February, 2026
Artist of the Month

Creative endeavors have been a part of life since my early years, working with my hands: creating, building, playing or drawing. After high school I attended the School of Architecture and Environmental Design at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, graduating with a Bachelors of Architecture degree. With my wife Cheryl, we moved to Santa Barbara, California, in 1973, practicing architecture and landscape architecture under the name ARCHart inc.

Art has always been a part of my professional career, but after retirement I concentrated on pastels, probing this versatile medium, exploring the blending and movement of colors, building the shapes of composition, and examining the emotion that can emanate from a piece of art.

As Artist of the Month for the Gallery 113 February show, I decided to offer a wide range of plein air and studio paintings that demonstrate my many interests in painting and the exploration of color.

—Gary A. Jensen

website: garyajensen.com