Sonoma Landscape and Seascape Oil Paintings by Bill Pfeffer

Upcoming and Ongoing Events

2010

Riverfront Art Gallery 132 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, CA

http://www.riverfrontartgallery.com

28th Annual Sidewalk Fine Arts Festival - Menlo Park - April 16, 17, 18th

http://www.menloparkchamber.com/news/73-celebrate-spring-at-the-28th-annual-sidewalk-fine-arts-festival

Marin Art Festival - June 19, 20th - At the Lagoon Behind the Civic Center

http://www.marinartfestival.com/

Corte Madera Art Festival - July 4th - Downtown

http://www.cortemadera.org/celebration.html

Petaluma Art in the Park - September

http://www.petalumaarts.org/

Healdsburg Arts Festival - Saturday, September 25th - In the Historic Healdsburg Square

http://www.healdsburgcenterforthearts.com/4th-annual-healdsburg-arts-festival

I was born and raised in a small town in Wisconsin along the shores of Lake Michigan, and migrated to California after graduating with a degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin. Since moving to California I have worked at a variety of creative positions in Information Technology. However, from an early age, there was always this desire to make my living as a landscape artist.

When I was very young, my Grandmother had a painting of a winter scene that hung above her fireplace. From across the room, I could hear the crunch of the snow, sense the depth of the snowbanks, and feel the coldness of that winter day. I was fascinated that something could be so real and yet so fake. How an artist, with just a brush, a selection of paints, and a fertile imagination, could create something so impressionable. At an early age, I was hooked on art, and in later years took up oil painting as a weekend hobby. I fully intended to uncover the secrets of creating great art and studied with local artists, defacing many perfectly fine canvasses in my quest for development. Little did I realize that you never fully reveal the secrets, but spend the rest of your life chasing that ideal.

I am a plein air oil painter of landscapes and seascapes. I'm one of those artists you pass by on the road on a beautiful day struggling to create that perfect masterpiece. I like to paint on location under the pressure of changing light and weather, so as not to deliberate so much over each and every stroke of paint. At first, I tried to make everything realistic, but gradually developed a style of broad brushstrokes, vibrant palette, and bold thick paint. Over the years I have painted every beach scene along the Sonoma coast. It remains my favorite location for spending the day.

I'm currently working on pieces of antiques and old relics - what I call renewable art. These are studio pieces which are modeled on other paintings that were rendered on location. I'll find an old wood, non-working clock with character, remove the face and guts, cut a panel to fit in the opening, and paint on it. Other renewable art objects include oak sideboards, old mirrors (I'll replace some of the mirrors with paintings), radios, and many kinds of boxes. I enjoy refinishing the wood objects and creating a unique art element - something more than just a framed landscape. I follow my instincts in whatever creative direction they lead me - who knows what kind of art I'll be creating in another year or two.