Sonoma-based painter Keith Wicks is on the move. But, before he goes, he’s hoping to connect with art enthusiasts and locals alike.
Wicks is set to host an open studio event on Oct. 25-26 at Sonoma Plaza’s Alley Gallery ahead of a move to southwest France early next year. He’ll have his paintings on sale at a discount, giving local collectors and art lovers a chance to take home some of his paintings before he takes his “next step,” he says.
“I want for people in Sonoma to have a chance to purchase some of my work before I leave,” Wicks said in a recent interview. “I’ve done thousands of paintings [in my career] and so this will be kind of a cornucopia, or kind of a hodgepodge, of lots of different parts of my life and I’m kind of excited to see what they all look like together inside one big show.
“People will be able to come and say, ‘Oh, I always wanted a piece from your Japanese show, and I never got to go or I never got to buy anything,’ so it’s kind of great to look back on everything, thinking about the next step.”
Wicks’ categorizes his paintings as “loosely impressionistic but still realistic” and he practices “en plein air,” a French technique of painting outdoors in an effort to capture natural light. His work ranges from depictions of vibrant Tuscan landscapes and still lifes to Japanese-inspired portraits and scenes from French cafes.
Wicks has also hosted art workshops the past two years with fellow artist Charles Pyle in both Italy and France where artists of any skill level can hone their craft while experiencing the local culture and cuisine.
It was during these trips to France that Wicks and his wife, who curates French antiques at Chateau Sonoma, decided to put down more permanent roots.
“When we taught the workshop in France, it was in Saint Antonin Noble Val … about two hours from Marseille and an hour outside of Toulouse,” Wicks said. “And so we talked about ‘Well, you know, at some point wouldn’t it be great to live there?’ We both kind of said ‘Hey, this is the time if we’re gonna do it.’ We’ve both reached 65 but we’re still young and vital.”
While Wicks will be stepping away temporarily from his workshop-hosting duties during his move, Pyle will continue to host them with plans to expand beyond Italy and France into other countries like Holland and Croatia.
The all-inclusive workshop experiences, which cost about $4,000 to $6,000 for an eight day trip, allow guests to not only learn more about plein air painting, but also enjoy stays in stunning accommodations, transportation and meals with private chefs.
“You don’t have to be a devoted artist … some of the people that come haven’t done any artwork in 20 years,” said Wicks. “And so we help them, we do watercolors or pencil drawings. And those that really, really want to get into oil paintings and do the things that we do and follow us … we get up and we teach them what we do and when they’re done, they just can’t believe everything we just did.”
Wicks is also founder of the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, an effort to help Sonoma Valley students learn about art.
Since its inception, the foundation has donated over $2 million to art education and supports about 17 different entities in Sonoma County, including schools and museums.
“My intention was just to make sure that my daughter had art when she was in school,” Wicks said. “But it’s grown and grown over the years, and will be kind of my legacy when I leave.”
Following his 27-year tenure as a professional artist in the Sonoma community, Wicks is set to begin his next adventure.
“I’m gonna take time off when I get to France, I’m not gonna go right into the studio,” Wicks said. “I think that I’m looking to change, see things differently and I’m sure I’ll be creating things that are completely different than what I’ve done in the past.”
You can reach Staff Writer Isabel Beer at 707-933-2734 or isabel.beer@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @IsabelSongBeer
