Wyeth Cubed, or 3 masters & one family...

~Andrew~

~Jamie~

~N.C.~

Three generations of talent in one family. And the impact of their geography and climate similarly on each painter's art. There is a book of Jaimie's work called "Wonderous Strange" that I strongly encourage anyone who loves art to check out from their library.

I learn much about atmospherics from all three Wyeths'. Their time and place weighs so heavily in all of their work.

When I look at the work of all three together, it is really amazing to see the almagamation of fantasy and bleak painterly skill in the grandson.

Who is your Favorite Wyeth? And which painting touches you most?

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“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show.” -Andrew Wyeth

“I think one's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes.”- Andrew Wyeth

How Buck looked in process....

I have still not had the opportunity to deliver this work, so I can't show it to you in it's completed state, here it is in process.

Have an inspired day.

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“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Do you know David Roberts? No, the other David Roberts...

David Roberts is probably more of an illustrator, rather than a "master" but his evocative paintings from Egypt and the Holy Land spark the imagination from an era that has slipped through our fingers. Just a 150 or so years ago, he painted these places as they had been for centuries and caught their histories and grandeur in the flicker before they were changed forever.

Please look him up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Roberts_(painter)

And if you missed the news check my prior posts to see that I've modified the 100th follower contest so that there are actually 5 winners instead of one!

A gallery of my work available in giclee prints at flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/patricedeavila/

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Each man thinks his own horizon is the limit of the world.-Egyptian Proverb

Expanding my 100th follower contest...

I have such great followers that I am expanding my 100th follower contest... Yes, my 100th follower gets a signed giclee print of my work AND 4 other people from the 1st ninety-nine followers will be entered to also win a giclee from a random drawing.

I really wanted to also show my appreciation the everyone who's been with me since the beginning while celebrating hitting the 100th follower mark. Thank you... and tell your art loving, blog following friends.

Here is a link to my flickr gallery to see current and past works available... http://www.flickr.com/photos/patricedeavila/

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“May good luck be your friend in whatever you do and may trouble be always a stranger to you.” Irish Blessings

A look back: An experiment with Impressionism...

This was my second experiment with soft pastel painting and impressionism and was created 5 years ago. I love the light in this photo, however at that time in my artistic endeavors, I thought that planning a painting or gridding was "cheating" and I did everything ONLY by free hand.

As my commissions picked up I was forced to plan better and I broke down and experimented with "gridding" off my paper or canvas. I've grown to appreciate this practice and now as I understand it, "gridding" is merely another tool at my disposal, and all the tools enhance my work.

What is a technique that you avoided or are avoiding? Maybe you should revisit it/them just for fun.

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“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Andre Gide

Master Monday : Ferdinand Hodler

Hodler had several periods of painting in his life (such as traditional landscapes), but what I want to highlight today are both his symbolist work and his use of non-localized color both for emotional impact and at the same time to manipulate value and color harmony. (see the green shadows above with the primary blue strip in the sky and the primary red drape at the lover's feet).

Who among us can't relate to the terror and "weight" of a nightmare in the middle of the night? Hodler's painting captures that moment when we jerk awake, yet at the instant of wakefulness still feeling the heavy chest constricting fear.

If you want to explore a short biographical history Wikipedia is a nice place to start http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Hodler

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To be simple is not always as easy as it seems.-Ferdinand Hodler

I have not forsaken my art....

I have three new works that I've been dying to share with you and with my Tweeps. One is completed, but is a commission and 2 are in process and gifts. So the element of surprise is paramount.

For those of you who have been following my blog, yes this is the same painting that I've been fretting about delivering (the client and I have just not been able to mesh our schedules).

And for the first time in ALONG time, I had a stroke of inspiration, or artistic epiphany which was wonderful. It has to do with figure drawing and I look forward to sharing that with you very soon as well.

For now I ask you to be patient right along with me. I should be able to post new work starting late next week. (Standard Poodle portrait, Crow on a Native American Bowl, June Bug the Chin, and some really dynamic figurative works...). I will see you on Old Master Monday in the mean time. (it will be worth the wait I promise).

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“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Sargent, So much more than "Madam X"...

From exotic deserts, gorgeous wealthy women, charming and disturbing portraits of children, and profoundly heartbreaking paintings of WWI, Sargent was a master with stroke, composition and eye for mood.

I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing an exhibit of some of his portraits of children. He has the most sensuous eye. The colors, the textures and the mood and personality of the sitter is there for all to witness.

I have included the wiki link so you can explore him more. My favorite works of his are his watercolors. What is your favorite of his works and why?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Singer_Sargent

(remember 100th follower of my blog wins a giclee print!)

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“I don't dig beneath the surface for things that don't appear before my own eyes.” John Singer Sargent