‘Golden Irises’ by Sally Bookman, St. Martin’s School, California Woman Artist, Santa Cruz

A substantial and vibrant, botanical watercolor by this well-listed and widely exhibited California woman artist. Signed lower right ‘Sally Bookman’ (British, born 1943).

Sally Bookman began her artistic career in London where she was born and where she studied oil painting at St. Martin’s School of Art and Design. During the late 1980’s, now a resident citizen of the United States, she began exploring water-based media, and soon produced a wide variety of images that evidenced her love for the vibrancy of color. Her subject matter focused on local California scenes, and scenes encountered during her many travels around Europe. Lately, she has begun to work in acrylics and has discovered a whole new intensity in the richness of color.

Sally’s artwork has been exhibited throughout the West in major watercolor shows. She has won many First Place, Second Place and Purchase Award show honors. One of her paintings was purchased by the World Trade Center in New Orleans. Bookman’s work has been featured on the cover of a national art magazine, published in the calendar “Celebration of American Women Artists”, included in the book “Best of Watercolors”.

As a local artist in the community of Santa Cruz, California, where she has lived since 1974, Sally has designed a number of annual festival posters for the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the Capitola Art & Wine Festival, the Capitola Begonia Festival, and the Wharf-to-Wharf Race. More recently, she has published a book of watercolor sketches of Santa Cruz, “Sand Between Your Toes”, as well as a book of watercolor sketches of Venice, Italy, and a photo-journal of her experiences walking the pilgrimage path to Camino de Santiago in Spain.

*With thanks to the artist website.