Lincoln landscape artists open studio doors for Placer Arts tour

Lincoln artist James Brunk has spent the last 20 years making up for lost time. Though Brunk didn't begin painting until he retired from a career in aerodynamics in the 1980s, today his Sun City home is a treasure trove of oil and watercolor scenes from the Rocky Mountains and the Sierras to nearby foothill locales like a peaceful pasture near Gladding and Manzanita roads.Brunk is one of four Lincoln artists who will share studio space with the public during Placer Arts' 15th annual Autumn Art Studios Tour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday (however, Brunk – as well as Lincoln artist, Marilyn Powell—will not participate Friday). For a $10 adult ticket, art lovers can take a self-guided trek to 55 studios—and view the work of 86 artists—on the county-wide tour. Tickets for children are free.Though Brunk's fellow Lincoln tour hosts hail from varied backgrounds, they share a preference for natural subjects and newfound time to explore that passion."Landscape painting makes you much more observant of the flora and fauna," said Brunk, who joins the tour for his second year. "And once you start painting outdoors, you become very aware of the effects of light."Three years ago, he founded a group for plein air painters through the Sun City Art Association to explore those effects. Plein air is a French term for working in open air—a method that often results in rough, sketch-like paintings. It's a challenging form of art that the scientifically-minded Brunk couldn't pass up."A plein air painter has to more or less take a mental photograph," he said. "The sun may change, the clouds may change…but you have to try to keep your mind a little ahead of your brush."Art is not like math, where once you get it you can solve the algebra problem," he added. "You can never get it totally nailed down. (For that reason) very few artists achieve the level of efficiency they aspire to."But though Brunk hesitates to call himself a professional, he is no mere hobbyist. A two-time blue ribbon winner who has had recent success in a KVIE art auction and two international shows, he currently displays his work at venues in Auburn and in Roseville's 404 Gallery, where he shares space with other accomplished artists—including Marilyn Rose, a member of his plein air group and a first-time participant in this weekend's tour."I do still lifes and portraits and figure lifes, but landscape is my favorite," Rose said of her impressionistic oil scenes. "I can kind of let the work develop as I go along rather than plan it out. With plein air, you're reacting to color and light and shape. And (being outdoors) there's also the camaraderie between your fellow painters and passerby."Like Brunk, Rose found success in the art world after leaving a more technical job—in her case, as a draftswoman."I used to do house plans and people wanted to know if I could do watercolor illustrations (of the houses)," she said. "So I starting with a drawing class, then took watercolor—and I realized I didn't want to do house plans anymore, I wanted to do paintings."The rest is history, as today Rose teaches at the School of Light and Color in Fair Oaks and conducts a weekly figure drawing sessions in Sacramento.Also opening their studios this weekend will be oil artists Marilyn Powell and Judith Huth. While unlike her fellow artists, Huth is not part of the plein air group, she counts on outdoor inspiration for her vivid Georgia O'Keefe-inspired pieces."I do a lot of florals, but I also do landscapes," she said. "I love to experiment. As Lincoln artists, I think we have more time to devote to our art. As a retired person, I have the time to paint and enjoy it that I wouldn't have otherwise."Tickets for the Autumn Art Studios Tour are available through Lincoln Arts at 580 Sixth St. in downtown Lincoln from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. For more information, call Lincoln Arts at 645-9713 or Placer Arts at (530) 885-5670.