“It is glib to think of Matisse when considering these often arrestingly beautiful paintings by Curtis Fields. That kind of painterly truth depends on knowing what trees grow in what terrain, or how light falls on colors influenced by natural textures.

It impresses me that Fields delivers these truths with such verve and energy. Painting like this is not simply a matter of beauty and decor. It stands for a necessary way of using the eye; for seeing and celebrating the life and vigor of the world around us.”

—Charles Shere is a former art critic for the Oakland Tribune. He has written and lectured on art for forty years.

“Mr. Fields practiced a stylized realism. He tried his hand at portraiture, still life and landscape, but he especially excelled at painting landscapes from direct observation. His distinct sensibility showed best in his use of color.

Commentators on Mr. Fields’ work frequently compared it, especially the landscapes, to that of Henri Matisse in his Nice period.

Affinities to the works of other painters also suggest themselves: Pierre Bonnard, Milton Avery, Fairfield Porter, Wolf Kahn. But Mr. Fields’ eye for color and for abstract values in pictorial composition make his work unlikely to be mistaken for anyone else’s.”

—Kenneth Baker, Chronicle Art Critic, from the article “Curtis Fields – S.F. painter dies at 87”

“Curtis Fields paints boldly, sensuously, and with a keen eye. His paintings exude verve, color, style. His ability to interpret what he sees, and record it in a vigorous yet seemingly effortless way, gives his work an unusual depth and sophistication.”

—James Nelson, former Creative Director at Hoefer, Dieterich & Brown