Arboretum

When the Claremont Art Museum closed its physical doors, it did not cease to exist. Last night we attended a Claremont Art Museum event - the opening reception of a show at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden - Steve Comba: Arboretum. I believe this is the first art show in a new gallery space in the main administrative building. The space is one room, and this 8-foot painting titled Arboretum fills one of the walls. It took 8 months to complete this work, but years to gather the inspiration. He has envisioned "a line of trees" for many years, and this is the final work, completed in 2011. 

On the opposite wall pieces of years of inspiration for this work give the viewer a glimpse into the artist's mind, although I told Steve that I thought his mind looked too organized....

I asked Steve if the red spot on this cactus was an owl, and he said that he did not make it an owl, but it could be an owl in my perspective.