Nancy Partovi: Fine Art in Watercolor: February 2011

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Cliff House at Point Sutro, San Francisco

This is a plein air painting of the famous Cliff House in San Francisco. Just a few steps to the right (and not pictured) lie the ruins of the Sutro Baths, an extravagant public bathhouse which opened in 1896; and a few steps beyond the ruins, nature has placed a huge rock--just perfect for a plein air painter. 9"x 13"

Hummingbird at the Mission

This scene was painted en plein air at Mission San Jose in September. The hummingbirds were dashing back and forth all morning, much too quickly for me to really see them. The single hummingbird in the painting was added later in my studio. 10" x 14"

Artist's Statement

As a participant in the University of California, Berkeley's, Education Abroad Program, I was privileged to study Italian Art and Literature at the University of Padova in Italy for one year. Shortly after my return, I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a major in Art/Painting from UC Berkeley. Over the years, I have taken workshops from Cheng-Khee Chee, Arne Westerman, Lian Zhen, and Alvaro Castagnet. In February 2017, I participated in John Salminen's inspiring workshop on Painting the Urban Landscape and am now excited to do more work in this genre. I feel extremely fortunate to have met and studied with each of these master watercolor artists.

I love watercolor and the unpredictable way it moves and mixes on the surface of the paper, creating beautiful and sometimes almost magical passages. I am an elected Signature Member of the California Watercolor Association and paint both in my studio and en plein air. Most of my plein air painting is done with the Jade Fon Plein Air Painters group. My work is regularly on exhibit with the Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek, California.