As implausable as it may seem, Claude Monet was once a "starving artist."

Monet had difficulty selling these early paintings. Even in his wildest immagination, he could not have

envisioned a time when his early paintings would be gathered and sent on a world museum tour.

Recently, the art-history documentary film I, Claude Monet was shown at Sebastopol's Rialto Theater. Scenes of Monet's favored locales were shown alongside paintings done in those locales. Narration was drawn from Monet's correnspondance. His letters reveal Monet's passion for painting, and his critical need for financial support. Monet seemed to not let a writing moment go by without asking for money.

Below is information drawn from the exhibition's placards for each painting.

The Magpie was rejected by the jury for the Salon in 1869. The Musee d'Orsay's page discussing The Magpie says the rejection by the jury was because it was more about perception than description, attempting to convey the feeling of the moment rather than the detail. To this charge of course, Monet was guilty. He wanted to capture the effect of the scene and its transitory nature. This superb impressionist painting was done five years before "Impressionism" got its name. The magpie seated atop the gate appears as a musical note on a staff.

Farmyard in Normandy was done in a tough, uncompromising manner. This is surprising as his earliest paintings were more delicate. From studying the masters, Monet begins with a quick tonal sketch done with thin dark paint filling in dabs and patches creating a surface which appears to be in progress.

The Chailly Road in the Forest of Fontainebleau shows how this road brought travelers and light into the dense forest. He did this painting in 1865 as he experimented with forest shadows as he prepared for Luncheon on the Grass which he hoped to exhibit at the Salon in 1866.

A Cart on the Snowey Road at Honfleur shows how hardy and determined Monet was. In 1868, a journalist interviewing another artist in the Le Havre region said this of Monet. "We have only seen him once. It was in the winter, during several days of snow, when communications were virtually at a standstill. It was cold enough to split stones. We noticed a foot-warmer, then an easel, then a man, swathed in three coats, his hands in gloves, his face half frozen. It was M. Monet, studying a snow effect."

An Oak at Bas-Breu (the Bodmer) is on public view for only the second time. It was done in a section of the Fontainebleau near Barbizon and Chailly. The oak pictured in the painting is referred to as "the Bodmer," in honor of the Swiss painter, Karl Bodmer, a long time Barbizon resident. Monet has shown the tree to have a strong sense of dignity and pride, a tribute to Bodmer.

Grainstacks at Chailly at Sunrise ... Chailly is a small farming town near the Fontainbleu. This painting with haystacks is one of the first fields done by Monet, a subject he revisted often over his career.

Boats in the Port of Honfleur ... During World War II it is believed a large Monet painting of Port in Honfleur, measuring seven feet in diameter, was destroyed. This painting may have been a study in preparation for that larger work, or there is the possibility it was a successful painting for Monet inspiring him to do the larger painting. Overlapping brushstrokes speak to its bold and free execution done in a short period of time. Foreground pigments were laid down over wet paint.

Fishing Boats ... This work is a study of the silhouettes of masts against a dark grey sky, again done in preparation for his larger work Port of Honfleur which is believed to have been destroyed in World War II. The bright colors and flat geometry of this painting were in part responsible for its being rejected by the Salon's jury, one of Monet's earliest experiences with rejection.

Seascape ... This impressionist painting shows Monet seeking to paint freely according to his direct observation of nature. The surface shows large brushstrokes applied quickly.

La Porte d'Amont Etretat ... In October of 1868, Monet moved to the coastal fishing village of Etretat, known for its two natural arches jutting out into the surf. Monet wanted to paint the setting sun through one arch, so he hiked to the top of an eastern cliff, then descended a path to the beach exposed only at low tide. The payoff was he could get close to the face of the cliff still wet from the previous high tide. He used long strong brushstrokes to paint the horizontal bands of the clouds against the light from the setting sun.

Bathers at La Grenouillere ... West of Paris on the Seine near Bougival was a boating and bathing establishment which featured a floating cafe. In the summer of 1869, Monet lived nearby in La Grenouillere with his mistress Camille and their son.

While his friend Renoir visited, Monet painted sketches of this scene in a swift and direct matter, possibly to be used in a more finished canvas.

Still Life with Flowers and Fruit and Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Mixed Flowers in an Earthen Pot ... While Monet's friend Renoir was visiting in La Grenouillere, the pair created paintings of the same scenes, including a still life of the same bouquet of flowers. Given the angles, it appears Renoir's easel was to the left of Monet as they painted. Monet's version of the still life has a basket of fruit in the foreground with fruit on the table to the right. Renoir's version had sunflowers rising behind the bouquet of flowers. Monet originally included the sunflowers, but then painted them out.

The Bridge at Bougival ... The composition of this painting is striking. Monet set up his easel across the Seine from Bougival. On the right side of the scene, he painted the the road as it crosses the river and approaches the town. The left, he shows the bank down to the river. The time of day is early morning with rich long shadows in the foreground and upon the bridge, topped with a river of clouds above.

The Seine at Bougival is an attempt by Monet to utilize the detachment of urban painters in Bougival. This snowfall gave Monet an opportunity to explore winter within a realist approach. He used somber tones with harmonies of grays and browns to create a realistic scene encountered in everyday life.

The Red Kerchief was one of Monet's personal favorites. While glancing out his window when he spots Camille Doncieux walking through the snow. Her face is set off by a bright red scarf, while the brief outdoor scene is framed by the window's sheer white curtains. Even though Monet was quite good at painting quickly, Camille must have exerienced some discomfort as she posed outside in the snow.

Red Mullets ... Two dead fish on a white cloth may not seem to be the fare for a worthy subject for a painter. But from an artistic standpoint, Red Mullets is an example of Monet's mastery. With warm and cool grays, red-orange, black and white he was able to achieve phonomenal effects. He utilized strategies of Hiroshige Japanese printmakers, looking at the subject from above rather on the same level. Monet collected Hiroshige prints.

Meditation Madame Monet Sitting on a Sofa was painted in London. It seems his visit with James Whistler had put Monet into a Whistlerian mood. In this composition, he cropped elements of the fireplace, picture frame and window and included a white vase and Japanese fan, elements often used by Whistler in Paris and London in the 1860's.

Windmill at Zaadam is of the Oosterkattegat Mill which provided Zaandam's primary source of employment and prosperity. The flatness of the planes of the green foreground, the reflective water and the mass of the buildings are accented by the long streaks of parallel clouds in the sky. Monet said of Holland, "We traveled almost the whole length of Holland and, to be sure, what I saw of it seemed far more beautiful than it is said to be. Zaandam is particulary remarkable."

Hyde Park and Green Park ... In 1871, Monet did five paintings of London, three of the Thames and two of its large urban parks. Monet appreciated London's chilly and humid winter weather.

Pissarro was in London and painted at the same time. Pissarro later wrote, "Monet and I were very enthusiastic over the London landscapes. Monet worked in the parks while I ... studied the effects of fog, snow and Springtime. We worked from nature, and later on Monet painted in London some superb studies of mist."

View of a Port was done in Amsterdam in the early summer of 1871. It is quite sketchy, and was done with apparent speed. The Monets traveled from England by steamship, arriving in Rotterdam and then by train to Amsterdam. This painting could have been done either before or after their stay in Zaandam.

Houses by the Zaan at Zaandam has a complex depiction of reflected light. The three horizontal bands of the painting, the river, the houses and the sky are done with different brushstrokes. The rippling water of the river was achieved with patches of color applied with a glancing motion with each stroke seeming to end with a taper. The sky's clouds and blue were applied with medium strokes. The houses were done in with broad stokes creating flat planes while the roofs of the buildings were done with a series of slanting verticals run through with horizontal bands of shadow.

The Landing Stage ... This leisurely moment on the banks of a river highlighted by a bright umbrella brings to mind Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. But Monet's The Landing Stage was done thirteen years earlier. The locale of this painting is Zaandam alongside of one of its canals lined with summer homes. It is similar to the scenes Monet and Renoir did of bathers in La Grenouillere on the Seine three years earlier.

Argenteuil shows Monet painting what he saw before him. This scene with a few omissions could have been a tranquil rural scene. But Monet includes the chateau, which was owned by a banker who sailed for a hobby and was an officer in the Paris yacht club. Beyond the house are chimneys of a factory, a sign of the town's economic vitality. Monet appears not to object to the intrusion of these aspects of 1872 modern life, but includes them.

Apple Trees in Blossom ... An art critic covering the Second Impressionist Exhibition of 1876 referred to a different title for this painting when he wrote, "Springtime shows a grassy garden path that disappears between blossoming apple trees and shrubs bursting into leaf."

The Pont Neuf in Paris is an example of an "impression," not so much the mental picture formed by looking at a subject quickly, but rather the object as a result of that looking. An "impression" is a rapid sketch of a place done under specific light and atmospheric conditions with a minimum of brushstrokes. Monet considered this piece rather informal, noted by the presence of his initials rather than his signature.

Still Life with Melon. Young landscape painters preferred being outdoors, often using rainy days to do still life paintings, quite popular in the 1870s. Monet carefully designed this composition with a blue and white plate against the wall with a bowl of ripe peaches in front and sliced orange melon to the right. Lighted from the left, corresponding shadows are accentuated by the slices of melon. Monet's dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, sold Still Life with Melon almost the monent he received it.

Monet: The Early Years awaits your discovery at the Legion of Honor. When money was scarce and the fantasy for big sales was large, this young artist kept on, daringly experimenting, learning, and seeking out new vistas.

These are the paintings of a poor artist, striving and daring. You have an advantage -- you know the how Monet's future unfolded. At the time he painted them, he did not. The exhibition runs through May 29.

Robert Rishell was one of the East Bay's greatest artists. He was a member of the Bohemian Club, a co-founder of the Oakland Museum and was chosen by Ronald Reagan in 1973 to paint Reagan's gubernatorial portrait. The Reagan portrait is now prominantly displayed in the capitol in Sacramento. His daughter Lynne reports that her dad loved attending the Bohemian Club campouts at the Bohemian Grove on the Russian River.

In the video to the left, Robert Rishell stresses "You need dark to show light." This is a quote from Rishell's radio interview with KGO's Bob Avery on March 1, 1969. The occasion was his one-man exhibition at the Desert Southwest Art Gallery in Palm Desert.

As this 17 minute interview plays, a slide show of Robert's paintings illustrates his style. As more images of Rishell's paintings become available, we will add them to this video. If you have a Rishell painting, please send us an image.

Rishell, a WPA Era artist ... In 1937 at the age of 20, Robert Rishell undertook painting this mural as part of the WPA. It portrays the vital role of public works and unions, providing much needed emplyment during the Great Depression. Artists like Rishell were tasked with creating art meant to communicate that common people working together was how the nation would get through the hard times.

The video below explains where Rishell's mural was originally displayed, and how it was saved and restored by the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and now resides in the lobby of their offices in Sacramento.

The collection includes forty-nine paintings by twenty-two artists. The collection spans the period between 1900 and the late 1930s. Fourteen of the paintings depict Coachella Valley scenes, while others are of landscapes throughout California.

Dynamic development and change characterize American art history at the turn of the twentieth century. Impressionism was the dominant style that emerged during this time, especially suited to the dramatic, pristine landscape and shimmering light of California. Artists painting in California between 1900 and 1950 were driven by admiration of French Impressionism and their appreciation for the California landscape, climate and quality of light.

In southern California, landscape painting was an especially popular subject, with many artists painting plein air, or out of doors, to best capture the bright, buoyant and fleeting quality of the light. Artists known for plein air painting represented in this collection include Granville Redmond, Marion Kavanagh Wachtel, William Wendt, Franz A. Bischoff, Edgar Payne, Jean Mannheim and Maurice Braun, among others.

California's landscape and light were natural subjects for artists painting in the Impressionist style either plein air or in the studio. The paintings in this collection resonate with color, texture and light, from cool coastal scenes to rugged mountains and their wooded glades down to arid desert vistas interspersed with vivid wildflowers and lush palm oases.

Linda Sorensen's paintings can now be seen at the Bodega Landmark Gallery Collection, the gallery in the inland town of Bodega at the west end of Bodega Highway (Hwy 12), a half block from the Casino, and just across from the General Store and the Bodega Volunteer Fire Department.

Our thanks to Lorenzo De Santis for showing Linda's work and hope you can all stop in and see this wonderful (and renovated) gallery very soon.

Corrick's in downtown Santa Rosa also has Linda's paintings in their Art Trails Gallery.

Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery is not at present a "brick and mortar" storefront gallery. We've moved out and now exist solely as an online gallery. You may make arrangements to view specific artworks by emailing or calling us. Contact us by by phone 707-875-2911 or email us at Art@BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com. We continue to host our website and Linda's site, LindaSorensenPaintings.com, and publish our online newsletter every month.

Pacific Bay Gallery will be open Saturday, April 2, featuring the works of Noki Jones. They are located next to the Ren Brown Collection in Bodega Bay ... our old storefront location ... easily identifiable by the large palm tree, Bodega Bay's newest and tallest palm. They've made some vast improvements of the property. Come on by and wish Noki and his father Ron the very best!

Bentonville, AR
Crystal Bridges
Museum of American Art