Dorothy Sklar (1906 – 1996)

Untitled (Houses in the Hills), 1946, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, 14 x 20 inches (image), 24 x 30 inches (frame)

$750

Dorothy Sklar was a popular and prolific Los Angeles painter who primarily worked with watercolors. Born in New York to Russian immigrant parents, Sklar’s family moved to Los Angeles in 1904. She studied at UCLA and the Chouinard Art Institute. She was a member of various art organization, including the California Art Club and the Arthur Wesley Dow Association. Initially she worked as a public school teacher, but after studying with Millard Sheets and Dong Kingman during the 1930s, she stopped teaching in the 1940s to pursue art fulltime. She often painted on location, setting up a portable studio from the back of her car. She explored both urban and rural landscapes around Los Angeles and her oeuvre taken as a whole captures a wonderful snap shot of the war and post-war years. Sklar was known for a spontaneous, open and usually exuberant style.  She exhibited widely in the 1940s and 1950s, sometimes winning awards and often receiving critical acclaim. She is listed in Who was Who in American Art and all other standard references.