The A r t of Milfor d Zorne s: Friendships & Inspiration “A thing stated as fact or as reasonable is one thing, but art is the ability to express things beyond what can be expressed purely as fact or reason.”

The Art of Milford Zornes:

CCAA Friendships & Inspiration CCAA Museum of Art INTRODUCTION

Milford Zornes, the man, the artist, the direction after his experience in WWII, His work has great integrity and he do with the importance of watercolor teacher, the friend, the role model. Who teaching and then Greenland. He began held his work to the high standards in , the United States and yes was Milford Zornes? Why is he such an to teach painting workshops outside of of authenticity and was committed to the World. His 100 year commitment important part of the art world? the classroom setting, not only here in those standards. Of course he tried so will last through his own work as well This exhibit is our way of showing a California but all over the United States, hard to pass these understandings and the work of others he had an impact on. part of his influence upon individuals Latin America and Europe. He did this commitments. He was an idealist in so Milford gave up the quest for fame in as well as the importance and value of for the rest of his life, the process and for many ways as a human being and as an what most know as the “art world” to art in today’s world. Milford often said him joy of sharing his knowledge. His artist. Milford was unselfish with his time become a major influence to fellow artists that “painting was the only way he could vision through painting, and his love of and thoughtfulness while teaching others in the field of art. In the long run that create order in his life.” With that in painting, and its importance in the world and influencing their understanding and direction is the one that will give him mind, he painted everyday as a way of of art impacted many artists for a long attitudes as it related to painting. fame in the art world. Yes. The long road feeling and expressing his sense of order period of time. He said, “You learn to was the right road for Milford Zornes, in our chaotic world. teach and you teach to learn.” Whatever He was a great role model with his hard one of the great American artists of the he did learn, he wanted to share with an work ethic. From early in the morning 20th century. It is clear that Milford, along with unselfish attitude. to late at night, he definitely led by . Phil Dike and example. He was also able to adjust to the Bill Anderson other California artist worked in adversities of old age including macular artist, gallery owner, art teacher, a direction that was unique to degeneration. He adapted with perhaps friend and colleague of Milford Zornes California during the 20’s and 30’s. the best results in his life with powerful Painting watercolors on location works of art that captured the essence that showed the landscape, the and beauty of the subject in a way few cities and the life of the people have ever been able to do. Claude Monet of California. This movement and Henri Matisse come to mind when led many artists in that direction. it comes to the work of artists late in Milford decided to go in a new their life. Milford Zornes had much to

left to right Bill Anderson, Henry Fukuhara, Raul Anguiano, Milford Milford Zornes sitting for Zornes, Howard Hitchcook Raul Anguiano in 1996 photo by Greg Sutton 2006

2 3 Untitled Source of the Nile 30” x 22” 18” x 12” Watercolor Watercolor 2003 1988 Zornes Family Collection Zornes Family Collection 8 9 Mother and Child Mermaid 64” x 17” x 13” Acrylic Stain on Wood 1998 William and John Edward Svenson Jeanette Davis Like me, Milford was comfortable with welders, hot rod builder’s and bronze the common working class “mud on the foundry workers who had pride in what shoe’s” folks who were the backbone of they did; Milford validated that approach this country. I worked with blue-collar knowing “Art” is for everyone.

10 11 Barn at Knotable Arkansas Sketch from the Alabama Hills XX” x XX” 16” x 12” Watercolor Watercolor 1989 2002 Private Collection Tom Fong 12 13 Bill Anderson

I met Milford Zornes in 1994 when I invited him to participate in a five country exhibit at the Nation Museum of Watercolor in Mexico City. I said to him, “I’m sorry Mr. Zornes there will not be insurance on your work from the time you give it to me and the time when the exhibit ends.” His response was, “If I had to worry about insurance for every exhibit I’m in, I’d never get anywhere. This said a lot to me at that time considering some painter with much less of a and painting on location with him at least one reputation said no because of the insurance day a week for all of the following years taught situation without regard to the importance of me a great deal about hard work, commitment this international exhibit opportunity. Milford and persistence as it relates to your work as an was a humble man that that understood what it artist. takes to be successful. Over the years traveling with him and painting on location with him I taught art for 38 years and still learned a great at least one day a week for all of the following deal from Milford. Most of all, the importance years taught me a great deal about hard work, of honesty and integrity in your work, paint commitment and persistence as it relates to from the strength of skill and knowledge you your work as an artist. Over the years traveling have acquired and are able to adapt to all the White House, Blue Trim with him things life presents to you. 20” x 14” Watercolor 2008 Bill Anderson 14 15 Over Cayucas 35” x 22” Walk to the Sea Watercolor 23” x 18” 1987 Watercolor CCAA Collection 2005 Jan Wright 16 17 Casino at Avalon Bay, Catalina Island Sierra Farm, Owens Valley 30” x 22” 30” x 22” Watercolor Watercolor 2008 2004 Private Collection Private Collection 18 19 Jan Wright

When I first stepped into the Claremont Post Office in 1974 and saw the mural he created in 1937, I was stopped in my tracks. I never dreamed that I would one day become a watercolor artist and have the privilege of studying with him when he was in his 90s. He held strong beliefs about the need to paint directly from nature and railed against what’s left out of a painting is probably more the camera as an unnecessary barrier between important than what’s put in. the artist and his painting. The impact of his unfailing dedication to his work and his More than any other stimulus, I am attracted students will last for generations. to light against dark. I love to use bright Mapquest colors and sharp contrast. Balanced against 22” x 30” I love to paint trees. Perhaps that would have the frequent disappointment of not "getting 2006 occurred without having seen Milford’s capacity it," whatever the subject might be, is the Watercolor to turn them in to almost human shapes. His unmitigated joy of knowing when one has by Jan Wright ability to reduce the complex landscape to a some magical process, created an image that few critically placed lines sharpened my own rises up from the paper and enters the heart and deconstruction skills. According to Milford, mind of the viewer.

20 21 Yellow Trees In Carmel Valley 30” x 22” 30” x 22” Watercolor Watercolor 1985 1999 Private Collection Jan Wright 22 23 Patricia Palmer Zornes 1919-2009

In late 1939 to early 1940’s, Pat Palmer was a young student at Otis Art Institute where Milford Zornes was on staff. There are photos of Pat and Milford working with a small group of students on a mural (which still exists) at the Ramona Bowl in Hemet, California. During this period, Pat did some wonderful small several archeological publications. She watercolors. We suspect she was influenced by continued to draw into the 1960’s. At the time her instruction from Milford Zornes. of her death in 2009, she had begun to draw once again. After leaving Otis, Pat went to work for the Disney Studios doing illustration work for Milford often said that pat was his best critic. movies, including Bambi. While there in 1942, Milford often brought a painting from his studio Pat and Milford were married. into their kitchen where Pat often sat and asked for her to critique a painting. Milford said that Pat’s drawing skills were outstanding. She pat’s comments were often very critical, but he facing page, Untitled Olvera Street illustrated a book on botany as well as did not doubt her evaluation. 14” x 11” 14” x 11” Watercolor Watercolor Circa 1940s Circa 1940s Hal and Maria Baker Hal and Maria Baker 24 25 Raul Anguiano Millard Sheets 1915-2006 in . I helped Raul with the East Los Thanks to Raul’s connections, I was asked by the Angeles College director of the National Museum of Watercolor facing page mural on the history in Mexico City to get 20 American watercolor Portrait of Milford Zornes of the 20th Century artists together to represent the U.S. in a 18” x 24” Mexican Art. Five Country Exhibition. I contacted David Conte Crayon Milford came one Sheets and got some phone numbers including 1996 day and posed for Milford Zornes. I called Milford to ask him to Zornes Family me and became a participate and he agreed. This event is how part of the mural as Raul and I met Milford Zornes in 1994. Orozco’s arm. Milford actually watched Rivera

paint on a mural in San Francisco, Clemente Raul was recognized as the last of the great Orozco paint his famous mural, “Prometheus,” traditional muralists of Mexico. Raul was the at in Claremont as well young one in this generation that included as Ramos Martinez at in Diego Rivers, David Siqueiros and Clemente Claremont. He also participated in a class Orozco. Raul painted many murals in Mexico with Siqueiros in Los Angeles at Chouinard Art and late in his life painted two more at the Institute. He often said he was influenced by Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, one at the Luma the Mexican Muralists. Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles and one for 23” x 35” the Vincent Price at East Los Angeles Collage. Raul, Milford and I worked on location several Oil on Canvas Milford visited Raul many times while he was times as well. Raul, the most well-know 1958 working on each of these murals. It is well- living artist in Mexico, and Milford, the most Bill Anderson known that Milford was a muralist also. He recognized American watercolorist had great painted one in the Claremont, California Post respect for each other. The world of art misses Office, the El Camp, Texas Post Office as well both of them, but it is fortunate for all of us that as helping in Chicago and with their unique works lives on.

28 29 Tom Fong

I was just starting my journey of learning to be a painter, our first assignment was to go out in nature and do value sketches. I wandered off as far as I could, thinking that no one would find me. Before the end of the sketching assignment a tall figure was towering behind me, looking at my timid sketch. I heard a voice say, “Young fella, you’re not going in the right direction.“ He asked me of shapes, overlapping, use of warm and cool for my sketch book, sat down next to me and colors and good contrast. Also, don’t copy the began sketching the scene and explaining his subject as a camera, but re-invent it to paint simple approach of art to me. it, as you feel it! Over the years I’ve completed many sketch books, but I sure want to find the Since then, Zornes has influenced my work one with his sketch on it! by his strong horizontal format and simple Cathedral Beach, Yosemite Valley approach in planning the composition by use As an artist, I paint because it gives me joy! 22” x 30” Watercolor 2009 Tom Fong

36 37 Albert Setton

For me Milford’s reputation as a “living legend” preceded him. Even before I met him I had great respect for him as one of the pioneers on the California watercolor scene and I held his work in high regard. After I made his acquaintance and got to know him at a personal level, he certainly did not disappoint. My admiration quickly turned into reverence. Here was a man who had attained great acclaim in his lifetime, yet as a person, he that Milford seemed to possess and depicted was very unassuming, referring to himself as a in his paintings at that time in his long and “painter” and leaving to others whether they productive life.

wished to call him an artist. He harked back My artistic journey is self-directed. My current to a previous era when there was time for the work captures California’s joyful, energetic, simple pleasures and courtesies of life. yet laid-back ambiance, and is reminiscent of I find that the work Milford did after he was my roots in the Mediterranean. High contrast legally blind to be the most compelling because and bright energetic relationships of shapes, they were simplified to the nth degree and color harmonies and calligraphic strokes are his space divisions were monumental. They characteristic of the work. I am now working had gained a simple elegance as he could no with watercolor and acrylic on paper in a Barcelona, Spain longer see to add extraneous, and ultimately, relatively large format, visually recording my 34” x 48” unnecessary details. These are qualities I strive, emotional responses to things that engage Acrylic on Paper sometimes, without success, to incorporate into me, such as people and the outdoors. But who 19XX my own work. I marvel at the internal serenity knows where I will venture next? Albert Setton

40 41 Millard Sheets 1907-1989

The artists who made up the art scene of California in the 1920s through the 1950s were a unique group of individuals. Collaboration of ideas and methods was the preferred manner in which to pursue ones creative challenges. There was little that an artist knew that they were not willing to share, even if another artist improved on it. Millard and Milford were no exceptions when it came to working together on a singular project.

Milford assisted Millard in creating the murals for transport to San Francisco. Once there, for the Golden gate international Exposition of the challenge of hanging the canvases was met 1939 in San Francisco. As with many large art with determination and the eagerness. One can projects, the questions of what materials to use imagine the thrill for these two young 30 year and how to make them work for the particular old men, of being surrounded by the activities project came into play. Conversations about of preparing for a 400+ acre World Exposition. these questions and solutions to each challenge facing page Old Wooden Bridge are reflected in letters between the two men During WWII in India, Milford in the Army, Three Gay Birds 29” x 16” which surfaced recently in Milford’s personal and Millard working as a war Correspondent for 18” x 13” Watercolor items. There were discussions on the quality of Life magazine, Milford did a wonderful portrait Serigraph Circa 1941 canvas material to be used and how it should of Millard. They remained friends and fellow Circa 1950s CCAA Collection be stretched. The several 24’ X 22’ murals, artists throughout their lives, with very different Gene Sasse each over 500 square feet in size, needed to be creative styles, but very similar values and love painted in Southern California and then rolled of humankind.

46 47 Henry Fukuhara 1913-2010

Milford often said, “Henry and I are opposite in this way, my life is filled with chaos and disorganization. The only place I can find order is when I am doing a painting. Henry, however, has a very disciplined and orderly life and his escape from that was to be free and spontaneous in a very direct, enthusiastic, way when he painted.”

As an observer, I recognized the great respect large following encouraged many painters to participate. and friendship Henry and Milford had for each other. Milford supported Henry whenever One thing in particular they had in common, he had an exhibit or an event, and Henry which showed late in their exciting and did so as well whenever Milford had and productive lives, was their unwillingness to give exhibit or event. in to physical challenges. This was particularly true in relationship to their loss of vision. Each year, Milford participated in Henry’s Milford and Henry both worked right up to the Manzanar workshop paint out. Milford’s end with their persistent desire to do another facing page Westside Pavillion - Westwood support helped a great deal in the early stages of painting. We could all learn from both Henry Culver City - City Hall 24” x 18” this event, which started 13 years ago. Milford’s and Milford. 22” x 15” Watercolor Watercolor Circa 2000 Circa 1995 Bill Anderson Bill Anderson 50 51