A quick look at Lucian...

I have been entranced with Lucian Freud's work since I first saw his paintings a few (ahem) decades ago. The power of his brush strokes, the energy of his brush work, and the honesty of his vision. Somehow his work pushes away the superfluous "gloss" and unflinchingly shows the model in harsh honest light.

I strive to work with the honesty and energy of this master painter. What are you striving for in your work? Who is are the masters that inspire you?

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The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.-Lucian Freud

Texture with Hans the Younger...

Hans Holbein the Younger is probably best know for his portrait work in the court of Henry the VIII, however he is undoubtedly one of the most powerful artists of the 16th century. I prefer his early work, when he not only focused on the sitter in a portrait, but also dealt with pattern, texture and color just as lovingly.

From the wood, the satin and the peeling paint in the portrait shown here, Holbein had an exacting eye and hand. If you are interested in a very interesting bio and views of his other works and periods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Holbein_The_Younger has a very interesting article and further websites to explore.

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“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”- Oscar Wilde

Caravaggio upskirts the Gods....

Sometimes in art its a new look at the classics to make a composition interesting again. This work is painted by Caravaggio on the ceiling, thus the ancient Gods are looking at us from on high. Caravaggio was also a master of lighting and uncomfortable story telling, but those topics are for another day. If you are interested in the history of Caravaggio then as always there is a wonderful wiki here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio

What classic are you thinking of looking at from another direction?

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All works, no matter what or by whom painted, are nothing but bagatelles and childish trifles... unless they are made and painted from life, and there can be nothing... better than to follow nature.-Caravaggio

Color theory 101 with Jan (Van Eyck)

Jan is considered the father of oil painting for perfecting the medium, yet I wish to examine his use of bold and contrasting color to manipulate the viewer and compose a painting.

With the use of colors Jan can tricked the veiwer's eye into moving throughout the painting. The eye wants to travel from primary color to primary color and is fooled into following the lines of the browns, yet he uses darks as anchors that always bring you back to the start or center of the composition.

The greatest art school we have is the legacy left by those who came before. As always a great jumping off point to learn more is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Eyck

What artist do you admire for their use of color?

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Painting is a form of profound creative release. - Jan Van Eyck

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

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

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