San Francisco, CA
Studio Gallery, September 29-October 17
Michael Chamberlain, Pacific Grove, oil, 9 x 12.
San Francisco, CA
Studio Gallery, September 29-October 17
This story was featured in the October 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
In his solo show this month, California artist Michael Chamberlain wanted to present the city of San Francisco in its truest form. “I think this is a beautiful area. There are a lot of painters that paint the city very dark, and there’s a lot of rainy days,” Chamberlain says. “Hopefully I’ve done it justice by showing more sunny scenes.”
For years, Chamberlain has been painting his impressionistic, plein-air visions of the city he loves. He says the show includes 40 to 50 pieces such as cityscapes, street scenes, and images from the Russian Hill area. There are also a few paintings of Stow Lake, which he did while working with a small painting group he recently organized with other local painters.
The artist hopes that this exhibition shows an arc of improvement in his style, which combines strong design with more abstract execution. “I’ve been trying to have that strong design element, and at the same time have subject matter that’s pleasing to me personally,” Chamberlain says. “I want to continue to have work that has good drawing and design but also has loose brushwork.”
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- Jackson Street, oil, 36 x 36.
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- Michael Chamberlain, North Tower, oil, 36 x 36.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Cab on Geary, oil, 24 x 24.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Canada Geese, oil, 20 x 20.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Clouds Over Mission Peak, oil, 40 x 50.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Last Light on Post, oil, 12 x 12.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Leaning Cypress, oil, 14 x 11.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Stow Lake Geese, oil, 20 x 20.
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- Michael Chamberlain, Stow Lake, oil, 10 x 8.
Jennifer Farris, owner of Studio Gallery, has been showing Chamberlain’s work for nine years. “It’s always a thrill to see what he chooses to depict and how he handles the paint,” Farris says.
Chamberlain says there is a combi-nation of small and large pieces. The most important thing to him, he says, is that he is happy with the body of work he has presented for the exhibit. But he also wants viewers to have a unique experience when they walk into the exhibit at Studio Gallery. “One of the nicest compliments I get is that people walk into the show and they say it just makes them feel good,” Chamberlain says. “I hope they take away something positive from it, in whatever
personal way that is for them.”
The show opens at Studio Gallery on September 29. There is an opening reception on October 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. and an Artist Talk on October 8 from 4 to 5 p.m. —Mackenzie McCreary
contact information
415.931.3130
www.studiogallerysf.com
This story was featured in the October 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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