Palmdale Plein Air

Artist: Richard Gallego
Location: Palmdale City Library,
 700 E Palmdale Blvd.
Installation Date: October 2023

Three large alcoves on the Palmdale City Library have been painted with local landscapes by artist Richard Gallego in the plein air style. Plein air painting is the practice of painting outdoors, usually with the artist’s subject in full view. This project aimed to capture the feeling of the landscape and the light of plein air paintings within these intimate spaces. The “Palmdale Plein Air” pieces are an interpretation of a view from W Avenue O-8 looking north, which the artist has painted on several occasions. They add color and vibrancy to the corridor, stimulating visitors and complementing the mosaic mural by Kris Holladay, entitled “On Fire,” which is around the corner on the alcove facing Sierra Highway. 

About the Artist

Richard Gallego is a local artist with extensive experience in plein air painting. He has been painting the landscape since 1996 and has a longtime love of nature’s wild places. Referring to his obsession with image as “my magnificent affliction,” he is constantly searching for new ways to reveal the natural world to others through paint. He offers workshops and private lessons and can be contacted through his website, www.richgallego.com, where you can learn more about the artist and his body of work.