Local artist Kevin A. Short, whose show The Peaceful Sea is on display in the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum gallery and Munger Theater, will hold a combination studio open house, personal exhibit tours, and sale of his work, 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.
The program is a culmination of Short’s exhibit at the museum, following his exhibit opening, an art class on the patio, and a talk at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club.
There is no charge to attend the event, but registration is required via RSVP to Linda Fields at lfields@sbmm.org or call 805-456-8743.
Between 30 and 40 of Short’s artworks — posters, color sketches, copper drawings and paintings — varying in size from 4×6 inches to as big as 36×48 inches — will be offered for purchase in a range of prices.
Short began his art training with a toy watercolor set and a pile of crayons, drawing on leftover butcher paper in the middle of the kitchen floor, before going on to formally study oil painting at the University of New Mexico, Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Raised in Santa Barbara, he developed his love of the ocean through sailing, fishing, and spending days in the local surf. Now internationally recognized for his contemporary landscapes of the Pacific Coast, Short is considered an astute observer of the ocean, who paints the surfing and coastal subcultures using his signature heavy, impressionist brushstrokes and rich, saturated color palettes.
“Short’s paintings are imbued with narrative and emotion. They chronicle our experiences as a coastal community, depicting all the outdoor joys available to us — paddling, boating, surfing, swimming, just being at the beach — and pay tribute to the beauty of the ocean and the culture that has helped form this part of the world,” said Emily Falke, director of collections and curator at SBMM and herself an artist.
“The opportunity to study with Kevin is a very special one indeed,” she said.