Artist Spotlight: Percy Gray

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Percy Gray was an American artist known for his landscape and still life paintings. Born 1869 in San Francisco, California, Gray became a prominent figure in the California plein air movement. He studied at the California School of Design and later taught there as well.


Gray’s artwork often depicted the natural beauty of California, particularly its coastal and mountainous landscapes. He had a keen eye for capturing the interplay of light and shadow in his paintings, showcasing a strong sense of atmosphere and mood. Gray’s brushwork was characterized by loose, impressionistic strokes that conveyed a sense of spontaneity and vitality.


Percy Gray, Eucalyptus Trees along the Wooden Fence.
Percy Gray (American, 1869–1952), Eucalyptus Trees along the Wooden Fence, 1920, watercolor, 9.75″ x 13.5″.
Sold: $5,985

Path to the Foothills captures the serene beauty of nature with its delicate brushstrokes and vibrant hues. The way Gray skillfully portrays the winding path leading through the foothills is simply mesmerizing. Gray’s mastery of watercolor shines through in this piece, as he effortlessly captures the essence of the Californian landscape with lush foliage and distant mountains.


Percy Gray, <em>Path to the Foothills</em>.
Percy Gray (American, 1869–1952), Path to the Foothills, 1921, watercolor, 13.75″ x 10.5″.
Sold: $6,300

Throughout his career, Gray exhibited his works extensively — both locally and nationally. He was a member of various art societies, including the Bohemian Club and the California Art Club. Today, Percy Gray’s paintings can be found in private collections and museums, contributing to the legacy of California Impressionism.


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A Trusted Partnership

Clars is honored to present a distinguished group of works from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at auction on March 19th.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Fine Art Auction on February 19th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Holiday Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Holiday Fine Art Auction on December 18th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Fine Art Highlights

On September 18th, Clars Auctions is pleased to present a special selection of outstanding fine art that will appeal to each and every collector.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Mexican Fine Art Highlights

Clars is pleased to offer an assorted collection of paintings and prints by renowned Mexican artists at our July 18th auction.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Fine Art: July Highlights

This July 18th at Clars we are highlighting works by a variety of artists working in different periods, styles, and mediums.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Artist Spotlight: William Wendt

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Born in Germany, William Wendt started his artistic practice making furniture in his home country. Upon emigrating to the United States, he turned his focus to painting.


William Wendt, <em>A Gray Day - Monterey</em>
William Wendt (American, 1865–1946), A Gray Day – Monterey, oil on canvas, 14″ x 17″.
Sold: $8,190

Wendt was among the landscapists who comprised the Eucalyptus School of painters, named for the trees commonly seen in California. These artists applied the looseness of French Impressionism to renderings of the unique geography of California. Wendt was also associated with the Arts and Crafts movement in the state, which espoused a belief in making art in harmony with nature. Among his peers, Wendt was known as the “Dean of Southern California landscape painters,” and his commitment to celebrating the natural beauty of his surroundings continues to inspire generations of West Coast painters.

An exciting addition to our July 14th sale is an oil on canvas painting by California artist William Wendt. Largely self-taught, Wendt often employed a plein-air method while painting his naturalistic landscapes. For the piece in our sale, Wendt traveled north of his Laguna Beach studio to capture an overcast day at the beach in Monterey. The image includes his trademark painterly brushstrokes and prominent use of green tones. Along with his wife, sculptor Julia Bracken Wendt, and a host of other prominent artists, Wendt founded the California Art Club in 1909, which remains an active fine arts organization in the state.


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A Trusted Partnership

Clars is honored to present a distinguished group of works from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at auction on March 19th.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Fine Art Auction on February 19th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Holiday Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Holiday Fine Art Auction on December 18th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Fine Art Highlights

On September 18th, Clars Auctions is pleased to present a special selection of outstanding fine art that will appeal to each and every collector.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Mexican Fine Art Highlights

Clars is pleased to offer an assorted collection of paintings and prints by renowned Mexican artists at our July 18th auction.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Fine Art: July Highlights

This July 18th at Clars we are highlighting works by a variety of artists working in different periods, styles, and mediums.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Artist Spotlight: William Keith

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

William Keith was born in Scotland and emigrated to the United States as a child, eventually settling in San Francisco. After studying watercolor techniques, he began painting with oils, and by 1870, he was working as a full-time fine artist.


Keith is known for his dramatic California landscapes, particularly his depictions of Yosemite National Park and other locations in the Sierra Nevada mountains. His work combines realism with romanticism, capturing the detailed topography of California intimately and monumentally.


William Keith, Into the Yosemite Valley.
William Keith (American, 1838–1911), Into the Yosemite Valley, circa 1895–1906, oil on canvas, 36″ x 60″.
Sold: $113,400 – 5th highest auction record for the artist

Keith’s artistic prowess shines through in his captivating depiction of the Yosemite Valley, featuring majestic horses that add an extra touch of dynamism and wonder to the scene. With meticulous brushstrokes and a keen eye for detail, Keith transports us into the heart of Yosemite’s natural splendor.

Through his artwork, Keith not only immortalizes the raw beauty of Yosemite but also invites us to appreciate the symbiotic relationship between nature and the human spirit. Keith’s paintings played a significant role in shaping public perception of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the serene beauty of Yosemite. Along with those of other artists, his paintings helped inspire the conservation movement and ultimately contributed to the establishment of Yosemite as a national park in 1890.


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A Trusted Partnership

Clars is honored to present a distinguished group of works from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at auction on March 19th.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Fine Art Auction on February 19th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Holiday Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Holiday Fine Art Auction on December 18th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Important Fine Art Highlights

On September 18th, Clars Auctions is pleased to present a special selection of outstanding fine art that will appeal to each and every collector.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Mexican Fine Art Highlights

Clars is pleased to offer an assorted collection of paintings and prints by renowned Mexican artists at our July 18th auction.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Fine Art: July Highlights

This July 18th at Clars we are highlighting works by a variety of artists working in different periods, styles, and mediums.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Artist Spotlight: March Avery

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

“I knew I would be a painter. It never occurred to me that I would do anything else,” March Avery.


March Avery, Resting Nude.
March Avery (American, b. 1932), Resting Nude, 1989, oil on canvas, 18.25″ x 42.25″.
Sold: $28,980

Born into a family of artists — her father being Milton Avery and mother Sally Michel — March Avery cultivated a style that was distinctly her own. Growing up, she was surrounded by artists who were friends of her parents. She began creating by the age of two through painting, drawing and sculpting. She developed a style of her own that celebrates brilliant color and abstract forms.


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Artist Spotlight: Joan Brown

For fans of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, we are highlighting two works on paper by celebrated multimedia artist Joan Brown this May.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Dia Al-Azzawi

Al-Azzawi studied art in Baghdad, taking inspiration from ancient Middle Eastern mythology as well as Islam and Arabic culture.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Raimonds Staprans

This May 15th, Clars is excited to offer an outstanding oil on canvas painting by artist Raimonds Staprans.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel

Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel beautifully captures the vibrant transformation of the leaves in the foothills of California.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: Andy Warhol

In our upcoming February 20th auction, an exciting work by Andy Warhol blends art with political activism.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: John Alexander

Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Joseph Raphael

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

Joseph Raphael, a California native, studied at the California School of Design.

He saved money during the 1890s, first as a newspaper illustrator and later as a sign painter, to continue his artistic studies overseas. He spent most of his life aboard, living 36 years in Paris and the Netherlands.


Joseph Raphael, <em>Portrait of a Young Lady</em>.
Joseph Raphael (American, 1869–1950), Portrait of a Young Lady, oil on canvas (laid down on board), 16″ x 12.25″.
Sold: $3,780

Keeping strong ties to San Francisco, he exhibited his paintings regularly in local shows and through Albert Bender, a patron of early works of Ansel Adams and Diego Rivera. Before World War II, he returned to San Francisco and maintained a studio on 345 Sutter Street until his death on December 11, 1950.


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Artist Spotlight: Joan Brown

For fans of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, we are highlighting two works on paper by celebrated multimedia artist Joan Brown this May.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Dia Al-Azzawi

Al-Azzawi studied art in Baghdad, taking inspiration from ancient Middle Eastern mythology as well as Islam and Arabic culture.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Raimonds Staprans

This May 15th, Clars is excited to offer an outstanding oil on canvas painting by artist Raimonds Staprans.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel

Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel beautifully captures the vibrant transformation of the leaves in the foothills of California.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: Andy Warhol

In our upcoming February 20th auction, an exciting work by Andy Warhol blends art with political activism.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: John Alexander

Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Clars Sees Success with Croatian Artists

  • Fine Art
  • Stories & News

Two Croatian paintings sold rather well at Clars’ Fine Interiors & Design Auction on April 14th, 2023.

Vladimir Varlaj’s piece, Mountain of Klek, topped the sale, bringing in $50,400. A close second was Vladimir Becic’s work, Landscape Bosnia, II, which realized $47,250. With these sales, a new world record was set for Varlaj, while the Becic sale was the second highest auction total to date for the artist.


Vladimir Varlaj (Croatian 1895–1962), Mountain of Klek, oil on canvas, 31.5″ x 38.5″.
Sold: $50,400

The paintings were both from the same seller and provenance: Mr. and Mrs. Milton D. Redford, the Carl Hamilton Collection and the Collection of the Anglo & London Paris National Bank in San Francisco. International internet bidders were the majority on both but a telephone bidder from Croatia came in last — and best — on both as the winning bidder.


Vladimir Becic, Landscape Bosnia, II
Vladimir Becic (Croatian, 1886–1954), Landscape Bosnia, II, oil on canvas, 29.25″ x 37.25″.
Sold: $47,250

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Jade: “Stone of Heaven”

When a jade bangle bracelet or necklace fetches millions of dollars at auction, collectors worldwide wonder if their jade is also valuable. What is jade and where does it come from?

  • Fine Jewelry
  • Stories & News

A Trusted Partnership

Clars is honored to present a distinguished group of works from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at auction on March 19th.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Now Seeking Consignments

Incredible prices are being achieved at auction—if you’ve ever considered selling, now is the time.

  • Consignments
  • Stories & News

Important Fine Art Highlights

Clars’ Important Fine Art Auction on February 19th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists.

  • Fine Art
  • Highlights

Property from the Emmy & Dolph Andrews Estate

Our February 20th Auction will present an exceptional selection from the Emmy & Dolph Andrews Estate

  • Estate Spotlight
  • Stories & News

2025 End of Year Review

As we bid farewell to 2025, we take a moment to reflect on the remarkable moments and milestones we’ve shared with you throughout the year.

  • Highlights
  • Stories & News

Artist Spotlight: Jaime “Germs” Zacarias

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

Jaime Zacarias, also known as “GERMS,” is an artist native to South Los Angeles who names his Chicano heritage and predecessors among his influences.


GERMS, Queso
Jaime “Germs” Zacarias (American, 21st century), Queso, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 60″ x 48″.
Sold: $500

Mentored by Chicano painter, Gilbert “Magú” Lujan, and taking inspiration from the Surrealists as well as Avant Garde and street artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Zacarias paints otherworldly creatures that draw reference from familiar imagery while creating strikingly original forms.


GERMS, Untitled (Free/Dumb)
Jaime “Germs” Zacarias (American, 21st century), Untitled (Free/Dumb), 2022, acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 36″.
Sold: $750
GERMS, Ziggy
Jaime “Germs” Zacarias (American, 21st century), Ziggy, 2014, acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 36″.
Sold: $500

Zacarias says, “I find myself mesmerized by the seemingly infinite details and borderline infectious behaviors of each character I create, while striving to transform and challenge the traditional interpretations of the icons we all know so well.” The marriage of nostalgia and innovation in the work of GERMS creates a visual language that transcends barriers, both cultural and temporal.


GERMS, L.A. Taco
Jaime “Germs” Zacarias (American, 21st century), L.A. Taco, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 40″ x 16″.
Sold: $562.50
GERMS, Untitled (Squid)
Jaime “Germs” Zacarias (American, 21st century), Untitled (Squid), acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 24″.
Sold: $500
Sources:
Jaime GERMS Zacarias – GERMS 4 U
Watch Inside the World of Artist Jaime ‘Germs’ Zacarias | SoCal Connected | KCET

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Artist Spotlight: Joan Brown

For fans of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, we are highlighting two works on paper by celebrated multimedia artist Joan Brown this May.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Dia Al-Azzawi

Al-Azzawi studied art in Baghdad, taking inspiration from ancient Middle Eastern mythology as well as Islam and Arabic culture.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Raimonds Staprans

This May 15th, Clars is excited to offer an outstanding oil on canvas painting by artist Raimonds Staprans.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel

Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel beautifully captures the vibrant transformation of the leaves in the foothills of California.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: Andy Warhol

In our upcoming February 20th auction, an exciting work by Andy Warhol blends art with political activism.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art

Artist Spotlight: John Alexander

Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary Art