Show Dates: September 3rd – 28th, 2025
Reception: Friday, September 5th 5-8pm
Meet the Artist Day: Friday, September 12th 12-6pm
“City Lights” by Maura Carta
Viewpoints Gallery’s September exhibition features exceptional new works in oil by talented local artist Maura Carta. Maura was classically trained in oil painting in Europe, and her extensive mastery of the medium is evident in this impressive new collection which includes tromp l’oeil pieces, portraits, cityscapes and landscapes painted en plein air. Maura uses the classical techniques of grisailles and layering in her work, which lends a luminescence to each piece. Her tromp l’oeil works feature eye-catching compositions, her portraits quietly gaze at viewers, and her landscapes, which are painted en plein air, are vibrant depictions of nature that captivate viewers and transport them into the painting.
Maura’s immense talent is evident in this latest collection, from the depth of her colors to her talent for perfectly capturing light as it falls on her chosen subjects. She describes her long-standing love of painting and the unique challenges she faces while working from life: “Turning a blank canvas into my interpretation of the world around me continues to hold my attention. I redesign the cityscapes into purple, green and sunlit orange. I love the texture of paint, the feel of applying it to canvas, and the exercise of seeing the world around me in terms of shapes, values and colors. I usually work from life, and that is rewarding and challenging - the light is always shifting, the model is never in the exact spot as the previous sitting, and someone always drives off in the car I just started painting. On occasion, it all comes together, and I have created another world our eyes can enter into and have documented another day in my life.”
After a career as a pension actuary, Maura had the opportunity to study art in Dresden, Germany. She studied for three years at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste under Siegfried Klotz and lived and painted in Germany for 15 years. She returned to the Bay Area in 2012 and has been spending her time painting plein air cityscapes, still lifes, interiors and portraits. Working in oils, Maura continues to experiment and interpret the world around her.
Maura’s works can be found in public and private collections in Europe and the US. She has taught at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto and exhibits at Studio Gallery in San Francisco, Bird Dog Arts in Bakersfield, Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos, and is an Artist member of the California Art Club. Among her many awards, Maura won the Director’s Choice award at the Triton Statewide Salon exhibition, third place in the California Art Club and First Place at the Pacific Art League Grand Opening exhibit. She has exhibited in California Art Club’s Gold Medal Show and multiple shows at their Old Mill Gallery. For more information about the artist, please visit her website at www.mauracarta.com or on Instagram @mauracarta.