Opening Reception “A Watershed Event” Pastels and Oil Paintings by James R. Reynolds

On display September 3 – December 20, 2019. Artist Statement: I am excited and honored to be exhibiting my paintings in Heron Hall at the Laguna Foundation. The pieces all depict scenes within the Laguna’s watershed or animals that live there. My work is an expression of my love of nature in her many guises. I believe that artists provide an important role in awakening a sense of appreciation, not simply of beauty, but of the fragile nature of this treasured land. If our hearts are touched by poetry, if we can connect with a deep sense of the perfection that is the Earth, and the tragedy of its loss, perhaps our species will begin to act with greater care and wisdom. A new painting emerges on my easel – a prayer going out into the universe, my song of joy and hope.

Artist Biography: After more than two decades working as a sculptor, my focus shifted to painting around 2002. Landscape is my main subject, and I also paint birds, animals and human figures and portraits. I have had the good fortune to study with many gifted professional artists, including Richard McDaniel, Clark Mitchell and Brooks Anderson. My work has been honored with two Best of Show awards (2015; 2011) and several Best Pastel and Best Oil awards at the Apple Blossom Art Show, as well as the popular vote at that show (2012). My portrait “Gabriel” won Best of Show at the juried “Face Me” portrait exhibit at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (2012). I have donated a percentage of my sales, or donated paintings outright to benefit many local charitable organizations, including: Food for Thought, Sonoma Land Trust, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Face to Face, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and the Art Workshop of Western Sonoma County. Website: http://www.jamesrreynolds.net/