Local Artist

Kathy Edelbrock - Oil and Watercolor

I began painting in 1975, as a means of relaxation from raising six active children. A neighbor gave me an old set of oil paints she didn't use anymore. I had been doing paint by number before this, but with the new paints I decided to learn how to use them. I took a class at the YWCA and branched out from there.

I am mainly a self taught artist, learning from books, but studying with different teachers along the way. I studied for a short while at the Yelland Gallery in Orange, California, where we lived and also for a short while, I studied with Acrylic artist, Joyce Sliffe. We had a great time as Joyce always served homemade cookies and a glass of wine. We had very relaxed artists to say the least. I took some lessons in using a pallet knife and finally settling with Marge Yaros who taught in an old masters style with glazes and washes of color, in oils. I won several awards in the juried shows she had for the students and the best of color in the last show before moving to northern California.

When my husband retired we moved from southern California to the Mendocino Coast, which we had often visited and loved. My husband and I reside in the beautiful community of Irish Beach in a home overlooking the ocean and the Pt. Arena Lighthouse, in the distance.

Since moving here I have continued my art education studying with many local art teachers. First with Kay Like and Judith Greenleaf, and then workshops with Dwight Eberly and Nancy Collins, Gale Chase-Bien and classes from Ken Sikora and Bill Martin at the College of the Redwoods in Ft. Bragg. I paint weekly in Mendocino with friends I made while in Ken's class.

I enjoy painting realistic interpretations of local scenes, flowers from my garden, portraits of my grandchildren, friends, acquaintances and the beloved animals of my neighbors and friends. I work mainly in oils and with watercolors. I started using watercolors as a way to make quick sketches for oil paintings, but fell in love with the medium and paint between the two. I am experimenting with colored pencils and watercolor pencils, also pastels as time permits.

It is my hope that my paintings will bring a little beauty and pleasure into the lives of those who enjoy them and maybe lift their spirits and remind them of all the beauty God has given us.

I am currently a member of Gualala Arts and the North Coast Artists Guild and a member of the Artist Collective at Elk. My paintings hang in collections on the North Coast, Southern California, Wisconsin and Europe.

My favorite artist list is rather short. I greatly admire the paintings of Dwight Eberly, an artist and teacher in the Gualala area and the painting of Carl Benders. Quite a difference in style, but that's the way it is.

Contact Information: Kathy Edelbrock 44151 Garcia Ct. Manchester, CA 95459 Email: kathye@mcn.org Phone: 707-882-2919 Website: art.mcn.org/Kathy-Edelbrock

© copyright 2008 - all rights to the images are retained by the artist