Kyle Paliotto can really paint the light, can’t he? This little piggy is precious… the light coming through his ears… stunning! So loose and wonderful, such character! This knocks me out!
Summer Freckles by Kyle Paliotto 10×10″ Oil
I think it’s safe to say that Kyle can paint just about anything! From pigs to fish, they all have character, and I love that! Love his signature – very cool!
Read a bit about Kyle, from his website – he sounds like a nice guy:
Oil painter Kyle Paliotto gathers imagery from the beautiful rustic landscape of his local surroundings in North Idaho. He searches out rural settings which display a time gone by when harmony between land and man existed. His style is one that takes from impressionism without disregarding the discipline of representational art up to the early 1900′s. Painting plein air on location is essential to his process but the real meat and potatoes is in the studio.
At the age of 39, Kyle has had some great achievements, but his greatest joys are his wife Rebecca and children Vincent and Sophia.
LOOK AT THOSE BRUSH STROKES! Fabulous! Eric Jacobsen is an artist who captivates his viewer with his paintings! Each one fabulous in its own way. I love the wild clouds, the autumn trees and the shady area in the foreground.
Glorious Aspen by Eric Jacobsen (SOLD) 44×42 Oil
I love this painting. Something about it draws me in… perhaps the fabulous color palette, interesting shadows and overall composition. I am impressed!
Read a bit about Eric, from his website:
Eric Jacobsen was born and raised in New England. He received a BA in History from Gordon College in Wenham, MA in 1989 and studied fine art at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, CT from 1991-1995. At the Academy he received training in the Beaux Arts tradition of drawing and painting from life.
Eric’s true inspiration is the amazing beauty that he sees in nature. Jacobsen is a “Plein Air” painter. He takes his oils wherever he goes, setting up on site, working until his painting is finished.
“It is most important to me that my paintings convey a certain mood”, Eric says. “I want them to be felt by the viewer without his or her having to analyze or think about them. As a general rule, I try to find strong compositions in nature and then paint the scene accurately while leaving out any extraneous details which would only busy up the painting and detract from the strength of the piece as a whole. My painting process consists of finding a painting site and setting up to paint for a couple of hours, or until the light has changed. For larger paintings, I will return on consecutive days at the same time, under similar lighting conditions to finish a piece.”
Kevin Beers. He’s always a pleasure to watch paint. Fred and I have seen Kevin on Monhegan several years toting his large canvases for plein air painting. He just shows up at the same spot and same time the next day to continue working. His paintings are treasures! Especially if you love the island as much as most people who visit do!
I love nocturnes, and this one is extra special! A short walk from the wharf is a cabin called Uncle Henry’s. I love the moodiness of this painting, and those few stars make it extra special!
Kevin is fortunate to be married to one of the nicest people on the planet, Amy, who is also an artist! They have recently made the big move to Maine, and they couldn’t be happier!
Arriving at Gleason Fine Art on Thursday…
Stars ‘n Stripes by Kevin Beers
If you’re in the Boothbay Harbor, Maine area be sure to stop in to see the “View from Here” show at Gleason Fine Art. it should arrive in the gallery on Thursday! Here it is… Dennis Gleason shared some info with me about this painting… This truck painted with Old Glory – does it look familiar? You may have seen the real thing on Rte 90 just off Rte 1, where Jay Sawyer has his sculpture “garden”. This is going to be a fabulous show, don’t miss it!
The show opens TOMORROW, June 18, 2015 and runs through July 28th! The reception is on JULY 3, 2015, from 5-8PM so if you would like to meet Kevin in person, be sure to stop by Gleason Fine Art!
Painting by Kevin Beers 30×40″ Oil
Kevin can paint the lightkeeper’s house on Monhegan in the most unbelievable way, but just when you don’t think there could be another twist… POOF! A painting within a painting – Clever!
Check out Gleason’s website and see all the other fabulous paintings that Kevin has been working on!
Monhegan has come to mean a lot to Beers. It is where Beers transformed a passion for painting into his life’s work. It is also where Beers met his wife, Amy Raye, who, in a scene right out of a Hepburn and Tracy romantic comedy, literally ran into Beers while admiring a magazine article about Beers painting on Monhegan. Fittingly, Beers and Raye married on their island a couple summers after their serendipitous meeting. To his many collectors, a Kevin Beers painting represents everything they love about Maine: intense blue seas and skies, puffy white clouds, and sunlight dancing off neat clapboard houses. To Beers himself, “Monhegan is a dazzling place with incredible, beautiful light. I love to paint the buildings on the island—the color and structure of weathered buildings, the patterns of sunlight and shadow, and the sharp contrast between a red roof, white clapboards, and bright blue sky.”
Lead the Way by Steve Curry 30×24″ Oil – Available at the Vault Gallery
Steve Curry. I really like his paintings, they have a moodiness about them! These trees seem to be dancing in the light, don’t they? Quite like an enchanted forest!
Born in Milbrae, California in 1957 Steven spent the first 21 years of his life in the beautiful surrounding of Northern California. Both parents were practicing artists who nurtured Steven’s love of drawing and painting from an early age.
In 1982, he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Visual Communication from California State University, Long Beach working the first 6 years of his professional art career as Graphic Designer in Los Angeles, CA.
From 1988 to 2003 Steven owned and operated the Curry Design Agency based in Santa Monica, California. CDA’s many prestigious clients included Nissan North America, Sony Pictures, and the Academy Awards. CDA’s significant impact on the graphic design industry is emphasized by having three graphic design projects selected to be archived in the collections of the United States’ Library of Congress.
After more than 15 years of commercial success, Steven retired his design agency in order to pursue his fine art passion full time, choosing the Ojai Valley of California as home and inspiration.
Katie Dowling. Around the Bend is a great example of simplified strokes making a knock out painting. A painting without a lot of detail leaves something for your imagination to fill in. The color palette, brush strokes and composition are very nice. Check out more of Katie’s work!
Katie grew up in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. At age 18 a family friend invited her to go painting outside. Weeks later the same friend told her she must sign up for a workshop given by Don Sahli, a nationally recognized plein air painter, so she did. On the third day the entire process clicked and there began a new love and a new career in the fine arts.
Don Sahli introduced her to the tradition and heritage of Russian impressionism, to the work of Sahli’s teacher Sergei Bongart and to the palette and techniques of the Russian masters. With this springboard of information she was equipped to experience nature in a totally new way.
Katie began to win awards in local art festivals and then was included in Southwest Art magazine’s section, “21 Young Artists To Collect Now.” She was featured in the exhibition “Legacy of the Russian Masters” with Filmmaker and painter George Gallo along side her teacher Don Sahli and most recently won the Artist’s Choice award for the 9th annual Sedona plein air festival and the Crested Butte Invitational in the open class division.
As she grows she has developed and discovered the importance of both the outdoors and the studio. This has enabled her to explore the elements of design, structure and balance in pieces painted from her field studies. As a native of the Vail Valley in Colorado, she searches for beauty near her home and throughout the west.
Blue Tulip Pitcher by Karen O’Neil 30×30 Oil – Available at Thaddeus C. Gallery
Karen O’Neil. Gorgeous paintings! Different! I’m not sure how to describe, but the technique is so clean and just absolutely beautiful! She can paint these still life’s so beautifully. Refined and a little delicate, simply beautiful! Such nice color harmony and so pleasing to the eye!
August by Karen O’Neil 24×24 Oil
LOVELY! Karen is a master painting glass, isn’t she? Beautiful! Click HERE to see Karen’s list of Workshops/Classes for 2015!
“My goal is to capture the brief and fleeting visual excitement of our everyday lives…” Karen O’Neil studied at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, and in Provincetown with Henry Hensche. Since 1990 Karen has been an instructor of painting at the Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, NY. Her work is represented in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
Jacob Tarazoff. Nice work! Very different! Love his style. This guy looks like he loves life. I think it’s so cool how he travels around and paints. Check out the photos (link towards end of this post)… This is a nice street scene. Love the colors! The power lines add so much! So nice!
Velvet Hues by Jacob Tarazoff 16×20 Oil
Velvet Hues… pretty cool, eh? This is what Jacob is known for. His love of skiing, rock climbing and snowboarding really shows through in his paintings, doesn’t it? Check out his work, he paints pretty much everything… Great work!
Info from Jacob:
Over the last twenty years I have had some incredible experiences rock climbing and riding my snowboard in the wild areas of the Western US and Canada. It has become important for me to find ways to memorialize these experiences, and oil painting has provided me with a means to record that reaches beyond the scope of photography and video. I want to help people to make their climbing and ski memories something more substantial than just a helmet cam video or a ton of pictures after a ski day. Let me help you make your climb/ski experience last a lifetime, with an archival and fully reproducible original oil portrait by Jacob Tarazoff. Options for ski /climb portraits would be generally be one of three;
-Send me photo references and short synopsis of the day
-Meet me at spot of your choice for a custom climb or ski day portrait
-Meet me at the Festival/Event of your choice for a custom climb or ski day portrait
I was born in Santa Fe New Mexico in 1982, and grew up exploring the high dessert of Northern New Mexico. Snowboarding, rock climbing and mountain biking led to a deeper appreciation for the land and eventually paint and brushes became a means of exploration. I have a BFA from the University of New Mexico, 2006, and have had the opportunity to study with many wonderful painters in and around the Western US. I have had many public showings of my work and have won numerous awards at plein air events throughout the US, and my work is represented in private collections around the world. I am available for commissions, as well as an adventure-painting guide in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and throughout Northern New Mexico.
February Studio by Skip Lawrence 15×15 Acrylic on Rag Paper
Skip Lawrence. His paintings have pizazz. A little something unexpected and wonderful. They have life. Depth. Feeling and movement. They’re fabulous! Skip loves to paint and it shows in every single one of his paintings!
Red Mark by Skip Lawrence (Sold) 22×30″ Mixed Media
Red Mark is a perfect example of a loose painting that has total shape and movement. That white outline on her right hip/thigh is brilliant. Love the red mark and the swishes of color… what else do you see in this painting?? Fabulous!
Are you looking for a workshop to take? Something different? Look no further! Skip is offering workshops in several locations… check out his workshop schedule!
Read a bit about Skip, from his website, also check out his blog!:
EXPRESSIVE ARTIST
I love everything about painting. I love feeling the paint, seeing a rich color spread under my brush onto a surface and the play between colors coming together. I love watching my idea take form until a painting finally says “it” and I am surprised and delighted every time. I love sharing my art and knowing that someone is moved by it.
I see no hierarchy among realism, abstraction, non-objective painting styles. I see only the relationship of colors, shapes, surface and line that either thrills or bores me. When these elements come together to communicate an artist’s intention to the viewer, to connect with someone, it is nothing short of wonderful.
TEACHER & MENTOR
Teaching, for me, is nothing more than sharing my experience. And my experience has shown me that most of us are taught to spend too long learning how to paint before graduating to why we paint. Painting from an expressive idea allows us to evaluate our results, encourages exploration, and can lead to new possibilities. I believe that once you home in on the Why of your painting, the How will naturally follow. As a teacher, it is my desire and joy to help artists find out what it is that they want to say and to best say it in paint, in their unique way.
Inspirations
The subjects that have inspired me to paint have changed many, many times in the course of my painting life. I originally gained recognition for my landscape paintings. Like many new watercolorists, I was excited by the medium’s ability to capture glowing light and subtle atmosphere, and the landscape is an endless source of material. However, I missed the expressive lushness of oil painting, so I started using watercolor as I do now, in a more direct, opaque way.
The freedom from the “thou shalt/shall nots” of traditional watercolor opened up endless expressive possibilities and subjects to me. Today I work in oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing, ink, and every combination thereof. My subjects may be my dogs, my paintbrushes, my wife, or the experience of gazing into a tide-pool or a day fly fishing on a mountain stream. The common element is that my subjects are always something I care deeply about, something I am connected to emotionally. It may not always be evident to the viewer What it is I am painting, but it is pretty obvious that it is something I love!
I draw from a deep well of inspiration and admiration of many artists. I am inspired by Robert Motherwell for his freedom of mark and dedication to ideas, by Pierre Bonnard for his ability to surprise the viewer with the most familiar of subjects and for his gift with color, and by Richard Diebenkorn for fearless form and flat out beauty. The list goes on and on and includes many of my contemporaries and students as well.
The History of Nature by Brad Kunkle 46×72″ Oil, Gold & Silver on Linen
Brad Kunkle. Shadow led me to Brad Kunkle’s art work. Who’s Shadow? Shadow is Brad’s beautiful dog that was recently missing in Brooklyn, NY. I saw the FB post “Bring Shadow Home…” and all I could think about was Shadow. Long story short… Shadow is now back home safely, but you may want to check out the FB page, it’s a wonderful story!
Brad’s paintings are so unique, stunning in every way. The way he captures his subject, gives it a twist and paints with oil, gold and silver! Just look at those birds! They appear three dimensional, don’t they? The woman looks as if she will stand up and walk right out of the painting! Check out some of Brad’s other paintings… Wow. Wow. Wow!
Kunkle’s work is prevalent in New York, where he resides. He has participated in several group and solo exhibitions since 2009 according to his curriculum vitae located on his website. He is a self-taught artist originally from Pennsylvania, who studied legendary artists and found his own niche while doing so. Kunkle tells the art publication “Fine Art Connoisseur” that he “paints to connect with the part of being human that is beautiful and slightly dark, stripped to its truth and always changing: the part of being human that appears to be romantic, but feels very real.” Each one of his paintings definitely represents this thought, all of his work is beautiful upon first glance but when you look deeper and take into account what surrounds each subject the dark side comes to light.
Rebecca Kinkead. WOW. Her paintings generate smiles. Big, very happy smiles. Shake (Blue Sky), above, is so fabulous, I love how you can just feel the water as this dog shakes. So happy, so wonderful in every way! Rebecca’s paintings stir a sense of happiness… especially if you love dogs, and I do!
Window (Grey Squirrel) by Rebecca Kinkead 56×48″ Oil
This painting makes me think of our own beast, a Jack Russell named Charlie. He has so much character with his wild flying hair and his circus like antics. Charlie loves squirrels (and cats, and birds, and Lizzy’s and basically anything that moves)! He will spend hours “watching TV” (looking out of the sunroom window watching the squirrels in the yard, in the tree, running around, digging in HIS dirt… they jump into the tree, look him in the eye and eat HIS acorns, twitching happily, knowing that Charlie can’t get through the window). This painting, with the dog’s tail wagging a mile a minute is precious!!
I want, I want! Ha ha!
Read a bit about Rebecca’s paintings, from her website:
These paintings are based on memories, both personal and borrowed.
They are an attempt to explore a collective human experience.
Details and features remain ambiguous, inviting the viewer to seek something of themselves in the work.
The figure (human and animal) has provided a generous vehicle for color, form and surface to evolve.
Paint and wax are layered, dripped and scraped to create a sense that the subject is still emerging…
Recently I have added a Submission to Be Featured page to my blog (at the top). Once you click on it, you’ll see Architect Submission, Artist Submission and Emerging Artist Submission. I would like to share with you three of the Emerging Artist submissions I have received… be sure to check these artists out – and check back with them! It takes a lot to become an artist. A LOT! Sure, it’s “fun”, but it truly is a job. You have to be dedicated, manage your time wisely, and in many cases, still work a full-time job. However an artist reaches his/her peak, I truly believe it’s through struggle, (as Jerome says… DRAW, it’s the foundation!), practice, failure (which you learn from) and humble sincerity.
I’ve included a sample of each artist’s work… click on their name to be taken to their website.
All images (and Bios) via artists website, used with permission…
Town Square by Jane Albin
Jane Albin – As you’ll quickly see, Jane paints in Oil and Watercolor, she also paints Plein Air. Great work Jane! More pen and ink! Very nice!
Jane Albin creates in watercolors, oils and ink.
A resident of Lewisburg Pennsylvania, Jane’s subjects range from local street scenes to views of the Susquehanna River and surrounding countryside. She paints out of doors whenever possible. In 2013, she won Artists’ Choice and First Place awards in the Plein Air Camp Hill Quick Draw. Two weeks later she won first place at the Gettysburg Festival plein air quick draw. She won the Plein Air Camp Hill Quickdraw again in 2014!
Jane worked in fashion design and production after acquiring a BFA from Parsons School of Design in NYC. While working for Calvin Klein Inc., Jane met and married husband, Bob. They had two children and started their own children’s clothing company. Jane and Bob operated KatieCo. for 17 years. Today, they own and operate the Tawsty Flower B&B.
Jane currently teaches adult watercolor classes at the Sunbury YMCA Arts Center in Sunbury Pennsylvania. You can find her most Thursday mornings and some Saturdays at Brushstrokes in Lewisburg.
Marsh Sunset by Scott Dwyer
Scott Dwyer – Scott has one of the best websites I have ever seen for an artist. I was blown away. The importance of having a good website should be very high. Unless maybe you sell your work through a gallery. These days everyone wants to see your work, read about you, and not just your awards, achievements and shows. People like to know a bit about YOU. It makes buying art from you more personal, and Scott has excelled at this. I am envious of his website, truly I am. Check it out, it’s beautiful, and I love how he mentions his family, his motivation for painting, etc. Stories like this keep us connected to an artist. Great work Scott! Keep on painting, we all look forward to following you!
As an emerging artist, Scott appreciates the challenge and elation that goes into making a piece of art. To an untrained eye, the tasks are masked by the simplicity and beauty of outcome; to those that study, practice, fail, and persevere, the success represents so much more – it represents the enormity of something bigger that culminates inside of a picture frame.
While considered an artist, Scott understands and respects the other titles he wears with pride. Husband, father, and finance professional quickly come to mind. After graduating with a Bachelor of Finance degree, Scott pursued a career in higher education financial administration and later obtained his MBA. It is clear that throughout his life, the quest for knowledge, acceptance of challenge, and the pursuit of the uncharted have been Scott’s hallmarks. He constantly looks for ways to make himself more educated, well-rounded, and cultural, each in an effort to make his life more meaningful. The journey towards becoming an artist is no exception.
Through competing demands, Scott finds solace in the evenings and weekends that provide precious focused time to devote to his craft. He spends that time in a combination of balanced learning and practice. When not at the easel, his artistic education is focused on a litany of art education books, magazines, and digital media. Well-thumbed books and frequently-viewed educational DVDs are only a few of the resources he uses to learn at his own pace. Those physical assets are augmented with online exploration of other artists’ work, attendance at lectures and demonstrations, and exploring galleries whenever possible.This package of educational opportunities complements his self-guided approach to art education, relying on recognized professionals that are willing to share their experience and knowledge. As an extension of that thought, he is actively seeking a mentor that can provide guidance, insight, and support to his artistic journey. For any and all of the above, he is eternally grateful.
As much as Scott understands education provides the foundation for understanding, he is keenly aware that true artistic growth mainly happens behind the brush. Principles of composition, value, color, edge, temperature, and texture culminate in Scott’s impressionistic approach. In particular, he is drawn to the use of broken color and how it takes on a more complex and brilliant visual image seen at a slight distance. Through that process, he has come to love the allure of the brushstroke and how different applications create a variety of visual aspects. Through plein air studies and finished studio pieces, Scott’s artwork continues to advance through exploration and practice of technique. He continually strives for artistic growth.
Scott finds equal inspiration from the landscape and personal relationships. While the connection to the land is obvious in most of his work, the reasons behind some pieces are not. To him, this is the part that is most satisfying, allowing him to deploy his craft as a means for strengthening relationships that he holds dear. Pieces in the possession of Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, and Chick-fil-a in Durham, North Carolina are examples of this.
After a childhood spent in suburban Maryland, Scott now resides in Hillsborough, North Carolina with his wife and two sons. Their contact is his most important influence and source of inspiration.
St. Bernadette by Jerome Rochon
Jerome Rochon – This guy can draw like no one’s business! He is so right that if you want to be an artist you need to DRAW. A LOT! He does, and it shows, check out his drawings, they are beautiful. The DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts) is a beautiful place to visit, if you’re ever in Detroit, be sure to check it out! You won’t be sorry! Great work Jerome!
I love to draw and paint. In ’91 I got a BFA from Wayne State University in Detroit. Almost twenty years later through Saginaw Valley State, I was certified to teach K – 12 Art in Michigan. Between times in college, I got a real education drawing perspectives for the top architectural illustrator in the Midwest, my dad, Richard Rochon. He gave me on the job training – the best opportunity to learn to draw. Now I teach other people’s kids how to make art.
I would like to share this bit of advice, from Jerome’s website:
Are you an artist? Then you know how important it is to draw –a lot. Do you want to be an artist? You must start with drawing. There is no other way to excel.
“Ars longa, vita brevis.” Very roughly translated: To learn art takes a lot of time. So begin!
Good advice!
On another note: Thinking about those who have served and kept the country safe. Keep them in your thoughts this Memorial Day! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Gayle Levee, an artist from Nashville, TN! Stunning work! I love the harmony in this painting, the colors, the subject, it’s all just so perfect. She has such a great style! Head over to her website and check out her work! Then you’ll see what I mean!
Gayle also teaches Workshops & Classes… what a fantastic opportunity!
Gayle Levée, a third generation artist, was formed by the expanses of the West. Born in Montana, her artistic eye was sharpened by her experiences while growing up in the high, clear air and brisk winds of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. During her studies in Painting at the University of Denver, her work found a following in galleries located in Estes Park, Taos, and Santa Fe. She has since studied with Robert Douglas Hunter and Matt Smith.
Levée’s artistic style found its true voice in New England, where she began mastering the techniques of painting encompassed by a movement known as “The Boston School of Impressionism“. Boston School impressionists emphasize carefully planned compositions based upon accurate drawing, bold use of color, and the delightful interplay of light and shadow to create atmosphere and depth within a painting. But there is more to what The Boston School offered and demanded of artists; it also developed artists who could teach.
The Boston School carries with it an adaptation of “French atelier” methods of instruction. The techniques, which make impressionist art stand out, are passed from one Master to the next through gentle and intense tutelage. Levée’s artistic family had given her the foundations central to become an artist of The Boston School, but there was an even more rewarding place for her within the movement. Gayle flowered into not only an accomplished artist because of The Boston School, but she also fully embraced the movement’s charge, later described by a mentor as, “to never know something quite as well as when you can teach it”.
Levée became a link in a chain of American impressionist artists produced by The Boston School while studying under Robert Douglas Hunter. According the the The Guild of Boston Artists, “if there were a brick and mortar educational institution called ‘The Boston School’, then Robert Douglas Hunter would surely be their Dean. Mr. Hunter has personally taught over forty successful, accomplished artists, many of whom have accepted the mantle of developing the next generation of American Impressionists.” Levée is privileged to be included in that number.
Fine Art, as practiced by Impressionists, relies heavily upon experiences seen by the artists in real life and space. Too many paintings strive to be photographic and lose depth and meaning because of it. The Boston School of impressionism relies upon capturing that which is seen by the artist’s eye, whether it be in the setting of a still-life, a plein-air landscape, a portrait, or sketch. Nothing can replace the experience captured by the artist better than “being there” and letting the shadows, colors, and form work their magic for the viewer.
Levée’s work in fine art continued while she also pursued a career in commercial illustration and even as a political cartoonist. The drive to create Fine Art, and to teach it, were always grounded in her foundations learned from The Boston School. She taught at Monserrat College of Art, The Art Institute of Boston, and later at the Tennessee Art League, the Centennial Club of Nashville, Cheekwood, and Plaza of Nashville. Many of her students have developed into Fine Artists in their own right, thus adding to the lineage of American Impressionism.
Levée continues to enjoy commercial success in sales of paintings produced at her studios located in Middle Tennessee. Her work is represented and distributed through galleries across the country. Gayle also has produced a number of private commissioned pieces.
An artist’s biography is a difficult thing to capture in words. Many artists will list Juried Awards they have won and exhibitions in which they have participated. Levée’s listing of such accomplishments is impressive; she has been the subject of articles in American Artistmagazine and has a following of students from across the globe because of her award-winning DVD instructional series entitled “Learn and Master Painting with Gayle Levée”.
However, the true accomplishments of a successful artist lie in how her actions and art have influenced the world. Levée’s art is enjoyed by hundreds within their homes, by people she will never meet, because the work is worth keeping in special places. For those collector’s of Levée’s art, she is grateful and knows those pieces will endure because it speaks to those owners in special ways. New offerings of her work appear frequently in her galleries.
Further exciting events are unfolding in the “Great Happenings” of Levée’s art. In addition to her exquisite course curricula of Boston School techniques offered in her wildly popular classes, Gayle is offering innovative, significant, and personalized workshops in exciting, scenic locations in near the future. Ranging in locale from Nashville, to New England’s Cape Anne, to Colorado, to Civil War Battlefields, to even Paris (a year or so down the road), the Boston School is alive under the direction of Gayle Levée Fine Art.
Fine Art isn’t a “thing”. Fine Art is a verb. It is experienced, it is shared, it is felt, it isn’t common. It is beautiful.
Perhaps the most expressive statement about art, the sharing of it, the enjoyment of it, and the creation of it, can be summed up in Gayle’s own words….
Studio Interior Incorporating Constant Revisions and the Passing of Time by Gage Opdenbrouw 24×12″ Oil on Canvas
Gage Opdenbrouw. I am mesmerized by this guys window paintings. They are out of this world and so interesting. He’s giving you a glimpse into his space, and a wonderful space it is. What I love…. The darkness in the foreground, with the strokes where light is hitting the floor, the flower, and the window in the distance – and of course that great light coming from the window on the right. Stunning!
First Storm of the Winter by Gage Opdenbrouw 16×9.5″ Oil on Panel
Simple, peaceful, makes me want to be sitting there with a good book, listening to the snow hit the window, or maybe hear the wind howl, while I’m inside nice and toasty. Love that plant. The light on it is amazing.
Gage also teaches, and wow, would I ever like to spend some time learning from him! He’s got such a cool style! So, if you’re in the San Fran area, check it out! He’s got so many stunning paintings and such a great style! I love his use of color and how he paints ordinary things (window) and makes them extraordinary!
Read a bit about Gage, Check out his website for a little more… engageingart.com – also check out the NEWS tab for more wonderful paintings!
A Bay Area artist, Gage Opdenbrouw was born and raised in San Jose, California, who lives, works, and teaches in San Francisco. He is a painter whose work evinces many interests and influences. Regardless of the style or subject, he aims to distill his images to a point where there is a powerful emotional resonance.
He paints primarily in oil, and the vast majority of his works involve the figure or the landscape in one way or another. Opdenbrouw’s paintings comprise several distinct, yet interrelated bodies of work.
In addition to his studio work, he also teaches painting & drawing both in a private capacity, and at the Sharon Art Studio, where he teaches classes for adults, and NCMACC, where he shares his love of art with children, both in San Francisco.
At the ripe young age of 32 his paintings have been the subject of ten solo exhibitions, and over forty group, juried, and 2 person shows in museums and galleries around the country.
First off, I have to say, that Sandra Stevens is such a neat person. I haven’t met her, but just from the emails that have gone back and forth, she’s someone I would like to be friends with. She truly loves what she does and it shows! Each painting is wonderful and very different. It brings a smile for sure!
Be sure to check out Sandra’s paintings, and also her blog! It’s fabulous!
I had to add one more painting… Rose at Twenty-Five… stunning, isn’t it? I would say that Sandra is very connected to the subject matter she paints. Stunning!
Animals and art have always been the two constants in my life. I grew up on a ranch in Texas, and the livestock and the land are forever a part of my soul.
As soon as I could hold a pencil, I was drawing the horses and cattle on our ranch, and later received private art lessons as a child.
After attending a small rural college, I entered the corporate world and also began a career as a fine-art photographer. When the photographic realm turned digital and became 100% computer-dependent, I sold my darkroom and returned to painting — where, with just a few colors, an artist can almost bring a scene to life — no electricity required!
Other than a few lessons or workshops, my art education comes from observation and practice.
I’m often asked why cattle are my main subject — that’s because they are what I know and care about. My husband and I have several Texas Longhorns on our ranch near Columbus, Texas . These animals connect me to the land and to my own roots. So, it is no surprise they naturally become the subjects of many of my paintings.
When painting in a realistic style, I want the viewer to relate to the same beauty and character in these animals as seen through my eyes. And, when painting in a whimsical manner, I strive to bring a smile or laugh to the viewer. And always, no matter how or what I paint, my wish is to be successful in conveying my vision.
I am very blessed and grateful to be able to support myself doing what I love, and I am honored when a collector chooses to give one of my paintings a home on their wall. Creating my art fulfills me. It gets no better than that.
Woodlands No. 48 by David Michael Slonim 48×60″ Oil
This is a fabulous piece by David Michael Slonim. His work really strikes me. Those oranges, and then the whites and grays to calm it back down some… very nice! This is a fabulous painting! It’s available as I write this, at the Visions West Gallery…
David has just finished teaching a workshop that would have been amazing to attend! You may want to check out his blog so you don’t miss his next one!
David Michael Slonim’s fine art career began with a sold-out show in 1998 at Overland Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. His work has been selected for the Coors Western Art Exhibit, Great American Artists, The C.M.Russell Auction, The Western Rendezvous of Art, the Western Miniatures Show at the C.M. Russell Museum, and the Rising Stars exhibit at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum.
Solo exhibitions at regional museums include the Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, IN, Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, IN, and Anderson Center for the Arts, Anderson, IN.
Slonim’s paintings hang in corporate, museum and private collections nationally. His work has been featured in American Art Collector, Western Art & Architecture,Southwest Art, Big Sky Journal, USArt, Plein Air Magazine, and Indianpolis Monthly.
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