Recient News
April Raber, an Orange County resident and 2005 Festival of Arts exhibitor will also be showing her work on Chicago’s “Miracle Mile” this summer. The exhibit is part of the Oil Painters of America 14th annual show of traditional oil paintings. “My work is in the plein air tradition of early California landscape art, so I am very pleased to have this kind of work represented on the national level at the Oil Painters of America exhibit.” The work will be on display at the Hilligoss Gallery, 520 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL from May 5th through June 19th.
“What makes early California art unique is the rich pallet and the visible connection with the natural beauty of the subject. This is also referred to as plein air painting, which in French means full, or open air. When used to describe art, it refers to landscapes that are painted in the field.” Following in this local tradition, April says that “Despite continued population growth here, there still exists the amazing coastal atmosphere with softened light that inspires one to think in terms of the plein air pallet. There are thousands of scenes I want to paint in Southern California. Here we can stand with awe at the edge of the ocean’s endless expanse, or feel the peace that lies within the shadows of one of our canyons in bloom. As an artist it is my opportunity to borrow the essence of this connection and share it in my paintings.”
“I love plein air painting because of the connection to life. You are not just looking though a window or painting from a photograph. You are actually experiencing the sun, the atmosphere, the dirt, the bugs, and all the location has to show and say. As the day progresses the scene changes. Which moment do I capture on canvas? The painting can change as the day progresses and new opportunities present themselves. Sometimes I take ten or more canvases to the top of a hill overlooking the ocean and start. Every half hour or so I start another one. Each one is in-the-moment, a combination of nature and paint. There is a certain power of the brush moving paint over the canvas that feeds the spontaneity.”
When asked about all the unfinished field work, April responds that some will remain unfinished forever. Others can be completed in the studio, as has been a tradition with landscape painters for years. “Many early painters used their field work as studies for larger pieces later completed in the studio. Field work is about spontaneity, directness, and responsiveness. The studio is definitely more deliberated. Both involve design, perspective, and interpretation. I tend to be more emotionally attached to the field pieces, but it would be hard for most people to determine which pieces were started and completed in the field.
Painting “en plein air” has its drawbacks. Fortunately weather in Southern California is usually predictable. April has encountered rattlesnakes, tarantulas, very large cat tracks, and many curious onlookers. “The most popular question I am asked as I am there with my pallet and a partially completed work on the easel is ‘Are you an artist?’
This year April’s work will be on display at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. The festival has been a Southland tradition since 1932. The work of over 140 of the area’s most accomplished artist will be available at the Festival grounds. From its early beginnings as a means of promoting and sustaining the fine arts in Laguna Beach, the Festival of Arts has matured into a world-renowned cultural institution drawing visitors from far and wide. The Festival - with its premier attraction, the Pageant of the Masters - has shared its success, awarding millions of dollars over the years in the form of scholarships to art students and grants to art and cultural organizations, and hosting cultural events on the grounds throughout the year. “I am honored to be part of this great tradition. The Festival of Arts is remarkable in that it is one of the most successful community efforts in the world to promote the arts. It owes its success to the stubborn persistence and hard work from thousands of art supporters over the years.”
Art has been April's passion since an early age, broadening her vista from her mother's intense interest in design and architecture. April was born in Hawaii, grew up in North Florida, and is the oldest of 10 children. Throughout her school years she excelled in art receiving several commissions in high school for full wall murals. During her senior year she received the prestigious May-Cohen Art Scholarship, which enabled her to begin her formal art education.
Shortly after receiving her bachelor's degree April began showing paintings at some of the largest galleries in the West, including Clark-Leaming, Tivoli and Voris. Early in her career she encountered and overcame two bouts with cancer. These encounters left a deep impression on her work reflecting not only on the frail nature of existence on Earth, but also our struggle with the perception of opposition. It was during this period that she created the controversial “dream” series, renditions of pivotal scenes from the subconscious, these paintings, often autobiographical, deal with emerging self-awareness and growth from the perspective of a woman’s psyche. Many of these are held in private and corporate collections..
Twenty years later, cancer well in remission, April is fully engaged in today’s version of the early California art scene. In additional to the Festival of Arts, April is a participating member of the California Art Club, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Oil Painters of America, and the Southern California Plein Air Painters Association. April’s current work can be viewed online at http://www.aprilr.com.
.