Collaborating Collectors

A couple in California curates a thoughtful yet intuitively guided collection of contemporary art.

By John O’Hern | Photography by Francis Smith

Melanie and Mike’s collection is highly personal. Melanie is an artist and has been painting for 20 years. “She has the knowledge,” Mike says. With a smile, he adds, “I’m the banker.” He undersells his role in assembling the collection, however. They collaborate on commissioning pieces for special occasions, acquiring works by teachers and their students and, sometimes, they wander on their own through art shows only to meet up and discover they both like the same piece. That happens when you’ve been happily married for 50 years.

Between the doorways is Coastal Cottage, 1930, by Granville Redmond (1871-1935). Through the doorway is Sugar Bar NYC, 2014, by Mikel Olsen. Next to the shelves is Passing Clouds by Ray Roberts. Along the back wall are (l. to r.) Tower in the Sun by Mark Lague, Noon Rush, 2008, by Ron Hicks and 6th Birthday by Dana Cooper. “When I started painting,” Melanie recounts, “the idea developed that it would not only be fun to paint but also to collect. The first piece we bought was in Carmel. We had spent time there and it was a reminder of our visit. It triggered the desire to have more art. When we moved into this house there was a whole lot of wall space.”

“When we started off, we collected impressionists and later moved into contemporary art as we grew in knowledge and gathered more information,” Mike explains.Paintings in the bedroom are (l. to r.) Lilac Still Life with Lemons by Sergei Bongart (1918-1985), Old Oak Near Banning by John Wesley Cotton (1868-1931), Spring Ignition by Ben Bauer and on the bedside table is Santa Margarita Shadows by Maggie Siner.“We met Vanessa Rothe at Vanessa Rothe Fine Art in Laguna Beach,” Melanie says. “She’s been instrumental in helping us build our collection. She’s well connected to artists and to the art world. That has been extremely valuable to people like us who were starting at zero. She has since become a friend.” Rothe’s description of her gallery is an apt description of the couple’s collection—“contemporary realism and impressionism, with a hint of modern.”

Next to the cabinet are (t. to b.) Room with a View, 2021, by John McCaw and Afternoon, 2015, by Danny McCaw. On the easel is Into the Light by Nicholas Martin and next to it is Where’s the Beef by Kim Robert.

The paintings are (l. to r.) Dinner in Paris, 2021, by Casey Childs, Sarah in the Garden, 2021, by Scott Burdick, Almost Monochrome, 2018, by Olga Krimon, Horses Out in the Early Morning, 2002, by Peter Howell and an abstract figure by Linda Christensen.“We feel an emotional connection to the art that attracts us or we’re familiar with the artist and like their work,” Melanie continues. “We sometimes buy works at auctions for their historical significance. In some cases we almost have a family tree. There are Dan, Danny and John McCaw, a father and his two sons who work in the same studio. We have works by Sergei Bongart who was born in Kyiv and lived in Santa Monica where he taught painting. Dan McCaw was one of his students as was Sunny Apinchapong-Yang. Sergei was also the teacher of Joseph Mendez. While we don’t have any of his paintings, we have several by his student Tom Balderas. I think that’s pretty cool.”

In the hallway is Artist Still Life, 2015, by Sergey Kovalenko. On the right is At the Beach by Tom Balderas.

The paintings are (l. to r.) Comfort by Dan McCaw, Grandmother by Dan McCaw and At the Easel by Sergei Bongart (1918-1985). On the left is a bronze, Peace Bell, by James G. Moore.

Mike recalls their “really wanting a Bongart. We saw Lilac Still Life with Lemons in an auction catalogue from John Moran in LA. We went up to the auction. The painting wasn’t cheap and we have a budget, but that was a score.”

“When I visited the McCaws’ studio with Vanessa,” Melanie says, “I was like a kid in a candy store. It’s an amazing space, a huge room where all three work together. I didn’t have the intention of purchasing a piece. I was there just to look. But, I walked around a corner and saw Danny’s painting, The Rat Pack, of three little boys who were cousins at a family wedding. It was so endearing to me. We have three grandsons. I texted Mike that I wanted to buy it and brought it home.”

Mike bought two Dan McGaw paintings for Melanie to commemorate the birth of their first two grandsons. For the third grandson, they acquired Jane DeDecker’s bronze sculpture of three boys, Lords of the Forest.

In the hallway is Green and White Rowboats, 2012, by Felice Hrovat.Melanie and Mike often attend the LA Art Show. “We bought Ron Hicks' Noon Rush there. I’ve always liked figurative art. As a retired therapist I’ve always been into people. One time at the LA Art Show we were wandering around together but got separated. When we got back together we said we each had a favorite. It was the abstract figure by Linda Christensen whom we later met through Sue Greenwood who represents her work.”

The couple love sitting together in their library surround by their art. For a mutual Christmas gift in 2020, they commissioned Danny McCaw to paint Library,which now hangs above a table on which are framed photos of each of their mothers. Another photo, of Melanie and her cake on her sixth birthday, was the inspiration for a painting by her sister, Dana.

In the hall are (t. to b.) Marie Jeanne and the Pont Neuf by C.W. Mundy and Crystal Cove by Michael Situ. On the easel is Study of Edwardo, 2009 by Aimee Erickson. In the library is a 2020 commissioned painting, Library, by Danny McCaw.

Hanging next to it is Hicks’ Noon Rush, one of Melanie’s favorite paintings in their collection. “I love the energy and it’s so beautifully painted.” she says. “It reminds me of New York City. It feels like Christmas time.” Nearby is another reminder of New York, Mikel Olsen’s Sugar Bar NYC, that Mike purchased after they had visited the bar on a trip to the city.

On a trip to visit a nephew in Vail, Colorado, they visited a gallery and discovered work by James G. Moore. Mike recalls, “We were both struck by his bronze Peace Bell.Moore had been a high school art teacher and later turned to making art full time.” “We’ve used it as a dinner bell some times,” Melanie adds.

The paintings are (l. to r.) Laying the Rails, 1924 by John Christopher Smith (1891-1943), Afternoon Rest by Kim English, (t. to b.) Old Gate—Monterey, 1926, by Will Sparks (1862-1937), Market by Wendy Johnson, (t. to b.) Close Dance II, 2010, by Joseph Lorusso, and Nice Evening by Daniil Volkov. The bronze sculpture is Lords of the Forest by Jane DeDecker.

Their collecting enriches not only themselves but emerging artists whom they support by purchasing at local art shows.

Melanie explains, “Mike and I have a place where we sit together in our library. Looking around, we can’t believe we’re living in this space. It’s beautiful to be surrounded by art. I feel so lucky.” —