Founded by the Spanish in 1771, the San
Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission is the crown jewel of
Carmel-by-the-Sea and one of June Carey’s favorite subjects to paint.
“I have, over the years, amassed a
wonderful collection of reference on the mission from my many trips and
research,” says June. “Today, the buildings and their gardens are
beautiful, but when you look at photos taken 70 years ago, there was
even more magic. The facades weren’t as restored as they are today, so
the basilica and out buildings have a bit more of that character you’d
expect from structures as old as these. You also had the chance to see
more of the buildings then than you can today, especially from some of
the most pleasing angles. I am tempted at times, when I visit, to make
the request of cutting back some of that lush growth to reveal more of
the Mission, but I have a good idea of what the response would be to
that!”
Fine Art
Masterwork Giclee canvas
handsigned by the artist
“Finally, in
My Girasoli, I achieved something I always wished for: to live in a
painting! (The villa I share with my neighbors is in the background.)
Each year the sunflower crop is alternated, usually with maise. I was
sad to learn the field beside the house was not going to be
sunflowers last year, when I was there. But, Francesco, my neighbor on
the bicycle, told me that these sunflowers were newly planted just up
the lane. Francesco has a huge garden down the road. He and his wife,
Maria, who live in the apartment above mine, ride their bikes to and
from their garden every day. Here he is returning home for lunch,
carrying his hoe. Maria's fresh laundry is hanging on the terrazzo above
mine. And me--I am the crazy American artist, running around with my
camera, taking photos in the hot sun while every sane Italian is going
to rest until the heat subsides."
The first hint of russet leaves on the vines
let us know magic is in the air as fall arrives in the Alexander Valley.
The warm days and cool nights have matured the grapes to peak
perfection. Over one hundred days ago, they first appeared as flowers on
the vines; six weeks back, these grapes were green and hard, now they
are soft and red. They are bulging with the perfect balance of sugars
and acids. Yesterday was too early, tomorrow will be too late. Today is
the day, today is harvest day.
Fine Art Museum Edition
Giclee canvas
handsigned by the artist
“The full name of the little church is Pieve
di Sant'Andrea a Cercina. It is in the community of Sesto Fiorentino,
just outside of Florence, Italy,” says June Carey. “To get there, I
drove through the tiny village of Serpiolle. The stone walls close in on
the street so that cars are expected to honk on the blind corners before
going into them. If you are lucky, there is room for one small car. Once
through the town, at a deserted intersection was this church with its
walled cemetery. Nearby, I saw this woman gathering greens from the
field for dinner that night. She is my favorite part of the scene. I try
to imagine myself getting older and living the life that she must live
there. I would, however, probably be better at painting the scene than
living it.
I returned another time and the place
looked deserted. The door was open and I went inside with my camera,
thinking to grab a few photos. There was a very heavy scent of white
lilies and in the dim light, across the barren interior courtyard I saw
a table, where the lilies were in a large vase. I snapped one photo, and
was ready to fire the next, when suddenly, from a small doorway I didn't
know existed, a nun appeared, speaking rapidly and waving a bony finger
at me. Although I had no idea what she said, I knew she did not want me
to take photos! So much for my love affair with the inside of old
churches, I guess one should never assume a place is deserted in Italy.”
- June Carey
Fine Art Limited Edition
Giclee canvas
handsigned by the artist
The painting marks the warm fall days of the
Tuscan grape harvest in late September and early October.
Working farmers of all ages, men and women wearing their long aprons,
gather at the edge of the field, laughing, talking and sometimes
singing. They then go out with great purpose and energy, carrying their
red buckets through the seasoned vines which are heavy with deep blue
clusters of grapes. Cypress trees surround the ancient walls of the
buildings that mark the home of wine cellars since the twelfth century.
Museum Edition Giclee canvas handsigned by the artist
“I have been to the mission garden in Carmel
many times and each time taken photographs. I almost didn’t go this
time; I thought, ‘Why? The pictures always look the same.’ But after a
chilly and foggy day, the sun came out and I was anxious to get outside
with my camera. As I entered the mission gate I was greeted by colors I
had never seen there before. The garden had been replanted as it was
every spring, but on this bright April afternoon every plant and flower
seemed to glow with exuberance and sing with unreal color. It was a
timely reminder that there is something new and beautiful each day, even
in this same old world.”
Museum Edition Giclee canvas handsigned by the artist
“The
locals say we have two seasons in California: green and gold,” says
artist June Carey. “In the late 1880s northern California became a
source for the highest quality grain in the world, especially wheat.
This period was known as the ‘Second Gold Rush.’ The grain was harvested
and then floated down the rivers and canals on boats to San Francisco
and loaded on to huge sailing ships. When the winds came the germ of the
wheat and oat grasses spread and mixed with native varieties."
Museum Edition Giclee canvas handsigned by the artist
“Just north of San Francisco, there are
still places as unspoiled as this farm. As soon as the winter rains end,
the green grasses turn golden brown. In between the grazing lands like
this are forests of oak, cypress and eucalyptus. The eucalyptuses are a
beautiful part of our relatively young history here. They have thrived
and grown large against the powerful cold winds that blow off the
Pacific waters. Like people, with their many textures, moods and colors,
they are a tribute to the character, strength, and spirit of survival in
the West.”
Masterwork canvas edition
hand signed by the artist
“This scene has actually been in
the works for several years. I love village scenes and I
think this will be the first of many. I hadn’t planned to
include the figures or the dog when I began. My friend in
Italy had a sweet yellow Lab who was my buddy when I stayed
there, but he got sick and passed away, so I wanted to put
him in the picture. Even though the poster says my yellow
Lab is lost, you can see him coming up the street. I added
the women because I feel that the people are as beautiful a
part of Tuscany as the land and the history. Perso means
“lost” and I usually am lost when I’m there! I don’t know
where this village is—I hope that I can get lost there again
sometime and that I can recognize the place!”
- June Carey
Fine Art Masterwork
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
I decided that I wanted to paint early
morning light on the falls—and I am not a morning person. I got up at five
a.m. to catch the light and it was worth it. In order to get the shot, I
held my camera strap between my teeth and climbed out over the boulders of
Eagle Falls. I held the camera at arms length and hoped for the best. Just
getting to paint this scene was a journey, but the pleasure it brings to
everyone (including myself) makes it more than worth it.”
~June Carey
Fine art museum edition giclee
on canvas
hand signed by the artist
Primavera (new life) is the Italian word
for spring. It is Maggio (May) in this Tuscan scene, the poppies have begun
to bloom and every tree, vine and flower is full of new life. The young
artichokes have come up again on their own, among the grasses and fiori
(flowers) of spring. The gardener tends the new growth on the vineyards,
wearing the traditional leather apron and heavy boots.
Masterwork edition
Giclée Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“This bend in the road is a remote corner
of the Alexander Valley, I go there to escape the congestion of the rest of
the world—I don’t want to share the actual location, really! The chickens
and geese wander happily through the vines, eating insects they find hiding
under leaves and in the grass. The summer days are long, allowing the grapes
to mature in their own good time. Tiger lilies and summer grasses support
the wobbly arbor that tempts me to wander just a little bit closer.”
Spring comes early to the gardens of
Mission San Carlos de Borromeo de Carmelo in California. Even now you may
see the padres, working to turn the earth and replant. The beauty of an
ancient garden is, for all its history, ever-changing.
Limited Edition Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“Californians hold a special reverence for
this coastline and its highway. Having come here in my youth, I always
marveled at the atmosphere of untamed wilderness, despite the millions of
visitors, each destined to ‘get over to the water and enjoy some peace and
quiet.''
- June Carey
Masterwork edition
Giclée Canvas
hand signed by the artist
Just after the turn of the century, Father
St. John O'Sullivan became pastor of the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Both
seemed fated to perish from this earth: Father O'Sullivan from tuberculosis,
the Mission from the ravages of time. It was the priest's inspiration to
restore the Mission to its previous splendor and create throughout it
magnificent gardens to rival those of the Alhambra in Spain.'' Such a
passion for the gifts of the land seems to have a power that extends far
beyond simple beauty. Father O'Sullivan survived to oversee the Mission's
restoration for
twenty-three years."
"This vine has evolved from the hills of
ancient Italy and France to the Northern California wine country. The vines
themselves are works of art, either flowing as green ribbons into distant
valley vistas or in their twisting close encounters beneath dusty bunches of
ripening berries.''
"Mission grapes were developed by the
Spanish Padres that arrived in the 1700s for mission wine they still grow
today. The missions were self sufficient, supporting not only themselves,
but their many converts. They grew all their own food, raised livestock and,
of course, they needed the Holy Wine!"
Tankhouses are as romantic a vineyard
visage as the rows of grapes themselves. There’s a whimsical charm
surrounding the old vineyard tankhouses with their angled walls. Long before
piped irrigation, farmers pumped water from shallow wells using a windmill
powered pump that would force the water up into an elevated tank. Gravity
would then provide the water pressure necessary to irrigate the fields.
When piped water became available, the tankhouses were no longer needed.
Vineyard Tankhouse was inspired by the
vineyards of Alexander Valley and combines a favorite subject of the artist
with the low warm light of the end of day.
Masterwork edition
Giclée Canvas
hand signed by the artist
Named for 19th century ranch owner Don
Francisco Perez Pacheco, the fertile Pacheco Pass was the home of the Ausaymus Indians for centuries. Living peacefully off the land, these
Indians used a natural artesian spring they named “Bright Bubbling” as a
year-round source of fresh water. This spring and its location would prove
to be important in the years to
come. A path was carved into the area by Indians
traveling in from the coast to trade. After the establishment of the
California Missions, the trail’s main travelers were Mission Padres
attempting to convert the central Californian Indians. With the discovery of
gold in 1848, this same area was part of the main travel route from coastal
California to the mines. As the population increased, the area’s rich soil
was cultivated to produce fruit trees and vineyards.
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
Above Florence,
visits the beautiful hills of Impruneta, the Tuscan town located between the
valleys of the Greve and the Ema streams, south of Florence. Known as “in
pineta” (within the pine woods), Impruneta’s pine forests can still be seen
among the olive groves on the surrounding hills. Florence, the unspoiled and
fascinating birthplace of the Renaissance, lies in the distance.
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
June Carey’s first
love is the nurtured beauty of the earth. Alexander Valley Winery’s
reputation for exceptional grapes is considered among the best in
California. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon
Blanc and Gewurztraminer from Alexander Valley have each earned reputations
for their distinctive regional character.
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
Oil Trees of
Chianti is the fourth image in June’s Dona di Natura series, which focuses
on the romance of Italy’s fabled wine country. The Chianti region,
considered one of the oldest wine regions in the world, makes some of the
highest quality olive oil from trees in its hills. It takes at least 50
years for an olive tree to get into full production making Chianti olive oil
some of the rarest in the world.
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“The rich, warm summer air woke my senses and
I found myself in the lovely Sonoma Valley,” says artist June Carey. “With
the midday sun high over my head, I was inspired by the vibrant greens of
the exuberant new leaves and intrigued by the way the green gently folded
into the distance, the humidity tinting it to blue and violet as it
disappeared into the bright sky.”
Masterwork edition
Giclée Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“I was struck by
the unique beauty of this untamed shoreline, which in the spring, reminds me
of the green coasts of the British Isles.”
-June Carey
Slide Ranch is located
in beautiful Marin County, just a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Once home to the Miwok Indians, today the ranch has been preserved as a
national park.
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
The Russian River
Valley was settled in the early 1800s by Russian winegrowers who had found
their new home along the Northern California coast. The character and soul
of the valley’s wine flows from the land and its generations of tender
cultivation.
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“Walking through
the corridors of this ancient place, I find my greatest joy comes from the
contrast of the verdant vines and lush gardens overtaking the crumbling
walls with life. This giant pepper tree’s spreading limbs gently shades the
peaceful courtyard while sunbeams haphazardly highlight the dusty paths
below.”
-June Carey
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“I left Florence in
the morning and followed
a small white road up the hillside, hoping to find a magical view. I soon
found myself lost. But, as I rounded a corner, this breathtaking scene full
of seasoned vines, heavy with purple berries, spread before me.
Sometimes, it is only in those moments when we find ourselves lost that we
can find ourselves living in a dream like this one.” - June Carey
Limited Edition
Giclée
Canvas
hand signed by the artist
“After passing
under the serene ivy arch, I found myself in the haven of a mission garden,
where the peace of this exquisite refuge seemed to wash the day’s
difficulties away.”
In the warm shadows
of a long summer evening June came upon this estate, lovingly cultivated by
the same family for generations. A few miles inland from Monterey Bay, the
renowned Salinas Valley is framed by the Santa Lucia and Gabilan Ranges, a
perfect setting for the growing of wine grapes.
