Zornes Watercolor Exhibition

“Sun and Wind, by the Sea: California Landscapes of Milford Zornes” exhibition is on display through Jan. 27 at the Dana Adobe Cultural Center, representing nearly 70 years of Zornes’s unique vision.

Milford Zornes (1908-2008) captured California’s independent spirit in the bold shapes and vibrant hues of his paintings. Recognized as a leader in the California Scene Painters movement as well as the California Style watercolor movement, Zornes was both a prolific artist and an inspirational teacher.

Born in Oklahoma, Zornes came of age on California’s Central Coast. He attended Santa Maria Junior College before moving to the Bay Area to continue his studies. He worked with the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Scenes of Nipomo, where his parents owned a home, are frequent in his early work. Zornes’s 1936 watercolor Old Barn in Nipomo is held by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.