Nelda Gruenthal

Nelda was born in Brooklyn, and moved to California at the age

of 3 1/2.  It was a typical entertainment family group migration from New York radio to Hollywood records and movies. Nelda’s father, and his brothers, along with a hired female, made up the Merry Macs singing group.  Known in the ‘40s radio and a few ”B”movies.

Of course there was the Hollywood divorce.  She and her sister moved with their mother and step father to Long Beach where they spent their teen years.

 The arts always appealed to Nelda.  Drawing and painting classes in school.  Ballet and tap dancing.  Piano lessons.  Set designing and painting for her high school musicals and plays.  Her heart was set on studying the arts beyond high school but in those days, females were only to attend college to “find a husband, become a school teacher, librarian, nurse or secretary”.  None of which appealed to her.

Marriage, four children, divorce, working single parent, re-marriage took up all Nelda’s time.  It wasn’t until she retired that she began to re-investigate the creative life. 

Nelda began with a silversmith class at Pierce College.  Which led to sketching designs, leading to drawing and then painting until she discovered pastels.  There was so much to love about pastels.  Painting without all the cleanup.  So many beautiful colors.
 
Nelda  prefers studio painting to Plein Aire.  However, there are colors and atmosphere in nature that are not picked up in a photo.  It’s best to experience the outdoors for that experience.  Every now and then she will brave the wild outdoors, cold, wind, heat and bugs just to enjoy what nature has set out for us to enjoy for free.

Nelda can be reached at:

ngruenthal@aol.com

New Paragraph

Note: "One Eyed Jack," by Nelda Gruenthal can be seen on the Gallery

and in the slide show on the Home page.

To return to the Gallery, click on "One Eyed Jack."

To return to the slide show,

click on the "Home" button at the top of this page.