Fil Mottola was one of the the most influential artiss in early Laguna Beach history. He is included in Edan Hughes volume 3 of artists of California, 1786-1940. He was included due to his very active life in the Los Angeles art scene in the 1930's as well as his influence on other artists and art instructors.
Fil was born in 1915 in Orange, New Jersey and lived since 1921 in the beautiful state of California. With the recommendations of important artsits and instructors Edward VYackel and Ralph HOlmes, he recieved a prestigious 3 year scholarship to the Otis ARt Institute. Recobnizing MOttola's artistic skills and instruction, the Dean of OTis in 1944 offered hima. postion to teach Donna Shuster's Saturday at classes.
Mottola's general style of painting can be descrivbed as realistic, with inherent richness of color and laid down in tight brushstrokes . THis painting listed titled laguna Beach, is part of Mottolas laguna series. which he had been planning for decades. The series consists of one hundred 10x12 plein air , oil on masonite paintings depicting a familiar downtown or beach scene in Laguna Beach.
They are a virtual historical and visual record of the small beach town. In these small gems, Mottola emplys rich, saturated kaleidoscopic colors laid down in quick, spirited daubs and brushstrokes of juicy textures. What a song of laguna they sing! They abound in the joy of the people who remember laguna as it used to be!
Fil Mottola
Fil Mottola was born in 1915 in the Italian section of Orange, New Jersey, and relocated with his family to southern California in 1922, later pursuing formal education at the Art Institute in California in 1938. He is celebrated for his plein-air landscape paintings, emphasizing painting outdoors to capture the natural light and atmosphere of a scene, working primarily in oil on masonite. His artistic philosophy was rooted in the belief that art should be a direct and honest representation of nature, as exemplified by his piece "Laguna Beach." His dedication to capturing the natural beauty of California landscapes has garnered him a place among respected artists in the plein-air tradition, with his works included in various collections.