Abby Zhang’s exhibition, “California in Brushstrokes: Impressionistic Landscapes of the Bay Area and Beyond,” opens July 1 at Gallery 9 in Los Altos and promises an intimate journey through some of the region’s natural spaces.
Trained by master painters Boris Kokhno and Alexander Zimin of the Russian Academy of Arts, Zhang also draws inspiration from Eastern aesthetics—particularly Japanese and Chinese principles of simplicity; mindful use of white space; and wabi-sabi, the finding of beauty in imperfection and transience.
The exhibition features works created through the traditional practice of plein air painting, where artists work outdoors to capture the effects of light and atmosphere. “There’s something about being out there with the wind and the light changing that keeps the painting alive,” Zhang says.
The paintings in “California in Brushstrokes” offer what the artist describes as “glimpses of California as felt through light, movement and memory.”
“My goal is to evoke the feeling of being there,” Zhang says. “I hope the images I create bring to the viewer the sense of quiet joyousness that I feel painting them.”
Zhang’s favorite painting locations include Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, the Baylands and Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, and the town of Pescadero with nearby San Gregorio beaches. Further south, she frequently works at Van Dyke Farm in Gilroy, a historic organic farm founded in 1921.
“California in Brushstrokes” will be on display at Gallery 9 in Los Altos July 1-27. An opening reception is set for Saturday, July 12, 1:30-5 p.m. For more information, visit www.abbyzhang.com or email i[email protected].