The Colorful World
of Jane Gottlieb
Artist Infuses Joy and Energy
Through the Lens of Color
By Roger Durling | December 8, 2022
On a rare October rainy day in Santa Barbara, I drive toward the foothills for the first of three conversations with renowned artist Jane Gottlieb. My head feels congested with worries about the midterm elections and mundane work-related stress about deadlines and budgets as I drive through winding streets of Mediterranean-style homes monochromatically painted in beige and brown. My imagination transports me to the sepia section of The Wizard of Oz when Judy Garland opens the door and is stunned by the multi-hued world she enters, as I find myself in front of a gate that opens unto Gottlieb’s Technicolor home — the entire exterior is painted in bright shades of yellow, green, purple, and hot pink. The sprawling house is done in a constructivist style, its geometric indulgences accentuated by different tints.
I feel as if I have stumbled onto a real-life Candy Land, and as I take it all in, an unmanageably big grin sneaks up on my face. “Forget your troubles, c’mon, get happy!” starts playing in my mind.
As I park my vehicle, my eyes continue wandering to the gardens and the ocean view. The elaborate pool is also bathed in day-glow tones, and sculptures accentuate the surreal landscape. I feel as if I were literally walking into a painting.
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