Milford Zornes "Hills of Nipomo," Oil on Canvas Laid to Board, 1956
Milford Zornes "Hills of Nipomo," Oil on Canvas Laid to Board, 1956
One of a kind — only one available
Pickup available at 4 E Yanonali St
Usually ready in 24 hours
Description
"Hills of Nipomo," an oil on canvas laid to board by Milford Zornes, 1956. Rows of rounded, sunlit hills in gold, tan and olive roll back toward a band of gray clouds, with dark oak shadows tucked into the folds and a strip of russet grass along the bottom. Smooth, sculpted modeling with a clear regionalist feel.
Titled "Hills of Nipomo" on the back. In a wide limed and streaked wood frame.
About the artist
Milford Zornes grew up in Oklahoma, Idaho and California. He loved to travel, so at twenty years of age, he hitch-hiked across America, worked on the New York docks, and then shipped out for Europe. By 1930, he was back in Los Angeles studying art with F. Tolles Chamberlin at the Otis Art Institute. He became very interested in watercolor painting and took additional study in this medium from Millard Sheets at Scripps College.
By 1933, he was exhibiting his watercolors and receiving awards. As a result of his art production for the P.W.A.P. Art Project, he was given a one-man show at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. One of his watercolors was selected by President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt to hang in the White House and an enormous amount of publicity followed. Within a very short amount of time, Zornes went from being a California watercolor student to being a nationally recognized artist.
Over the next few years, he concentrated on painting a number of high quality watercolors for exhibitions in California, Texas, Washington, D.C., Ohio, Kansas, New York, Illinois and other parts of America. When Larson P. Cooper formed the California Group traveling show in 1937, Zornes was one of the twelve artists picked to represent California watercolor painting. On the West Coast, he also became known as a gifted instructor of watercolor painting. Throughout this period, he was an active member of the California Water Color Society and was president of that organization in 1942.
When World War II broke out, he was drafted into the United States Army and was assigned to be an official war artist in the China, India, Burma theatre. For nearly three years, he painted on location in those countries and turned most of the art over to the War Department art collection housed at the Pentagon. He also had an art show in Bombay during this time.
After the war, he moved around California for a while, and eventually settled in Claremont. From there, he took a trip to Alaska and a series of trips to Greenland. All the while he was painting, teaching, and exhibiting nationally. Gradually, he developed the idea of traveling watercolor workshops. This combined his favorite things to do; travel, paint watercolors, and help others to enjoy the same. Zornes became one of the foremost watercolor instructors in America and traveled to nearly every part of the world at one time or another.
Condition
Clean and in good shape, with no flaking. The frame has some wear and small nicks along the edges.
Dimensions: 30"L x 22.5"H
Shipping & Delivery
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Small items — packed in-house and shipped UPS Ground or 2nd Day Air, usually out within a week. Most run somewhere around $25–$60 depending on size and destination.
Furniture, large art and lighting — delivered white-glove through our freight partners, quoted live at checkout. As a guide, expect roughly $350–$900 to California and the West Coast, and $700–$1,500 nationwide. Delivery usually takes 2–5 weeks outside California.
Buying more than one piece? Get in touch and we will put together a custom bulk shipping quote. Combining pieces into a single shipment is almost always cheaper than paying for each one separately. Email info@thebluedoorsb.com or call 805-364-5144.
Local to Santa Barbara? Pickup at 4 E Yanonali St is free and usually ready within 24 hours. Local delivery to Santa Barbara, Goleta and Montecito is $80 for a one-person delivery, or $160 for two people on larger and heavier pieces.
Condition, Authenticity & Returns
Everything we sell is vintage or antique, and no two pieces are the same. That means honest wear: patina, small marks, the evidence of a long life. We photograph each piece thoroughly and note anything significant in the description. If something is not clear from the photos, ask us before you buy and we will send more.
Our promise. All sales are final — but if a piece arrives damaged, or differs materially from how we described it, tell us within 48 hours of delivery and we will make it right.
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Hold It, or Come See It
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In Santa Barbara? Come see this one in person. We are at 4 E Yanonali St in the Funk Zone, open 10am–6pm Monday through Saturday and 11am–5pm Sunday. New pieces arrive every day — far more than we can list online.