" Paintings From Across The Channel " by John Comer

"PAINTINGS FROM ACROSS THE CHANNEL"
by John Comer
Opening October 2nd 2025
at SANTA BARBARA FINE ART
1321 STATE STREET
( attached to the Arlington Theater )
In Santa Barbara's Historic Theater and Art District

"Willows"
John Comer
24 X 48
oil on canvas

( The Chumash name for Willows Santa Cruz Island is p'qawwaqaw )


" Willows is one of the places we anchor on the south side of Santa Cruz Island. There was a Chumash village and later a fishing camp "
- John Comer



John Comer was born an artist.
As soon as he could hold a pencil, he was filling rolls of paper with landscapes filled with rocks and reptiles. As a teenager he discovered surfing and the ocean came into view. John explored his own ideas painting throughout high school and starting to sell his work. His more formal training began in college and fate led him to his first solo show at Galeria del Sol in Montecito at age 20, launching his career. John soon discovered sailing, purchasing his first sailboat, a 24’ Frisco Flyer. He loved old style wooden boats. His second sailboat was bought in Florida and two years were spent sailing it home through the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Central America, and Mexico. In a break from sailing, John tried his hand at fishing, going out to hunt swordfish, salmon, and albacore. John’s years on the water have informed his ability to see and paint from his own unique perspective. From 1992-95 Ray Strong, legendary landscape painter, invited John to share his studio and join the Oak Group, an association of environmentally active landscape painters in Santa Barbara.
John’s paintings from the Across the Channel show is an opportunity to experience the timeless beauty of our beloved channel islands from the vantage point of both land and sea. These paintings are deeply personal from a lifetime of being on or in the water.
Traveling across the channel under wind and sail power, the horizon is continually changing. Whales can be spouting and dolphins enjoy visiting the bow of the boat. Excitement grows as the shore nears. Each anchorage is a fresh experience with weather, waves, and wildlife always in flux. A pair of bald eagles are spotted on the cliff edge at Yellowbanks as one takes flight over the ocean. Hiking up Coches Prietos in afternoon light reveals the spectacular gradations of water colors in the cove below - turquoise, aqua, greens. Little Scorpion anchorage reveals the flowing water currents below and hundreds of pelicans roosting or soaring above. Prisoners Harbor’s working pier is highlighted by the beauty of the hills above it. Willows anchorage captures the sheer majesty of rock meeting the sea. When at home in the foothills the islands are seen from another vantage point. Here the islands are framed by seasonal lighting and the growth of chaparral. John is grateful to be able to visit the islands in our own backyard aboard his beautiful handcrafted Cape George 36’ sailboat.

Also check out other Arts events in Santa Barbara, Fine Arts events in Santa Barbara, Theatre events in Santa Barbara.