while i was in santa barbara i had the good fortune and good sense to pop into the museum of natural history.
it is there that i made the discovery of ray strong, a california landscape painter and santa barbara resident since 1960.
ray died at the age of 101 in 2006. he continued to paint until the end of his long life.
over 50 years ago he painted the background mural dioramas in bird hall, a wing of the santa barbara museum of natural history.
they are magnificent!
i was the lone visitor to Bird Hall on the day i visited last weekend.
how magical to wander the dimly lit halls and gaze into the storied dioramas.
california geographies come alive with scenes of shadowed hills, blue expanses of water, craggy peaks, shoreline cliffs, high desert, wide skies.
tapestries of blue, green, honeyed browns.
glowing with light.
the wide landscapes are populated with shorebirds, eagles, sandhill cranes, and california condors.
as for the museum itself, it even has its own group of poets in residence!
so many lovely scenes. lovely.
so many places to wander right next to mission creek. next time i will take my journal and sketchbook. there are plenty of tables and chairs where one could set up camp for an hour or two.
the atmosphere here is really special.
it called to me.
and i am still answering.
now i am keen to read more about ray strong, see more of his paintings, explore more california plein air artists.
here, a couple of my sketch musings while in santa barbara last week.
i hope you’re good, friends. off on wild goose chases of your own. paddling your little boats around blue lakes. striding off into meadows thick with wildflowers.
going off on big & small adventures.
i’ll just be here… doing this and that.
Maybe I could draw birds better if they weren’t moving. Like in the dioramas? And if not, I can just stare at the backgrounds. And that would be good too.
Thank you for introducing me to Ray Strong – these paintings are absolutely wonderful! Wishing you an artfilled Sunday. xo
happy sunday to you too renate!
Thanks so much for all your great tips on Santa Barbara! We’re headed to Carpenteria for a family reunion in June and will check out of the places you have written about! Also, my son is starting at Occidental so I will be able to visit more often and haunt the Huntington Gardens among other beautiful and happening’ LA sketching spots! Many thanks for always inspiring me Mary Ann! (still working at the Oh My Gouache videos and am imminently about to begin starting 🙂 my first MAM style sketchbook!
lucky you jo, heading off to the seashore. the occidental neighborhood is a lovely one!
That is a fabulous quote. And makes you appreciate the part of exhibits so many overlook-the fabulous backgrounds. 🙂 Thanks for bringing us along. Hugs-Erika
yes erika! and to think they don’t just make new ones as is our modern way. they’ve been there for nearly 60 years
These are wonderful! Thank you for sharing
One of my favorite places. I have a little sketchbook somewhere that I nearly filled one day at this museum. It’s so peaceful there. California plein aire paintings are the focus of The Irvine Museum, http://www.irvinemuseum.org/. It’s just off the 405 in a bustling business area, but definitely worth it. Ocean and Back Bay are nearby as well as Mitsuwa marketplace and UCI Ecological Preserve.
oh thanks linda, i will have to make a field trip down the fabled 405 some weekend soon.. drawn by the plein aires
“Topissime” ! – thanks
ever my pleasure!