Artist and architect James Hubbell has been a creative force in Southern California since the 1950s. An accomplished artist whose work can be seen internationally, Hubbell moved to California in 1958, and began building the home that he and his wife still occupy near Julian. Hubbell’s influence on the artistic culture of San Diego transcends his work as a painter, sculptor, and designer. For Hubbell, all art is dynamic: a passionate engagement with life and nature.
Among the activities that Hubbell has pursued most assiduously is the practice of watercolor painting. The watercolor works featured in this exhibition were executed in the aftermath of the 2003 Cedar Fire that ravaged the San Diego region and destroyed part of Hubbell’s home. Looking upon the bare land left by the fire, the artist saw a new landscape and found beauty springing, like a phoenix, from the ashes.
From November 5, 2015, through February 9, 2016, The San Diego Museum of Art will present a selection of Hubbell’s watercolor paintings, inviting audiences to view the landscape through the artist’s eyes.
