A California native, Kevin was born in 1964 in Palo Alto. Growing up in Northern California, he found himself drawn to the beauty of the diversity of the Californian Landscape. From rugged Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, to the vineyards of Sonoma Valley, to the majesty of the Big Sur coastline, Kevin Courter is a painter of California.

Kevin's paintings reflect the awesome and inspiring beauty that can be found in nature. Whether painting in the studio or on location, his work reveals his passion for the land he loves. He captures the atmosphere of the moment, which he would say is the result of painting quickly, so as not to "think" too much. He wants the energy of the moment to touch the viewer, to share what he is feeling.

Inspired by the work of Russell Chatham, Wilson Hurley, Maurice Braun and Sam Hyde Harris, one finds maturity in his style that reflects a more seasoned painter. He has been called a tonalist, which is a side of Kevin. In these paintings he is very aware of design in composition and the use of negative space. This can be seen in his moody moonlit paintings with eucalyptus trees. The other side of Kevin's brush is a painter of local color. These paintings reflect color, light and mood and yet, the tonalist is still there.

Painting most of his life, Kevin developed into a more painterly style in 1999. The instant reaction to this new direction assisted him into being able to paint full time in 2003. He also participates in many juried events such as the Carmel Art Festival, the Sonoma Plein Air Festival and the Telluride Plein Air Festival.

Selected Shows

2006 Two Man Show, New Masters Gallery, Carmel. CA
2006 Sonoma Plein Air, Sonoma, CA
2006 Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO
2006 A Plein Air Affaire, Santa Cruz, CA
2006 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
2005 Recent Paintings, One Man Show, Firehouse Gallery, Sausalito
2005 Sonoma Plein Air, Sonoma, CA
2005 Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO
2005 California Landscape Exhibition, Garden Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA
2005 California Plein Air, Napa Valley Museum, Napa, CA
2005 Gold Rush Plein Air Invitational, Sonora, CA
2005 Introductions, Six Artists to Collect, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2005 The Wonder of Water, Golden Oak Gallery, Saratoga, CA
2004 La Quinta Plein Air Invitational
2004 Still Life, The Garden Gallery, Half Moon Bay. CA
2004 Los Gatos Plein Air Festival
2004 Sonoma Plein Air Festival, Sonoma, CA
2004 California Landscape Exhibition, The Garden Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA
2004 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
2004 Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2004 The Landscape – One Man Show, Nash Gallery, Crockett, CA
2004 National Juried Show – The Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA
2004 Plein Air California – Group Show, Golden Oak Gallery, Saratoga, CA
2003 Landscapes – Group Show, Garden Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA
2003 Angel Island Paint Out and Exhibition, Tiburon, CA
2003-2004 O’Valona Paint-out, Epperson Gallery, Crockett CA
2002 Recent Paintings – One man show, Epperson Gallery, Crockett, CA
1999-2004 The Art of a Community, Benicia, CA
2000-2004 Scene on the Strait, Martinez, CA

Awards

• Best of Show, 2006 Carmel Art Festival. Carmel, CA
• Mayors Choice, 2006 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
• First Place, Best Wet Painting, 2006 A Plein Air Affaire, Sant Cruz, CA
• 2nd Place Artist Choice Award, 2005 Telluride Plein
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Arts and Antiques Magazine, Carmel Art Festival 2005
• Honorable Mention – Carmel Art Festival 2005
• 2nd Place and Honorable Mention and Special Award, Los Gatos Plein Air Festival
• 3rd place - O’Valona Paint-out 2004, Crockett, CA
• Honorable Mention – Carmel Art Festival 2004
• Windsor-Newton Award – Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA
• 3rd place and Honorable Mention - O’Valona Paint-out 2003, Crockett, CA
• Honorable Mention – Scene on the Strait – Awarded by Harvey Jones, Senior Curator of the Oakland Museum of Art, Oakland, CA