The oil paintings of Richard Schloss are a testament to the beauty of the land and sea that surrounds us—traditional, impressionistic and yet always unique in the genre of landscape painting. For over 52 years, His exceptional and dramatic treatment of light creates and captures a moment in time that evokes memories of an unspoiled California.

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Richard graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a Master of Fine Arts in 1979 and a BA in Italian in 1981. Following his graduation, he lived and painted in the Santa Barbara area for many years. It was during those years that Schloss became part of a movement of landscape painters known as the Oak Group. This group of artists was committed to preserving open spaces by bringing public awareness to preservation efforts in areas throughout California, including the Channel Islands, Santa Barbara, the eastern Sierra and Marin County.

Featured in the exhibition are works culled from private collections and galleries throughout California as well as four new works created recently. 

 

"Richard Schloss, the only known living artist in Santa Barbara today, who has paintings in the permanent collection of five museums and is recognized as one of California’s best landscape artists. He is part of a tradition of California plein air painters and Impressionists, reminiscent of the early twentieth century artists including Edgar Payne, Maurice Braun, William Wendt, Granville Redmond and others who, over one hundred years ago, led the way. These artists, whether classically trained academic painters or self-taught artists, chronicled the scale, the scope and the picturesque expanse of California’s incredible vistas. Today, Richard Schloss continues that same dedication to his subject matter in the form of his light-filled canvasses and awe-inspiring natural landscapes."

-Ventura County Museum exhibit introduction