THE OAKLAND
ART ASSOCIATION
Follow us on Instagram
Kite Soaring Above Sutro
Amei Papitto
Oil
18 x 18
$250
Bird in a Cup
Hallie Strock
Collage on Panel
August 2022 Virtual Show
Art Education in Oakland
It's easy to join!
Download the PDF
Renew or join OAA for 2022
OAA's featured artist is
George Ehrenhaft
Many of my earliest artistic efforts, Scotch-taped onto the family icebox, depicted houses with huge clouds of dense smoke billowing from their chimneys, suggesting, perhaps, a greater fascination with arson than with art.
Fast forward to 1996, when, about to retire from English teaching, I bought some paints and brushes and began to paint with watercolors, a medium so unpredictable that I’m often surprised by the results—both good and bad. Sometimes I do the same painting two or three times, until I either get sick of it or get it right. Half of them end up in the trash.
Largely self-taught, I'm still a painter in flux, experimenting with various styles and techniques from realistic to a vaguely abstract, but gradually evolving into what I call a “visionary realist.” That means I look through lenses that expunge my subjects’ flaws and blemishes. Colors in my work are richer and brighter than in reality, edges are softer, shapes and textures more pleasing to the eye. Hardly an avant garde painter, I try to see what others don’t. My paintings push no boundaries. Instead--or so I've been told--they soothe the spirit, evoke memories, and often encourage viewers to look deeper.
How can I not be overjoyed by the public’s response to my painting? Many people who are not my mother say nice things about them. My works have appeared in numerous solo exhibits and group shows. Some have been awarded prizes. Hundreds hang on walls across America, a few dozen in Canada, and one resides somewhere in Tanzania.
Autumn in the Valley
George Ehrenhaft
Watercolor
Our next real-world show is at the Alameda County Law Library, opening October 14, 2022. Watch this website for show entry rules.
The August 2022 Virtual Show
23rd Street West
Mary Millman
Pastel 24 x 24 $950
The August 2022
Alameda County Law Library Show
Poppies and daisies
Marie Cotter
Pastel 18 x 24 $350
The Oakland Art Association helped support ARTogether's Expressive Art Class 2021 for refugee and immigrant children 6-10 years old.
Class activities encouraged children’s artistic interest and self-discovery while having fun and making friends! Activities ranged from guided creative art projects to educational and holistic art activities to more freeform expressive art.
who we are
OAA is a non-profit group of artists, photographers, and art supporters in California's Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We encourage artistic endeavor in our community, support public-school art education, and arrange show venues for our members' artworks.
We have about 10 juried shows each year where all members are invited to show original work in an array of community venues. Look at our latest newsletter.
It's easy to join OAA--select "membership application" below to learn more.
