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18 C onceptualism on parade
By William Wray
21 t he sense of light
By Daniel Gerhartz
37 M
y Art. my world.
By Dr. Ernest Biscardi
Modern trends are affecting painters in countless ways, and trusting in a photograph
as a reference is one of the detrimental departures from where our hearts should
be when painting. We should be mindful of the haste of the present and our
dependence on the deceitful photograph. The first step is acknowledgement,
and then to focus on challenging lazy ignorance with purposeful elegance.
Color
The purpose of color is to fill harmony within your work, and
evoke a mood in the viewer. According to my photographs,
everything in the city at midday is beige and blue. I dont
believe them. Learn to adjust the references color patterns
to match the mood you wish to convey, and spend a lot time
doing it. If you are not sure, create many different color
harmonies of the same reference, thumbnail them real quick
in a sketchbook, and the answer will become much clearer.
Although I focused this discussion on landscape and cityscape, the same principles apply to working from the figure
photographic reference, which perhaps presents even greater difficulties. My random babblings on the alluring beauty of a figure,
and my emotions for it, would wander far from this discussion, but I apply the same ideas to my figure work. In a sense they are
one and the same. Strive not to be a portrait artist or a cityscape painter, but simply a painter.
The end result is this: the closer your photographic reference is to an actual painting, the better your work will be. Choose your
reference well. In the beginning, choose and crop your reference with a de-saturated monitor. This eliminates the distraction of
color, and focuses on the importance of compositionlike smelling scents with your eyes closed. Never completely trust your
photographic reference. Always remember it is a shortcut, and the emotion behind your painting must come from within you.
Learn to control the reference, and dont say, Oh, Ill fix that area when I paint it. Just fix it now and save yourself the struggle.
Construction #3,
36 x 36 inches, Oil on panel, 2011,
Sold through the Principle Gallery
Lament,
48 x 48 inches, Oil on Panel, 2011,
Sold through the Principle Gallery
There is nothing more misguided than the belief that the only created order in
the universe is that of man.
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Diana Resting,
6 x 10 inches, Oil on panel
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Awaiting Work,
29.5 x 47 inches, Oil on linen
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Spring Floral,
8 x 12 inches, Oil on panel
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Studio Table,
24 x 45 inches, Oil on linen
this is what many people believe about the world around us.
The evidence for the world being the work of a thinking,
creative being is overwhelmingall you have to do is look at
a flower or the waves of the ocean. The Golden Rectangle is
just one of many signs that show there is order present in
the universe.
Demonstration
I commence the block-in with a soft pencil (6B) on smooth watercolor paper taped to a drawing board. The paper Im using is hot
pressed Fabriano Artistico. Then after the completion of the drawing I seal the paper with a Poly Vinyl Acetate (PVA) size. This
process makes a separation from the watercolor paper to prevent it from rotting.
Image 1: I block in my darks and lights to
establish a value range. This step is fairly easy
when you have a block-in guiding where youll
be placing the darks initially. If you do not
do the first step, you will need to concentrate
much harder during this stage because
essentially you would be setting up all of your
composition at the same time you construct
the drawing.
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Final Painting: I have to consider the painting complete at this point, although they never are. I move on to the next project and
think about what I could do to improve on my process.
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Conceptualism on
Parade
Commentary by William Wray
Art as Totem
Why did so many people find themselves drawn to the Big
Rock being moved to LACMA this March? People love
parades. Face it: we love exhibitions in any context as long as
they are really bloody BIG. A 500-pound rock being pulled
in a kids wagon by angry baboons might get on the news if
an overly curious onlookers face gets torn off by an excited
baboon, but the public needs something of substantial
tonnage to really spike their awe meter. We love Clash of
the Titans immenseness. Gigantic-stone-gods-getting-theirleviathan-on-juggling-whales kind of spectacle. Awe mixed
with a dose of instinctual fear of being Monster Truck
crushed brings the bumps to our flesh, the Oh my God!
to our lips, the little stain to our collective panties.
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Rock God
One can now understand how an oversized Baboon can be
king, but how can a Big Rock have the same power as giant
Monkey Ju-Ju? Big Monkey can grab us in its paw and stuff us
in its maw. Giant rock just sits there. Rock needs the power of
nature producing a landslide or man levitating it with a crane
to transcend to the monumental status that will make it stand
out from the other peasant rocks at the quarry. The King Rock
needs the artist to turn it from mere debris to art totem.
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In the Stillness,
38 x 40 inches, Oil on linen
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Golden Light,
16 x 12 inches, Oil on Linen
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Sophia,
24 x 36 inches
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Color
I have a theory on color: it doesnt matter! My main focus
when approaching a painting is not to capture the subject
exactly as I see it. I am more concerned with creating a
design for the painting than I am with getting the exact color
temperature hitting my subject. By approaching a painting
from an abstract point of view, the gesture and rhythm
become the main focus. The subjects in my paintings are
usually human beings, but when designing a painting, the
subject could be anything. When approaching a painting in
this way, one is less concerned with capturing the likeness of
the subject and is instead more focused on playing with the
color harmonies.
I remember a day back in art school (Im surprised I can
remember back that far!) when I had a huge mental block.
Study on Active/Passive
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Aiya,
16 x 12 inches
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Texture
The last form of fireflies I see when creating a painting is
in the use of texture. The relationship of thin areas (where
the canvas is showing through), against thick bold paint
applications creates another example of contrasts to catch our
eyes attention. For me this relationship is just as important
as those I already mentioned. Our eye tends to go to the
bold, thickly painted areas. There may be only a few of these
passages. But in the same way that small areas of bright color
will leave the viewer with the impression that the painting
was colorful, the viewer here is left remembering the whole
painting as deliciously thick!
Even as our eye tends to gravitate to the textured areas, I find
I usually paint the skin of the model (especially women, so as
to appear soft), with thinner applications, yet surround those
areas with the bolder paint. These juxtaposed areas will catch
the viewers eye, and lead them through the painting. For me,
the relationship between different textures in a painting draws
Demonstration
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Sometimes the world is not a kind or welcoming place. We spend much of our lives
searching for secure, calm, and safe havens that are often difficult to find. So why not
create them? Why not spin our own cocoon from which to emerge energized and
excited? This is the concept on which I base my collecting.
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Grandma forcing us to, Eat more! Placed anywhere else those memories
would not be as much fun. Strangely enough, however, I do allow the piece to
take me to darker places on occasion. I suppose we all have our dark days!
The Last Sticks by Michael Klein has a proud placement in the center of my
home. It represents to me all that I have been through and all that there is left
to do. No matter how old that old pile of sticks becomes, it is still there. In
Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw wrote, I want to be thoroughly
used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. For me, this piece
is the incarnation of that thought.
Flood by Aron Wiesenfeld stores all of my fears and follies. Not just superficial
fears and follies, but those that are darkly profound. The image of the
unknown girl emerging nearly naked from the murky woods is one of the
finest representations of vulnerability that Ive seen. Its placement in the
library of my home allows me to step into my fears surrounded by my books.
Books represent knowledge and truth to me, and it is knowledge and truth
that can ease fear. Its a safe place to revisit my fears and mysteries, as the
answers are always near at hand.
The total mystery and weirdness in Daniel Spricks Snow Bird is a constant
reminder of who I am. I love those, What the hell is going on here!
situations that life hands us on occasion, and I love even more what we have
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The Flood,
24 x 24 inches, Oil on canvas
Snow Bird,
24 x 16 inches, Oil on panel
Side by side with Snow Bird in the main hall is Ron Hicks
The Journey Begins. The image of a woman with sadness,
excitement, and hope in her eyes as she embarks on a long
ride just says it all for me: Never stop searching and never
stop being courageous. Life is full of new wonders.
Candace in Yellow No. 2 by Julio Reyes is a perfect example of
looking into the face of a stranger. We know nothing about
her. Do we make a human connection or do we run for the
hills? If we run we will never know how our lives might have
been altered if we had stayed. It is one of those paintings that
give me pause as I remember all the times that I ran. It hangs
invitingly in the guest bedroom.
Deluge by Jordan Sokol is one of my favorite pieces. The
looming image of a man in black emerges from an indistinct
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Deluge,
110 x 80 cm, Oil on linen
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In painting, essence is what fascinates me. As artists, we are attracted to and become enchanted
with subtletiesthe light cascading over a subject, the rhythms of compositional movement, the
nuances of color notes, just to name a few. We lay a solid foundation of structure to highlight
these beautiful aesthetics. And though my eye becomes infatuated with these visual elements, my
soul falls in love with the essence.
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Morning Light,
10 x 8 inches, Oil on linen
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Fisherman in Valencia,
30 x 41 inches, Oil on Canvas
Joaqun Sorolla, 1904
paintings of high society, or Lepages portrayals of people
in the countryside, the character of the subjects permeates
the painting. We are seeing a glimpse of life, an essence of
the subject, and an insight into the artist. We are left with a
feeling of stronger awareness and appreciation for having
seen those paintings.
Viewing a great work of art doesnt just give us inspiration
as artists; it also gives us a heightened appreciation and
awareness simply of life surrounding us. And isnt that
what painting is all about? Its about capturing a moment
of life, visually paying attention to the world around us, and
encouraging others through our creations to do the same. Its
to remind each other to stop for a moment and pay attention,
to appreciateand to express that appreciation creatively.
One of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, puts it poignantly:
To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.
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Autumn Wildflower,
8 x 6 inches, Oil on Linen
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Virginia,
31 x 24 inches, Oil on linen
Villi,
31 x 24 inches, Oil on linen
Penelope,
31 x 24 inches, Oil on linen
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Echos Headdress,
31 x 24 inches, Oil on panel
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by Kristen Thies
Curating Fine Art Collections Since 1998
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Sacred Pines
30 x 18 inches, Oil, Timothy R. Thies
Painted en plein air during four consecutive days, 2004
Art chose me. Being an artist is a passionate pursuit of something indefinable and
indescribable; it is a driving inner force to paint. Fine art is my lifes work. If youre painting
for your selffor your soulyour work will endure. ~ Timothy R. Thies (2006)
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Arpeggios,
15 x 22 inches, Oil, Richard Schmid 2012
New painting by Richard Schmid, featured in the upcoming Summer 2012 Exhibition A Return to Understated
Excellence, opening July 6, 2012 on Cape Cod, MA. For more information visit www.WestWindFineArt.com
Samantha in White,
14 x 11 inches, Oil on linen, Nancy Guzik 2011-2012
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Rosetta Waiting,
Bronze, 21 inches high, George Carlson
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Left: Emily with John Burton (6th annual RayMar Competition Judge) at Weekend with the Masters 2011
Right: Garrapata, 12 x 16 inches, Oil by John Burton
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Aaron Westerberg
Admiration, 48 x 24 inches, Oil on linen panel
William Wray
Backdoor, 24 x 24 inches, Oil on canvas panel
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Michelle Dunaway
Mucha and Peonies,
34 x 16 inches, Oil on linen
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