Honey’s Room (Horses) by Shawn Fields 27 x 36 Oil/Board

Shawn Fields. Get out! This man has such a fabulous imagination and it shows in his paintings. His kids must have a magical childhood based on the paintings! It’s a childhood like I remember, back when kids played and really used their imagination. Each of these paintings is so heartwarming. They just make you smile!

Honey’s Room has got so much character. Shawn has painted this room in different paintings and each is WOW! I love Honey, with her sweet hair, her horses, the lights in her room, she’s a cool kid for sure!

Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine is having a show for Shawn and it begins TODAY and runs through September 26th. The opening is from 5-8PM (tonight). So if you’re in the area… DON’T MISS IT! This guys work is something special. Here’s a bit about the show from Dowling Walsh:

UPCOMING EXHIBITION: SEPTEMBER 2015 – opening 5-8pm Friday, September 4th, 2015

Shawn Fields’s current group of paintings are visual descriptions of experiences that symbolize what humanity has in common. In order to recreate these experiences in paint, Fields finds the objects unique to him, that will serve as a building blocks for a narrative. A specific TV, an Afghan blanket, a 1981 Grand Marquis, are collected, arranged; figures are introduced to the composition who can interact with these visual cues, magnify them, and bring them to life. Fields’ goal in every painting is to preserve the original inspiration, the idea that sparked the painting. The editing, and honing, of this idea results in the drawing (and redrawing) which supports each finished painting– a result that Fields hopes most clearly communicates the idea. The studio props, sketches, loose and final paintings here, show in detail the source and the process of Shawn’s work.

Shawn Fields’s studio itself reveals the process from object to image. The space, on the top floor of a former Buggy Whip Factory in New Marlborough, Massachussetts, serves as stage and subject. Stacks of drawings mounted on blue board insulation line the walls. Studies paper every surface. Behind each door, shelf and easel, are paintings, busts, textiles, and musical instruments and other props waiting to be incorporated into the work. Below his studio, on the ground floor, is a furniture maker who built the frames for the paintings in this show.

Afghans by Shawn Fields  33 1/4″ x 37 1/2″  Oil/Board

I know! I know! Precious! Two kids, watching TV (remember those TV’s??), covered with an afghan, having the time of their lives. Cereal bowl or ice cream bowl? Ha ha… This is another perfect example of how Shawn has the ability to not only paint a great painting, but to tell a story as well.

Read a bit about Shawn, from the Dowling Walsh website:

ARTISTS STATEMENT

Gene Wilder turns to the character Veruca Salt in the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1969), and says: “We are the music makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams…”

The children in these drawings and paintings are stand-ins for the universal person. They are celebrating present freedom and possibilities.

“We are the music makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams, / Wandering by lone sea-breakers, / And sitting by desolate streams;—/ World-losers and world-forsakers, / On whom the pale moon gleams: / Yet we are the movers and shakers / Of the world for ever, it seems.” – Arthur O’Shaunnessy

BIOGRAPHY

Shawn Fields is a representational artist, telling stories of childhood with convincing detail. Shawn reminds us of the simplicity of a childhood full of resourceful, economical play. His paintings begin centered on a particular object – a “cabbage patch kids” bicycle, a bathing suit, a pillowcase – familiar from his own childhood and echoed in his children’s. The object becomes embedded in layers of narrative until the picture is complete.

Using practiced color, composition and anatomy, Shawn amplifies his narratives with make-believe. He has been inspired by Pixar and Spielberg, as much as by Winslow Homer and the Wyeths, in their ability to tell a story. Shawn understands that a painting can seem even more real when it takes liberties with reality. He cleverly invents ways to weigh down the mattress beneath the feet of a feather-light child, allowing it to crease and fold in a way that our mind reads as true. He billows the cape of a young boy jousting on his bike, the ribbons and grasses blowing with vigor, capturing the speed the viewer and the child have imagined. Shawn’s paintings signal to our recollection of reality.

Growing up outside of Baltimore, Maryland, Shawn’s early conception of art was formed by a monthly subscription to Mad Magazine, and exposure to traditional American painting and illustration. Shawn studied drawing and painting at the School of Visual Arts, and at the New York Academy of Art. Shawn lives in the Berkshires with his wife and three children.

Be sure to check out Shawn’s website. There are also prints available for a few of his paintings, and these are some of my favorites!

Images via ShawnFields.com and DowlingWalsh.com, used with permission from the artist…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

 Just a Peek by Anne Blair Brown  14×18″  o/l

Anne Blair Brown. Most of you know who she is and are familiar with her work. Her ability to add light in a painting is undeniable. She takes what would be a nice painting and makes it out of this world. I love everything about this painting above. It’s a place I want to be… right now! Look at the underpainting in the sidewalk. I love that! Every time I attempt it I paint over it, sigh… the brushstrokes in the road are fabulous and the road with sunshine… WOW! Anne knows just what to leave in a painting and what to carefully edit out to make it less busy and keep it interesting.

Here is a little blip about the show from Anne:

One Man Show, “Seeing the Light”, at Simie Maryles Gallery, Provincetown, MA. 

 Me and My Shadow by Anne Blair Brown  14×18″  o/l

Anne Blair Brown was born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island and currently resides in Nashville, TN. Her work centers on both rural and urban landscapes, people, and interior spaces. While she enjoys the quiet solitude of her studio, she delights in painting on location. Brown says, “Painting from life creates an intimacy with the subject that I just can’t get from a photograph, and it heightens my sense of spontaneity. That energy is translated to the canvas in and out of the studio.”

All images via AnneBlairBrown.com, used with permission…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Leaf by Eric Green  29″x44″  Acrylic

Eric Green. His work is always impeccable. Different. It captures your attention!

Dowling Walsh gallery in Rockland, Maine is having an opening for Eric, showcasing his paintings and drawings. Be sure to check them out! Opening reception is TONIGHT, August 7, 2015 from 5-8PM.

Remember when he did those time diptychs? How incredible were those! Painting after painting of fascinating subject matter!

Read a bit about Eric, from the Dowling Walsh website:

Eric Green went to RISD on a full scholarship at the age of sixteen. After attending the school for a week, he left to ride freights across the country, spending four years on the road.

In addition to painting for thirty years, he has worked in a frame shop, assembled pulp testers, traveled with a carnival, restored houses, painted industrial buildings from a hanging scaffold, designed two labels for Brazilian beers, written four novels and a column for the local paper. He has had two solo exhibitions in SoHo and Chelsea, received three grants, and a merit award from the National Academy of Design.

In New England, Eric’s paintings have been exhibited at the Ogunquit Museum, Brattleboro Museum, Robert Hull Fleming Museum, and the Portland Museum.

Image used with permission from the artist…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Megan Aline. She’s got some wonderful small works on display at the LITTLE BIG show at Robert Lange Studios. This show is featuring the works of Megan (little works) and Adam Hall (larger works). If you’re in the Charleston, SC you aren’t going to want to miss this show. As always, Robert Lange Studio’s is the happening gallery about town. They know how to do things right.

Are you going to be in the Charleston, SC area this weekend? Don’t miss it: Opening reception is Friday, August 7 from 5-8PM. Paintings are on view from 8/7-8/28/2015! If you’re interested in any of the paintings in the Little Big show don’t hesitate, there are already a lot of red dots!

Read a bit about the show HERE…

Read a bit about Megan, from the gallery website:

Born 1981 Thomaston, Maine

“Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self.” ~ Jean-Luc Godard

Megan says, “As a beginning, I have chosen to explore the theme of serene motion on land and water in several of the series I have produced thus far. The technique of creating motion with brush strokes in a calm nature scene represents much of the childhood nostalgia that simultaneously fascinates me– such as time, nature, recreation, and light. Painting also provides a source of identification for me, as it displays the same nuances as many of my own childhood activities. My images indicate a precision of detail and an attention to form are as important as the easy grace and melodious balance of the overall composition.”

Megan Aline grew up in Thomaston, Maine. In this small, mid-coast Maine town, Aline, as a child, was able to take classes at the Farnsworth Art Museum, rub elbows with American Realists Andrew and Jamie Wyeth and photographers from the Maine Photographic Workshop, including John Paul Capinagro. With family lineage including the classical realist, William Davis, Aline was raised with a broad liberal arts education. At the college level, she complemented the humanistic study of literature and art with the practical skills of business administration while attending the Universidad de los Andes in Venezuela, Regent’s College in London and receiving her BFA from the University of New Hampshire.

Art became even more of a central focus in Aline’s life when she married hyper-realist Robert Lange, a renowned artist sharing her New England heritage. The two learned and practiced fundamental artistic techniques while Lange completed his education at Rhode Island School of Design. After moving to South Carolina in 2003, the couple opened a Fine Art Gallery and much of Aline’s time was spent in an administrative role. However, her natural and unique talent became quickly self-evident, and she began painting along side her husband. After five years of working with Lange, Aline decided to focus exclusively on developing her own style.

Aline has chosen to explore the theme of serene motion on land and water in several of the series she has produce thus far. The technique of creating motion with brush strokes in a calm nature scene represents much of the childhood nostalgia that simultaneously fascinate her – such as time, nature, recreation, and light. Painting also provides a source of identification for Aline, as it displays the same nuances as many of her own childhood activities exploring the woods of Maine.  Aline’s images indicate that a precision of detail and an attention to form are as important as the easy grace and melodious balance of the overall composition.

Aline’s series have been enthusiastically collected by several private and public collectors across the country.

Image via RobertLangeStudios.com, used with permission…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Carol Bass. Fabulous, bright, happy colors! Her work is so amazing. It’s unique, and that’s what I love! If you live in the Charleston area, you’re in luck! For the month of March 2015 Carol’s work will be displayed at the main Charleston County Public Library on Calhoun Street, in Charleston, SC. The show is called W A V E L E N G T H S.

Bonus… Carol is as incredible as the art she creates! From paintings to the  “Walking Houses” and “Totem” sculptures, all of her work is out-of-the-ordinary wonderful! Check out her website and see for yourself, or better yet… make it to the Main Library in Charleston in March!

The layers upon layers and the varying textures and colors make Carol’s work so interesting!

Carol Bass’s work is defined by bold strokes of vivid color. She improvises like a jazz player, a child playing on the beach. She dances with a long brush and thinks of the energy flowing, connecting us to one another and to the natural world. 

Her work ranges from her dimensional “Walking Houses” and “Totems” series in the 1980’s, constructed from found object, to her energy sculptures and present-day abstracts.

All images& bio via Carol Bass or Carol Bass Art Facebook, used with permission…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Clear your calendar for Saturday, February 21, 2015! There is the most amazing artist-led docent tour that you will not want to miss. Charles Williams is a brilliant artist who’s latest show “SWIM: An Artists Journey” will have you absolutely amazed!

This show runs through April 23, 2015, so if you miss the opportunity to meet Charles, by all means make your way to the show anyway!

Here is a bit about the show (taken from an email)…

These paintings aren’t like any you’ve ever seen. Several are large, very large, 6×8′ – they are displayed in the evening room which makes them even more dramatic. There are eight large scale paintings and forty smaller scale studies.

These paintings are so dramatic and breathtaking – whoa!

More information…

Works on exhibit are available for purchase from the Artist, and catalogs are available from Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, SC. For more information on the works visit cewpaintings.com and the museum website. “Swim: An Artist’s Journey” is on exhibit from January 15, through April 23, 2015. 

Read a bit about Charles… and be sure to check out his website!

Charles Williams is a professional contemporary realist painter from Georgetown, South Carolina and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. From utilizing oils for the basis of landscapes, each painting captures his reflection of human emotions in response to and in sync with the natural environment. Recent achievements and awards include a Hudson River Landscape Fellowship, featured work in the Artist’s Magazine’s 28th Annual Art Competition, honorable mention from Southwest Art Magazine’s 21 Emerging Under 31 competition, 2012 Winner of the Fine Art Category from Creative Quarterly and featured cover artist of Composite and Professional Artist Magazine. Williams’ works has been shown in American Art Collector, Empty, Charleston Magazine, Grand Strand, Studio Visit, Bluecanvas and other national publications. He was recently interviewed and broadcast on ETV/NPR station, entitled: “Nature Through the Eyes of an Artist”. His contemporary landscapes have been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in galleries in New York, Vermont, California, Georgia, South Carolina and several other southeaster states. Learn more…

All images and information via Charles Williams or CEWPaintings.com, used with permission…

Catch you back here tomorrow!