapidly changing world, what new myths are we creating to define who we are today? The paintings are built by layering multi media and imagery that explore ideas that define who we are, were we came from, and where we are headed in the most populous U.S. state.

---

Pacific Life 22x30” Full bleed monoprint from the Archeological Dig Series

ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG SERIES
The layered monoprints from The Archeological Dig Series, will be featured in the Califia exhibition. These full bleed 22x30” BFK sheets of paper feature iconic symbols and icons that are embedded in our California life style. They are floated in low profile bamboo frames.

This method of layering has carried over to my paintings in the Califia Series.

California Impressionism

Although many artists have found inspiration in the Impressionist’s approach to painting, California has a rich history with this movement. Key features of this style include loose brushwork, rich color and a fascination with the effects of sunlight.

When asked to participate in the California Impressionists: The Masters & The Greats They Inspire exhibition in Paso Robles, CA, I was quick to respond. Sasha Irving, the Artistic Director at Studios On The Park, sent a list of masterworks by well known California Impressionists. I scanned the collection and found one of my favorite California painters, Colin Campbell Cooper. He also has a deep history in our Santa Barbara region as a local resident and Dean of Painting at the Santa Barbara Community School of Arts.

Best of all, his image included a bunch of women playing in our Pacific Ocean. That sealed the deal. Sasha let me know that painting was available as a “call and response”. Below, you can see my 2019 painting mirroring Cooper’s level of fun in “Women Playing In the Surf”.

I wanted to feature the athleticism and strength women have in our era. No petticoats or head wraps here. I had a lot of fun applying paint and cold wax with spatulas and knives, while striving to show the action of these surfers and their fluid terrain. Staying true to the impressionists, I used bold color and focused on the sunlight bouncing off these athletes.