Jordan, Author at Marcus Ashley Fine Art Gallery Lake Tahoe

Exploring the Style of Watercolor Realism: The Fine Art of Eric Christensen

Gold Rush by Eric Christensen

The terms “watercolor” and “realism” are rarely seen together in the world of fine art. Yet, achieving hyperrealism with watercolors is an astounding feat that artist Eric Christensen achieves time and time again.

His artwork evokes the verdant beauty of vineyards, gardens, and bountiful tables. Often, realism falls into the trap of looking like a high-quality picture rather than a work of art, but Eric Christensen’s fine art has total command of the composition to make his paintings eye-catching, beautiful, and as blissfully intoxicating as the wines they portray.

Dive into the world of Christensen’s contemporary watercolor art, available to purchase for your collection at Marcus Ashley Gallery.

What Makes This Contemporary Watercolor Artist Unique

Few people can achieve the attributes of realism using watercolors, and even fewer have mastered watercolor art with such impeccable detail as Eric Christensen.

Artists do not typically attempt realism with watercolors; the medium inherently bleeds and behaves somewhat unpredictably for most artists, and fine details can get lost when colors spread and blend. Oils and acrylics are usually preferred for realism, but Christensen achieves masterful hyperrealism nonetheless.

Christensen uses a special layering technique to ensure dryness and precision in every aspect of his watercolor realism approach. When you look closely at an original or print, you can see the meticulous brushstrokes he employs. He uses photographs for reference in his initial sketch, often manipulating several reference images at once and using them primarily for conceptualization. In his paintings, you can often glimpse familiar, recognizable landscapes in Napa Valley.

A Closer Look at Examples of Christensen’s Watercolor Realism

Casaba & Protea

This painting, set in a rustic kitchen, evokes a warm mood and the lush bounty of an autumn harvest. Featuring yellow winter melon and sugarbushes, Christensen draws from his backyard garden and the natural beauty that inspires him daily. The sunny hues and composition inspire a homey coziness that will brighten any room.

Casaba and Protea is one of the rare original pieces of Eric Christensen’s fine art available at Marcus Ashley Gallery. It’s truly one for the collectors, and we invite you to come view it personally in our South Lake Tahoe gallery.

Estate of Bliss

This triptych displays exquisite attention to composition, color, and form. It manages to capture the essence of Napa Valley in all its flavors, beauty, and sensory delights.

A remarkable aspect of this watercolor realism painting is that all three panels were painted at the same time from start to finish. Christensen’s hallmark patience, attention to detail, and phenomenal skill are especially evident in this prime example of contemporary watercolor art.

Golden Glow

A cozy fire, a bountiful cheese board, and fine wine — some of life’s finest pleasures. This sumptuous Christensen painting draws you into an intimate, classy life, where problems melt away.

This inviting painting is sought after by the owners of fine estates, urban restaurants, vineyards, and personal collectors. With such a warm scene and enticing palette, who could resist its appeal?

Purchase Eric Christensen Fine Art For Your Collection

Marcus Ashley Gallery is proud to play host to some of the finest contemporary watercolor artists of our time, including Eric Christensen. Our skilled art consultants have many years of experience advising art collectors and connoisseurs about framing, shipping, and which painting would look the best in their gallery. If you’re interested in services like international shipping or even a private home show, peruse our range of world-class gallery services.

Eric Christensen takes commissions, and they don’t have to be of Napa Valley landscapes or wine! He can breathe life and vibrance into any still life or treasure that you desire. If you would like to get in touch with him and see if he can bring your artistic vision to fruition, contact one of our knowledgeable art consultants.

Exploring the Beauty of Lake Tahoe Through Art

The breathtaking natural majesty of Lake Tahoe is best experienced in person, but the second-best way to see it is through the eyes of an artist. While we and our community contend with the effects of wildfire to the lake, wildlife, skies, and surrounding Sierra hillsides, art can help provide a window into the Lake Tahoe we all know and love.

Our talented featured artists use their creative vision to capture the beauty of the local area in stunning, inventive ways. We’re happy to share with you some of our favorite Lake Tahoe paintings, photographs, and the artists behind the canvas.

Enjoy a sampling of our collection of Lake Tahoe art, and consider bringing one of these pieces of artwork into your personal collection with high-quality Lake Tahoe prints from Marcus Ashley Gallery.

Jon Paul: Gorgeous Lake Tahoe Landscape Photography

A renowned nature photographer, Jon Paul has a prolific history of capturing the tranquility of Lake Tahoe and the wildlife it holds. Incredibly, Paul does not digitally enhance his photos; their beauty and composition is due entirely to his excellent eye and technical knowledge.

Paul has lived in the Tahoe area since 2002, and photographed the surrounding area for many years prior to moving here. He’s drawn to the colorful landscape and unblemished beauty that makes Tahoe such a fantastic place for photography. He is also a skilled wildlife photographer and has successfully captured rare animals like bears, coyotes, owls, and osprey up close in their natural environment.

A painting of a blue and yellow sunrise over Lake Tahoe entitled Sunrise by Michael Flohr.

Michael Flohr: The Ideal Tahoe Sunrise

Flohr’s contemporary impressionist paintings are infused with the phenomenal beauty of the American West. He paints with pigment straight from the tube like Cezanne, giving his pieces a rich color palette. His Lake Tahoe art has a very distinct style which has been described as a mixture of abstract expressionism, impressionism, and avant garde.

Despite the many names and labels Flohr’s work has been given by art aficionados, Flohr insists a piece of art doesn’t have to have a deep or dense meaning to be enjoyable. He simply seeks to replicate the beauty that he sees in nature on canvas.

Colorful painting of a sunset over Lake Tahoe entitled Catching the Colors Together by Rolinda Stotts.

Rolinda Stotts: Perfectly Imperfect Nature Scenes

Nature is beautiful, but it is not pristine and unblemished. Leaves fall, branches break, and there is an endless cycle of growth and decay. Stotts’s style emulates the perfectly imperfect cycles of nature in her artfully distressed scenes of Lake Tahoe and other elements of nature.

Her Lake Tahoe paintings are usually comprised of acrylic painted on board, which she then cracks and intentionally damages at the very end of the process. The result is a leaf-like crackling and bark-like texture that looks like the very subjects it represents. Stotts’s Lake Tahoe art is unique and highly sought-after by locals and collectors alike.

Animated gif of an abstract copper sculpture that turns in the wind entitled Agave by Lyman Whitaker.

Lyman Whitaker’s Wind Sculptures: A Quintessential Tahoe Art Landmark

No list of Lake Tahoe art would be complete without the work of Lyman Whitaker. While his subject matter does not feature the lake itself, Whitaker’s work adorns our very own Marcus Ashley Gallery, where it greets thousands of visitors from around the world.

The Tahoe breeze brings these sculptures to life, and they’re best perceived in motion. The rotating effects give these sculptures an impressive illusory effect, creating a hypnotic infinite animation. We’re proud that these sculptures are the first incredible sight our visitors see when they enter our gallery.

Visit Our Expansive Gallery

The only place where you can see all of these Lake Tahoe paintings, photographs, and other artworks in one place is at Marcus Ashley Gallery. Located in the heart of South Lake Tahoe, our gallery is impressive not only for its size, but also for the range of contemporary and classic artists we host. Art lovers of all ages can enjoy the variety of our collection.

If you’re interested in owning one of these Lake Tahoe prints for yourself, then we welcome you to visit our online gallery and see the range of artwork that’s available for your collection. Enjoy your stay at the gallery online or in person!

How to Hang Artwork

How you display the artwork in your collection is almost as important as the artwork itself. A beautiful display gives the artwork the justice it deserves, while a poor display can potentially reduce the artwork’s integrity.

There are two key elements regarding how to hang artwork: the aesthetic arrangement, and the technical process of hanging it on a wall. Here, we’ll go over both aspects: how to hang unframed canvas and framed art, and how to hang art gallery style.

Steps

Measure Your Artwork
Cut Out Paper the Size of Your Artwork
Plan Your Layout with Painter’s Tape
Drill or Hammer Holes
Hang the Artwork

What You’ll Need

Ruler or measuring tape
Pencil
Paper
Painter’s tape
Level
Nails (or screws for heavy artwork)
Hammer (or a drill and screwdriver for heavy artwork)

Step 1: Measure Your Artwork

Measure all of the artwork you wish to hang. Be precise, or you could end up with irritating errors and off-centeredness.

Step 2: Cut Out Paper the Size of Your Artwork

Cut out paper in the exact size of your art (and its frame) that you’ve measured. Tape paper together if it’s not big enough.

Write the name or description of the artwork on the paper so you know which paper represents which painting.

Placing pieces of paper on a wall Descriptive file name

Step 3: Plan Your Layout with Painter’s Tape

Now that you have the paper cut out for every painting you wish to display, you can hang up the paper in your desired layout with painter’s tape. (More on aesthetic layouts below).

Make sure you use blue or other designated painter’s tape only! Painter’s tape won’t damage your wall, unlike other tapes.

Tip: Learn how to hang artwork so it’s at the right viewing level. The golden height galleries use to place the center of a framed piece of artwork is 57 inches, the average human eye level.

Artists’ tape and an exacto knife for prepping artwork hanging

Step 4: Drill or Hammer Holes

How you should hang paintings depends upon their weight:

A light painting (<10 lbs) requires only a single central nail
A medium painting (10-25 lbs) requires a picture hanging hook
A heavy painting (25-50 lbs) requires a drill, screws, and screwdriver.

Important: If your painting is heavy, use a stud finder to hang it securely and avoid wiring in your walls. You might also consider having a primer or spackle at the ready for covering any previously existing holes or damage along the way.

Supplies for hanging art and decor on walls: stud finder, hammer, drill, and patch up paint

Step 5: Hang the Artwork

Hang your artwork on the screws using the wire at the back of the frame. Make sure you use a level to ensure your artwork hangs straight.

With that, you’re done! The hardest part isn’t learning how to hang artwork — it’s deciding where to hang artwork.

Tips On How to Hang Unframed Canvas

If your artwork doesn’t have a frame, then it requires a few more steps. You’ll need to attach a wire to the stretcher bars in order to have a place to hang it. Here’s how:

Insert two eye hooks into opposite stretcher bars.
Cut a string of wire slightly longer than the painting.
Attach the ends of the wire to each eye hook.

Tips on How to Hang Art Gallery Style (a.k.a. Salon or Museum Style)

What’s important to note is that there are no real rules regarding how to hang artwork in your home, so you should use your own artistic vision to determine how art is arranged on your wall.

When you let your own vision and inspiration guide you, your art collection can tell a story, an idea one of the artists in our collection, Rolinda Stotts, might agree with. To quote Stotts, “You have a story to tell. How will it be told?” Rolinda is a master of figuring out how best to display art on a large wall creatively, and we are always inspired by her local home show displays.

Inspiration and vision matter, but there are some important and common guidelines you can follow so your artwork is arranged attractively if you need some ideas.

There are four primary ways of hanging framed art:

Straight across in a line
Evenly spaced in a grid
Clustered, arranged in free formation
Gallery style (also known as salon style or museum style)

Gallery style is perhaps the most cohesive and professional way that you can display your collection. To learn how to hang artwork gallery style, follow these key tips:

Align the top and bottom of the paintings horizontally, and align the left and right of the paintings vertically. Your paintings should have a neat upper and lower bound which should remain an appropriate distance from the top of your wall — likewise with the vertical edges.

Define clear visual lines. Gallery style hanging looks messy when it doesn’t have clear and even visual lines separating the artwork. Ensure there is a margin of at least a few inches between each painting, and keep the margin consistent. These first two tips are what differentiate gallery style from clustered style.

Plan the design out before drilling holes. This should go without saying, but it can’t be left unsaid. Many home designers can get nervous about drilling a ton of holes in their wall only for the whole design to turn out slightly off-center. The solution is to hang up placeholder paper with painter’s tape, as we suggested above.

Contact the Professional Framers at Marcus Ashley Gallery

There are endless factors involved in creating your personal art gallery: the space you’re working with, your preferred aesthetic, the frames, the artwork itself, and much more. If you would like personalized advice on how to hang artwork from experienced curators, then don’t hesitate to contact the knowledgeable team at Marcus Ashley Gallery. Our art hanging and framing services are here to help you create the most beautiful home collection possible.

Artist Process Series: Malcolm Tibbetts & Woodturning Art

Some dedicated masters have the talent and skill to breathe flowing, dynamic life into a material as harsh and rough as raw wood. This is known as woodturning art — an art technique which shapes wood into curved, irregular shapes.

At first glance, the work of Malcolm Tibbets and other woodturning artists seems like it couldn’t possibly be made out of wood. To further heighten your appreciation for the time and skill that goes into this craft, we want to explain what woodturning is as part of our ongoing artist process blog series. Learn more about this remarkable craft and how it’s made at Marcus Ashley Gallery.

What is Woodturning?

In its most basic form, the art of woodturning involves placing raw wood material on a woodturning machine or lathe, and then turning it evenly to carve and shape it in a circular motion.

You likely have already seen plenty of woodturning art without realizing it. Most wooden bed posts, doorknobs, spindles on railings, and similar round wooden carvings are made using woodturning. Like woodworking in general, woodturning has been around for thousands of years, and some of the same techniques used by our ancestors are still used today — albeit with much more advanced tools and technology.

Carving wood into a round shape takes an impressive amount of skill, patience, and practice. Woodturners need highly specific tools, including a high-quality lathe, to produce the best effect. As an art form, woodturning has a steep learning curve and requires a remarkable amount of technical skill.

It takes a very long time and a lot of dedication for woodturners to start creating high-quality products, and it takes even more time to feel relaxed and comfortable around the lathe and start experimenting with artists’ individual styles. For those who have the diligence and persistence to hone these unique skills, woodturning art can be incredibly rewarding.

Taking Woodturning Further: Segmented Woodturning Artists

As if classic woodturning wasn’t intricate and beautiful enough, some dedicated artists take woodturning much further.

Segmented woodturning involves turning a wooden piece that consists of multiple, sometimes hundreds, of glued-together pieces. This allows the artist to create turned art with endless color variation and patterns that enhance the curved shape of the piece.

Basic woodturning already has its challenges, and segmented woodturning art multiplies them tenfold. For many oddly shaped sculptures, the artist must design and build their own jig to hold the piece into place for carving. The segments must be meticulously adhered to one another for the shape to hold and stay in place, and artists often have to turn to some crafty innovation in order to achieve their desired result.

While segmented woodturning has an enhanced difficulty, it has equally enhanced rewards. A skilled segmented woodturner can produce such gorgeous patterned creations that must be seen to be believed.

The Unique Woodturning Art of Malcolm Tibbetts

Malcolm Tibbetts is one of the most renowned and respected segmented woodturning artists in the country today. Tibbetts grew up woodworking in his grandfather’s workshop, and he spent his entire life developing his skills. He nurtured a furniture-building hobby that saw his entire home filled with handcrafted furniture.

This hobby turned into an art form after he was fortunate enough to acquire a workshop of tools. After that, he started experimenting with segmented woodworking, and his hobby became a passion. Even with his lifetime of experience in working with wood, segmented woodturning art was a brand new adventure.

Tibbetts uses remarkable imagination and ingenuity to develop his complex structures. His mastery over the craft allows him to create wood sculptures that resemble spiraling knots, stellated dodecahedrons, and Mobius strips. His sculptures are so precise and awe-striking that it’s hard to believe they were created by a man and not a machine.

As a master woodturner, Tibbetts has also dedicated part of his career to instructing future woodturners by creating several instructional videos and participating in educational initiatives and symposiums. His efforts ensure that this rare and intricate artwork will be passed onto future generations. We are honored to have him as part of our local South Lake Tahoe artist community, where he lives full time.

Experience Woodturning Art at Marcus Ashley Gallery

Located in beautiful South Lake Tahoe, Marcus Ashley Gallery is a premier gallery displaying magnificent woodturning art. If you’d like to see what woodturning is in person, we would be happy to invite you in.

On our online gallery, we also have a number of woodturning art pieces available for you to purchase for your collection. Explore our selection and see what fantastic artwork inspires you.

Art for Nature Lovers: Landscape Canvas Print Gifts at Marcus Ashley Gallery

Marcus Ashley Gallery is located in the beautiful scenery of South Lake Tahoe, where we are incredibly fortunate to have the majesty of nature in our backyard. Many pieces in our collection are inspired by the natural landscapes that surround us, and our art curators are often asked what artwork can commemorate their love for the landscape.

Here are our best ideas for landscape canvas prints, landscape pictures (framed or unframed prints), and landscape photography wall art. Enjoy our inspired collection.

Rolinda Stotts’ “Artfully Ruined” Landscapes

Stotts has pioneered a style of landscape painting that is truly unparalleled. She uses a technique she’s named “Bella Rotta,” which translates to “beautiful broken” in Italian. She purposely breaks and damages her artwork to imitate age and decay. The destruction adds texture, intrigue, dimension, and life to otherwise gentle, peaceful nature scenes.

A Stotts landscape canvas print (or mixed media painting) would make a fantastic gift for a nature lover, especially one who can appreciate the beauty found in imperfection.

Rare and Glorious Nature Photography by Jon Paul

Capturing the true grandeur of nature with a camera is not easy, yet Jon Paul manages to accomplish it time and time again. Jon Paul has dedicated his life to portraying the mysteries of the wild.

Paul has an impressive repertoire. Our Jon Paul collection encompasses panoramas, landscapes, wildlife, night shots, black and white subjects, national parks, the Southwest, and

photographs of our very own Lake Tahoe. If you want to purchase landscape photography wall art for yourself or as a gift, we can’t recommend Jon Paul’s work highly enough.

Barak Rozenvain’s Stunning Mountains

Rozenvain is inspired by his hometown of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. What you can’t quite see online is how Rozenvain illustrates the tremendous depth of the mountains in three dimensions, essentially creating a sculpture on canvas with thick paint. The result is a homage to snow-capped mountains that comes remarkably close to the real thing.

Many of Rozenvain’s original works are for sale at Marcus Ashley Gallery, and you can also have his landscape photos framed using our gallery services.

The Majestic Landscapes of Charles Pabst

There are few artists alive today who have mastered color and landscape in the way Charles Pabst has. In stunning pastel hues, Pabst explores the beauty of America’s national parks, especially the untamed West. In his paintings, you can get lost in worlds of color and light that draw you with their vivid, ethereal calmness.

Charles Pabst is one of the finest contemporary landscape painters today, and a limited edition landscape canvas print from his collection would be an exquisite gift for any art collector.

Alexander Volkov’s Fascinating Realism

Renowned artist Alexander Volkov uses oil paint with such expertise that you might often confuse his paintings for photographs. The pieces he creates with his paintbrush are nothing short of magical.

His interplay of light is one of his strengths, and it’s also a feature that’s incredibly important to him. Volkov says: “There is no greater mystery to me than the conflict of light and darkness. In the way they clash and penetrate each other, there is the source of everything. Whether I paint a landscape, a still-life or a portrait, within it there is always a story of light traveling through darkness.”

Not only do we have a variety of astounding limited edition landscape canvas prints available at our store, we’re also thrilled to offer a few select Alexander Volkov originals. Your nature-loving recipient will be very lucky indeed if they’re gifted one of these rare and special works of art.

Have Landscape Paintings Framed at Marcus Ashley Gallery

Our highly experienced custom framers can frame your artwork to perfection and customize your frame to your interior decor. Our experts are happy to discuss framing options with you. Simply contact us or visit us in person at our spacious South Lake Tahoe gallery. We look forward to helping you find a fantastic gift for the nature lover in your life.

Gift Ideas for Private Art Collectors & Art Lovers

What do you get for the private art collector that has it all? Taste is incredibly subjective, of course, but Marcus Ashley Gallery boasts a collection of inspiring artwork that any collector would be proud to display in their personal gallery.

If you’re looking for a special gift for a loved one or cherished friend, our art connoisseurs are able to help. Peruse these gift ideas for art lovers and explore more breathtaking options at our online gallery.

Mario Jung Originals

Jung’s contemporary impasto landscapes are distinctive for their clean lines, vivid colors, and rich details. His paintings often feature a single poignant tree, created by meticulously layering oil paint to achieve a three-dimensional effect.

His paintings are as unique as his story. After a fall interrupted his art career and left him blind, deaf, and paralyzed, Jung miraculously recovered. He returned to art through sheer determination and force of will. He has dedicated his life to art ever since and has enjoyed worldwide fame among public and private art collectors alike.

Michael Parkes’ Limited Edition Canvas

Michael Parkes is an exemplary artist that Marcus Ashley Gallery is incredibly proud to showcase. He has single-handedly advanced the genre of “magical realism” to brave new heights by blending surrealism with magic, ancient myths, and mysteries.

His body of work is both expansive and varied. He has mastered oil painting, stone lithographs, bronze sculptures, vellum drawings, and even jewelry. A Michael Parkes original or limited edition is a fantastic gift idea for any art lover.

Rolinda Stotts’ “Bella Rotta” Originals

Rolinda Stotts’ artwork is highly distinctive for its “Bella Rotta” process, an Italian term she coined which translates to “beautiful broken.” She paints dramatic, gorgeous nature scenes, often on multiple panels, and then purposely breaks and damages them to imitate imperfection and create unique textures.

Stotts’ artwork is popular for its charm, individuality, and composition. At Marcus Ashley Gallery, we’re also pleased to offer our clients the opportunity to commission a one-of-a-kind piece for private art collectors.

To take your gift experience to the next level, reach out to us to learn more about Rolinda Stotts’ home shows, wherein she will visit your recipient’s home and help consult on how best to decorate blank wall spaces with her multi-part artwork.

Charles Pabst Limited Edition Prints

Pabst’s love for the beauty of natural America and Italy is the dominant feature in his works. His mastery over the brush is unparalleled and universally admired.

You may have heard of Pabst: he is one of the finest American contemporary landscape artists alive today. His art is in huge demand both domestically and internationally, and one look at his stunning works will explain why. A Charles Pabst limited edition print is an ideal gift idea for art lovers everywhere.

Browse the Collection at Marcus Ashley Gallery

Our gallery is renowned for its impeccable collection, knowledgeable staff, and excellent service for private art collectors. Let us help you discover awe-inspiring art and select the finest gift ideas for art lovers. Contact us with any questions or visit us at our beautiful South Lake Tahoe gallery.

Our Favorite Things to Do in Tahoe Winters

Lake Tahoe is an absolute winter wonderland. If you enjoy a cozy fire with craft beer, entertainment, and a great view, this is the place for you. Here are the top recommendations for things to do in Tahoe during winter, brought to you by our local staff at Marcus Ashley Gallery.

Hit the Slopes

Skiing is an absolute must! Lake Tahoe is internationally famous for its gorgeous ski resorts, and this is a great place to hone your skills or start learning. No matter your fitness or skill level, a ski resort is a fun place everyone can enjoy.

There are a number of fantastic ski resorts in the area. Heavenly Mountain Resort is the largest, stretching over both Nevada and California and offering beautiful views of the lake from the slopes. Families with kids can hit the bunny slopes or go tubing. Advanced skiers can get an adrenaline rush on the intense black diamond valleys.

Kirkwood is a bit more remote, but its steep slopes are highly sought-after by thrill-seekers. Sierra-at-Tahoe has a laid-back atmosphere, lovely scenery, and that warm, cozy feeling we love about winter. It also has one of the best ski schools around for every skill level, from beginners to experts.

Have a Night Out at AleWorX at the Y

Head over to AleWorX for amazing craft beer and wood-fired pizza. This wonderful venue features a self-serve tap wall of unique craft beer, and the patio is always alive with music and entertainment. Visiting this fun local nightlife hotspot is a must on our list of things to do in Tahoe in the winter.

Eat at Our Favorite Local Restaurants

Fine dining is abundant in South Lake Tahoe, and our gallery staff has had the pleasure to experience it all. You can’t go wrong with a delicious night out at Riva Grill and the Edgewood Resort Bistro. Riva Grill is located right on the lake, and its outdoor patio seating offers breathtaking views. The Edgewood Bistro has classic menu options that everyone can enjoy in a beautiful, comfortable ambience.

Watch Magic Fusion at the Loft Theatre & Lounge

This perfect mix of magic and comedy is one of our top personal recommendations for things to do in Tahoe in the winter. Magic Fusion features world-class magicians and is called “Tahoe’s #1 show” for a reason. It’s the perfect evening entertainment on a cold, wintry night.

The show is appropriate for both children and adults, and there’s a special matinee on Sunday where you can get one child ticket free.

Bundle Up for a Winter Hike

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to avoid the trails. The scenery around Lake Tahoe is phenomenal in winter, and you shouldn’t miss it. Simply bundle up and bring some hand warmers and boots with a good tread. Get out there and have an adventure!

We love hiking the nearby Mount Tallac Loop and Cave Rock trails. Both of these trails are wildly popular for their accessibility and gorgeous, sweeping views. But in the silence and serenity of winter, you might not see another soul on the peaceful trail. The Mount Tallac Loop is approximately a full day’s hike, so plan ahead and come prepared.

You can also try snowshoeing on many of the South Lake Tahoe trails! Look out for one of the many local snow equipment rental services and enjoy much better mobility on packed snow.

Visit Our Gallery

We’d be remiss not to say visiting our own Marcus Ashley Gallery is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Tahoe during winter. The gallery is located in Heavenly Village, a delightful area with shopping centers, theaters, and restaurants adorned with festive holiday lights.

Our expansive collection features exclusive works from Jon Paul, Dr. Seuss, Malcolm Tibbets, Michael Parkes, Rolinda Stotts, and many more. If you like what you see, we offer a variety of originals and limited edition prints, as well as custom framing services and art consultations to help you along the way. Browse our online gallery to explore more.

Top Ten Limited Edition Michael Parkes Artist Prints

Michael Parkes’ illustrious career has revolutionized the magical realism style. His penchant for meticulous detail and evocative fantasy themes have made his work highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs around the world.

Marcus Ashley Gallery is enormously proud to be able to offer a selection of limited edition Michael Parkes artist works to our clients. Taste is naturally subjective, but here, we’ve selected the top ten most popular prints according to our customers’ and curators’ preferences. Enjoy this marvelous depiction of surrealism, fantasy, and folklore.

Gargoyles

Gargoyles depicts a youthful girl who has cast aside her innocence for powers unknown. Its captivating composition sparks curiosity and intrigue at first glance, and each small detail fills you with wonder at the story behind the girl controlling the gargoyles.

How did the girl come into this power? What is the gargoyle reaching for? Is the girl maliciously breathing life into the gargoyle, or is she as innocent as she seems? Like all Michael Parkes paintings, the story behind the curious figures is up to you to discern.

Still Life

While certainly one of the least fantasy-themed of Parkes’ work, this masterful still life is no less magical. The impending storm in the background, the perched cat, and the precarious open book make you feel like perhaps this is not reality, but something a little more wondrous.

Parkes’ still life paintings perfectly demonstrate his immense skill and unique style. This limited edition Michael Parkes artist print is one of our most popular, and it can be printed on giclee canvas in two sizes for your personal collection.

Tuesday’s Child

The title of this recognizable work comes from an old English nursery rhyme: “Tuesday’s child is full of Grace.” The woman defying gravity on a burning rope is believed to be a representation of Grace, who is not bound by logic or reason. Parkes says that Grace works mysteriously and cannot be demanded, hence the surreality of the figure’s movements in the painting.

Dark Unicorn

The beauty of this limited edition Michael Parkes artist print masks a surprising sadness. In legends, the Dark Unicorn was the only creature that remained when the pure unicorns were taken from the sinful earth. He remained to absorb the sins and sorrows of humanity so that the world would not fall into chaos, slowly turning black. The angel beside the dark unicorn in this painting tries to convince the selfless unicorn to leave, but he will not.

Black Panther White Wings

Two figures are at play in this astounding Michael Parkes artist image: a powerful black jaguar and a nude winged woman in black stockings, the latter stroking the former’s chin. The contrast between these two figures is stunning, and the sharp black and white contrast in this composition can be interpreted as the harmony of yin and yang. Parkes says of this piece, “The dark and dangerous panther sits in the calm atmosphere of the loving angel.”

Moonstruck

This cool-toned, ethereal painting captivates the challenging subject of cosmology and moonlight. The angel holds a representation of the moon in her hand while the full moon shines brightly out, illuminating the angel’s thin and perfect form.

Parkes has also delved into the medium of sculpture, and this is one of the most famous works he has brought into the third dimension. View Moonstruck as a bronze sculpture, which you can also purchase for your collection.

Swan Lake

Creatures and humans mix amid a pool of still water and lilypads, and the figures are not entirely corporeal. At first glance, it might seem like a landscape, but upon a closer look, you see it’s more like a dreamscape.

Swan Lake is one of the most colorful and complex in our collection of limited edition Michael Parkes artist prints. Parkes explains the setting for this painting as “a body of water found in a magical place, between Time’s unbreakable chain and human longings.”

Morning Song

Mermaids meet music in this charming masterpiece of magical realism. A blindfolded woman players a string instrument, luring the mermaids in to sing along, enchanted by them even though she cannot see them. The waves have an almost geometric, minimalist appearance, while the figures seem like perfect dolls. It’s another memorable piece that makes Michael Parkes a painter like no other.

Going Nowhere

This painting features a reclining nude woman and exotic themes, reminiscent of an odalisque painting that was so popular in the 19th century. The somewhat unreal perspective and partially two-dimensional backgrounds add a layer of surreality to this gorgeous composition. The mood is ornate, indulgent, tropical, and mysterious — a brilliant addition to any collection. Notably, this recent Parkes piece was completed during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, where everyone was, quite literally, “going nowhere.” Of this time, Parkes remarked, “During this quarantine, I have been painting as usual, and she is finished. Because of not leaving the house, I thought the name ‘Going Nowhere 2020’ was very appropriate.”

Running the Bath

Running the Bath is a more sensual, yet still magical, piece from Michael Parkes’ collection. A woman bathes with the aid of a blindfolded animal companion or attendant, and her bathtub has a peculiar face, clutching an egg with one of its claw feet. It’s this remarkable imagination that makes Michael Parkes paintings like nothing else, and Running the Bath is a great showcase of the bizarre meeting the elegant.

Explore More Michael Parkes Artist Prints

Michael Parkes has a style and repertoire like none other. His style and creativity cannot be perfectly imitated, and he is without a doubt the world’s most prolific magical realism painter today. A Michael Parkes painting is a rare piece that collectors and art lovers from around the world covet and treasure.

This is just a sample of the remarkable talent and skill Parkes’ collection has brought to the art world. If you’d like to see more of Michael Parkes’ artist images, sculptures, jewelry, and paintings, please peruse his profile on our online gallery.

Gift Guide: An Art Book Collection for Art Lovers

Delight the art lover in your life with a special artist coffee table book from our gallery. In the latest edition of our gift guide series, we’ll explore the Marcus Ashley Gallery art book collection so you can find a unique gift for art lovers that will amaze, inspire, and amuse them every time they pick it up.

1. Todd White: The Devil’s in the Detail

Todd White is a legend among high society art collectors. He lives his life in the spotlight, and his meticulous observation of human nature shines through in his whimsical, mysterious works.

His acclaimed book, The Devil’s in the Detail, tells the story of the Hollywood intrigue that White has encountered over the years. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a life fraught with envy, drama, and revelry.

2. Alexander Volkov: A Study of Time Past

Volkov is enamored with the fleeting, transient beauty of the natural world. His second book, A Study of Time Past, explores the beauty not often seen by the distracted eye in our modern world. This gorgeous artist coffee table book encourages you to stop, reflect on, and appreciate the simple elegance of nature.

A Boy and His Rocket -Book - Markus Pierson — A Boy and His Rocket -Book – Markus Pierson

3. Markus Pierson: A Boy and His Rocket

The story of Markus Pierson’s art career is like no other. He was once a bookkeeper, but after narrowly surviving Crohn’s disease, he decided to turn over a new leaf and become an artist. This unique gift for art lovers celebrates the absurdity, triumph, and heartbreak of life.

Out of the Shadows - Book - Mackenzie Thorpe — Out of the Shadows – Book – Mackenzie Thorpe

4. Mackenzie Thorpe: Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows tells the story of a family through old photos, personal quotes, and inspirational artwork. Thorpe manages to capture the whole scope of human emotion in one fascinating book. It’s an essential addition to your art book collection that you won’t want to miss.

City Expressions - Book - Michael Flohr — City Expressions – Book – Michael Flohr

5. Michael Flohr: City Expressions

This 190-page book took over three years to complete. It’s a kaleidoscope of color and majesty that only Flohr’s unique impressionistic art style can evoke. It also comes with four art prints!

Paintings From the Kitchen Table Lockdown 2020 - Book - Mackenzie Thorpe — Paintings From the Kitchen Table Lockdown 2020 – Book – Mackenzie Thorpe

6. Mackenzie Thorpe: Paintings from the Kitchen Table Lockdown

This popular artist’s coffee table book is not only charming, but topical. Thorpe created this exceptional artwork collection during the UK lockdown in 2020, in which he painted a watercolor or acrylic work every single day.

This visual chronicle takes you through a personal and emotional journey that’s a delight to explore. It’s one of the first publications in what certainly will be a slew of pandemic-inspired artwork in every art book collection.

New Horizons - Book - Charles Pabst — New Horizons – Book – Charles Pabst

7. Charles Pabst: New Horizons

Pabst’s landscapes are utterly stunning, both on canvas and in print. His talent in landscapes is unparalleled, and his ultimate goal is simply to bring happiness to others. New Horizons is one of the most popular items in our art book collection, and we encourage you to peruse its beautiful pages.

Scratching the Surface - Book - Sally Maxwell — Scratching the Surface – Book – Sally Maxwell

8. Sally Maxwell: Scratching the Surface

Maxwell’s Scratching the Surface covers the life of a wildlife artist who persisted against trends and took scratchboard and monochromatic drawings to the next level. This book includes a foreword by artist John Banovich and a thoughtful essay by Todd Wilkinson.

Orchid Stories - Book - Rolinda Stotts — Orchid Stories – Book – Rolinda Stotts

9. Rolinda Stotts: Orchid Stories

The story behind Orchid Stories is as uplifting as the artwork itself. Stotts was inspired by an orchid farm when facing the devastating reality of her friend having stage 4 cancer. She created her series of orchid paintings so that each bloom would send a message of hope, life, and growth.

Regarding this unique gift for art lovers, Stotts says: “I was not just painting orchids. I was painting love.”

Welcome to Marcus Ashley Gallery

If you’ve liked perusing our art book collection, we encourage you to browse our full gallery either online or in person in South Lake Tahoe. Welcome to the gallery!

An Intro to Dr. Seuss’s Unorthodox Taxidermy Collection

When you think of Dr. Seuss, the first things that come to mind are usually his charming children’s books, his imaginative use of the English language, and the famous Hollywood films his stories inspired. Most people probably don’t think of this lesser-known legacy he left behind: the fantastical Dr. Seuss’s taxidermy collection.

With his taxidermy wall art and sculptures, Seuss furthered his reputation for creating the bizarre and unorthodox. His collection contains names like the Andulovian Grackler, the Tufted Gustard, and the Semi-Normal Green-Lidded Fawn — and they look just as strange and Seuss-ian as you might expect!
As the premier gallery for Dr. Seuss artwork in the world, Marcus Ashley Gallery is happy to bring you this glimpse into Dr. Seuss’ taxidermy for sale at our gallery. These rare items present an odd and imaginative charm, and we’re pleased to present them to you today.

How the “Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy” Came to Be

Dr. Seuss grew up inspired by the exotic animals at the Springfield Zoo in Massachusetts, where his father eventually became superintendent. His 1967 book If I Ran The Zoo and his lifelong fascination with unusual animals stemmed from this past. In turn, many of our childhoods have been influenced by his love of creatures big and small.

Seuss and his wife’s apartment on Park Avenue in New York became filled with his taxidermy wall art in the 1930s, when Seuss was in his late twenties and thirties. His father would ship him parts from deceased animals from the zoo, including horns, antlers, rabbit ears, and bills.

The collection gained notoriety quickly; Seuss was already a prominent author and illustrator in high society circles in New York. In 1938, an issue of the popular Look magazine called Seuss the “The World’s Most Eminent Authority on Unheard-Of Animals.”

Components of the Collection

Dr. Seuss’ taxidermy is not technically taxidermy, which is why it is largely deemed as unorthodox taxidermy. While it incorporates elements of real animals such as beaks, horns, bills, and antlers, it does not involve the disemboweling and stuffing of real animals to preserve them as they were in life.

Dr. Seuss himself did not delve too deep into displaying real animal skins. Instead, he repurposed parts from naturally deceased animals from the Springfield Zoo. He used primarily plaster, screws, metal, laminate, and oil paint in his sculptures, adding real animal parts in only a select few. In his Tufted Gustard taxidermy, for example, Dr. Seuss uses no animal parts at all, opting instead for a shaving brush to create the “realistic” tuft of hair.

The collection is full of imaginative treasures. A green bird with a giant beak has a smaller version in a marsupial-esque pouch, and is dubbed the Kangaroo Bird. A pursed-lipped blue animal with dull eyes is crowned with a magnificent set of real antlers, and is dubbed the Sea-Going Dilemma Fish. The somewhat freakish Anthony Drexel Goldfarb has a set of big, floppy rabbit ears and a long brown neck. Like all sculpture, the true creativity of this collection is best witnessed in person.

How Seuss’s Taxidermy Wall Art Furthers His Legacy

How did Dr. Seuss get the inspiration for his bizarre animals? According to one of his interviews with the Saturday Evening Post in 1957, he simply “never learned to draw.” He was purposefully ignorant of realistic anatomy and traditional art techniques, allowing him to express true creativity removed from convention.

Today, the “Unorthodox Collection” is incredibly valued by fine art collectors. Only 17 Dr. Seuss taxidermy sculptures were ever made. These pieces and their high-quality reproductions remain some of the most sought-after artworks of collectors worldwide.

Rare and Ingenious Dr. Seuss Taxidermy for Sale at Marcus Ashley Gallery

Marcus Ashley Gallery is the nation’s premier Dr. Seuss art gallery, and we are happy to offer a number of reproductions of Dr. Seuss Taxidermy for sale. There are always a limited number of pieces, so visit our gallery online or in person in South Lake Tahoe to add this remarkable artwork to your collection.