A new duo show debuted at Gallery Los Olivos in early July and will remain on display through the end of the month. The exhibit, titled Imaginings: An Exploration of Whimsy, highlights a collection of oil paintings by Carol Simon and watercolor and ink works by Cathy Quiel.
According to press materials, Simon is a lifelong musician and her oil paintings reflect “her love of music with repeated patterns, color, and tone.” Her passion for countryside settings, back roads, European villages, and mountains is also apparent in her landscapes. She especially enjoys capturing “the majestic hues and views provided by the Santa Barbara mountains.”
Many of her landscapes are based on sketches or photographs she has taken during her travels. Her photos serve as a reference point that lead to paintings which “take on an impressionistic life of their own,” according to press materials.
Simon’s segment in the new duo exhibit at Gallery Los Olivos is described as an assortment of “dreamy landscapes and still lifes.”
Quiel’s “vibrant, yet tender” watercolor works celebrate “the juiciness and glorious beauty of color,” according to press materials. Her art has been featured in several publications over the years.
She is also an award-winning children’s books illustrator. Over the course of her career as an art instructor and guest lecturer, Quiel has led art workshops in France, Italy, and other countries and taught classes at Santa Barbara City College. Her current showcase at Gallery Los Olivos includes her new watercolor and ink series, titled Pareidolia.
For more info on Imaginings: An Exploration of Whimsy and its featured artists or details on future exhibitions hosted by Gallery Los Olivos, call the gallery at (805) 688-7517 or visit gallerylosolivos.com. The gallery is located at 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos and open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This article appears in Santa Barbara County Fair Guide 2023.