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About Kevin Courter

A California native, Kevin was born in 1964 in Palo Alto. Growing up in Northern California, he found himself drawn to the beauty of the diversity of the California landscape. Whether depicting rugged Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, the vineyards of Sonoma Valley, or the majesty of the Big Sur coastline, Kevin Courter is a painter of California.

Kevin's paintings reflect the awesome and inspiring beauty that can be found in nature. Whether painting in the studio or on location, his work reveals his passion for the land he loves.

He captures the atmosphere of the moment, which he would say is the result of painting quickly, so as not to "think" too much. He wants the energy of the moment to touch the viewer, to share what he is feeling.

Inspired by the work of Russell Chatham, Wilson Hurley, Maurice Braun and Sam Hyde Harris, one finds a maturity in his style that reflects a more seasoned painter. He has been called a tonalist, which is a side of Kevin.

In these paintings he is very aware of design in composition and the use of negative space. This can be seen in his moody moonlit paintings with eucalyptus trees. The other side of Kevin's brush is a painter of local color. These paintings reflect color, light and mood and yet, the tonalist is still there.

Painting most of his life, Kevin developed into a more painterly style in 1999. The instant reaction to this new direction assisted him into being able to paint full time in 2003. He has also participated in many juried events over the years, such as the Carmel Art Festival, the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, La Quinta Plein Air Invitational and The National Juried show at the Palm Springs Desert Museum. He has won several awards and is a member of the California Art Club and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.

Kevin is also represented by New Masters Gallery of Carmel, California — with much of his work there framed in custom Holton Frames. Some examples are shown in the slideshow below:

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