Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1207269
C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 139 years, the Lone Cypress was a frequent subject. He has captured the iconic landmark in literally every kind of Monterey Peninsula weather, from spectacularly sunny to impenetrably foggy. "Van Megert has a talent for capturing that mysterious essence of the Monterey Peninsula," Koeppel says. "He perfectly encapsulates in paintings the spirit and timeless beauty of Pebble Beach." That unique talent has not gone unrecog- nized. More than two decades ago, the Pebble Beach Company commissioned Van Megert to create large pieces to bookend the Terrace Lounge of the Lodge at Pebble Beach. The inspi- rational paintings hang there to this day and are about to be reframed as part of Pebble's cente- nary celebration remodeling of the room. Recently, Koeppel was able to arrange and curate an exhibition of 33 of Van Megert's works, hanging them in the Terrace Lounge and the adjacent Library and Card Rooms. "This is the first time ever that there has been an art exhibit of any kind at the Lodge," Koeppel states. "It's quite an honor and an indication of the high regard in which Van Megert is held there." For many years, the artist worked in oil on Masonite, but he switched to acrylic paints after The gnarled Cypress trees of the Monterey Peninsula coast appear frequently in the artist's work. Their sinewy shapes and locations in some of the world's most dramatic settings have inspired his creative muse for many years.