Circa 1865                                              2002                                             2008

  

In history, the gallery use to be the town bakery. At some point a storeroom was added on the left side. One of Tomales' six original historic buildings, dating back to the 1860's (Civil War times), it has survived the 1906 earthquake and two devastating fires.

When nationally recognized oil painter, Jeanette Le Grue and her husband Scott Taylor moved to the small town of Tomales, CA in 2002, it was for the inspiration and great painting opportunities. Little did they know the funky, historic charm of the property’s colorful past would bring out Taylor’s creative side as well. The front of the house was originally the town bakery in the 1860’s, and seemed to have great potential, yet would require a massive amount of TLC to bring it back to life. So, on the weekends, Taylor went to work—and with one project after another for five long years, he turned their little diamond in the rough into a jewel! However, it wasn’t until after restoring the original western façade and waking the soul of the little shop in front from its century-long slumber, that turning it into a fine art gallery seemed the thing to do.

First the old tin barn, the former owner’s blacksmith shop, had to be turned into an art studio without destroying it with cheap or shoddy, new materials. The derelict water tower had to be propped up and made watertight—and was named as the cause for their insurance company canceling their coverage after being loyal customers for twenty years. It was decided that the cottage at the back of the property, which once housed the old bakery ovens, could bring in some much need rental income, but needed a new floor, a refrigerator and a stove. And the house—according to the insurance company—needed a foundation!

“We just thought it would be nice to live out here,“ says Le Grue. “I cried the first few months we were here though. Everything was such a mess—runoff from the rain ran right under the house and through the barn—so I didn’t have any place to paint!”

According to Taylor, “It’s kind of funny, just south of town on Hwy One, people have a natural tenancy to see the sign to Petaluma and veer inland, back to Hwy 101. And the same thing happens just north of town too, so a whole bunch of people completely miss the town altogether. If you happen to stay on Hwy One however, and actually make it into town, you would think people have been missing it for a hundred years—and they have!”

But now, there is another reason to get off the beaten path and discover what everyone has been missing…as their slogan says, “It’s a fine little art gallery, in a funky little town!”

Le Grue is one of a couple dozen artists who draw in the art collecting crowds to the various outdoor (plein air) painting competitions across the country, and just one of the select few artists featured at TOMALES FINE ART. Before going, you can check it all out at: TomalesFineArt.com. Tomales is just an hour’s drive or less from most of the San Francisco Bay Area.

For more historical information about the Tomales area, visit: www.tomaleshistory.com

 

 

We specialize in contemporary art by some of today's top artists: landscapes, classic still lifes, and figurative work. We do hope you will stop by for a visit--you'll have a great time!

 

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