Tuesday, August 14, 2012

New Guest Blog- The majesty and artistry of Rice Country

By Dolores Mitchell

For many years now I’ve had the great pleasure of visiting the Richvale area and have been inspired by the tremendous beauty of rice fields, wildlife and the tranquil countryside of Butte County. I’d like to share with you some of my newest works.

April Sutter Buttes

I love to paint rice fields early in the day, when no one is around. It is incredibly difficult to capture the neon glow of new rice in the spring--so I was grateful for pink in the sky that added 'punch' to the greens.

Richvale Rice Plant

I laughed when I came, suddenly, on this rice plant while exploring the fields across the railroad tracks east of the Midway--it was the sight of the chutes and ladders painted periwinkle blue that so delighted me.

Stormy Aguas Frias

I was turning a curve in the road when I came upon a flooded field that was itself curved. It was a bowl of glowing liquid and so astonishingly beautiful that I pulled over to sketch it.

Sunrise through Mist

The title is a homage to one of my favorite painters, the English master of atmosphere, J. M. W. Turner. Rice fields are flooded in the winter, the season with the most moisture in the air, to which the fields themselves add water vapor, making the air a wonderful vehicle for subtle colors.

December: Plowed Rice Fields

When I go scouting for a location that will inspire me I seldom think about whether others will agree with my selection, but when I completed this work I did wonder how many people were as attracted to patterns in mud as I am. Even as a child, I loved looking down at patterns of all kinds, from water oozing through a muddy ditch to the rainbow patterns of oil on gas station cement.

I will show fifteen new rice field paintings at my exhibit "Reflections, Refractions, and Reveries," at Avenue 9 Gallery, 180 E. 9th Avenue, Chico, from December 7 through January l3.

A new rice field subject that I'll have in the December show is of equipment at work such as tractors and plows, and I've painted my first crop duster (a VERY tiny one flying way in the distance). I have not yet photographed any of these and some are in progress. I hope you can visit the exhibit and enjoy these marvelous sights of the Sacramento Valley!


Dolores Mitchell received a B.A. in studio art and a PhD in art history from UCLA. She taught art history at California State University, Chico, for 30 years. Since her retirement ten years ago she has returned to painting with a specialty in North State agricultural scenes. She paintings can be seen at Avenue 9 Gallery, Chico.

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