“Journeys” features the paintings of watercolorist Michael Dunlavey, running March 2 – April 3 at YoloArts’ Gallery 625 in Woodland.
According to his artist bio, Dunlavey was introduced to watercolor painting at the age of eleven by his father, who would take him on painting excursions and to watercolor workshops. Before he was nineteen, Dunlavey had eleven one-man shows. Dunlavey returned to watercolor painting after a forty-year career as a graphic, environmental, and restaurant designer. Since his retirement he has had six gallery shows and been included in the Crocker Art Museum juried Art Auction for the past six years.
Drawing inspiration from extensive travel experiences throughout the world, Dunlavey is intent on capturing the beauty of the vibrant cities and villages he has visited. He paints from photographs he takes on these trips. Combining his strong sense of color with his love of the sea, Dunlavey has sought to portray the iconic nature of the wooden boats that are rapidly disappearing from the daily scene. Each watercolor takes two to three weeks to complete, due to his use of ‘masking,’ a technique that involves up to four or five transparent washes in certain areas of the painting.
“The California boats in the show range from Santa Barbara, to Monterey, to Noyo Harbor and Bodega Bay. The East Coast boats hail from Cape Cod and New Bedford, to Nantucket. Others are from Cinque Terre, Italy and from Ireland,” Dunlavey stated in a recent email.
A meet the artist reception will be held on Friday March 2, 5:30 – 8 p.m. during the downtown Woodland First Friday Art Walk. The reception will be hosted by YoloArts’ board member Beth Jackson. Music will be provided by “Wind and Bow” a duo with Sue Sheya on flute and Mary Neri King on violin/fiddle who play light classical and fiddle tunes
Gallery 625 is located at 625 Court Street in Woodland, in Yolo County’s Erwin Meier Administration building and is open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, and by appointment. For more information contact YoloArts at 530-309-6464.