J.P. Lane

Painting the Grand Homes of California’s Central Valley” is a delightful blend of art, history and guidebook. Author JP Lane has surveyed the Central Valley from Redding to Keene for its picturesque, historic or just plain interesting homes and depicted them in oil and on linen. Most entries cover two pages, although some are a bit longer. For each, artist/author JP Lane provides a history of the house and its status as open to the public or, “A Private residence, Please Admire from afar. For some, he adds links to additional information. The text begins with an introduction to Lane’s mentors, materials used and motivation for this Covid-era project and is interspersed with painting tips.

The paintings are in a style that can be described as loose realism, reminiscent of impressionism but more true to form.

I perused this thin, oversized coffee table book over a period of months. Its text caters to my primary literary interest in history. The paintings are the speed bumps. They are not to be glanced at, nor even looked at. They are to be read. Take time. Notice the details, the colors, the sky, the flowers, the people. Sit it down. Pick it up and savor it over, and over again.… (más)

I enjoyed looking at the amazing art and reading about the history behind the grand homes. Being someone from central California it was interesting to learn about the history around you that you never knew about. There were stories about people from all different experiences andn walks of life. I also found that there were many famous people related to the history of the homes which was quite fascinating to read. Throughout the book, there were many painting tips teaching you about the role value, shadows, and darkness play in artwork. This makes you look at the painting more deeply and gives you a different perspective. I would definitely recommend giving this book a look if you appreciate art and especially if you're from central California.
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I won this for review and it's taken me some time to get to said review because it's the sort of book you pick up when you have time to lose yourself for awhile. I love that the houses featured have information about the home given, from the address to whether or not it's open to the public (some are private residences, some are museums, you get the idea) and some get a whole history of the place.

Each painting tells a story, and some go along with the stories shared in the book and some simply take place at the same address. It's worth a look if you're at all interested in the premise.… (más)

This book about painting and the notable or historic homes in California's Central Valley is a real treat. Every time I flip through it I see something new and it's been wonderful to be transported to California through the images.The author took a lot of care and thoughtfulness with the subject and it shows. As other reviewers have mentioned the author inscribed the book with a personal message and offered their help if I had any questions. This one is certainly one that will stick around my coffee table for guests and family members to peruse.
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