Margaretta Caesar

Margaretta Caesar was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and currently resides in Morrison, Colorado. An artistic childhood enabled by her mother, a painter and pastelist, planted a deep seed in the heart of Caesar, one that would emerge later in life.  Caesar attended Smith College, studying briefly under renowned printmaker Leonard Baskin, and received her BFA in art education from the University of Denver. Caesar taught art initially before taking time to raise her three children, and teach middle and highschool-aged children across multiple disciplines. But her passion and talent for art never waned.  

In her return to the studio, the artist is inspired by the nature and seasons around her: the “plains, grasslands, and fence lines” of the east; the “beautiful foothills dotted with cedars and back-dropped by the ever-changing clouds” of Colorado, and the “deserts, mesas, and canyons” of the southwest. Working from photographic references, Caesar begins with an underpainting, often of red and earthen tones, occasionally featuring a cooler palette of blues, greens and yellows. ““It’s critical that the underpaintings shine through the subsequent layers to add depth and light,” shares Caesar in a 2020 interview with Southwest Art Magazine. Caesar builds the landscape on canvas, creating dimensionality with thick brushstrokes and a vibrant palette.

Caesar’s style draws inspiration from her favorite artists: Vincent Van Gogh, Birger Sandzen, Alyce Frank, Lynn Rowan Myers, and Richard Diebenkhorn. Of her colorful, bold, and nature-loving voice, Caesar suggests its timbre “falls somewhere in between” the Fauves and the Taos Society of Artists’.” However, invariably, when brush hits canvas, it is the artist’s own voice that emerges, one she always works to evolve and develop, but always “thrilling” the viewer with the beauty of the place. “I aim to balance the spontaneity of loose brushstrokes with a sense of discipline and control,” shares Caesar.  “I achieve that with richly impastoed  layers of color, always allowing each layer to reveal itself, even, and maybe especially, the underpainting.”  

Collectors of Margaretta Caesar are moved by her take on the familiar landscapes of Colorado and Pennsylvania,  always compelling with energy and pulsating high-keyed colors. Margaretta was featured in Southwest Art Magazine’s 2020 “Wild at Heart” article, and avidly supports the Alzheimer Association with her paintings.