Why Lollie's Attic?My grandmother (Christine Miller High, 1911-2010) was an amazing woman. Trained as an artist and fashion designer at the San Francisco Art Institute, she studied watercolors under well-known artists Maria Von Ridelstein and Elliot O’Hara. She loved to spread the beauty of art she saw around her -- painting animal figurines for orphanages, teaching art classes to youth, and eventually having her own art featured in galleries around the Bay Area. Early in her painting career, Christine – “Lollie” as my brother and I called her – focused on cityscapes and scenes in San Francisco. She was scheduled for a one-woman art show at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, but the outbreak of World War II prevented it. As time went on Lollie focused on nature and enjoyed finding secluded spots at Lake Tahoe and around Marin County for inspiration. She painted into her 80's, no doubt her art plus her flower garden and hobby collecting silver miniatures kept her young and active. Although I grew up with her artwork around the house, upon her death in 2010 we discovered many more paintings tucked away in her attic. I’m happy to have these pieces out in the light of day and be able to share the beauty in nature she saw all around her.
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