Making art accessible at Carmel Art Festival
The inspiration was here, in clear light and a restless sea, in a craggy coastline and a solo Cypress, well before the artists arrived who would portray it. That an earthquake sent many of them tumbling down the coast to take refuge in the inspired setting is only part of the story. That artist Ada Belle Champlain, in 1922, traveled 373 miles from Laguna Beach, where she'd established an art association three years before, to formalize the engagement already developing among Carmel artists into what, by 1927, became The Carmel Art Association, laid quite a foundation for what has become a world class art destination.
That real estate broker and art aficionada Hella Rothwell has devoted 26 years to the annual Carmel Art Festival, 10 of them at the helm, speaks to her appreciation of this artists' enclave and a determination that the collectors, the curious and the creatives have the opportunity to celebrate and acquire fine art.
Gerard Rose, an early president of the Carmel Art Festival, told Rothwell, who did all the photography for Carmel for years during the late 1990s, that he considered her the second-best photographer he'd ever met. He never said who was best.
The 33rd Carmel Art Festival, dedicated to building and showcasing what Rothwell calls "Carmel's Artistic Legacy," will welcome artists and guests to immerse themselves in art from May 15-17, and perhaps take some home with them.
"I love how all these fine-art painters, both visiting and from this legendary artists' enclave," said Rothwell, "feel so inspired to let their artistic soul come through during the Festival. I really feel the energy elevate in the community, as people pause to see what the artists are painting and watch the image come up on the canvas, while connecting through conversation."
Fine-art painter Paul Kratter will be among them. The artist recently returned from a painting expedition in New Zealand, accompanied by a painter friend plus a backpack filled with art supplies, and a suitcase packed with panels. After a little more than two weeks down under, he was ready to come home, having seen some inspiring scenery, from which he filled every canvas he’d carried. The renowned painter, celebrated, particularly, for his vivid depictions of California landscape, pairs his background in illustration with his affinity for capturing the beauty of the natural setting through plein-air painting, to yield award-winning landscapes.
“Although I live in Moraga, a magical place where my wife, artist Tia Wallace Kratter, was raised,” he said, “We find Point Lobos one of the most unusual and beautiful places to visit and to paint. While I’m painting plein air, Tia worked for Disney and now Pixar. It’s a good gig if an artist can get it.
Paul Kratter has been participating the Carmel Art festival for 10 or 12 years, he recalls, during each of which the landscape painter has won an award. which, he believes, says a lot about the beauty of the coastal setting.
“I know the area well,” Kratter said. “I usually painted the sunlight. But I’ve learned something from painting on the Peninsula. It used to be, if I found it foggy at the coast, I’d drive out to Garland Park in the valley or even all the way into Salinas to chase the sunlight. Yet a few years ago, I decided to embrace the fog, which makes Point Lobos so mysterious. At the Festival, my four foggy paintings sold, and my sunny paintings didn’t. I like painting on foggy days because of the mostly gray colors. One of the beauties of the coast, the fog is part of nearly every daylight. I don’t drive inland anymore; I stay on the coast.”
Kratter is known for painting trees, particularly Cypress, which he finds unique to the coast, so it is what he seeks out. His decision to “paint the fog” yielded one of his first-place paintings during the 30th anniversary of the Festival, a piece which sold during opening-night festivities.
“I was just looking around China Cove at Point Lobos,” he said. “I was trying to avoid painting the typical rock scene, when I found an interesting tree. So, I did a five-minute sketch, studied it and thought, ‘This is a scene for my canvas.'” The painting came out really well and won the big prize during the festival. It means a lot when people of caliber give you the first-place prize, when you see a scene, and think, ‘This could this be a piece I could do something really well with.'”
Unleash your inner artist
The 33rd Carmel Art Festival, which has shifted its focus from strictly an exhibition format to a “teaching and learning” program, will include free demonstrations on Saturday during the festival, plus pre-festival workshops offered by artists of some renown, including the Kratters.
“My sketching workshop will take place on Monday and Tuesday before the Festival,” Kratter said. “This was an idea conceived by Festival President Hella Rothwell, who is very receptive to ideas,” Kratter said, “as is long-time festival participant, gallerist and artist Joaquin Turner. Hella has made some nice changes.”
Kratter, who is known for his sketches, recognizes that sketching is an important aspect to the painting process.
“Sketching is about preplanning what you will do in terms of composition, values, what you will edit to leave in or take out; it’s really the road map to doing a plein air painting. I give a lot of individual attention to each student. I enjoy teaching and imparting what I know from spending 20 years painting outdoors. It’s really fun.”
Participants also should check out the Saturday afternoon "Quick Draw." Artists, working all over town for two hours on Saturday morning in their medium of choice, will bring their finished works to Mission Street - which will be closed down to automobile traffic - where the paintings will be auctioned off. On Sunday morning, families will be welcomed to Devendorf Park in Carmel for a special children's interactive program focused on theater, dancing, and improv, plus an author book-signing, and a studio painting sale with artists releasing paintings from their own collections.
"Whether participants are the collectors or the curious, established artists seeking a new perspective or beginners looking to learn from juried artists during the festival," said Rothwell, "painting demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and inspiring conversations will foster inspiration, engagement, and learning throughout the weekend."
Fo a schedule of art events and to register to attend the Friday Night Gala VIP event, visit www.carmelartfestivalcalifornia.com.
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