Kevin Gleason
My art combines two of my greatest loves: exploring beautiful wild places on foot and drawing with a paintbrush. When I am out scouting places to set up my easel, I am searching for a combination of two things: an intriguing natural subject that speaks to me on a literal level mixed with a sense of light and atmosphere that tugs at me emotionally.
I was lucky to grow up in South Lake Tahoe with miles of wilderness, mountains, lakes and creeks literally in my back yard. I then came to Santa Barbara for college and again experienced living in a beautiful setting, this time with oak woodlands and the Pacific Ocean. The fun challenge for me as an artist is to try to capture the essence of this amazing world we share and translate it into paint in a way that communicates with fellow nature lovers. To me, a painting is a handcrafted translation of a moment in time. I like to hang them on my wall as a visual reminder to visit those places again soon.
I’m honored to be part of the Oak Group. I have so much respect for the paintings and mission of the artists that have been part of it. I love that art can be used as a tool to awaken people to the beauty and importance of natural environments and can help raise resources to protect wilderness.