Featured Artist: Cristall Harper!

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Pancake by Cristall Harper  48×48″  Oil

Cristall Harper. A talented artist with fabulous paintings and a wonderful website! Her paintings are divided into three categories, Florals, Animals and Seascapes. Impossible to only pick two, so be sure to check them out. The Florals are unbelievable! At first they almost look like photographs when you look at the small image, then once you click on it, ahhhh! A painting. A FABULOUS painting. Every one of them.

Pancake (the Basset painting above) – OH! What a sweet painting. Cristall captured every nuance of this dog’s personality. The floppy ears on the floor, the eyes looking up, too tired to lift the head… Don’t miss checking out the wonderful animal paintings – I spent way too much time trying to decide which two images to use. Many of the paintings are sold, but look through them. You will smile! This painting is available through Astoria Fine Art!

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Mississippi Morning by Cristall Harper  5×7″  Oil

Cristall has some WONDERFUL seascapes. I love this sky, the rising soon and those amazing reflections! Love this!

Cristall has a few shows coming up in 2017, one in Salt Lake City, UT (March 21-23) and another in Park City, UT (July 21-August 14) – if you’re in the area, be sure to check it out, more details HERE

Read a bit about Cristall, from her website:

“I paint the emotion I find in flowers, seascapes and dogs. My florals are powerful, my seascapes are balanced, and my dog paintings are joyful.

I was the kid that loved art. My paintings are inspired by early experiences with light and color. My earliest memory is toddling along the beach at sunset. I can still see the glowing orange everywhere and the sparkling water.  Later, as a kid, I used to study a lily painting that hung in our home to figure out how the artist made the light real using only paint. My dad also had a stained-glass window of irises at his office and I was fascinated by the translucent, bright colors and simplified shapes. Today, I paint in very much the same way that a stained-glass artist works: in facets. One critic said of my work, “Your style is wonderful; your personal version of abstraction is so beautifully rooted in reality.” I usually paint alla prima, or all at once, wet paint on wet paint, instead of waiting for layers to dry. I focus only on color temperature and value until it feels lit.

I inherited my love of flowers from my parents. On vacations, they take more pictures of the local flowers than their own family, something I’m now guilty of as an adult. I like the artistic challenge of taking something traditionally feminine and fragile, like a flower, but redefining that femininity with strength and confidence. 

My ancestry comes from the Adriatic Sea; for me, the seashore feels like home more than any other place in the world. The moods of the ocean reflect my own feelings of peace, hope, struggle or pain. I feel a spiritual connection with the ocean, and I brush this into every seascape I paint. Stormy waters can become still, shores are washed clean each day, and the vastness does not diminish the importance of one viewer on the shore.

I had a yellow lab named Buttercup who passed away in late summer 2016. She epitomized loyalty, joy and friendship. I started painting her as a pup and my passion for capturing her happiness quickly grew. Now my dog paintings are in numerous galleries and dog-lovers everywhere are connecting with my work. Dogs are furry angels of comfort and joy, and especially now that my sweet Buttercup is gone, I feel driven to spread that simple joy.

My three painting subjects are family. My parents inspire the florals, my ancestry inspires the seascapes, and my angel dog, Buttercup, inspires the dog portraits. I offer my paintings to those who need to feel strengthened and important. I hope they find what they are looking for in my artwork. 

Cristall Harper graduated in 2002 from Brigham Young University with a BFA in Painting. Her studio is in American Fork, Utah where she lives with her husband. Her work is shown in galleries in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and collected nationally.” Continue reading, HERE

All images via CristallHarper.com or AstoriaFineArt.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Teresa Elliott!

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 Looking West by Teresa Elliott  40×30″  Oil  –  Available at RJD Gallery

Teresa Elliott. Wow. Her paintings will make your jaw drop. Seriously. She is well known for her longhorn paintings, and I’m not going to include one in this post so that you check them out. Seriously, I couldn’t have picked just one. She captures their inner spirit. Every. Single. Time!

Looking West is a fabulous painting, available at the RJD Gallery. This woman looks as if she’s going to take a breath any second. The light in this painting is incredible, the hair, the eyes, nose, mouth and HANDS! Whew! Talented.

dog-day-by-teresa-elliott-40x30%22-oil-gallery-1261Dog Day by Teresa Elliott  40×30″  Oil – Available at Gallery 1261

This was the first painting of Teresa’s that I spotted. She has a way with animals, no doubt. This dog looks like it’s doing some serious contemplation, ha ha… either that or watching the news, ha ha… Be sure to check out Teresa’s website – It’s a treat!

Read a bit about Teresa, from the RJD Gallery website:

“My own personal growth is inevitably linked with my progress with the infinite challenges of becoming an accomplished painter and providing a powerful visual statement through attention to color relationships, design, edges and paint handling.”

Native Texan Teresa Elliott lives and paints in the wide open spaces of the Big Bend in West Texas. Her years of experience as a commercial illustrator in Dallas naturally evolved into a career in painting. She completed a BFA from the University of Kansas and although self-taught, she admits to being influenced by many contemporary artists, as well as classical masters.

Elliott, who is also known for her portraits of cows, has recently expanded on her captivatingly realistic style to include several paintings set at Javelina Clays– a muddy oasis located inside a Texas National Park. These paintings include Deliverance (not shown) and Agua-Fria. Emma, Elliott’s daughter and frequent Muse, is depicted in both of these glowing and detailed works.

The visual arts has dominated Teresa Elliott’s life for as long as she can remember, and always will. She says, “I’m always pushing myself to grow as an artist, it’s the only way to stay fresh and passionate. My favorite painting is Rembrandt’s Self Portrait at the Age of 63. To me, this work is distilled down to the essentials of great painting. Having perfected his craft he created one of the most revealing portraits of all time.” Elliott further states, “My paintings reveal what I see visually on the surface and beyond the visible. I explore the fundamentals of the craft as well as the emotional content of my observations of the natural world.””

All images via Teresa-Elliott.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Colin Page!

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Lobster Blues by Colin Page  48×36″  Oil

Wow! Colin’s still life’s have always amazed me. Well, I guess that’s true of all his work. Colin can literally paint absolutely anything! This lobster dinner looks quite tasty. Just look at the light in that blue glass. The intricacies of the tablecloth. The LOBSTER that looks, well, good enough to eat! I love the addition of the notecard and pen!

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Cozy Harbor by Colin Page  36×36″  Oil

This painting just grabs me. I love the stillness of the water and that red outbuilding (oh! that red!) – also love the magnificent white house looking so majestic in height compared to surrounding buildings. Colin can paint a dock with such style. Love it!

Are you interested in taking a workshop in 2017? Colin has several workshops, and good news, some still have openings, but be quick, the spots usually fill up quickly. Everyone loves Colin, has fun and learns a lot from his workshops – His next workshop is a CALIFORNIA PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP in Balboa Island, CA through Debra Huse Gallery FEBRUARY 1 – 4, 2017 (and a solo show that runs from Feb. 3-28)!

Next is a MARYLAND PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP that runs from MARCH 23 – 26, 2017, hosted by Chesapeake Fine Art Studio, Kent Island, MD.

Be sure to check out all of Colin’s Workshops and Upcoming Shows, as well as his new and improved (if possible) website!

All images via ColinPagePaintings.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Eric Bowman!

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Trespass by Eric Bowman  29 5/8 x 22″ Oil

Eric Bowman. I love his style. From Eucalyptus trees with so much character to his figure paintings, each evokes such feeling. Eric is brilliant when it comes to marketing as well, he’s got a great sense of humor, and his paintings show that he loves what he does. Eric’s work is stunning, to say the least!

Trespass is a very symbolic painting… it caught my attention when Eric sent out a Christmas/holiday newsletter entitled PEACE. Nice! Very nice! You can feel the passion in this painting – and that light in the distance, wow!

Eric has several shows coming up in 2017 – don’t miss them if you’re in the area! Click HERE to see more of Eric’s upcoming shows.

L A ART SHOW 2017

Eric will be showing with the Maxwell Alexander Gallery at this venue- the opening is tomorrow evening, Thursday, Jan 12th 11am – 7pm, 2017, the show runs from 1/12-1/15/2017.

Click HERE for a link to the exhibit!

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Night Brings Good Counsel by Eric Bowman 16×20″ Oil

I happen to love Eric’s trees. They make me smile. They have so much character! I always love a road with trees, a stunning sky, especially a nocturne and oh! That moon! I swear it’s real!

Mockingbird Gallery 2017

Event Dates: 2/3/2017 – 3/2/2017
Reception: 2/3/2017  5-9pm
Location: Mockingbird Gallery
Phone Number: (541) 388-2107
Address: 869 NW Wall St, Suite 100, Bend, Oregon 97703

Eric will be showing with the Mockingbird Gallery in a three person show including Julee Hutchison and Bart Walker.

Mark your calendar! Click HERE for a link to the exhibit!

Read a bit about Eric, from his website:

“Eric Bowman was born in Pasadena and grew up in Orange County, CA (back when it actually had orange groves). Essentially a self-taught artist, Eric had a knack for drawing as far back as he can remember, always the class artist throughout his elementary and high school years. Various art-related jobs such as silk screen T-shirt printer or surfboard airbrush technician led to a lengthy and successful career as a commercial artist, eventually transitioning to fine art painting. As a painter, Eric has garnered many awards in national & regional exhibitions in some of the country’s most prestigious galleries and museums.  His paintings are in collections around the world, including England, China, Australia, Canada and Mexico. 

 Eric Bowman is a Signature Member of both the American Impressionist Society and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and an Out-of-State Member of the California Art Club. When not traveling to various plein air shows or visiting his beloved home state of California, Eric resides in northwest Oregon with his wife and daughter, and their dog, Mucha.” Read more HERE

All info & images via EricBowman.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Susan Cox!

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The Santa Ana Bus by Susan Cox  20×16″  Oil

Susan Cox. Check out her work if you haven’t already! She has interesting scenes and some great and different perspectives on some paintings. Which makes it nice, adds pizazz and makes it fresh! Pretty cool how an everyday scene can be made into a great painting!

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The Alley – San Clemente by Susan Cox  40×48″  Oil

This is one of the “different perspective” paintings I mentioned, by just giving the painting a little tilt it’s so cool! I love the dark shadows and tree in the foreground and that fabulous blue sky!

Read a bit about Susan, from her website:

Susan Cox was educated in Fine Arts at California State University Long Beach and lived in England for 14 years where she painted and exhibited in galleries in the London and Oxfordshire areas.  Her work has been featured in the Federation of British Artists, Britain in Watercolours exhibition at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. Continue reading HERE

All images via SusanCoxArt.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Dan Knepper!

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Do I Smell Bacon  30×40″  Oil

Dan Knepper. His paintings pack a powerful punch. The light in his landscapes is jaw dropping. I love this sunrise. My favorite time of day, when things are nice and quiet, and the beauty that the sun provides is amazing. Dan captures it so well!

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Tuesday – A Study  8×10″ Oil

A small study of Dan’s, and another powerful punch. This study is so fabulous, I just love it! The colors in the sky, the clouds, the horizon… WOW!

I have featured two of Dan’s oil paintings, be sure to check out his watercolors as well!

Read a bit about Dan, from his website:

“Dan Knepper primarily works in oil and watercolor. He uses oils to create landscapes that capture a desire to explore the rural countryside, and uses watercolor for his controlled and detailed portraits, allowing a luminosity difficult to obtain in other media.

Artist’s Statement:
I started painting because I liked faces and the challenge of capturing them…the light in a person’s eye, or the glow as it passes through skin. The human face and figure are amazing. They are the basis of our standard of elegance and proportion. Painting with watercolors allows me to capture that as if using layers of little chips of stained glass. 

It’s sounds cliché, but the more I’ve painted in oil or watercolor, the more I realized it was the atmosphere of light I was trying to capture…and so when I paint landscapes, it’s the light, and its effects, the illumination of leaves and grasses, the glowing shadows, the dance of the sunset on the water, and those amazing moments when the air itself has color, that I try to capture and pass on.

I hope you’ll step into the moments. Feel the rocking of the waves, hear the wind through the grass, feel the sunlight, explore the barns, and take the path beyond that next hill.”

All images via DanKnepperArt.Weebly.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Jennifer Diehl!

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Early Bloomer by Jennifer Diehl  24×36″  Oil

Jennifer Diehl. Her paintings are different and evoke a sense of beauty. Early Bloomer is a happy painting, I just love the light and shadows – wow!!

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View from Orcas Island by Jennifer Diehl  20×24″  Oil

Another wonderful painting, fabulous trees!! I love the pinkish light that is cast on everything. Gorgeous!

Are you an artist interested in taking workshops? Check out Jennifer’s Workshop info!!

Read more about Jennifer, from her website:

“Jennifer wants to live in a world where travel is instantaneous, time at the easel and with her family are both limitless, and pots and pans dance their own way to the sink and back into the cupboards.

While these things seem to be something she may have to wait to experience, she has wasted no time in the real world. Having known her passion since she could say the word “artist,” her whole life has been spent pushing towards that goal. Her artist parents taught her how to think about art, but sent her to learn the practice of it from her mentor, Henry Stinson. Jennifer studied with him until she was 18, and then her career began with her first show…..a Mother/Daughter debut. Since then, Jennifer has won numerous awards, shows in galleries/exhibitions around the country, and teaches what she knows to students who, like her, are students of art.

Jennifer has taken workshops from many well-known artists and worked hard to learn what they had to give, never wanting to stall in her artistic development. Even with her last painting, she wants to be exploring new ways to convey her thoughts and feelings without words.”

All images via JenniferDiehl.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Bill Cone!

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Canyon Driveway by Bill Cone  9×12″  Pastel on Paper

Intriguing… I love this painting! I am drawn in and want to follow this road. The area is peaceful with the darkness from deep within the forest and the bright bits of light. Beautiful! It reminds me of a few places that I’ve been… A good painting will do that. If it resonates with you it becomes a treasure and not just something to decorate a wall!

 

Read more about Bill, from the Total Arts Gallery website:

“Pixar production designer Bill Cone had stopped doing his own fine art outside of work for about 10 years before he began working with pastels.

“At some point, when you’re married and have kids, you don’t have lot of free time,” he says. “But when I started working with pastels for the movie A Bug’s Life, I enjoyed them so much that I began using them on my own.”

“I’d put them in a daypack along with some paper, and at lunch I’d ride my bike to a nice spot and paint,” Cone explains. “Then I took vacations and painted with pas- tels. For a while I had them in a little box in a backpack; eventually I decided to pack them better. And I started working bigger to do fish portraits. Up in Canada my in-laws liked to fish for rainbow trout, and I painted their prize catches.”

Cone started to realize he was gaining a deeper under- standing of qualities of light and atmosphere by painting outside, and that no photo could have taught him those things. “Watching changing light taught me a lot, how shadows move and change color,” he says. “I became more aware of how dynamic and complex nature is. It began to affect how I felt about light, and how to try to describe it. How to get the sense of the ways light from the sky illuminates the world even when you can’t see sun, or to understand the nature of shadows. I think I became more sensitive about how to use these effects in film, which was of great value for my work. I went out to explore nature and get away from work, but what I learned there came back to work with me.”

Cone continues to observe the effects of light in nature. Its not only helped his work, but inspires him on many levels. He exhibits annually, and for the last 8 summers, he has organized painting expeditions into the Sierra Nevada back country, inviting some co-workers from Pixar who like to paint, along with such fine artists as Randy Sexton, Clark Mitchell, Kevin Courter, Kim Lordier, and Paul Kratter.” [Read more HERE]…

Be sure to check out Bill’s paintings!

All images via BillCone.blogspot.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Amanda Lovett!

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Early to Rise by Amanda Lovett  18×24″ Oil

Amanda Lovett. Her paintings are so crisp and clear. What a nice painting, Early to Rise. My favorite time of day… in the wee hours of the morning, when it’s nice and quiet. There is nothing like it. I love the sun highlighting the beautiful flowers and the reflections on the table – also the peek out of the door is so nice, it adds so much depth to this painting, don’t you think?

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Vigorous Ride by Amanda Lovett  30×30″ Oil

Another beautiful painting. Just look at this horse – happy and free – and there is that beautiful light once again – WOW! Makes for a stunning painting!

Are you interesting in taking a workshop in 2017? Amanda will be conducted a workshop in Carterville, GA in April 2017 – click HERE for more workshop details!

Read a bit about Amanda, from her website:

“Amanda Lovett’s family recognized there was a creative career in her future when her childhood doodles were actually detailed sketches of her father’s horses.

Amanda attended the Atlanta Portfolio Center where she studied Art Direction, Graphic Design, Photography and Illustration and joined the advertising firm of McDonald and Little as an Art Director at the young age of 19. She thrived in her creative role and gained invaluable experience and education in the position, giving her the confidence to start her own successful agency when McDonald and Little was later purchased and moved to New York.

In 1998, Amanda attended a watercolor landscape class with Frank Broadhurst, who she would later credit for starting her on a path as a painter. In 2004, after recently switching her focus to oils, Amanda made the commitment to become a full time artist.

With a never ending desire for growth, Amanda has studied under some of the country’s top professionals. This love for learning has driven her to continue her education at every opportunity and has translated into the desire to share her knowledge with others. She currently teaches workshops at venues across the southeast with a series of subject matters developed to build the core skills necessary for growth at any level.

Amanda has been accepted into numerous national and regional shows and organizations. She is currently represented in several art galleries across the country.

Through her art, Amanda captures the vibrancy and energy most people miss in the simple moments of life.”

All images via AmandaLovett.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Kate Chappell!

Path to Blackhead by Kate Chappell

Path to Blackhead by Kate Chappell  9×12″  Watercolor

Kate Chappell, an artist from one of our favorite places, Maine!  She has incredible paintings (among other things)! This painting (above) is the Path to Blackhead (Monhegan Island). The path with the shadows is delightful!

The Road Home by Kate Chappell 15x11" Watercolor

The Road Home by Kate Chappell  15×11″  Watercolor  (Sold)

This wonderful painting, The Road Home, was at the Lupine Gallery (Monhegan, Maine), but has recently SOLD… What a lovely painting! Just look at those dramatic shadows, I love the bits of dark – This is a wonderful path. Just beautiful!

Kate is quite amazing, her talent doesn’t stop at painting, I swear this woman can do everything! Check out her website and you’ll see what I mean!!

Read a bit about Kate, from her website:

“Kate Cheney Chappell was born Katherine Pope Cheney in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of George Wells Cheney, Jr., an insurance executive, and Mary Frances Pope, a trained artist and champion of the visually impaired. She spent her childhood in Manchester, close to her paternal grandparents, many cousins, and the family business, Cheney Silk. At the age of 12, she and her family moved to Farmington, Connecticut, and she entered the Oxford School for Girls (later Kingswood-Oxford School). With encouragement from Art teacher, Rebecca Jones, she entered and won a Gold Key in Connecticut’s Scholastic Art Competition, and was in her first show at age 14. Kate Cheney Chappell attended Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (now Chatham University), distinguishing herself in Art, Creative Writing and French Literature. Read more …

Images via KateChappellArtSpace.com and LupineGalleryMonhegan.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

EMERGING ARTISTS: Elisa Sheehan and Mary Susan Vaughn!

Emerging Artists

It’s been a while since I’ve featured a few emerging artists, and I think there is no time like the present!! Sit back and enjoy… (and thank you Elisa and Mary for submitting your websites, it’s how I find out about artists I have yet to hear about!)

elisa sheehan

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Cool, small paintings by Elisa Sheehan! Whispy, happy colors – I think they look great grouped together, but they are available individually as well. Each is 8×10″. Elisa makes what she loves, and that is evident – be sure to check out her work! I like how Elisa shows these paintings in a few different settings, it really helps to picture if it would work for you.

Read a bit about Elisa, from her website:

“My painting process is a combination of intuitive yet planned mark making and completely unrestrained play. Color, shape, texture and line are what express emotions in my work. Nature’s influence is ever present in as evidenced by shapes of botanical matter – flowers, branches, lichen, leaves, water, pods with accents of pencil drawings. Each is a representation of the present moment – calm, chaotic, energetic, reflective and beautiful.

My works are a collection of my life’s moments. Living with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and one lovely husband, we explore the world together and place a premium on our time together. We prefer to do our exploring outdoors and almost all of my inspiration comes from nature. We home school our 2 children and seeing them learn in their own ways informs my own process and artistic growth. The sky really is the limit and sometimes making a giant mess is the best way forward!

Painting is a way of life for me. I work in various mediums from oil paints to watercolor, rope to silk, Adobe Illustrator to Photoshop, and as of late even a little metal and stone! I make what I love.” Read more about Elisa HERE

mary susan vaughn

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Bessy & Company by Mary Susan Vaugh  30×40″ Oil – SOLD

I love this painting. It’s unexpected… I think Mary captured it so perfectly with the cows all looking at her. This painting has character! Be sure to check out Mary’s work – her cows are wonderful, someone else must have thought so too… these cows are sold.

Read a bit about Mary, from her website:

“Always the creative spirit, Susan was born with a paintbrush in hand and an enthusiasm for color and fine art. As a child, her art hung on everything from refrigerators to walls, from elementary school classrooms to neighbor’s basement walls and beyond. She had one elderly neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, who lived alone and would give Susan a “Mary Jane” candy for every piece of artwork she would bring over to her. Susan stocked up on “Mary Jane’s” and Mrs. Johnson stocked up on Susan’s artwork. Read more about Mary HERE

All images via ElisaSheehan.com, and MarySusanVaughnFineArt.com used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artists.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Donna Bland!

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Cuchara, CO by Donna Bland  16×20″ Oil

Donna Bland. Wonderful paintings, these are a few of my favorites. These Colorado painting is dramatic with the dark greens from those stunning trees against the bright yellow/green. Nice, very nice!

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Pinch of Sunshine by Donna Bland  36×24″  Oil

Something struck me with this painting. I love it! It’s like you’re standing in the woods with trees in the distance. It’s got a wonderful, happy feel to it. This is a great painting!

Read a bit about Donna, from her website:

“Donna Bland lives and paints in the Austin, Texas area.  She has been an artist all her life starting in kindergarten.  Painting daily in her studio, plein air or teaching a workshop, subjects are unlimited.  Donna loves to learn, create and share what she has experienced in finishing a painting.  No words to describe the joy in painting outdoors in the Texas Hill Country, Colorado or Mexico.

My passion is creating an oil painting that reminds someone of a special moment, place or person in their lives.

When she first started painting in Georgia,  Donna was taught to paint scenes that interested her.  Painting what interest her adds a feeling of excitement into her painterly strokes.  Painting outdoors (en Plein Aire) is a wonderful way to study light and shadow as the day unfolds.  Painting a portrait is especially fun because I get to know the people or create a scene from a person’s life.  “From outdoor scenes, to portraits, to still life – I love it all,”    Each canvas is the opportunity to create a new design made of various colors and shapes.  It is  truly a blessing to be an artist and share people’s experiences, culture and dreams through art. 

She formally studied art at The Student Art League of New York, Scottsdale School of Art, University of Georgia and Tyler Jr. College in Texas.  And, has been fortunate to paint with modern day masters throughout the United States as well as Europe.   Continuing to study and read works by John Singer Sargent, Nicolai Fechin, Joaquin Sorolla and Emile Gruppe’ lends it’s influence in her work.”

All images via DonnaBland.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Nick Patten!

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A Red Box Low by Nick Patten 24×36 Oil

Nick Patten. Wonderful paintings… great light! What a delightful interior! I love the angles in the ceiling, the light reflected on the floor, bedspread, cabinet, etc. A bonus, paintings within a painting! Delightful!

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Soft White by Nick Patten 24×26″ Oil

Pretty darn realistic! Almost as if you could reach in and pull this lightbulb right out of the painting! Nice shadows and that light! Woohoo!

Read a bit about Nick, from his website:

“Nick Patten, a contemporary realist painter, is a native of Troy, New York, he received a B.A. in Fine Arts from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. People love the mysterious light in his paintings, and one art critic referred to him as an “American Vermeer.”

He has also been referred to as a Master of Light and Shadow because of the style of his paintings. Among other awards, recently Patten received the Best in Show prize in a juried show in upstate New York.

He has been a full time artist for more than 20 years, and he states that: ”my goal is to be able to paint what I want to see”.

ARTIST STATEMENT
“Settling on a composition for one of my room interior paintings is a progressive process. I pick and choose the most interesting and necessary elements from an array of photographs, often adding items from my imagination. Light & Dark is a primary focus of my painting, with particular attention to brush stroke and gradation in the darkest areas. Through working from photographs with the aim of creating believable paintings, I strive to bring a quiet drama to everyday scenes. My paintings are never intended to be “photographic”. In part, my aim is to make paintings where the content of the image is most compelling, and how the painting was made is secondary. In a sense, attempting to make the work exceed the medium.”   Nick Patten”

All images via NickPatten.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Amy Mahnick!

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#4 (Aggregates) by Amy Mahnick  15×11″  Oil

Amy Mahnick. Wonderful paintings, cleverly done, abstract, some more than others. Fabulous color palette. Her paintings draw interest. I love this one – I love how everyone sees something a little different in abstract paintings. She has a great website, be sure to check her out!

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Miss 4th (#2) by Amy Mahnick 10×8″ Oil

She also paints these cool models, they have so much character – the colors are so fun and she nailed the shadows and light. Wow!

Read a bit about Amy, from Black Pond Studio website (check website for workshop info):

“Amy Mahnick has been creating the subjects for her still life paintings for 18 years.  The plastic and packaging material she uses reflects her love of clean, colorful, modernist forms, and her paintings, a love for the process of working from observation.  

She was born in Detroit and received a BFA, in sculpture, from Michigan State University, and an MFA, in painting, from the New York Academy of Art. 

Her work has been exhibited in the United States and South Korea, most notably with Flowers Gallery, Nancy Margolis Gallery, Trestle Gallery, and 1285 Avenue of the Americas in New York; Richard Heller Gallery in Los Angeles; Girls’ Club, Ft. Lauderdale; and the Hangaram Art Museum in Seoul.

She has taught painting and drawing as an adjunct instructor at Adelphi University on Long Island for the past 5 years.  Prior to that, her work as a commercial painter included projects as far ranging as the recreation of Pierre Bourdelle’s Depression-era murals in Dallas’s Fair Park, to Jeff Koons’s Easyfun-Ethereal series. “

All images via AmyMahnick.net, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: John Francis Murray!

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Interior with Flowers by John Francis Murray

John Francis Murray. Interesting paintings – so different and full of life. There is an abstract quality to them, which I like, a lot! This interior painting is so happy and vibrant! I love the table cloth, the background, the texture, the bright flowers. You know what it is even though you don’t know what everything is, if that makes sense. Fabulous! Check out more of John’s work, as well as his website!

Read a bit about John, from his website:

“John Murray is a contemporary artist who works primarily in oil. His subject matter includes figure, landscape, still-life and portraiture. Inspired by the classical masters as a boy, his traditional training and artistic development has lead to work of quality. His paintings carry an appealing sense of clarity and color. Murray was educated at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia. In 1991 he studied at the John Michael Angel Studio in Florence, Italy. Upon graduation, he became one of four banknote designers at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where he drew presidential portraits and worked on currency designs for 16 years. In 2005, he decided to leave the Bureau to pursue his art career full time. The same year, as a faculty member at the Corcoran School of Art, he won a grant from the Corcoran to do post-graduate work at the Repin Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

In 2001, his wife Lena, a Russian artist, founded the Bridgeview School of Fine Art in New York. John Murray is a co-founder and guest teacher at the Bridgeview School. Since 2005, John and Lena have been organizing summer master classes for American students in St. Petersburg, Russia at the famous Repin Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

John has exhibited in many venues including the International Art Expo in New York City, the Strathmore Museum in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he won Best of Show Alumni Award in 2002. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland and teaches drawing, painting and sculpture at the Corcoran School of Art while continuing to paint. He is represented by Nichols Gallery in Charlottesville, Virginia and Newman Gallery in Philadelphia.

Major commissions include portrait of Supreme Court clerk Suiter, religious mural for the Jesuit Chapel at the Georgetown University and historic restoration of the dome of the Hispanic Gala Theater in Washington DC.”

All images via JohnFrancisMurray.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!