Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Framed pastel and ink colorful landscape by artist Erle Loran. The artwork features a red-orange mountain surrounded by rocky slopes and lush trees. The background combines what seems to be purple smoke with a very light grey sky. The contrast between the warm colors of the mountain and the calm and serene nature around recalls the balance between the forces of nature. Watercolor and pastels were Loran's medium of choice because they dried fast and were lighter to transport to his often-remote outside locations, such as the ghost towns of California and Nevada. His landscapes, often including a building or structure, were clean, fresh, and spontaneous. His talent was recognized when he won the Paris Prize in 1926, which provided him the benefit of a traveling scholarship to Europe, where he lived in the studio of Paul Cézanne. This exposure influenced Loran's life, where he saw the works of Picasso and other European modernists. His early paintings include lyrical abstractions in primary colors; however, his style has constantly changed with the times. Some of Loran's many exhibitions included the Minnesota State Fair in 1924; the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, in 1933; the Rockefeller Center, in 1935; Oakland Art Gallery, in 1936-1946; the San Francisco Art Museum annuals in 1936; the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939; California Palace of the Legion of Honor, 1945; California Watercolor Society, 1947, among many others. His works can be seen at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Denver Museum, the University of Minnesota, the Santa Barbara Museum, and the International Business Machines...

Exquisite and vivid abstract geometric landscape watercolor by Erle Loran (American, 1905-1999) titled "Peaks Near Malakoff Diggins 1." Signed and dated "Loran '80" lower right. Labe...