In Memoriam, Renowned Artist, Maria del Carmen Calvo

In the early hours of July 8th, a loving family, a plethora of friends, admirers, and grateful art students, and indeed, the art world at large, lost a priceless treasure. Maria del Carmen Calvo, the renowned Impressionist artist known to all who loved her as simply “Mary Carmen” was a passionate and immensely talented artist, wife, mother, grandmother and friend who taught all who knew her to see – really see the beauty that exists all around us.

Born in Leon, Spain, Mary Carmen discovered an insatiable interest in painting at age ten and quickly became entranced. At fifteen, she frightened her family when she escaped the confines of her convent school and hopped a train to Madrid to study art. Forced to return home, she was finally able to realize her dream two years later when she entered the Academy of Bellas Artes in Madrid. After additional training in Paris she made her way to Los Angeles in the early 60s where she enjoyed success in countless exhibitions and galleries and continued her studies at the Otis Art Institute, UCLA, and with famous artist Roger Kuntz of Laguna Beach.

Mary Carmen’s keen eye for composition, and intuitive balancing of shapes, textures, light and shadow in a manner evocative of the great impressionists, is evident in her many works of fine art. Collectors, museums and art critics continue to rave over her series of water lilies, Laguna Canyon landscapes, European city views, and intriguing still lifes. She told me once that she had painted over 3,000 pieces, and yet her range and style defy categorization. Her insightful portraits, lavish Impressionist landscapes, huge, vibrant murals, and sharply modern “crow series” astound art lovers with the breadth and depth of her work. This was an artist who found beauty everywhere and uncovered the shimmering light within every scene with a verve and passion that resonated over decades of artistry. Her work is represented in many prominent collections including that of her friend and local art patron, Joan Irvine Smith.

For years, Mary Carmen and her husband, renowned cardiologist, Dr. Walter Henry, were firmly ensconced in the Orange County cultural scene, attending galas and events with a wide circle of friends who delighted in her warm personality and engaging sense of style. She loved to entertain, serving lavish gourmet meals al fresco with table settings and floral arrangements as artful as her cuisine. She crafted gourmet dishes from scratch with her trademark attention to beautiful presentation, subtle tastes and bold flavors. As students, she constantly surprised us with delicious Spanish shortbread cookies, candied roasted almonds or macarons, displayed with effortless grace on exquisite china next to an antique vase of fragrant David Austin Cressida roses. Literally everything Mary Carmen touched was transformed into something beautiful.

Mary Carmen was as much an artist in her home and garden as she was in her studio and kitchen. Her remarkable residence in the palisades of Capistrano Beach was featured in Western Art and Architecture and many other publications lauding its incredible design. This unique home serves as a lasting tribute to Mary Carmen’s limitless talent for architecture, interior and landscape design. Over years of tireless work and dedication she transformed what she called the “ordinary fixer” she acquired in 1984 into a European delight filled with fine antiques, rustic treasures and endless surprises. In a rich melding of elements most would never dare mix, Mary Carmen confidently displayed rusted artifacts, antique pottery and unusual found objects against fine linens, priceless sculptures and audacious roses, all to delightful effect.

From the intriguing carved wood doors acquired from the Houdini estate; to a magnificent stone fountain repurposed as a basin and fitted with a Lalique crystal figurine; poured concrete pavers studded with hand selected glass pebbles; and a soaring studio dominated by a massive rolled metal fireplace juxtaposed against Mary Carmen's stunning paintings, every corner of her home is a testament to her talent. Those who were lucky enough to visit her lush gardens during one of her many charity tours often compared them to Monet’s Giverny. With contrasting elements, textures and surprising forms softened by lavish hybrid roses, wisteria, water lilies and exuberant climbing vines, each garden “room” has its own distinct motif. The entire estate is a reflection of the soul of this wonderful artist and a living monument to her indefatigable style, timeless design, and effortless elegance.

How do I bid adieu to one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever met? This was a woman who exuded talent from every pore and shared it generously. She literally changed the way I see the world. “Squint your eye”, she’d say to me and my fellow art students. “Look closely. What hues are in that shadow? How is the light striking that pear? What do you see, or more importantly, feel, when you gaze on this scene?”

Mary Carmen constantly reminded her students to be fearless and bold – to paint the way she lived - with "gusto”. This was a woman who painted, worked, lived, loved, and played with boundless passion. She left behind a prolific and beautiful legacy painted on so many canvases and imprinted on her home, her gardens and on the hearts of those who loved her.

Mary Carmen leaves behind her loving husband Walter, her children Maica, Felisa and Joseph, eight grandchildren and countless friends, admirers and students. These words can’t begin to express or contain the passion that embodied this very gifted and special human being. The best way we can honor her is to do what she taught us to do – live with “gusto”, and see, really see the beauty all around us.