California plein air painter Ray Roberts paints bright, open and airy California landscapes.

His influences seem to run to pioneering California Impressionists like Hanson Puthuff and to a lesser extent, Granville Redmond. This is particularly evident in the atmospheric qualities of his work; colors, though vibrant, are often softened in contrast, and their intensity muted in service of atmosphere.

Instead of painting brilliant sunlight reflecting from brightly lit subjects, Robert seems more concerned with light as a presence, filling the space between you and the subject.

His galleries are divided into Landscape, in which the atmospheric qualities are most apparent; Seascape, in which contrasts are more evident; and Figurative work, which is larger in size and presumably done in the studio rather than en plein air.

Don’t miss the Archives of additional work from each category.

Roberts is married to California painter Peggi Kroll-Roberts, who shares a fascination with light and shadow, often in the brilliant sunlight of beach scenes. Both artists conduct workshops, and the shared sections of their site include influences and recommended books.

[Via William Wray (see my post on William Wray)]