Provenance Acquired by American Legacy Fine Arts directly from the artist
Artist Statement
“Every year I am fascinated by the bloom that California spring brings. From the perspective of colors, the mustard bloom generates perhaps the most intense color experience possible, especially if observed under the right conditions.
This year, the superbloom phenomenon was particularly robust because of the rare abundance of rain we had throughout the winter. We arrived at Lake Perris on a gorgeous Easter Day with our twin boys for their first family camping experience as fully-initiated boy scouts. I was instantly and completely overwhelmed by the perfection and intensity of the giant field of mustard flowers. The base of the surrounding hills was in gleaming yellow and was contrasted with the uniquely low elevation snow-capped mountains as its backdrop. I did a painting of the scene during the day, but when the sun turned to the late afternoon, and shadows began to wrap the hills and cover the foreground, I saw colors that I perhaps had never seen before. I did my evening painting which became the foundation for this work.”
— Alexey Steele
The goal of my studio work is to never do simply the enlargement of my field study,
but to deliver the most complete depiction of my immediate sensation in the moment of first seeing it. To express fully why did I want to paint it in the first place. My study serves as the magic gate that places me back into the moment of observing what struck me first. I can experience that moment any time and it maybe years after I completed the study even if many memories of that time fade. This is the remarkable and truly magic power of the field study to me."
—Alexey Steele
Exhibited
20th Anniversary Exhibition: Celebrating a Legacy of Excellence, American Legacy Fine Arts, Pasadena, California, November 10 – December 16, 2023
