Coastline to Skyline: The Philip H. Greene Gift of California

Coastline to Skyline: The Philip H. Greene Gift of California Watercolors, 1930-1960

The so-called California-style watercolorists, an informal but closely knit group, were most active from the late 1920s through the 1950s. They achieved national recognition for their generally large-scale watercolors painted with broad, saturated washes in a manner that was bold and expressive, yet representational. Among the best-known of the group were Millard Sheets, Phil Dike, Rex Brandt, Barse Miller, Emil Kosa Jr, and Dong Kingman. These artists celebrated their environs through images of the stateâ€™s dramatic coastline, agricultural and fishing traditions, public amusements, and bustling cities. In keeping with the populist, nationalistic mood of the era, they captured unpretentious, â€œtypically Americanâ€ subjects that transcended their regional content to appeal to audiences coast-to-coast.

Coastline to Skyline: The Philip H. Greene Gift of California Watercolors, 1930-1960