Victoria Brooks

Through gallery exhibitions and shows across the country, art lovers have come to know Victoria Brooks for canvases that capture the essence of sun-drenched California — intimate moments set in romantic, richly conceived landscapes and seascapes, painted in a vibrant impressionist style.

Her special talent is most evident in her expressive portraits, where she reflects the mood and inner nature of her subjects — a gift now at the heart of her Gilded Portraits of historical Native American women.

Painting outdoors changed her work. “Finishing a plein air painting in about two hours before the sunlight changes produces dramatic and exciting results,” she says. She counts Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn as her masters, and the early California impressionists — Payne, Redmond, Rose — as her heroes of the open air. The field work keeps her studio paintings fresh: models posed from life, still lifes arranged by the window, color mixed with the confidence of someone who has chased real light for decades.

Victoria has won numerous Best of Show awards for her studio and plein air work. She is a favorite of art clubs for her demonstrations and has taught painting for over twenty years, from weekly classes in Sacramento to workshops in Tuscany, Provence, Santorini, and the Costa Brava.