Featured Artist: Amy Williams!

On July 18, 2016August 2, 2023 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

Forsythia and Dandelions by Amy Willams 12×12″Oil

Amy Williams. Fabulous artist, wonderful person (that is so important to me… to like the artist!)- the kind of person you like to be around. One of her favorite spots to paint is Monhegan, Maine as well as other areas of Maine. She captures the light and the essence of a scene, much like you’re there. Her subjects vary, I love this Forsythia and Dandelions. I happen to think dandelions are happy little flowers, a pest to some, they add a bright bit of color. The forsythia in this painting is the star, I love the light!

Silver Lining by Amy Williams 12×12 Oil

Oh. My! How I love this painting! I am always looking up to the sky, it’s so beautiful, always changing and much more relaxing to watch than TV. Amy has added wonderful swirls of color, I am especially loving the gray on the right hand side and yellow/white bits next to it – a standout painting, especially with the bright white to crisp it up.

These two paintings are at Northlight Gallery in Kennebunkport, Maine. Something tells me that they won’t be there long! Be sure to check out Amy’s website!

Read a bit about Amy, from her website (link no longer present):

Brief Biography

Amy Williams has drawn and painted her whole life but she began taking formal art classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Art in 2000 after moving to Boston to take a position as Trustee Professor in Computer Science and Accounting at Bentley University. Over the next few years, in addition to taking SMFA and other museum school classes, she studied with Dennis Sheehan, Diane Rath and Casey Baugh and took workshops with Charles Sovek and Colin Page. In 2009, Amy gave up tenure and negotiated a contract to work half a year for three years so she could study intensively at the Art Student’s League of NY. She studied with Nelson Shanks, Burt Silverman, Ray Kinstler, Dan Thompson, Costa Vavagiakis, and Tom Torak and was invited to be Burt Silverman’s assistant in three workshops. She also frequently went to life drawing classes at Spring Street Studio in Soho. Upon leaving Bentley in December 2012, the university gave her a solo show in the McGladrey Gallery. In January 2013 she became a full time New Yorker. accepting an offer to serve as Director of Cyber Initiatives for the NY Citizens Crime Commission while taking classes and painting when she could. For years Amy really enjoyed helping others with their cyber security issues and painting in the evenings and on weekends but it became clearer with each day that all she wanted to do was paint. So for that reason plus a few others, in September 2014 she and her husband Kevin Beers sold their apartment in Brooklyn NY and moved to Maine. Amy and Kevin initially met in Maine and spent summers painting together on Monhegan so this move was inevitable. Today they are both currently, happily, working as fine art painters from the renovated barn attached to their beautiful old Greek Revival house in Thomaston.

Amy Williams Artist Statement

Amy loves to paint portraits of natural elements in the landscape as well as portraits of people and is particularly drawn to delicate or vulnerable subject matter. She also loves to crop paintings so that the attention is focused on something unexpected, for example a reflection of an object rather than the object itself or the shrub with the house as accessory instead of vice versa. However she paints anything and everything that visually excites her and is currently having a serious love affair with marshes and tidal areas along the coast of Maine. Painting brings Amy joy and she hopes those good vibrations are somehow transferred to the viewers of her work. Continue reading HERE…

All images via AmyWilliamsArt.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Peter Sheeler!

On July 13, 2016July 5, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Every one of Peter’s sketches are amazing – I love to watch him and I could watch his videos all day long! He makes it look incredibly easy. I love how he sketched the power pole and power lines… Fabulous!

Here is one of Peter Sheeler’s videos – like I said, I could watch him sketch all day long! He has many videos, be sure to subscribe to his YouTube Channel and receive notification of his latest videos! Click here to see more of his videos: https://m.youtube.com/c/petersheelerart

A bit about Peter from his YouTube:

Pen, Pencil and watercolor tutorials. A professional Artist for many years, my focus is now on smaller works, Urban sketching and sharing my techniques.

Every bit of this video is fabulous – they all are! Enjoy! Here is the link to the video below in case you need it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UcaDeNOGyg

All images via Peter Sheeler’s YouTube site, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Lyn Boyer!

On July 11, 2016June 30, 2023 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Living on the Light Side by Lyn Boyer 16x12 Oil - SOLD

Living on the Light Side by Lyn Boyer 16×12 Oil – SOLD

Lyn Boyer. Dramatic paintings. They catch your eye – Stunning! How wonderful is the shadow AND the light on this building? Great mountains in the background and shadows in the foreground… this is just beautiful! It is also… Sold.

Portrait of a Longhorn by Lyn Boyer 12x16 Oil

Portrait of a Longhorn by Lyn Boyer 12×16 Oil

Another wonderful painting. This longhorn looks deep in thought, with the wonderful clouds swirling behind… I love the color in the sky on the bottom right hand side above the horizon. Wow!

Read a bit about Lyn, from her website:

After returning from studying art in Melbourne, Australia, Lyn began a 25 year career as an American illustrator garnering awards from the Society of Illustrators, the Art Director’s Club, the Illustrators Workshops, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Dennos Museum, among others. Her clients have included – The Atlantic Monthly, The Chicago Tribune, Discover Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Book of the Month Club, Julliard, AT&T, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, World Book, World Vision, MCI, Kellog, Herman Miller, Proctor & Gamble, Zondervan, Baker Bookhouse… Lyn brings to her work the heart of a painter and the developed eye of an illustrator. She lives in Durango, Colorado devoting her time to capturing the nuances of the West – capturing a sense of place. Lyn accepts a limited number of students for individual or small group instruction and also continues her career as an illustrator.

All images via LynBoyer.WordPress.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Colin Page! Show at Dowling Walsh Gallery!

On July 1, 2016July 1, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Art Event, Featured Artist2 Comments

The Apple Tree by Colin Page 36×48″ Oil

Colin Page. His paintings are recognizable from a distance. He really doesn’t even need a signature, you can look at it and say WOW! COLIN! There are so many fabulous paintings to chose from it boggles the mind. The Apple Tree is so wonderful, I love how the children are playing, the dramatic tree, fabulous sky, tree shadows, and the girl reaching for the cat. Stunning work. As always!

Skull by Colin Page 36×36″ Oil

I love Colin’s tablescapes. I love every one of them. This one is so unexpected. I’ve seen other skull paintings of his and they were remarkable as well, but this skull on top of the table with flowers is stunning.

If you are in the Rockland, Maine area, do not miss his show at Dowling Walsh Gallery!

Opening Reception, First Friday, July 1, 2016 from 5-8pm (TONIGHT!)

Read more about Colin, and see more work from this show HERE.

Colin has a fabulous website as well, be sure to check it out – don’t miss his journal, it’s full of great information!

Are you an experienced artist looking to take a workshop? I see that Colin has a workshop coming up in September – it looks AMAZING! Check out the details HERE!

All images via DowlingWalsh.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Kevin Beers!

On June 30, 2016June 24, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Dory in Shadows by Kevin Beers

Today’s featured artist is Kevin Beers. Many know Kevin as an artist that primarily paints Monhegan Island, Maine. Gorgeous paintings. Many of them are very large plein air (painted outdoors). Kevin and his wife Amy has recently moved to Maine, and Kevin has painted some wonderful spots around where he lives, so be sure to check out those paintings!

Dory in the Shadows has such an elegance to it, doesn’t it? The simple curves of the dory – the light on the grass – the light on the dormers – beautiful!

If you’re in the Boothbay Harbor area, be sure to check out Kevin’s show!

Here is the show information from Gleason Fine Art:

Gleason Fine Art Gallery | JUNE 23 — JULY 26, 2016

KEVIN BEERS: The View from Here

Paintings of Monhegan and the mainland by the popular landscape artist who made the move to become a full-time Mainer last year.

Reception: First Friday, July 1, 5 to 7 pm

For Kevin Beers’s 2016 summer show, his 15th solo show with the gallery, Kevin has not only given the gallery more than a dozen of the elegiac Monhegan Island landscapes and panoramas for which he is famous, but also a half-dozen dazzling paintings of Pemaquid in both full sunlight and at sunset, paintings of Thomaston’s “painted ladies” (fancy Victorian mansions), paintings of Hendricks Head and Kitten Island on Southport, and a pair of his majestic truck portraits.

Read a bit about Kevin, from Gleason Fine Art’s website – what a great bio!:

In the Fall of 2014, Kevin Beers did something he had long dreamed of doing—he packed up his Park Slope, Brooklyn, apartment and moved to Maine to become a full-time resident. Beers and his wife Amy rented the Rockland home of a Monhegan friend and spent the winter of 2014-2015 hunting for their dream house. They found it on a Thomaston side street—an antique white farmhouse with a barn big enough for two studios.

For his 2015 summer show, Beers has given the gallery not only his typical Monhegan Island panoramas and landscapes but also a half dozen sparkling winter paintings done on site in Rockland as well as several dazzling sunset views of Pemaquid. For Beers’ many fans of his truck and car paintings, this year’s show contains a special treat—“Stars and Stripes,” a majestic rendition of a familiar Rte. 90 sight, an old truck painted with red, white, and blue stars and stripes.

In mid-July, Beers heads out to his beloved Monhegan Island once again, but come fall, instead of facing the 7-hour drive back to Brooklyn, he will step off the ferry, drive less than half an hour, and be home—Maine at last!

All images via GleasonFineArt.com , used with permission…

Images are not reproduction; they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Jean-Pierre Jacquet!

On June 29, 2016June 20, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

I-684 by Jean-Pierre Jacquet

Jean-Pierre Jacquet. I know I’ve mentioned before… that I love darkness in paintings, especially near an area with light. It makes the painting more dramatic. I love these trees (and their shadows), they have such life, and you only see a small portion of them!

Easel Does It by Jean-Pierre Jacquet

Interior paintings are so fabulous, yet you don’t see many of them. Is there anything better than a painting within a painting (or in this case, several paintings)!? Jean-Pierre is an interesting guy (from what I’ve read), with great paintings, be sure to check out his work!

Read a bit about Jean-Pierre, from his website:

I am a French-American painter. And an occasional film animator (some of my film animation work is viewable at http://www.jeanpierrejacquet.com). For many years, it was the other way around. I devote most of my painting activities to “plein air” painting, or, as the French say, “peinture sur le motif”, i.e on the spot painting.

I like to paint what I see, rather than what I know, and try to uncover the hidden designs in my subject matters, be it straight nature scenes or urban landscapes. I am partial to free and bold brushstrokes which help me keep a certain sketchiness to my paintings.

My influences are eclectic so I will spare you a useless enumeration.

Under the Awards & Distinctions portion of Jean-Pierre’s About the Artist page is this, a sense of humor, I love it!:

I am not dead yet but 2 of my films are part of 2 museums: Flagrant Délit is part of the MoMA in NYC, and Contrapunto is part of the Tanz Museum in Düsseldorf in Germany.

Continue reading HERE…

All images via JPJacquet.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Aaron Cordell Johnson!

On June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Floating Giants by Aaron Cordell Johnson 36×36″

Aaron Cordell Johnson. Wow. His paintings are show stoppers. Just look at these clouds against that brilliant blue sky. Floating Giants is a great name for this painting. The landscape is the perfect setting beneath these majestic clouds, don’t you think?

Jupiter Ascending by Aaron Cordell Johnson 18×18

When I ran across this painting I almost fell out of my chair! The sky is on fire, the horizon is dark, but shows distance. The reflections from the light are magnificent. Aaron nailed this sky. It is absolute perfection. You see wonderful paintings of skies quite a bit, but this has more detail and depth, the lighter yellow strokes, and then the thin strips of wispy cloud and the shadows on the clouds. WOW.

Read a bit about Aaron, from his website:

I am searching for the sensation of the subject.

I am interested in finding an authentic experience through the act of creation. My work involves physical interaction and passion for the subject. The paintings I create are the result of time, searching for just the right cloud formations, watching the colors, and experiencing what it means to be in an environment. Through these experiences I use color, brushstrokes, drawing and texture to express the lay of the land and its affect on me.

My studio works are based on paintings done en plein-air (works done on site). In my studio I work to keep the spontaneous feel of a plein-air painting, I do not simply enlarge the plein-air work but translate and evolve the idea of multiple experiences of being on site into a new studio piece.

Throughout history images of sacred figures have been placed within magnificent frames to create an icon, these icons are used to show the importance of an idea. In some of my work I craft frames to create a new kind of icon, an icon of the humble landscape.

As an avid outdoorsman and passionate painter I hope to use my work to heighten our awareness of the significance of our surroundings, such as the way a cloud floats across the sky, how a dead trees branches pierce the sky, or the brilliant complementary colors of fall. Each painting is the culmination of absorbing, listening, feeling and observing my surroundings.

All images via CordellArt.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Chad Matthew Smith!

On June 22, 2016June 15, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist1 Comment

Winter Pavilion 4 by Chad Smith 24×20″ Oil

Chad Smith. Wow. Fabulous paintings with magnificent light. His paintings go beyond the average good painting. They have substance and there is something about them that makes you stop and look… they keep you looking. As I write this it is sunny, hot and humid here in Charleston. So I am finding this snowscape especially appealing! How I would love to have a polar fleece on breathing cool air right now!

Look at the wonderful colors in the trunk of the tree, in the snow, the shed and the trees beyond. Chad’s paintings aren’t flat they come alive.

City of Utica by Chad Smith 20×16″ Oil

What stood out to me in this painting is the crispness – without being “tight” Chad creates a painting where the darks make the lights sing. For as loose as this painting is, look at that stop light. Perfection! The streetlight… stunning! Who would think such a scene could make such a dynamic painting. Be sure to check out Chad’s website – all of his paintings are jaw droppers!

Read a bit about Chad, from his website:

As an “on the spot” painter, I find great satisfaction in capturing the immediacy of the moment. I liken this to Jazz improvisation. The more practiced and skilled one is the more clarity and meaning one brings to the “performance”.

My process is simple, search a location set up my easel and paint. Working outdoors allows any number of variables from weather to interested onlookers. Sometimes it is a wonder I get any work done, which makes the successes that much sweeter.

I paint subjects that resonate both personally and visually. It is when the viewer gets a similar visceral response to the work I know I have touched on something important. More than anything else my work is autobiographical in nature and each piece is a summation of my experience as a human being and artist to that point. Read more about Chad HERE.

All images via ChadSmithPaintings.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Cooper Dragonette!

On June 20, 2016June 15, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist4 Comments

Pond Cove Light by Cooper Dragonette 16×20 Oil

It’s so hard to pick just two paintings… I love them all. The vertical slice of fabulous light on the rocks drew me in, my eye went to it, then slid down into that fabulous water – FABULOUS! Then my eye traveled up towards the rock formation in the water and back to the rock on land. Around and around. It’s a stunning painting that you just don’t want to give up. I would like to be sitting there looking at this very sight, maybe with some cheese and crackers and an iced tea! Beautiful!

Studio View by Cooper Dragonette 8×10 Oil – SOLD

I swear, Cooper can paint clouds like you just won’t believe! Check out his work to see what I mean. The cloud paintings on his website are all sold and they are all out of this world!

Look at these trees… THAT LIGHT! I am into paintings with snow right now because it’s just so darn hot here. This painting with the light colors in the foreground and the darker colors of the tree line is stunning! It’s that magical time of day when the light makes anything and everything look beautiful! What a fabulous studio view Cooper has!

Are you looking to take a workshop? Cooper will be teaching a fabulous workshop in July (7/16-7/17/2016) with the Maine College of Art’s Continuing Studies program, click HERE for more info! He also has a fabulous WORKSHOPS page – a lot of good information, so if you’re interested, be sure to check it out!

Cooper also has some larger works hanging at Tree Place Gallery in Orleans, MA!

Read a bit about Cooper, from his website:

Inspired by the coast of Maine, Cooper Dragonette has devoted himself to painting the landscape since 2000. His influences consist of notable artists such as John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, and Andrew Wyeth. Dragonette primarily paints in oils and has an affinity for painting ‘en plein air’, but also enjoys creating studio works using his outdoor sketches for inspiration. “Painting is often an experience in memory for me. On site I am trying to record the moment, but in the studio I am trying to get back to the place, to the feeling, to the experience.”

Mr. Dragonette is a full-time landscape painter, teacher, father, and husband (though not necessarily in that order) living and working in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Read more HERE…

All images via CooperDragonette.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Dylan Metrano!

On June 8, 2016June 3, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, MichiganLeave a comment

Inn at Night 8×8″ Papercutting by Dylan Metrano

Dylan Metrano. Papercutting that is above and beyond. His work is fabulous. I’m sure those of you Monhegan lovers will recognize the Island Inn image, Inn at Night, simple, yet regal, just like the inn itself!

Island Inn Rooftop by Dylan Metrano 5×5″ Papercutting (SOLD)

Me… and orange. It draws me in every time… this piece is already sold, but I had to share! I love the shingles with the purple and that sky… That sky is exactly what you could see on Monhegan, Maine! Wild and bright! I am a big fan of Dylan’s work!

Do you wonder how Dylan does this? I did too! Whew, it’s a lot of work, check out his time lapse video!

Read a bit about Dylan, what a cool guy, from his website (be sure to check out his list of galleries – on Monhegan he is also in the Lupine Gallery!):

For more than ten years, Dylan Metrano has been cutting the likeness of friends, animals, and architecture from colorful origami paper. He grew up in Newburyport, MA, where he was an active member of the theater and music communities. He co-founded the annual Free Art Show, which gives away hundreds of art pieces in boxes located throughout Newburyport and beyond each December.
Dylan currently lives on Monhegan Island, Maine, where he’s been inspired by a landscape trapped in time. Its centuries‐old buildings and migratory birds have been carefully rendered in meticulously cut paper.
Drawn to the simplicity of form, the boldness and relationships of colors, and cleanness of composition, Dylan’s artwork is entirely comprised of cut and carefully layered paper.
Dylan is a self‐taught artist, and has had his artwork featured on numerous album covers, book covers, posters, and in exhibitions throughout New England.
He has shown work at the Newburyport Art Association, the Rockport Art Association, The Lupine Gallery (Monhegan, ME), Chameleon (Newburyport, MA), The Firehouse Center for the Arts (Newburyport, MA), Nahcotta Gallery (Portsmouth, NH), and many other galleries.
In February 2016, Scholastic published “Every Day Birds“, a children’s book which Dylan illustrated with his papercuttings.

Dylan also plays in the bands Tiger Saw and Cape Snow.

Be sure to check out Dylan’s list of galleries, on Monhegan he is in the Lupine Gallery and in his porch gallery through Columbus Day, here are the details:

My Monhegan porch gallery is now open for the summer!

Visiting hours are Tuesdays, 3-5 from now until Columbus Day (or by appointment).

Second house, off the second path off Horn Hill Road.

All images via DylanMetrano.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Leon Basler!

On June 6, 2016April 16, 2024 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Leon Basler. Wonderful work of all kinds. I’m willing to bet his middle name is Versatile! This man sketches, paints, photographs – you name it, he does it. You have to check out his website!

Determination Took Us to the Top by Leon Basler

A majestic tree,which almost comes alive in this painting – fabulous! Be sure to take a peek at Leon’s journal – he brings it to life with his paintings and photographs!

Read a bit about Leon, from his website:

“Transforming an image into a piece of art takes passion. I feel a passion for every piece of art I create, and fortunately I have many passions in my life.

Since I was a young boy, I have been encouraged to express the talents that I have through various artistic outlets. Common scenes evolve into something more as I convey my interpretation of them with different mediums.

I never limit myself or my art and that is why I want to share each unique and individual piece with you so you can have a piece of my passion in your life.”

Leon Basler …

Native of Ste. Genevieve, MO.
Attended Southeast Missouri State University, Chicago Art Institute, Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, American Academy of Fine Arts, Chicago.
Private study under Missouri artists M. Charles Rhinehart, Dhimitri Zonia and Colorado artist Leawn Hlavachick. Worked as a freelance artist for cartoonist Fred Lasswell, who wrote and drew the “Barney Google and Snuffy Smith” cartoon strip. Also studied with Missouri artist Mathew Ziegler.
Worked as an art director for various agencies throughout the Midwest. Illustrator for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, art director and product designer for the pen manufacturer Sheaffer Eaton – Textron, also as a pilot/flight instructor, art and pottery teacher for a rehabilitation center for children.
Currently lives in Bismarck and is presently employed with KLJ Engineering as a visual specialist. Has received national, regional and local recognition for his artwork and designs. His artwork is represented in galleries in SD, ND, WY, CO, WI and MO.
Read more HERE

All images via LeonBasler.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Marsha Donahue!

On June 1, 2016May 24, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Tree & Shadow by Marsha Donahue 6×6″ Oil

Meet artist Marsha Donahue! What a treat, right? If you don’t already know of Marsha’s work, be sure to check out the website. Beautiful paintings! This little painting caught my eye right away, it’s the wonderful orange undertone, especially against the darkness of the tree. WOW. Talk about dramatic. I love this! This tiny painting packs a powerful punch!

Autumn Dolby by Marsha Donahue 66×88″ Oil

The sheer talent of some people! Just look at this fabulous (large!) painting. The detail, the stillness of the water in areas, the movement of the sky, the feeling of the sun. Beautiful, just beautiful! That dead tree on the left is a favorite! Oh, how I love those trees, they’re so picturesqe! Beautiful painting. Be sure to check out Marsha’s work, I’m sure you will love it as much as I do!

Read a bit about Marsha, from her gallery’s website:

The owner and founder of North Light Gallery, Marsha Donahue has degrees in the fine arts from American University and the Maine College of Art. After many years of working in galleries both in Washington, DC and Portland, Me, she opened her own in Millinocket, ME in 2004 where she could paint the landscape she loved. She was influenced early on by Winslow Homer and painted in the Adirondacks for several years during the summers before returning to Maine in 1985. At some point John Singer Sargent’s influence took over and never quit. She also shows her work at the Gallery at Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island.

All images via ArtNorthlight.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

EMERGING ARTISTS… a few more emerging artists on this Memorial Day holiday!

On May 30, 2016May 18, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Emerging ArtistLeave a comment

Time for a few more emerging artists! Enjoy your Memorial Day! Take a moment to remember those who served their country…

ANN TRAINOR DOMINGUE

Common in Light by Ann Trainor Domingue 24x24x1.5 Acrylic

This painting caught my eye, and being Memorial Day, I thought it would be nice to include one with the American flag! I like the perspective of this paintings, it’s fresh and different. I really love the bits of light on the porch, the fabulous green in the grass (but not flat green) and the shadows of the house. Very nice!

Read a bit about Ann, from her website:

I think a little messy is healthy. Find unmanicured far more interesting. And enjoy the uncommon.

This is a funny contradiction after spending three decades in the advertising industry where messy is unacceptable and crisp clean digital design is the holy grail. Now, I bring the best of those experiences to my art where I am both an unedited storyteller and sole designer–in search of the next step of my evolution as a painter.

When creating my artworks, I begin with design–a holdover from my days in advertising. Little thumbnail drawings begin to untangle the nest of inspirations and start the process of establishing order. Subject matter and color, medium and size, paint application and story, each contribute something important in this early design process. This convergence of ideas spills out into little designs in black and white, then evolves into small color drafts, created to evaluate the possibilities for larger work.

The sketches help lay a foundation but the details are to be determined once the painting process begins. I create art that is grounded in reality while obviously playing with it–reshaping forms and reinterpreting color. Lines sometimes do the heavy lifting, and at other times its color and texture that bring the piece to life. I enjoy the painting process itself–at times scrubbing out complete paintings only to discover half way through that the scrubbing is actually helping to merge elements and improve the work. This is what I refer to as being brave–sometimes it comes easily others its a full on struggle.

My treatment of edges is key to my working style. I love coarsely painted areas that dissolve into another, and crisp edges that melt into a softened area. It keeps my eye moving around the piece and not settling in one area. This variation keeps me going till the fundamental elements feel right. No science. No measuring. No roadmap to a destination. Just a feeling that things have arrived.

TOBY TOVER

Havana Momma by Toby Tover 36×36 Mixed Media

Is this a fun painting or what? Doesn’t Havana Momma make you smile? She’s got spunk. You can tell that she’s past the point of caring what others think. I love it, her and her loud clothes. She’s happy and doing what she wants. It’s as if she’s saying “Life is short – Live it up“! (Very cool background too!)

Read a bit about Toby, from her website:

Everyday life ‘clip shots’ have held a fascination for me. Satire, humor and personal isolation are strong threads that weave themselves throughout the figurative work. The images have been processed through my own personal visual filter. I paint the genre of “human/social condition narratives” which come from my absorbing interest in movies, theater and personal or documentary photography.

Nostalgia is a component of the vintage-based work. Nostalgia in Greek literally means “the pain from an old wound”. It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. I paint what I feel: you do not have to feel as I do..that you get some emotional reaction from what I create is all that matters… whether it be laughter or a knowing connectedness.

The Divas, painted in acrylic, have one characteristic in common–they all are women with attitude. Displaying a fierce boldness with an undercurrent of intrigue that often turns introspective, they cannot be overlooked, or ignored. The Divas are in our face and we, as viewers have to confront them. Once seen, these images are hard to forget, perpetuating the ultimate diva feminine mystique. I try to capture my subjects in a moment to ensure that this moment will become timeless.

All images via the artist’s websites – images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artists.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Linda Baker!

On May 25, 2016May 20, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Afternoon Breeze by Linda Baker 20×20 Watercolor

American Watercolor Society – Award, Watercolor West – Award

Linda Daly Baker. If you aren’t familiar with her yet, you will be. She is an amazing watercolorist. Her paintings standout, the level of detail, the perfection, the wonderful feelings they hold. I urge you to check out Linda’s website, it’s a treat!

I am featuring two of Linda’s paintings, each is unique, but both have captivating light and detail. The colors are wonderful! I watched Linda’s video on Sketching, and she is so right when she says that if you don’t like your sketch, you won’t like your painting… it’s the simple truth. I know I need to sketch much more! Afternoon Breeze (above) is from such a cool vantage point! I love this perspective, it’s one that is for those who truly can sketch well!

Pins and Strings by Linda Baker 34×30″ Watercolor

AWS – American Watercolor Society, Shenzhen Biennial – Shenzhen, China

What a fabulous painting. It seems the string and it’s shadow are the stars of this show. I love the piece of furniture and the way the light hits creating a multitude of colors. I have always loved watercolor paintings, there is something about them that can be so magical!

Have you thought about taking a watercolor workshop? Well, are you ever in luck! Check out Linda’s WORKSHOP SCHEDULE! Also be sure to check out Linda’s VIDEOS (and DVD’s too!). I can tell that she would be wonderful to take a workshop from. Nice lady!

Read a bit about Linda, from her website:

Capturing the extraordinary light that transforms a subject almost to abstraction is a main objective in creating my watercolors. My love of white and the soft nuances of gray along wight he richness of earth tones make up my subtle palette, says artist Linda Baker. As a full time artist, she creates originals, reproduces a line of giclees and has two instructional video available through Creative Catalyst Productions, along with jurying and teaching workshops both nationally and internationally. Read more HERE…

…All images via LindaDalyBaker.com, used with permission

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Carol Fortunato!

On May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Field at Richville and River by Carol Fortunato 9×12 Oil

Carol Fortunato. Her work is outstanding, and I’m only showing you two examples! What a great painting of a field! The distance can be felt without a doubt. What a wonderful place, just look at those trees! This is somewhere I would like to be. It looks nice and quiet!

Red Snapper and Lemons by Carol Fortunato 14×18 Oil

This is one of my favorite’s of Carol’s – although, once you start perusing through her paintings it’s difficult not to say that about way more than one! I think the color harmony is nice. The lemons are fresh and that glass pitcher… wow!

Read a bit about Carol, from her website:

After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York with a degree in illustration, Carol continued her studies at the Art Students League with teachers David Leffel and Greg kreutz, under whose tutelage she discovered an interest in chiaroscuro painting. Immersing herself in the art of the past, she was moved by the Barbizon painters whose rich atmospheric work led her to continue her studies at the Ridgewood Art Institute under master landscape painter, John Osborne.

Today, inspired by the simple beauty of the smaller works of Chardin, she strives to create lush still lifes that capture the quiet beauty and rhythms that she sees in the shapes of nature. And while Carol enjoys the solitude of her studio, her favorite time is spent painting landscapes on location where, at the best of times, she can lose herself and feel at one with her subject; when she can winnow down the light, shapes, color harmonies, atmospheric effects, and energy of a subject into its most truthful essence, simply and directly, it is a very good day.

Ms. Fortunato divides her time between her studio in Montclair, New Jersey and plein air painting in Dorset, Vermont and its surrounding area. In 2013, she spent the summer in England, with her tirelessly supportive husband, painting the Cotswolds and fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Her work can be found in collections nationally as well as the UK. Her still lifes with a focus on the edible are appreciated in the culinary arts world where she was invited to have solo shows in the renowned James Beard House and French Culinary Institute. She is represented in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. by Christina Gallery and exclusively in Southern Vermont at the Three Pears Gallery in Dorset. Read more HERE…

All images via FortunatoStudio.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!