Warren Dreher, the 'Insider' landscape painter, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, USA in 1946. His fascination for art landed him as student at the Rhode Island School of Design. Since his childhood, he was always attracted towards the effects of sunlight on different landscapes and its various elements. He would also spend most of his time enjoying the art books at the local library. His early influences were artists Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) and Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967). This adulation for them sustained until he graduated at the Fine Arts Work Centre in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Repeatedly compared to Edward Hopper, Dreher's paintings invariably carried the tranquil aesthetics of light effects in nature.
Being an ardent landscape artist, many of his images included the local architectural and natural landscape of dunes and water. In the 1960's he initiated a chain of architectural and scenery paintings in pastels and oil, which continues until date. In his teens, at the Boston University he was exposed to the exhibition of Bay Area Figurative artists Elmer Bischoff (1916-91) and Richard Diebenkorn (1922-93). This had a drastic impact on Warren's work. James Weeks' (1922-98) huge exhibition at the University of Rhode Island was also a revelation for the young painter. Later on, he concentrated on the studio work based on the sketches and the plein-air works capturing the landscapes of Cape Cod and Providence. He transformed the top floor of his apartment into a full-fledged studio to get a panoramic angle of the town and work without any hindrance.
In 1978, Dreher moved to California. Here the paintings of American artists Elmer Bischoff (1916-91), Weeks, and Richard Diebenkorn (1922-93) inspired and stimulated him. Soon he realised that his concepts of art lie somewhere in the middle of Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926), Degas, Hopper, and Bischoff. In the early 90's, Warren displayed several works of his paintings at the Bedford Gallery at the Regional Centre for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California and at the Lynn House Gallery in Antioch, California. Some of noted works displayed were The Outdoor Studio, Along the River, Vanishing Point, and Diablo from the Delta. His recent works survey and cover the distinctive light pattern of Southern California, San Diego, & Contra Costa, and the 20 years painting sequence on the Sacramento River Delta.
Being one of the Bay Area's leading landscape painters, Warren Dreher works started with a foretaste of the early 20th century American Realism, moving later to California's Bay Area Figurative School. Heavily experienced in both the school of paintings, he skilfully blended the two art movements of the century. He is at present an active member of the painters unit called 'The Insider.'
Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.
