Marin Open Studios April 30 & May 1 May 7 & 8, 11 am – 6 pm

This 36 x 36″ acrylic painting on linen is currently unfinished, but close. Steve has been working on this painting as part of his current inspiration to bring the outside in. Enjoying the garden out the back door of his studio, looking across from inside a home on Bolinas Lagoon, or anytime inspiration comes from the wilderness through the studio doors. Kathleen & Steve will be participating both weekends of Marin Open Studios. They each have a painting in the Marin Open Studio Gallery in the Corte Madera Town Center and have hung a lot of recent work throughout their home & studio. From 11 am to 6 pm. 38 San Francisco Blvd., San Anselmo

Annual Open Studio-November 26, 27 & 28

Kathleen & Steve are holding an Open Studio the Friday, Saturday & Sunday after Thanksgiving, from 11 am to 4 pm, at their home & studio, 38 San Francisco Blvd. in San Anselmo.

Steve’s “Sense of Place”

The organization that produces Marin Open Studio is attempting to stay relevant in these lock-down times by offering artists opportunities to participate in online, juried shows. The current theme is “A Sense of Place”, inspired by the recent passing of San Geronimo Valley artist, Connie Smith Siegel. Connie’s trust also contributed an award. Steve received an Honorable Mention and is featured in the short film of the prize winners.
Steve has a long connection with this show title, going back to his college days at UCSC. “While an art student, I had a class with Alan Gussow, from the Hudson River Valley in New York, an artist and activist who had run for Congress. He took our class down to the French-intensive Farm Project to paint & teach the lessons of the importance of land use and landscape. His many paintings of his own garden, compost and harvest were personal and reflected in his unique language of paint. He had written a book, and made a film, “A Sense of Place”, featuring artists in “their” place, throughout the U.S.. It was a slice of artists engaged with the light in those locations, their uniqueness and the artist’s relationship within these varied landscapes. When their work was seen over time, the elements varied, but not their connection, their immersion & love of, and for, their place. The smells, the temperature, the humidity, the light, the land usage, were all part of the language of these artists. 

 Steve entered a painting which he felt best represented a place in the Sierra he has considered home since 1958. He returns each year to fully engage in every part of this intimate, but glacial-sculpted stretch of stream. During the ’80’s Connie and several other artist friends joined Steve & Kathleen, so this place also brought back the spirit of Connie. There is a great photo of Connie sliding down one of the longer granite slides, a look of horror & thrill on her face! Steve’s painting was this same particular granite slide.“ We returned this year, a week before the Creek Fire exploded in flame, burning everything surrounding this place, but not this stretch of creek and the fire continued to burn into the canyon we backpacked into last year. I chose to enter this piece for these personal, emotional reasons, but also for the “sense” or “sensation”, of sitting at the top of this slide. As a kid, you wiggle your butt to get some slickness on your sliders, then look down, anticipating all that compels one to even attempt this: the cold, deep pool at the end, the possibility of missing the turn, the excitement, the thrill, the fear.”

“To start this painting, I took a photo of the top of this slide and I worked on a 3 x 3′ canvas, a larger size for me. As I worked from the photo, I was an observer of a place, but not a participant in the place. So, I tried placing myself at the top, as a kid, and who I am now, with the same sensations, and the painting changed in this direction. The vertigo inducing concentric circles evolved to better plunge over the edge. Remnants of the realism remain, but all else was a search for that overwhelming sense of that very seat. As an artist, I was extremely satisfied with the result. It was a total immersion of,  and in, that place. 

Understandably, not many have sat at the top of a natural water slide, experienced this fluid and active sense of place, recognizing the intent, or execution of something  both intimate & universal. Hopefully, this gives insight into this painting and what inspires Steve’s Sense of Place.

Catamaran literary magazine publishes 3 of Steve’s paintings in their fall issue.

Steve is thrilled to be included in this magazine, published out of Santa Cruz. The art is always featured with equal importance, and in this issue Steve is in good company. For more about this magazine: https://catamaranliteraryreader.com/

Steve again delves into interiors with this new acrylic painting, “Lobby”.

Steve’s work takes on several trails of adventurous seeking. The calligraphic shapes & architectural structure of one body of work, affects his next vision in his landscapes. This 10″ x 15″ acrylic painting on paper, continues a branch of work that falls into an “interiors” category. The shapes & structures evolve until it feels like home.

“Worlds Within Worlds”

This acrylic painting was shown in progress at Steve & Kathleen’s May Open Studio. He sold it today, to someone who had been following the progress since then. It is 24″ square & was based on a previous painting, titled, “When Worlds Collide”. There was the beginning forms of a previous painting, which Steve worked into this combination of sources, to completion.

After a successful MarinScapes 2017, Steve & Kathleen have 6 pieces in the Marin County Fair fine art exhibit.

Kathleen has 3 pieces in 3 different categories of this year’s Marin County fair: one large format oil painting, the print shown here in the “Marvelous Marin” category and a print in the giclee division. Steve has 3 acrylic paintings: 2 large landscape paintings & one of his lyrical pieces. For information on the county fair, hours etc., please visit their website: https://www.marinfair.org/2017

Marin Open Studios: May 6-7 and 13-14

Kathleen & Steve will hold their open studios on both weekends of Marin Open Studios 2017. Our home & studio, at 38 San Francisco Blvd. in San Anselmo, will be open from 11-6 .

Steve’s latest painting, as yet, untitled.

19″ square, acrylic painting.

December 21st reception for Abstracted Visions.

Steve Emery is one of eight artists showing work in the Toyon Room at Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium. The “Abstracted Visions” exhibit began in September, but the special wine & cheese reception is taking place Wednesday, December 21 @ 6 pm.
Image is an Emery serigraph in the exhibit.