Lowell Herrero: Origins of an Original

Iconic Napa Valley artist Lowell Herrero turned his passion for living into an enduring work of art. From his home in Calistoga, Herrero traveled to Tuscany, Provence, and Spain, absorbing the lessons of their sensuous and vivid landscapes. Portraying plump figures in the lavender fields and sinuous groves of olive trees, his work defined Napa Valley’s popular image. Now on the 10th anniversary of the Museum’s last Herrero retrospective, we examine his life, work, and the works of artists who influenced the valley’s legendary “Lavender Man.” Curated by Jennifer Garden, with previously-unseen works provided by Herrero’s wife Janet Gentile Herrero.

Sponsored by the Friends of Herrero

To celebrate the Napa Valley Museum Yountville’s summer exhibit: “Lowell Herrero: Origins of an Original,” the Museum will offer HERRERO HAPPINESS HOURfrom 12 noon to 1 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting now through the exhibit’s run, which ends on August 19.  Admission during this hour will be Free to the Public, and guests will be offered sun tea and other surprises. The Museum’s sunny outdoor picnic tables will be available for those wanting to bring their lunch, and experience this joyful tribute to one of the Napa Valley’s most beloved artists. Sponsored by the Friends of Herrero.

Biography

Throughout a dynamic life that has spanned the Great Depression, the Second World War, the rise of Silicon Valley, and the dawn of the twenty-first century, Lowell Herrero has turned his passion for living into art. From his home in California, he has traveled to Tuscany, Provence, and Spain, absorbing the lessons of their sensuous landscapes. The colors of horizons and rich earth, the sensations of sunlight, and the fragrance of flower-covered hillsides mingle in his imagination and flow through his paintbrush onto his canvases.

Herrero feels a deep affinity with farmers working the land. He renders them bursting with life, over-large, and enduring extensions of the very soil they cultivate. In his paintings, vineyards stretch into the distance as grape pickers enjoy lunch under a cloudless blue sky. Lavender harvesters bend to their task, and a field of rolled bales tells us the hard work of haying is at an end. Each painting invites us to smile with pleasure and enjoy the inner vitality and plenitude of the landscape. But above all, the paintings project the irrepressible joie de vivre of an artist who knows how to live.

For More on Herrero, Visit: http://www.lowellherrero.com

Photo by Chick Harrity