This Saturday – January 23rd
Art Under the Umbrellas — the Valley’s best attended series of one day art shows — brings together a diverse mix of 80 talented artists from across Southern California and the Southwest to exhibit and sell their original artwork and fine crafts. Art lovers will discover one-of-a-kind treasures in painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, glass, mixed media, fiber, and wood along the streets of Old Town La Quinta, where the spirit and architecture of Old California is brought to life in a chic outdoor shopping and dining village.
As usual, the crazy popular Steve Madaio Band will literally have patrons dancing in the streets as they explore the artist booths, shop at the Old Town merchants, and dine and imbibe at the great restaurants on site, like Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill, or just across the way at Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant.
Saturday’s show will spotlight artists Robert Fleming & Nancy Lynn. This husband and wife duo reside in Bermuda Dunes, primarily painting and showing their works locally and throughout the Southwest. Their works in watercolors (Bob) and acrylic (Nancy) most often depict a myriad of desert scenes, cheery blooming cactus and idyllic landmarks painted on location. Both artists are perennial favorites of La Quinta Arts Festival and Art Under the Umbrellas – always exhibiting side-by-side.
Bob began his painting career at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City designing cards, gift-wrap and books. It was there during a watercolor demonstration by the world famous John Pike that his keen enthusiasm for watercolor painting emerged. His original watercolors are created using a wet-in-wet technique giving them a fresh and spontaneous feeling. In 2008, Fleming had his historical golf painting based on the 1913 US Open accepted into the Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida.
Southern California born and raised, Nancy Lynn paints in a style which reflects the vibrancy and energy of her beloved sun-drenched vistas of the remote Southwest desert. Although her works are plein air, they have a unique vitality and abstract impressionism which elevates them above the typical “open air” genre. Yet with all the energy her works exude, there is an intriguing, peaceful sense of order and feeling of déja-vu in Nancy Lynn’s paintings.
Art Under the Umbrellas is presented by La Quinta Arts Foundation. Admission and parking are both FREE. Event hours are 10am to 4pm. Old Town La Quinta is located in the Village of La Quinta. Take Washington Street south, go west on Calle Tampico two blocks; Old Town will be on the left. www.LQAF.com / 760-564-1244.
