City Hall Showcase Honors Local Artist

Gifted local artist Hilda Pittman began her painterly endeavor more than two decades ago, dabbling in acrylic pigments and soon settling on watercolors as her medium of choice.  

On Friday evening, the community gathered at City Hall to celebrate an installation of about a dozen of Pittman's floral-based watercolor works. The paintings are inspired predominantly by still life observation of flora and landscapes, subjects which Pittman has studied with other professional artists. Guests Friday evening were also treated to Pittman's own handpainted postcard sized watercolors, which feature a variety of subjects observed from nature.

"It is nice to be honored like this... for them to let me have my paintings up here," Pittman noted during the exhibit opening held in her honor.

"I just paint a little bit at home now, since my husband passed away. He used to make my mats for me and take me to art shows and set me up."  

When asked how it feels to be part of a community so rich in the arts, Pittman said, "It feels pretty good. It really is a very nice community."

Pittman has previously shown paintings as part of group exhibits in other galleries such as the Arboretum and Descanso Gardens, but this collection is the first devoted wholly to her work alone. The collection, which will decorate City Hall until June 8th, has been made possible by both the City of Sierra Madre Community Services Commission and Arts Advisory Committee.