moo

1249 Words3 Pages

Omaraid Guerrero
COTA 300
There is a multitude of museums a person could choose to visit in Southern California, each one carrying unique exhibits from different eras and cultures. I chose to visit the Bowers Museum which has numerous exhibits ranging from Pre-Columbian art to more Contemporary and Modern art. California: The Golden Years is one of those exhibits. The exhibit contains the painting called Marinescape by Edgar Payne. The Marinescape painting shows the beauty of California’s coast through the use of impressionistic techniques. These techniques depict the ocean's strong force through light and soft colors, which provide a breathtaking image of the Laguna Beach Coast.
The painting was done in 1918. During this time, there were relatively few residents living in the Laguna Beach area. But due to the stunning scenery there were many artists who were settling in the area in an attempt to capture the remarkable beauty of the coast. Most of the painters that resided along the coast fell under the American Impressionist movement. American Impressionism was often characterized by the use of loose brushstrokes and vivid colors. One American Impressionist was Edgar Payne, whom settled down in the Laguna Beach coast and tried capturing the essence of the majestic coastline. According to the Bowers Museum, Payne’s work embodied the culmination of the Californian Impressionist movement and en plein-air style. These styles utilized the light and space to capture the moment, not just the subject matter.
The style used in Marinescape was developed during the Impressionist movement. This technique used short and bold brush strokes that had no form or detail. In addition, it focused on capturing light and displaying the effects of...

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...s is due to the color chose which are composed of light blues, greens, and browns. These colors give the waves a soft look even when displaying violent motions.
Overall Marinescape by Edgar Payne leave one with a greater appreciation for the coast. The use of watercolors to capture the light from the sun and create shades of sunlight and darkness captures a beautiful morning. This is followed by the different brush strokes that while may lack detail still allow the viewer to see the power of the waves. For a person that has never seen the coast, this painting can give the viewer an almost life like representation and experience of what the Laguna Beach coast may look and feel. While impressionistic painting leaves out certain specifics, the atmosphere created by Payne’s techniques makes up for that lack by capturing the true essence of the Laguna Beach landscape.

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