There is no shortage of artists who have become enamored with the California coastline, never tiring of capturing its endless scenic delights. Two such artists, Rick Delanty and Ray Hunter, are coming together in a joint show that is a visual ode to the dramatic beauty of Santa Barbara.
Ray Hunter, Sunday Morning—Ledbetter, watercolor, 14 x 21"
Delanty is a California native who has painted landscapes and seascapes in and around Santa Barbara for nearly 50 years. He works in an impressionistic style both in plein air and in the studio, in both oils and acrylics.
Delanty, who lives north in San Clemente, California, says, “I love exploring Santa Barbara and it is the essence of the beauty that I have found here that I hope to share with our audience at Waterhouse in this exhibition. What really inspires me about painting the landscape is the physical evidence of God’s supernatural presence in it,” he says. “His power, creativity and truth expressed in nature excites me with wonder, mystery and hope for a better world than man can make. It is the spirit behind the appearance that quickens my heart to paint, to capture the vibrancy of life that may disappear almost as soon as it is apprehended.”
Ray Hunter, Water Sprite, watercolor, 12 x 16"
Watercolorist Ray Hunter is a Montana native who spent nearly 20 years in the Pacific Northwest before settling in Santa Barbara, all locales that provided great inspiration and contrast in subject matter, helping him develop his skill.
“My largely self-taught background in painting marine subjects found its home in Santa Barbara and the California coast,” says Hunter. “The addition of the intense, almost Tuscan light of Santa Barbara brought my marine subjects to life. Santa Barbara also has its own unique history and architecture. [In addition to harbor scenes, coastal scenes, beach land and other unique landscapes], I often paint the Santa Barbara courthouse, the Presidio and other historic buildings. I prefer to capture the intense light of early morning or late afternoon on Santa Barbara’s sights, and the light of each time of the day changes the image entirely.”
Rick Delanty, Montecito, from Ortega Hill, acrylic, 24 x 24"
The varied scenes of the coastal city will be on full display in Essence of Santa Barbara, an exhibition opening at Waterhouse Gallery on May 20. Delanty will show architecturally-inspired pieces like 1332 Santa Barbara Street and sweeping seascapes like Montecito, from Ortega Hill, all rendered in his soft, color-saturated aesthetic. Hunter’s impressive ability to paint realistically in the medium of watercolor can be seen in figurative works like Water Sprite and peaceful beach scenes such as Sunday Morning—Ledbetter.
The two artists hold each other in the highest regard and are honored to show their work side-by-side. Of their work, Delanty says, “Ray and I both share a deep reverence for nature and our surroundings. I see Ray’s work as poetic statements about his observations and experiences. In my own work I seek to convey the spiritual beneath the physical. Both of us intend to create work that evokes an emotional response from the viewer.”
Rick Delanty, 1332 Santa Barbara Street (University Club, est. 2019), oil, 24 x 30"
Delanty and Hunter may have very different styles and approaches, but that is what makes this show interesting. It offers viewers an opportunity to see how two different artists working in two different mediums interpret the same subject. —
Waterhouse Gallery 1114 State Street, Ste 9 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 • (805) 962-8885 • www.waterhousegallery.com
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