"The little farmhouse in
Pennsylvania where I grew up was always alive with
singing, laughter and a love of the arts. My father, a
voice instructor, introduced us to the steady flow of
eccentric, larger-than-life characters found in his
greatest passion – the dramatic world of the Italian
opera."
-June Carey
June has received numerous awards for her California
landscapes and coastal scenes, including the Arts for the Parks Region II Award
in 1997 and 1998. Like many Californians, June started out on the East Coast.
As a teenager, she came to California. In the 1980s Carey found herself painting
desert scenes and became known for this, and participating in a lot of Western
art shows and competitions.
June is a Fellow in the
American Society of Marine Artists and an Artist Member of the Californian Art
Club.more
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Vineyard Before the
Harvest
“This is how I remember wine country when I
first discovered it,” recalls June Carey. “I couldn’t believe that such
a lush and verdant region existed in the hill country between the
Central Valley and the coast. There was a pastoral magic in the air.
Nearly every twist and turn in the road presented a view that seemed to
say, ‘Yes, it’s that’s beautiful here. Don’t you wish this was where you
lived?’
“In fact, I lived in Chico, CA with my late husband, the marine artist
David Thimgin. He and I would always make painting trips from our home
in Chico to the coast via the main highways. One mid-summer day, I was
driving back and decided we would go a different route. That decision
was one of the best I made in my life, it opened a whole new world to
me.
“I grew up in farm country back East and never encountered anything like
it in the areas of California I had visited. I missed the sense of a
personal connection that the small farms and communities had to the land
they cultivated. And here, in the Alexander Valley, I discovered it
again. Added to all this beauty ―they were growing grapes for wine!”
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Bask in the
warmth of a Mediterranean summer day along Italy's Amalfi coast. High
above coast sits the town of Ravello. An ancient path winds down from
the heights to the town of Minori below.
"When I took
this path, I felt like Alice in Wonderland going down the rabbit hole"
tells June Carey, "I would follow along this broken stone wall, where it
winds down underneath the flying buttresses on the side of the church
and down past gardens and vineyards towards the sea and the village of
Minori which is down there at sea level out of site in the cove. With
the thousands of years of cultivating the land, you can’t tell where a
terrace ends and a foundation begins.
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The
character and soul of California begins with the land, an expansive,
diverse and verdant landscape blessed with a Mediterranean atmosphere.
This magical environmental setting creates the one of the world’s ideal
grape growing locations. Nearly half of the wineries in the United
States make their home here, and the wine country mystique is an
essential ingredient of the California Dream.
Spanish missionaries
introduced wine growing grapes to the West Coast nearly 350 years ago.
Vineyards have been in families for generations and this steady
nurturing of the land has created a distinctive personality to
California’s wine growing regions that is entirely its own.
June Carey portrays
this harmony between people and the land as no other. A nurtured
landscape can flourish and be as striking as a natural one, and she
conveys that with passion and flair. One can feel the rich, warm summer
breeze that flows across this golden field as the clouds drift through a
blue violet sky.
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“On the peaceful flatland of the Val di
Chio, just below the city, I climbed out onto the floor of this field of
sunflowers,” reminisces June Carey. They were tall and I wanted to stand
among them, to look up and see the sun glowing through their golden
crowns. I made my way amongst the giant leathery leaves, trying not to
step on anyone’s feet. I was able to see, through the many flowery
faces, my beautiful and ancient Etruscan village silhouetted against the
sky, creating the dramatic background I hoped for in this painting. I
wondered if the Etruscans planted sunflowers here. I didn’t linger, for
I know the very much still-living proprietor tending these flowers could
have soon arrived to question me. As I escaped through the mud, I sensed
a thousand years of culture still thrived in this field.
“These large girasole are just now
reaching their full maturity and are covered with a million buzzing
bumble bees. Their heads are heavy with the seeds and have begun to lean
over with the weight. The petals droop gently down across their giant
smiling faces. Too heavy to follow the sun, the flowers simply remain
facing east.”
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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.
- June Carey
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Everyone in Northern California is familiar
with the coastline in Mendocino County. It is cool and moist like Cleone
and Fort Bragg that the region descends upon when it’s hot and dry
inland. It is a romantic place of expansive beaches, rocky headlands and
crashing surf. The more adventurous try to time their visits to the
arrival of storms because the waves can be so huge. “I’ve found that
seascapes are a dream to paint,” confides June Carey. “Because the water
is moving and flowing (unlike a static landscape), I have much more
freedom in how to paint it. I’m not locked into creating details and can
play more with forms and motion. This painting captures MacKerricher
State Park in a rare sunny, albeit misty, morning light.”
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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 favourite 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!”
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“Finally, in
My Girasoli, I achieved something I always wished for: to live in a
painting! (The villa I share with my neighbours is in the background.)
Each year the sunflower crop is alternated, usually with maize. 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
neighbour 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."
- June Carey
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“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
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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
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“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.”
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“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."
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“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.”
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“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
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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
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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.
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“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.”
~June Carey
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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.
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“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
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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."
-June Carey
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"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.''
-June Carey
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"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!"
-June Carey
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.”
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“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.
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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.
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“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
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“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
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“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.”
- June Carey
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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.
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