The Los Altos Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) recently presented the Women in the Arts Recognition Award to Los Altos artist Caroline McClintic in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the world of multimedia art.
Through her distinctive use of watercolor, textures and mixed media, McClintic brings urban and natural landscapes to life, capturing the beauty of Northern California in her uniquely layered and expressive style.
The DAR Women in the Arts Recognition Award honors a woman who has exhibited excellence in her chosen genre in the arts. The DAR – a nonprofit that focuses on local historic preservation projects, genealogy research, education and other projects – recognizes outstanding achievements in the arts including fiber arts design and creation, fine arts, sculptures, music composition, authorship and artisan design.
“The Los Altos Chapter is proud to help to preserve our diverse, American artistic traditions and to recognize local women artists,” said Donna Santistevan, Los Altos DAR Women in the Arts Recognition Award chair. “Here in our local area, we have multiple women artists working in a range of media and it’s challenging to select just one artist to nominate for this recognition award each year.”
Beyond her personal artistic achievements, McClintic has contributed to the community as a volunteer art docent for the Los Altos School District, sharing her love of art with students and inspiring the next generation of creatives. McClintic values her role in the Los Altos arts scene and enjoys the connection it brings to the local downtown community. Her work has been exhibited at several local galleries, including Viewpoints Gallery in downtown Los Altos, 315 State St.
Her recent exhibit, “Textured Landscapes,” featured Northern California scenes created with texture media, collage and acrylic paint on wood panels.
“I love the enigmatic nature and beauty of watercolor but am currently enjoying mixing mediums to create interesting textures,” McClintic said. “From my architecture training, I’m drawn to urban scenes, but I’m also drawn to unique lighting and textures found in nature.”
With a background in architecture, she seamlessly integrates principles of balance, proportion and perspective into her artwork. Her photographic references, many taken in San Francisco, serve as inspiration for her pieces, allowing her to reimagine urban and natural spaces with artistic freedom.
McClintic’s style has evolved from realistic and detailed to a looser, more expressive artistic approach. She’s constantly pushing herself to grow – having taken painting and drawing classes at the Pacific Art League and various workshops in California, New Mexico and New Orleans – experimenting with techniques she hasn’t used previously.
Previous winners of the Los Altos Chapter DAR’s Women in the Arts Recognition Award include Los Altos residents Lucy Boyadjian Janjigian, painter, and Morgan Gessford Bricca, muralist; Los Altos Hills resident Badri Valian, installation artist; Palo Alto resident Rochelle Ford, sculptor; and now-Tiburon resident Holly Van Hart, painter.
Any woman over the age of 18 is eligible to join the DAR if she can prove lineal descent from a supporter of the American Revolution. For more information on the Los Altos Chapter of DAR, visit losaltos.californiadar.org.
