Learn to paint on location with renowned plein-air artist and California Art Club Vice President David C. Gallup

January 15, 16 & 17, 2016
 
Plein-Air Malibu 2016
Come paint on location in beautiful Malibu, California with legendary art instructor David C. Gallup.  Gallup has traveled the world teaching plein-air painting for twenty years, and has earned a reputation for being one of the most generous and knowledgable workshop instructors alive.

Whether you are new to painting on location or you are a seasoned professional who wants to learn how to make galleries, museums, and magazines notice you, the personal instruction and limited class size make this the right way to improve your painting in 2016.

Daily demos and lectures will expose you to classic and contemporary ideas on design, color, and concept, and individual instruction will be tailored to meet your personal goals as an artist.

Sign up before December 15 and save $100 on workshop fee.




"No matter what the location of the subject or the climate under which it was painted, David Gallup's work captures the authentic, natural feel of the light that encompasses that scene.  The result is simply the monumental beauty of nature."
~Jean Stern, Executive Director of the Irvine Museum, Irvine, CA

"David Gallup is a master of light.  He has the rare ability to use oil paint- normally a dense and opaque medium- to capture the most intangible qualities of natural illumination."
~Michael Zakian, Director of the Weisman Museum of Art, Malibu, CA
January 15, 16 & 17, 2016 at locations in Malibu to be announced
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: $400
Cost if paid before December 15, 2015: only $300


Visit www.dgallup.com for supply list & further information
or contact David Gallup:
Cell:  (805) 657-5385
Email:  [email protected]




 

Dear Friends, Collectors, and Art Enthusiasts~ It has been over a year since the last time I wrote a Moment of Beauty, and it has been a time of tremendous change in my life and in my work.  An artist's work is a reflection of his inner state, a window into his life.  It is said, in fact, that every painting is a self portrait.  I am a private person, revealing myself in my work only grudgingly, but it is an inescapable aspect of being a fine artist that we share even that which we try to keep hidden. I will continue a tradition of sharing myself through my work while trying to keep my personal life personal, and let you, the viewer, watch my evolution in paint and find your own correlations to your own life.  If it has been a while since you've seen my work, you will undoubtably notice some changes.  In addition to a new website, there is a new style emerging in my work.  It embraces more contemporary aesthetics, is looser, and has a more varied approach to paint application. As a teaching tool, I've been setting up floral still-life scenes in the studio for about a year.  It is almost accidentally, then, that I have started painting florals and even become captivated by them. The opportunities for color, edges, design, etc. are all there, just as they are in any painting, and through my repeated exposure to the subject I'm developing a familiarity which is taking me to new places.  What's more,  I am finding similarities between soft corals and flowers which are undeniable, and the experience of painting these subjects is causing a cross-pollination, as one painting of a flower affects the next of a reef, and vice-versa.

"Coral Head at West Caicos"
One thing which hasn't changed is that it is my love for the ocean which continues to inspire most of my work. Increasingly, however, this work is inspired by my experiences from underwater adventures, and this year I've had many incredible encounters beneath the sea which are only now finding their way to the canvas.  "Coral Head at West Caicos" (above) is a piece which exemplifies the direction of my latest work, finding it's way delicately between abstraction and naturalism, swirling with color and motion and utilizing a bolder design element than most of my earlier work. In this painting, paint becomes fish, and fish disappear into abstract areas of paint as I explore the ideas of depth of field and motion beneath the surface. For all of us who call ourselves artists, growth in our work comes from personal growth in our lives. Too often, it requires many solitary hours in the studio to translate our personal growth into something which helps us evolve in our work.  This year, for me, the sting of that isolation has been soothed by the opportunity to collaborate on some undersea and studio pieces with another artist, Nansi Johnson Bielanski.  Nansi and I have had the pleasure of painting and traveling together for a few years now, mainly in classes and workshops, and recently we have begun to weave our shared dive experiences into collaborative paintings in which we each contribute our memory of the scene, our interpretation of the experience, and our own artistic aesthetics and abilities to the work.  Our most recent collaboration has produced a painting which pleases me more than any I've ever done alone, and maybe that should not be a surprise.  After all, there seems to be little to risk in inviting in another trained eye, another broad mind, another set of talents and skills to add to the work.  In"Jubilation", we have done exactly that, accomplishing (I believe) more together than either of us might have done alone.                   

"Jubilation"~ French Grunts off West Caicos Island
Between diving and painting trips, I continue to spend time with my two beautiful sons, and with a wonderful group of students, many of whom have become like family to me. 

I also am slowly beginning to schedule some workshops again, beginning locally with:
                                        "Color Theory 2.0: Brushwork and Palette"
This workshop will be limited to ten students (four spots remaining), and will be held in my studio in Camarillo each Wednesday in September from 11-4.  In this class, we will examine the making of a great brushstroke, and define the elements which make some marks more successful or sophisticated than others, and students will learn to replicate some of the greatest brushstrokes in history (as defined by me, and by you) and apply those techniques to original paintings.  Of course, brushwork is intimately connected to palette work, so we will be examining both. This workshop will be a great opportunity to study color with me if you have not done it before, and also will make a nice follow-up course for those of you who have attended the infamous Color Theory Workshop in the past.  Cost is $600.

I will try to get back into the habit of writing a monthly Moment of Beauty, and to write some supplemental thoughts on art on my Blog Page, at the newly re-designed DGallup.com.  As always, I love to hear from you as we journey through life together seeking out Moments of Beauty.

Best Regards,
David C. Gallup
(805) 657-5385 
[email protected]

P.S. If you live anywhere near southern California, DO NOT MISS the Joaquin Sorolla exhibition running at the San Diego Museum of Art through August 26!!!  It is the largest collection of his work in the U.S. since 1911, and demonstrates the strength of this artist who is still one of the most influential painters today, nearly a century after his death.  If you live in Spain, just hold off for a bit, it's coming to you soon.

Dear Collectors and Art Enthusiasts~

I hope you’re all having a pleasant winter. It’s an exciting time for me, as my island project is swinging into it’s final stages. Several prominent museums have signed on to host the show, the book is about to get underway, and the film is in it’s final stages of shooting. I’ve scheduled a trip for March back out to the islands, this time with the camera crew and producer along for the ride. My SCUBA certification will hopefully be completed around the same time, and I’m really looking forward to doing some paintings of the Marine Sanctuary from the other side of the surface.



Until I’m diving, however, I’ve contented myself with taking on at least one more view of the Sanctuary from the top side, in “The Teeming Seas”. I’ve lost count long ago of how many times I’ve been in the presence of large pods of dolphins like these in the channel, racing after squid, tuna, sardines, and other baitfish. Each time it happens it’s still an emotionally charged experience which can easily overwhelm the senses.

These are Common Pacific Dolphins, and they can be seen on nearly every boat ride to the islands, riding bow waves in small groups or feeding in “superpods” of hundreds or even thousands of animals, compressed cheek-to-jowl in a frenzied display of strength and stamina. While the words that might likely come to mind when one mentions dolphins might be “cute” or “sweet”, to see them in the hunt conjures other descriptors, such as “powerfull” or “predator”. This is how I’ve chosen to depict them, swift and sturdy predators who hunt in large social herds on the open seas, whipping the surface to a foaming white froth in their insatiable quest for their favorite foods. Once you’ve seen this from a small boat, you’ll never forget the sounds which accompany the spectacle… the squeaks and clikcs of the dolphins, the popping sound of a “chin-smack” as certain dolphins will do to signal other dolphin pods that food is in the area, or the sound of hundreds or even thousands of dolphins launching themselves from the water and smoothly re- entering the briny depths.

If you’re interested in learning more about this exciting project, I’ll be giving a talk and multimedia presentation at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum from 6:30-7:00pm. I’ll start with a half hour discussion in front of my painting “Twice Humbled ~ Orcas off Anacapa, Noon Light” (preview the painting Here) which is on loan to the museum through this summer, and then we’ll move to the media room for about an hour of paintings and stories from the show as it currently stands. The museum has been very kind in supporting this evening program at no cost to the public, and we have lots of room to welcome even a sizable crowd. This is a great chance to have a fun, free night out full of art and laughter. Producer/Director Susan Semberhas promised to join us with a teaser clip or two of her forthcoming film about my project, “The Painted Islands”. It’s being filmed in glorious all-digital HD, and promises to be spectacular (at least the scenes where I’m not blocking the landscape). For directions, etc. you can visit the Santa Barbara Marine Sanctuary’s website, www.SBMM.org.

For those of you who are looking to take a workshop with me this spring, now is the time to sign up for the Studio Techniques for the Plein-Air Artist workshop I’ll be teaching March 26-28 in the San Fernando Valley. Call or write me for more info. I’m also planning a Rural Louisiana Workshop April 19-23 painting the little fishing villages along the southeastern part of the state, a plein-air painting workshop on Quadra Island in British Colombia July 5-9 and another in Santa Barbara from July 14- 18. I don’t have anything on the calendar yet for Tennessee, but I’d like to get back there this fall if I can schedule it. I also want to take two students on the luxury sailing yacht, Sancerre, for a cruising and painting trip to the Channel Islands in June or August- upscale food and wine included. If that sounds like your cup of tea, let me know now. We can dive, too, if you’re up for it. This will be a perfect trip for a husband and wife artist team, or any two artists who love spending time together learning. For more information on any of these workshops, you may visit my workshops page at dgallup.com by clicking Here .

I’ll be looking forward to seeing those of you who wish to join me in Santa Barbara for the lecture night about the project, and I’m sure we’ll all get a chance to chat afterward. If you can’t make it, I hope to see you at other art events around the southland in the near future.

Best Regards,

David





Special thanks to all of my sponsors for this project- I couldn’t do it without you!The Bill and Marilyn Field Trust

The National Park Service

The Nature Conservancy

Sony

Essential Image Source Foundation

Sail Channel Islands

Scubahaus

and, of course, all of my Collectors who have purchased work from the upcoming exhibition, and who will be loaning it back for the museum tour.

I look forward to working with you all again this year as our project nears completion!

Dear Collectors and Art Enthusiasts~



I hope this message finds you all well. As many of you will know by now, I generally like to start the new year with a sunrise, as a symbol of the embarkment of a new journey. “First Light at Yellow Banks” was done on my November trip to the Channel Islands as I progress toward the anticipated opening of my major museum tour of paintings on the subject this fall, which I’m fully expecting to be the highlight of an extraordinary year for me as an artist and as an adventurer and passionate lover of life.



It was project sponsor Captain Dan Ryder of Sail Channel Islands who suggested a trip to Yellow Banks to paint the sunrise. The unique location of this anchorage puts one due West of Anacapa Island (seen here) and just off the vibrant yellow cliffs on the East coast of Santa Cruz Island, which positively glow at first light. So, with dolphins on the bow we headed out to East Santa Cruz Island and explored the coast by kayak at sunset before dinner and drinks on deck and a well- deserved early bed. Dawn came cold and grey, but with no wind and a hot cup of tea the chill was tolerable. Suddenly, the dazzling golden light of morning was upon me, setting me to scurry after the fleeting colors before they were gone, and in a few short minutes it was over. I’ve come to accept the fact that a painting carries the mood of the artist at the moment it was created. It is a great challenge, therefore, to rapidly work to catch a fleeting effect while keeping one’s mind unhurried and introspective, completely at peace. I am fortunate that diving after rapidly changing colors is the very thing that makes me feel the most at peace, the most self-assured, and the most satisfied. It is the fulfillment of that uncommon combination of personal attributes which makes my sunrise paintings, at least in my mind, some of my strongest and spiritually charged work, and I always try to keep one on the wall in my studio for personal inspiration.

As I lay out my calendar for 2010, I’ve tried to fill it (as I do every year) with as many opportunities to see new things and meet new people as possible. The first step on that journey for me is getting my SCUBA certification (thanks to my new project sponsors at Scubahaus in Santa Monica!) so I can more fully investigate the mysteries of the Marine Sanctuary. Also along those lines, I’ve got trips planned to explore sea life via submarine as part of the ongoing HD Documentary Film being made about my work on the islands. Director/Producer Susan Sember of EISF (www.eisf.org) has come through not only with funding for the film, but with access to a submarine. It is also through Susan Sember that I’ll be given access to a science boat this fall with a crew which will be tagging great white sharks from Mexico to Oregon, passing through the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary on the way. Susan’s film crew and I will be joining them on their quest, while I paint the experience from above and below the surface with the cameras rolling! I have no idea what paintings these trips will inspire, but I thrill at the chance to even have such amazing opportunities, and I don’t doubt they will provoke new ideas about life and art which I’ll want to explore more fully in the studio upon our return to land.

On February 2, just a few weeks from now, I’ll be giving a talk and multimedia presentation at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum from 6:30-7:00pm. I’ll start with a half hour discussion in front of my painting “Twice Humbled ~ Orcas off Anacapa, Noon Light” (preview the painting Here) which is on loan to the museum through this summer, and then we’ll move to the media room for about an hour of paintings and stories from the show as it currently stands. The museum has been very kind in supporting this evening program at no cost to the public, and we have lots of room to welcome even a sizable crowd. This is a great chance to have a fun, free night out full of art and laughter. If we’re lucky, Producer/Director Susan Sember may even join us with a teaser clip or two of her forthcoming film about my project, “The Painted Islands”. It’s being filmed in glorious all-digital HD, and promises to be spectacular (at least the scenes where I’m not blocking the landscape). I’ll have more details as the date approaches, let me know if you’re interested.

In addition to painting for the show and scheduling new museum venues for the subsequent tour, I’ll be working on co-writing the companion book which should get published in time for the tour’s grand opening late this year. While I know this all will keep me very busy, I’m trying to make time for some travels to teach workshops at some new locations and some favorites as well. I’ll be teaching a color theory/studio techniques workshop for the Thousand Oaks Art Association Feb 22-26th, then a Rural Louisiana Workshop April 19-23 painting the little fishing villages along the southeastern part of the state, a plein-air painting workshop on Quadra Island in British Colombia July 5-9 and another in Santa Barbara from July 14- 18. I don’t have anything on the calendar yet for Tennessee, but I’d like to get back there this fall if I can schedule it. I also want to take two students on the luxury sailing yacht, Sancerre, for a cruising and painting trip to the Channel Islands in June or August- upscale food and wine included. If that sounds like your cup of tea, let me know now. We can dive, too, if you’re up for it. This will be a perfect trip for a husband and wife artist team, or any two artists who love spending time together learning. For more information on any of these workshops, you may visit my workshops page at dgallup.com by clicking Here .

It was great seeing so many of you at my home studio tour for our annual Holiday Salon. We had record attendance, my apologies to those of you who could not secure a reservation but we’ve only got so much room. If you were lucky enough to come on the second day, I actually got to spend some time with you- word to the wise for next year! Meanwhile, keep in mind that the studio is open year round by appointment, and I’d love to make time to show you your favorite paintings in person any time. If there’s a piece in particular you’re interested in, please let me know at the time you make your appointment and I’ll make sure it’s on the wall when you come. Group tours are also available by special arrangement, so if you have a sailing club or other group that might like to come by, please let me know and I’ll be happy to accommodate you.

I sincerely hope our paths will cross this year, and that you all have a wonderful, healthy, and prosperous 2010 filled to the brim with unexpected and delightful Moments of Beauty!

Best Regards,

David





Special thanks to all of my sponsors for this project- I couldn’t do it without you!The Bill and Marilyn Field Trust

The National Park Service

The Nature Conservancy

Sony

Essential Image Source Foundation

Sail Channel Islands

Scubahaus

and, of course, all of my Collectors who have purchased work from the upcoming exhibition, and who will be loaning it back for the museum tour.

I look forward to working with you all again this year as our project nears completion!

Dear Collectors and Art Enthusiasts~



“Storm Petrels with Blue Shark” is wet on the easel, and due to be unveiled at my annual open studio this coming Sunday. It was inspired by my trips to the Channel Islands, where I’ve seen both blue sharks and storm petrels on my latest couple of trips. As I’ve recently witnessed first-hand, Storm Petrels are one of nature’s most elegant creations. They spend their entire lives at sea, save for nesting, and their long legs are so specially adapted to their unique niche that they are useless for walking. As ungainly as they are on land, they are even more graceful at sea. Small flocks will gather in open water and bob quietly until there is a breeze. Then, all facing into the wind, they spread their wings and hoover just over the water, flapping only occasionally, their long webbed feet walking on or just below the surface as they feed on bits of food that float on or just below the water’s surface. (You can watch a short video of this behavior here )



Just two months ago, on a short trip to Santa Barbara Island we saw at least 20 juvenile blue sharks in one day. The idea of juxtaposing these, deadly predators which can reach monstrous sizes, with the petite, delicate and graceful storm petrels was then born, and for a couple of months I considered the presentation of the scene before deciding on focusing on the petrels with the shark silently gliding past, it’s iconic wedge- shaped fin eluding to the teeth and muscle below. This contrast makes the petrels feel all the more delicate and beautiful, and I have found it a most compelling and rewarding project to combine the two in this scene.

Just last week I was out again at the islands on a painting trip to Santa Cruz Island with the intention of exploring the sea caves by kayak. Heavy chop and huge swells made the caves too dangerous, so I spent my time on the boat, painting the coast from the water. The constant motion of the water was both intense and ceaseless, and it gave me the idea of putting the petrels in rough seas as a way of acknowledging their ability to endure weather of all kinds with no shelter. Delicate they may be, but of such a hearty and enduring composition as to inspire any sailor. Captain Dan of Sail Channel Islands (my Island project sponsors) made a wonderful short film about me painting on the trip which is a real pleasure to watch. You’ll get some sense of what it’s like painting from the water- especially the dinghy- in this entertaining video. You’ll also get to preview a few of the paintings I did on the trip: click here to see them.

I’ll be giving a tour of all of my available island paintings this Sunday, December 6th. Because of the popularity of this tour, I’ve added two additional “overflow days”, December 12 and 13. If you wanted to attend but couldn’t make the event on Sunday, you may contact me for an appointment the following weekend. (see below for RSVP instructions)

Best Regards,

David



P.S. I wanted to give a special thanks to my newest sponsors, Scubahaus in Santa Monica (www.scubahaus.com). They’ll be getting me certified and out in the Marine Sanctuary to gather more inspiring experiences which will find their way into my project and my art. To learn more about my Channel Islands Museum Exhibition, and the forthcoming documentary film about my work on the islands, visit http://home.ei sf.org/node/1057



SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 from 12-4 P.M., Thousand Oaks, CA:
As I’ve all but left the gallery world entirely for the past few years, my studio is always open by appointment. Once each year, however, I open the doors for a public viewing of my work and holiday party. In recent years, I’ve had to limit the attendees to 50 guests so that I might be able to at least say hello to each visitor. RSVP is required. Simply reply to this email with RSVP in the subject line, and give your name, the date you would like to join us, and how many will be in your party. Directions are given to those who confirm.

Dear Collectors and Art Enthusiasts~

With the days growing shorter and the heat of summer behind us, I couldn’t help throwing in a Malibu sunset to mark the end of the summer. For me, it seemed it was over before it had begun… a blurry memory of two growing kids zipping in and out of the studio as I worked and the lingering smell of baby sunblock seem to be all I have left of the whole season. I even find I’m missing the small paintings which tend to pile up around me during the summer, as I spent most of the season working on a few major works instead of nearly daily excursions to the islands or beaches in search of new subjects and inspirations as I’ve done in years past.

It would be easy to see sunset paintings as merely an analogy to an end, or as looking back at memories, and there was a time I saw them that way myself. But with my decades of experiences mounting I now see that there is a power to that moment which isn’t so much signaling an end as it is celebrating the power of the elusive present. That power can be found in the special quality to the light which falls between day and night, not unlike the moment between past and future. The power of the present, of course, is that no matter how much we may reinterpret an event in the past or plan for our future, the present is the only time we can act to better the world. And though the twilight is fleeting, we are reminded that sunsets were here long before us, and will continue long after we’re gone. I always find comfort in the power of that continuity, as I suppose all souls do.

You may recall my painting from last month’s Moment of Beauty, “Twice Humbled”. It’s now hanging at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. I went there a couple of weeks ago to supervise the installation, and was thrilled when the museum’s director showed me an original drawing by Whistler of Anacapa Island which is part of their permanent collection. It’s gorgeous, and if you’re there to see my painting you don’t want to leave without checking out this beautiful example of the greatness the islands have inspired. I’m told Whistler was commissioned to do this work by the US Geological Service, who fired him for including seagulls. Wow. I’m so fortunate that my sponsors at the National Park Service have never ventured an opinion on how my subjects should be presented!

As I start looking forward to events where I might see you this fall, I’ve got a few dates you may want to mark on your calendars. First, I’ll be the featured artist at the California Art Club’s Collectors Circle Dinner on October 22. It has been rescheduled from September 10th as our hostess had an injury and needed time to recoup. Call the California Art Club if you’re interested in attending, at (626) 583-9009. I’ll also be teaching a workshop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from October 28 – November 1. We always have a great time down there, and I look forward to seeing so many of you again. On October 24th I’ll be joining the Autry Museum at David Murdoch’s ranch to paint as part of the Masters of the American West & CAC Collector’s Circle paint-out. Though I live very near the ranch, this will be my first visit and I’m sure it will be a real treat to paint there. I’ll also be teaching my annual Malibu workshop from November 6th-8th (Friday thru Sunday). On Sunday, November 15th, I’ll be giving a talk on my Channel Islands paintings at the historic Blinn House in Pasadena from 1-3pm. I’ll be giving a power point presentation, and showing nearly all of the paintings which are completed so far for the upcoming museum tour. My annual Holiday Salon and Open Studio will be held on December 6th. As always, space will be limited to fifty guests so book your party early to ensure your plans.

It’s going to be a busy fall, and I’m so pleased to know that I’ll be seeing so many of you at a rich variety of events- it’s always nice to abandon the solitary painter’s life for a day here and there to join with friends for a day of art appreciation, discussion, or creation.

Warmest Regards,

David C. Gallup

email: [email protected]
phone: (805) 241-4084
web: http://www.dgallup.com

Visit dgallup.com for all the painted works of David C. Gallup along with events, news, workshops & much more.

Dear Collectors and Art Enthusiasts~
First off, I hope you’re all clear of the wildfires that are savaging so much of California this week. Here in Thousand Oaks, we’ve stayed pretty far from the fray this time around and hopefully the worst is now behind us all. I’ve been in the studio this month, mostly working on my largest and perhaps my most important painting to date, “Twice Humbled”. It was unveiled recently at the home of Carol and Richard King in Pasadena, and I have to say the crowd’s reaction to the work exceeded my greatest expectations.

Next week, it’s to go on display to the public at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (http://www.SBMM.org) where it will remain until it’s needed for my Channel Islands Museum Tour in 2010. Locals and frequent visitors to the Santa Barbara area will know that this museum is one of Santa Barbara’s cultural gems, and I’m thrilled to be showcasing this painting at such a premium public venue.

The painting was inspired by a trip out to Anacapa island in a friend’s small boat. As we approached the towering cliffs I was reminded of Monet’s series of paintings of the cathedral at Rouen. I believe that these are some of the most important and beautiful paintings in all of impressionism, and seeing these cliffs in the noon light I felt that I understood those paintings in an even more intimate way. I immediately started thinking about how I could do a painting of these cliffs that would do justice to the beauty of the light, and convey the sense of how small one feels at the base of them. That’s when we noticed a small pod of whales just ahead. If the towering cliffs were humbling, the presence of whales seen up close in a small boat left me twice humbled.

I had only recently learned that orcas (A.K.A. Killer Whales) inhabited these waters, and I was excited about the idea of painting them for my island show. In doing my research for this painting, I watched hours of orca footage and learned all I could about the ocean’s top predator. My research took me from inspiration to awe. The strength, intelligence, beauty and majesty of these immense animals, coupled with the intimidating scale of the cliffs demanded a large scale format unlike anything I had ever done before. At four feet wide by nearly seven feet high, this is a painting formatted to the demands of it’s subject, as well as my profound need to paint it.

An encounter with orcas in the wild is a spiritual experience, and I wanted to give that feeling to the viewer. For that reason, the cathedral motif explored so beautifully by Monet over a century ago served as a perfect jumping off point. I designed the composition to be deliberately similar to the Rouen paintings, even taking the ideas from the architects who used columns and high arches to draw the visitor’s eye to the heavenly light far above. Where gothic architects used stained glass windows to provide the light, I just let the light hit the cliffs, lighting them up with their own rich, natural colors. From concept to completion, this painting is three years in the making, and it will serve as one of the cornerstones of my island exhibition. To see the painting in greater detail, you can visit a temporary page at
www.dgallup.com/orcas.htm .

As far as my schedule in the coming couple of months where we might meet, I’ll be giving a talk about my island project to CAC Collector’s Circle Members at the home of Lisa Bell on September 10. If you’re a member of the Collector’s Circle or are interested in becoming one, contact the California Art Club’s office at (626) 583-9009. I’m also scheduling my October workshop in Baton-Rouge, LA so if you’d like to attend that one this is the time to let me know your preferred dates.

I’ve got a portrait commission keeping me busy this month, and then I’ll be traveling in October again, and hopefully getting out for a great white shark dive to collect reference material for another pinnacle predator of the Channel, this time from under water. November will find me back out on the islands to explore sea caves with my favorite island guide, Cap’n Dan of Sail Channel Islands fame. Then, on December 6th I’ll be holding my annual Holiday Salon and Open Studio Tour, so save the date if you’re planning to join us.

Remember to keep your eyes open this month, you never know when
you’ll happen upon a moment of beauty.

Best Regards,
David C. Gallup

Dear Collectors and Art Enthusiasts~





I have some big news to share with you all this month. As most of you will know, I’ve spent the past four years working on a series of paintings of the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary and National Park. While I finalize dates for the east coast opening of the resulting museum tour of the work, I’ve also been meeting with some regional museums to determine the best place to show the work to a more local audience. It is with great enthusiasm that I am announcing that in summer of 2011 the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art will host a solo exhibition of my island and marine works under the working title of “Nature’s Masterpiece: California’s Channel Islands and Marine Sanctuary”.

The Weisman is a perfect venue for the show, having both a well-established reputation and an ideal amount of well designed space… just what my collection will need to be shown to it’s full advantage. It’s Malibu location is an obvious perk, being coastal with a great view of the islands. A perk which is less obvious to the outsider is the museum’s director, Michael Zakian. If you’re in the art profession, you probably do know Michael, a well respected authority on many kinds of art known for wearing bow ties and being a sought-after party guest. He’ll be bringing his knowledge to the project, helping me sort through hundreds of concept sketches, plein-air studies and themes to hone the collection to a manageable seventy or so paintings which tell the story of the islands in a concise and beautiful way, and I am truly looking forward to having his help on this colossal project.

On a related note, I’ve spent most of this month indoors, working on a massive painting of Anacapa Island with Killer Whales (80″ high, by 48″ wide). I’ll be unveiling it this Sunday at the Salon for the Spiritually Creative Life. Carol King holds this monthly event at her Pasadena home, where artists, writers, musicians and scientists are some of the noted guest speakers. This month, I’m the speaker and I’ll be giving a talk on the subject of following a calling, and how doing just that has led me to painting the Channel Islands National Park. In addition to debuting the orca painting, I’ll also have a few other original works there as well as a power point presentation with over 50 of the paintings from my upcoming museum tour. You can get a peek at the painting in progress on my scrapbook page at dgallup.com- Click Here.

I’ve been given permission to invite you all. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at 60 El Circulo Drive in Pasadena and runs until noon. If you’d like a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition and the chance to hear the stories which have come out of this adventure, please let me know how many in your party will attend so we can have adequate seating and coffee prepared. I’ll be speaking from 10-12, and I’d very much welcome having you there to be a part of the conversation.

With all of this coming up, I haven’t had much time to paint outside and last night’s moonrise was a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) for me. I was joined by a few students for this spectacular event, and nature didn’t disappoint. The evening started with a quick sunset painting lesson, then we had a large pod of dolphins swim past within a few feet of the shore while we re-calibrated for the moonrise. The wind slowed, and the moon rose alongside of Jupiter, which is very bright right now. A great time was had by all.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday. As much as I love painting, it’s always my pleasure to get out of the studio and meet other artists and art lovers at these events.

Best Regards,

David C. Gallup

www.dgallup.com