~ Carl Bretzke ~
“My first Best in Show award winning painting, 2021's "Valley Below," was painted at Top of the World Park in Laguna Beach. I had painted at that location previously, but always looking west toward the ocean. In 2021, Linda Stern suggested I check out the sunrise from that same spot looking east. I ventured up in the dark, anticipating a beautiful sunrise, only to be met with complete cloud cover.
I painted anyway, and as luck would have it, the sun's rays broke through at just the right moment to create the image I captured. In 2024, I won again with the nocturne painting "Violet Sky Over Cliff Drive." It was painted on a foggy night, which is ideal for creating an exaggerated glow around streetlights and capturing the violet hues cast into the sky by the city below.” Carl began oil painting in 2004 at the St. Paul Art Academy, and began entering plein air events in 2010. He retired from a 25 year career in medicine in 2016, and went full time into his craft. Carl says he is fascinated by the science of color and attracted to dramatic light effects.
2021 Invitational Best In Show “Valley Below”
2024 Invitational Best In Show “Violet Sky Over Cliff Drive”
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