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Landscape Paintings of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley

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Zolita Sverdlove lived in South Pasadena for thirty years and was continually fascinated by the landscape of the San Gabriel Mountains and Valley as viewed from the hills in South Pasadena. In her own words:

"My landscapes are based on two thematic ideas:

1. The first involves sensuous, spectacular bright light and color formations which are both sumptuous and baroque. I have treated this with Fauvist color and spontaneous brushwork application.

2. The second is the antithesis of the first, namely the dark, brooding , starkly forbidden aspects of the California landscape with cubist planes of space intersecting to create an architectonic space. This reduces the plastic space to its skeletal essentials.

My response to the duality of the California environment is the enigma created by these opposing forces. Sometimes the landscape appears sensuous and lucious; other times it is creepy and foreboding, and almost threatening. So, some of my work deals with the eerie, and some deals with the baroque sensuousness of colored light. Thus, in a sense, my work deals with the light and dark sides of nature."

She was a great colorist impressionist, and used bold color to accentuate the strong designs in her paintings. The skies fascinated her, and her landscapes might be characterized as "skyscapes."

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Winter at Casa Adobe 28x36 oil on linen 2008. The Casa Adobe is located on the Arroyo in Pasadena in the shadow of the Colorado Bridge.
Storm Lifting
24 x 34 oil on linen 2000
(San Gabriel Valley Landscape) Mount Baldy in winter.
The Twilight Zone
38 x 48 oil on linen 1999
(San Gabriel Valley Landscape)
Great Cloud Over Pasadena oil on linen 30x40 2000
(Pasadena Landscape)
Whipped Cream Clouds
32 x 40 oil on linen 2000
SOLD
(Pasadena Landscape)
Rain Clouds Over Pasadena
oil on linen 38x50 1997 (
SOLD)
(Pasadena Landscape)
Intermittent Showers
42 x 56 oil on linen 1997-2000
(Pasadena Landscape)
SOLD
Sunrise
40 x 50 oil on linen 1999
(San Gabriel Mountains)
Rising Sun 24 x 36
oil on linen 2003
(California Landscape)
Sierra Nevada I
42 x50 oil on linen 2002 California Landscape
Celestial Events II 22x32
oil on linen 2004
(Landscape viewed from South Pasadena) Not for sale
Hokusai Clouds 20 x26 oil on linen 2008 (Pasadena Landscape)
Rose Bowl Patterns 16x26 oil on linen 2002-3
(The golf course north of the Rose Bowl)
Rising Clouds Over Mt. Baldy 18x24 oil on linen 2003 (Pasadena landscape)
Pasadena Skyline 36x50
oil on linen 2005
(Pasadena skyline from South Pasadena)
Chinese Landscape II
26 x 36 oil on linen 2000
(San Gabriel Valley Landscape)
Morning Clouds Rising II
26 x 36 oil on linen 1999
San Gabriel Valley Landscape
Morning Clouds Rising III
oil on linen 18x24 2004
(Pasadena Landscape)) Not for sale
Celebration 30x40 oil on linen 2007
(landscape looking north from the South Pasadena water tower during the Rose Parade
on January 1st)
Storm Warnings 30x40 oil on linen 2006
(Mt. Baldy in winter) SOLD
Winter Skies over the Arroyo oil on linen (Pasadena Landscape)
Colorado Bridge with Italian Light
26 x 34 oil on linen 1999 (Pasadena Landscape) -
SOLD
Clear Pool at Hahamonga Watershed 32x40
oil on linen 2005
(Pasadena Landscape near JPL)
SOLD
Eaton Canyon Skyline 32x36 oil on linen 2004
(Pasadena Landscape)
Arlington Gardens 20x24 oil on linen 2008
(Native plants in Pasadena park)
Framed View of Pasadena Courthouse 24x28 oil on linen 2008
(Pasadena Landscape)
El Centro (Magritte's Clouds)
24x32 oil on linen 2007
Dow
ntown South Pasadena SOLD
Pasadena Nitescape
20x26 oil on linen 1999
Equinox 30x35 oil on linen 2006
(Based on an actual sunset in South Pasadena)
Fire and Ice 26x34 oil on linen 2001
Mt. Baldy at sunset
Waterlily Pond
36 x 52 oil on linen 1997 at Waterlilies at Huntington Gardens
SOLD
Fragrant Springs Bridge (at Huntington Gardens)
40x50 oil on linen 2008
SOLD
Celestial Events III 30x40 oil on linen 2007
(view from South Pasadena)
sold
Celestial Events I 28x36 oil on linen 2004
(view from South Pasadena)
SOLD
Double Colorado Blvd. Bridge I
40x48 oil on linen 1980
Arches of the Colorado Blvd. Bridge
24x30 oil on linen 1985
SOLD
Stormy Weather 40x50 oil on linen 1993
Rain Clouds 36x56 oil on linen 1992
Altadena 20x30 oil on linen 1956
This was one of Zolita's early paintings when she was 20 years old
Silver Birds at El Monte Airport 12x16
oil on linen 2004
Flame Clouds Over Mt. Baldy
12x16 oil on linen 2004
Snow on Mt. Baldy
12x16 oil on linen 2004
White Angels 30x36 oil on linen 2000
Mt. Baldy
Copper Clouds and Frozen Peaks
26x34 oil on linen 2000
Chinese Landscape I 32x50 oil on linen
Verdugos with Blue Clouds 20x24 oil on linen 1983
Starry Night 32x60 oil on linen 1990s Not for sale
793. Cumulus Clouds Over Pasadena 11x14 Not for sale
502. Pink clouds over the Verdugos 35x46 not for sale
772. Snow 54 x 60
581. Silent Sentinels 40x56 SOLD
524. Shadow Mountain 40x46 SOLD
629. Baroque Clouds 40x54
627. Receding Mountains 38x46
643. Ojai I 32x46
642. Storm Clouds 52x66
682. Morning Clouds Rising I 30x40
668. Cloudburst 40x48 SOLD
703. Palms and Clouds 10x14
693. Stormy clouds over Pasadena 40x50
753. Winter skies over Mt. Baldy 16x20
761. Ojai III 11x14
PAINTING LIST
Title
Size (inches)
medium
Year
Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley
Waterlily Pond
36x52
oil on linen
1997
Colorado Bridge with Italian Light
26x34
oil on linen
1999
Pasadena Nitescape
20x26
oil on linen
1999
Twilight Zone
38x48
oil on linen
1999
Storm Lifting
24x34
oil on linen
2000
Whipped Cream Clouds
32x40
oil on linen
2000
Great Cloud over Pasadena
30x40
oil on linen
2001
Winter Skies Over the Arroyo
30x38
oil on linen
Rainclouds Lifting Over Pasadena
38x50
oil on linen
1997
Intermittent Showers
42x56
oil on linen
2000
Sunrise
40x50
oil on linen
1999
Sierra Nevada I
42x50
oil on linen
2002
Rising Sun
24x36
oil on linen
2003
Celestial Events II
22x32
oil on linen
2004
Rising Clouds Over Mt Baldy
18x24
oil on linen
2003
Rose bowl patterns
16x26
oil on linen
2003
Pasadena Skyline
36x50
oil on linen
2005
Chinese Landscape II
26x36
oil on linen
2000
Clear Pool at Hahmonga Watershed
32x40
oil on linen
2005
Morning Clouds Rising III
18x24
oil on linen
2002
Morning Clouds Rising II
26x36
oil on linen
1999
Eaton Canyon Skyline
32x36
oil on linen
2004
Storm Warnings
30x40
oil on linen
2006
Celebration
30x40
oil on linen
2007
El Centro (Magritte's Clouds)
24x32
oil on linen
2007
Equinox
30x35
oil on linen
2006
Winter at Casa Adobe
28x36
oil on linen
2008
Hokusai Clouds
20x26
oil on linen
2008
Framed View of Pasadena Courthouse
24x28
oil on linen
2008
Arlington Gardens
20x24
oil on linen
2008
Fragrant Springs Bridge
40x50
oil on linen
2008
Celestial Events I
28x36
oil on linen
2004
Celestial Events III
30x40
oil on linen
2007
Double Colorado Bridge
40x48
oil on linen
1980
Arches of the Colorado Bridge
24x30
oil on linen
1985
Stormy Weather
40x50
oil on linen
1993
Rain Clouds
36x56
oil on linen
1992
Fire and Ice
24x36
oil on linen
2001
Altadena
20x30
oil on linen
1956
Flame Clouds Over Mt. Baldy
12x16
oil on linen
2004
Snow on Mt. Baldy
12x16
oil on linen
2004
Silver Birds at El Monte Airport
12x16
oil on linen
2004
White Angels
30x36
oil on linen
2000
Copper Clouds and Frozen Peaks
26x34
oil on linen
2000
Verdugos with Blue Clouds
20x24
oil on linen
1983
Chinese Landscape I
32x50
oil on linen
1990s
Starry Night
32x60
oil on linen
1990s
Cumulus Clouds Over Pasadena
11x14
oil on linen
Snow
54x60
oil on linen
Pink Clouds Over the Verdugos
35x46
oil on linen
Shdow Mountain
40x46
oil on linen
Silent Sentinels
40x56
oil on linen
Receding Mountains
38x46
oil on linen
Baroque Clouds
40x54
oil on linen
Storm Clouds
52x66
oil on linen
Ojai I
32x46
oil on linen
Cloudburst
40x48
oil on linen
Morning Clouds Rising I
30x40
oil on linen
Stormy Clouds Over Pasadena
40x50
oil on linen
Palms and Clouds
10x14
oil on linen
Winter Skies Over Mt. Baldy
16x20
oil on linen
Ojai III
11x14
oil on linen
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