Belgian Barn by the River - Expressionist Landscape in Oil on Canvas Vibrant depiction of barn by a river by Gloria Takla (American/German, b. 1940). A bright pink barn with a red roof sits on a hillside, near a riverbank. There are tall, wispy trees lining the banks of the river. This piece has Takla's signature palette of vibrant pink, red, blue, and green. This piece is titled "Zuid Koraal" which translates to "South Coral" - it is highly likely that the artist intended to write "Kraal" which translates to "Corral" (ie, a pen for animals). Signed at the right edge: G Takla Signed, titled, and dated on verso: Zuid Koraal (sic) Bree/Belgium 1991 Gloria Takla "Symphony N. 9 F. Shubert" is also written on verso. No frame, but the edges are painted for a frameless display. Canvas size 36"H x 36"W Gloria Lerch-Takla (German, b. 1940) was born in Berlin and began her art education at night school there. Later she studied art at Western Wyoming College, the University of Alberta in Canada, and Roane State University in Tennessee. She also was a master class student of Hassel Smith at the College of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame de Namur University) in Belmont. A San Mateo resident, Takla often paints outdoors around the Bay Area, both along the coast and in city locations. Selected Exhibitions: 1983 - P.ART.A Galleries, San Mateo, CA 1985 - Oak Ridge Community Art Center, Oak Ridge, TN 1990 - Center for Integrated Systems, Stanford, CA 1998 - “Chroma” Two-Woman Exhibit - Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA 2005 - “Lieder in Color” - Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA Artist’s Statement: “As I have been traveling extensively, my subject matters are all unfolding like a picture book; special moments, views bypassing, caught by my eye from a car window, discarded or stored for later evaluation. I paint the past - events that I have lived through and places I have seen. I experience them first, then at a later time reflect on them, feel them through, then my interpretations of events and impressions are put on canvas.” "I paint in the German Expressionism style of Gabriele Muenter, school of the Blue Riders or Blaue Reiter, a group of painters relatively unknown in United States. My paintings give out a feeling of serenity, beauty in color, and peace; the latter was told to me by my clients. I have been painting for over 30 years and have shown my work and sold works in different parts of the United States and Alberta, Canada. During the 1990’s, I had three invitational shows at the Stanford University through P. Hexeter, the curator of spaces. I also have been involved with the San Francisco Women Artists as a member and exhibits chair. I became a member of the cooperative art gallery, Gallery House, in 1984 and I am currently still a member."