“Hicks Valley” by Samantha Buller [image]This is a nice painting by Samantha Buller… there is an art (pun intended) to painting a scene that has been simplified to project a specific feeling, kind of like you’re there… without all the hoopla getting in the way. This painting has nice brush strokes, and a composition that keeps your eye in the painting. My favorite part of this painting is the driveway. Love it! I never thought I would like power lines in a painting… until one day I saw Colin Page do a painting, power lines and all… and the power lines MADE the painting over the top good! Great job Samantha!
Samantha is part of a show at Elliot Fouts Gallery (EFGallery.com) through September 26, 2013 – if you’re in the Sacramento, CA area, be sure to stop in and check it out, otherwise check it out online, the gallery has a great website!
Samantha Buller currently lives in Sonoma County after painting and teaching in Kansas for the past two years. She received her BFA in Painting from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. Originally from the Bay Area, her work reflects the beautiful light and modernism that is found in Northern California. Her work has been shown in the Hall of Justice in downtown San Francisco, in business’ and several galleries, as well as on the set of a prime time television show.
She studied a semester abroad in Italy, which has greatly influenced her love and passion for the arts. “Italy was full of rich, golden colors. The culture is truly inspiring for any type of artist and to have the opportunity to paint while standing amongst an Italian sunflower field, should be one experienced by all.”
Her love of color completely drives her work. She is inspired by the art of Wayne Thiebaud for his paint application, color, and composition, as well as the works of Raimonds Staprans for his layering techniques. She chooses to paint simplistic objects to create a clean, strong design, sharing interest with the negative space.
R Gregory Summers. Amazing work. Love his biography… We the people like to hear the intimate parts of an artist’s life (not to be too nosey) as well as info about your art, who your mentors are, who your fellow painters are… and Summers shares with us his personal story as well as the story about his art career. So interesting.
“In Ailies’s Glade” won 2nd place (oils) in the 2013 STEM Plein Air competition and it will soon be on its way to Charleston, SC – and will be included in the American Impressionist’s Show this year which will be at M Gallery of Fine Art in Charleston, SC. The show runs September 28 – October 30, 2013 with the opening reception on October 4th in conjunction with the French Quarter Art Walk!
Born in the Flint Hills of Kansas, the oldest boy in a family of 8. Summers has always had a love for art, and the great outdoors, spending much of his youth on outdoor excursions, or indoors with pen or brush in hand.
Enlisting in the USAF in 1974 paid his way through college on the GI Bill earning an Assosiciates Degree in Commercial Art. Fresh out of school Summers married his 1st wife and began his professional career as an artist at Hallmark Cards Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri.
During the next 20 plus years, he raised 4 children being very active in their upbringing, and helping in community service projects, scouting, coaching, sports.
The 21st century brought many changes in his life. The biggest was the realization that alcohol was not the cure-all that he thought it was, and that the only way forward was to put it behind. With this knowledge, a new marriage to a loving and supportive wife Summers was able to focus on what he did best, and that is paint.
Through a continuing education course at the Kansas City Art Institute he was introduced to painting “en Plein air”. This was the real turning point in his art. Never before had he considered going outdoors to paint. It was the spark that was needed to rekindle the fire that had almost been smothered.
It is the love of the land and the people that he went on to form the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society, and Brush Creek Art Walk. Sharing his visions of a world joined as one through art.
We go outdoors to enjoy the land, or stay inside to avoid it. It is Gregory Summers an outdoor artist that brings the outside in.
We look forward to welcoming Summers to Charleston – be sure to check out his website! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Millie Gosch is a plein air painter from the Atlanta, Georgia area. Her work is fabulous! Millie’s compositions are interesting, the brushstrokes are nice, and that beautiful green in the distance.. LOVE IT!
“First Light” by Millie Gosch
Had to include one more… I would say she nailed it! Millie has a fabulous website, here is just a short blip (read more on her website) about her…
I love to paint from life and I love to be outdoors, so naturally painting en plein air is a good fit for my art. During the spring and fall, I spend a lot of time painting field studies. From those studies, I paint larger pieces in the studio. I don’t use photographs at all. I paint what I know, and what I love is nature. My favorite subjects are big open fields, sunrises, sunsets, trees, the lowcountry, and the southland. I use a limited palette of primary colors. In my work I strive to bring my viewer into the painting and let them make it their own experience. -Millie Gosch
The Sylvan Gallery on King Street in Charleston, SC is having a Paris Preview with artist Rhett Thurman. If you’re in the area you won’t want to miss this!
Visit Rhett in her studio tonight (September 5, 2013) at 241 King Street from 5 – 6PM for a preview and sale of her latest work… and then…
Meet at the Sylvan Gallery at 171 King Street for a reception, preview and sale from 6 – 8 PM!
It’s always nice to see where artists paint, what their space is like… and of course to see Rhett’s new work!
This is an amazing painting, by artist Alexandra Tyng. It’s entitled “Docksiders”… looks like a great Maine vacation, doesn’t it? Boats, easels, artists, dogs, family, swimming…. a cool cottage with wet beach towels drying in the sun. I love happy paintings, and this is definitely one of them! Alexandra has a show coming up at Dowling Walsh Gallery, located in Rockland, Maine – this from the gallery: Openings are 5-8pm Friday in conjunction with Rockland’s First Friday Art Walk unless otherwise specified. So look for Alexandra’s work if you’re in the Rockland, ME area… beginning this coming Friday through September 30, 2013. It’s going to be a fabulous show!
Alexandra Tyng is a realist painter whose work combines traditional methods with a contemporary viewpoint. Alex was born in Rome, Italy, and has lived in Philadelphia most of her life. Primarily self-taught, Alex chose an academic education over art school. She learned traditional oil painting techniques by examining the work of the old masters, reading about the methods and materials of other artists, and watching artists paint.
Alex’s portraits incorporate descriptive backgrounds and a uniquely figurative sensibility. Her non-commissioned figurative work focuses on people in the process of living and interacting in their own environments, rather than in formal poses. In other paintings the figures become distant focal points while the setting predominates. Alex’s landscapes range from intimate views of particular places to mountaintop panoramas to large-scale aerial views of the glacially carved land formations of coastal Maine.
Alex has had solo shows in New York, Maine, and Philadelphia. Her work is included in many public, corporate and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. Her figurative paintings and portraits have garnered awards from the Portrait Society of America, the Allied Artists of America, the Woodmere Art Museum, The Artist’s Magazine, and American Artist. In 2008 Alex was selected as one of Maine’s outstanding artists by Maine Home +Design; in 2009 an article on her landscape work appeared in that same publication. Her Maine landscapes have also been featured in The Art of Monhegan by Carl Little, and in art magazines including Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, The Artist’s Magazine, International Artist, and O&S (Poets and Artists). Alex leads workshops in Maine and Philadelphia, and teaches portraiture in the Philadelphia area. Alex is a member of the Maine Landscape Guild, and the founder of Portraits For the Arts, an ongoing philanthropic project that uses the power of portraiture to raise money for the arts in the Philadelphia area.
Robert Abele was born in Bronxville, NY in 1969. He has spent his life making images of the New England landscape. Connecticut, New York and Cape Cod are a few of the places close to Robert’s heart. His paintings are done from life, plein air, in the tradition of Corot and Monet. Responding to the changing effects of light and atmosphere, he captures quick nuances and shifts in line and color. Robert studied art in New York at the School of Visual Arts, graduating in 1993 with a B.F.A. in fine art. Marilyn Minter, Juan Gonzalez and James McMullan were a few of the professors that affected Robert’s early development as an artist. Robert’s work has appeared in the New York Times and The Washington Post. Often regarded as a painter’s painter, many of his works have won national awards.Robert is inspired to paint what he calls a vanishing history of America’s past. This ongoing passion to preserve the gentle New England coast is his muse, and his dialog with this subject matter continues to challenge him.
This painting by Marcia Burtt caught my eye right away. The still, glassy water with those amazing reflections and the orangey color against the dark colors just screams WHOA! What a treat it was to run across Marcia’s work! She has a fabulous website… here is a list of galleries she’s in, scroll through to see if there is one near you! The Marcia Burtt Studio is located in Santa Barbara, CA…
“Slack Tide, Haze” by Marcia Burtt
How serene is this painting? Can’t you just feel yourself sitting on the edge of America listening to the waves, feeling the cool water, smelling the salt air… it makes my neck relax and my shoulders lower away from my ears, ha ha… Everyone should have a painting like this to look at every day!
“Making a painting, for me, is a process of studying a subject over a period of hours or days. Creating meaning from a random collection of natural objects requires receptively seeing in a sensual way while at the same time imposing structure. This dance between perception and intellect to create an object that holds a unique communication is the great joy of being a painter.”
Starting college at the University of Chicago, Burtt graduated from UC Berkeley with majors in pre-med, psychology, and art, earning her master’s degree in art from the University of Montana.
Her paintings have been included in a number of exhibitions in regional museums, including recently “California Art Club Paints Malibu” at the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine and “Saving Paradise,” traveling to the east coast.
Burtt’s large commissioned paintings hang in major healing centers, including MD Anderson in Houston and Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center in Los Angeles.
Marcia and her husband Dave live on 1200 acres in southern San Luis Obispo County. Their ranch has been granted a wildlife easement and will never be developed, thanks to efforts by The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County.
Also check out the WORKSHOP section… sounds amazing!
Monique Lazard shows her work at Camden Falls Gallery located in Camden, Maine. Nice work! Oils and watercolor and a variety of subjects. I enjoy the feel her paintings give… water… a sense of calm, a treasured location and nice light = a great painting!
“Leaving Rockland” by Monique Lazard
This is a sweet painting. The light hitting the tip of the building is fabulous as is the water. Nice deliberate brush strokes. I love the story about how Monique got started… I think we should all give art supplies to kids… imagine how many would be fabulous artists like Monique one day!? Check out Monique’s website, it’s full of fabulous paintings!
Monique recognized her calling as an artist on her 10th birthday when she received her first set of watercolors from her uncle, Ray Bertrand, a WPA Muralists and art teacher at the San Francisco Art Institute. Her formal studies began as an undergraduate at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She received a BA degree from the California College of Art, and pursued graduate studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
She began her career as Fashion Illustrator for Liberty House department store chain in Oakland, California. She became Art Director in 1979 for the Nob Hill Gazette in San Francisco, and in 1984 moved to NYC becoming Art Director for numerous fashion publications within Fairchild Publications. While living in NYC, she also enjoyed teaching fashion illustration at the Parson School of Design.
In 1992, depleted from the fast pace of NYC, she made a fresh start in the quaint mining town of Telluride, Colorado, working as Art Director for the Telluride Magazine. While in Telluride, Monique also taught figure painting in watercolor at the Ah Ha School. It was during this period that she began to shift her emphasis to painting, spending hundreds of hours hiking the Rocky Mountains with watercolors in tow.
Monique continues to learn and grow as an artist. She is continuously painting with other artist and attends workshops and classes at the local Art Centers on the Main Line and in Philadelphia. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brynn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
Vineyards… what’s not to love? Oh how I would like to surprise Fred for our 22nd anniversary and have a wonderful dinner beneath this magnificent tree overlooking the vineyard. Wouldn’t that be something?
I always like to see what it is in a painting that draws me in. In this case it’s the overall feeling that I get from it. Peace and quiet, good wine, maybe a bit of cheese and a hunk of good bakery bread. Silence. The sunlight peeking through the tree dancing on the slats in the back of the chair… and on the ground like fireflies… I think I need to get my paint out so that I can start making some money to make this dream a reality… ha ha… This would be a nice surprise!
Kristine’s paintings all have a good vibe coming from them… here is one more example. She’s got such great style! Check out her website if you get a chance!
LOVE the clouds and the looseness of the tree… I truly enjoy plein air paintings, you really can get a feel for what the artist is seeing at that moment in time!
I adore Michelle Hero Clarke’s style! It’s fresh and loose and so very fabulous. I see a bit of a Charles Sovek likeness to her work (especially her architectural paintings), at times a little Eric Hopkins (the swirls in the water and some of the clouds)… which make this a style uniquely her own. Her paintings are fresh and have great movement. You really get a sense of the place… Michelle has several paintings of Monhegan, and let me tell you she captures the feeling perfectly… be sure to check out her website, it’s full of wonderful paintings!
“Monhegan Woods” by Michelle Hero Clarke
I love this “Monhegan Woods” painting… it so reminds me of walking through Cathedral Woods, the beauty, the peace, the silence… ahhhhhh! Just by looking at this painting I feel happy! That’s what art should do. Make you happy, or make you feel something!
“Clouds and Rock” by Michelle Hero Clarke
Another stunning piece… I love how she did the rocks, the water… ahhhh, I want to have this kind of style!
Painting landscapes provides me with a way to respond and record not only my observations of a place but my subjective experience of it as well. In my artwork I am primarily interested in capturing the essence of places as I perceive them, rather than documenting a photo-realistic scene. All of my artwork is done “plein air”. I paint on–site, and always from life rather than using photographs as references. I find this method the most effective in that it allows me to fully immerse myself in the sensations of the moment. When painting outside, the biggest challenge for me as an artist is dealing with the potential for rapid change. Light, color, and subject are all in a state of flux. A cloud can move, changing the shadows and intensity of colors, or a dense fog may roll in, obscuring what had been my subject but creating new opportunities. Responding to these constant changes gives a sense of urgency and immediacy to the act of painting, which I find very energizing. I rarely go back into my paintings and rework them in the studio. I like to keep the images fresh, authentic, and representative of how I experienced being in that place at that time. I emphasize elements that strike me; the movement of the water,the interplay of colors, or the thoughts and feelings that I have in response to a particular visual experience. Each painting I make enhances my appreciation and awareness of the richness of life around me, and I try to share these vivid moments through my artwork.
The media and materials I use consist of a mixture of alkyd and oil paints on handmade wood panels which I will sometimes layer with primed canvas but often just seal with an acrylic wood varnish. For larger work, I may use stretched canvases as they are lighter weight and easier to carry in the field.
“Evening Light” by Neil Patterson [image]I like the strong use of color in Neil’s paintings. The bold brush strokes, the bright happy color with the more muted background that brings it together so nicely. Neil is an artist that truly loves what he does. If you read the blip about him (below) you’ll see that. This man wants to paint not just for money, but because he absolutely loves it. It’s what he wanted to do and he did it, that’s a great message to send to others! This piece is available at the RS Hanna Gallery in Frederickburg, Texas (a wonderful gallery full of fantastic artists!). Check it out!
I was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and it was a reproduction of a Tom Thomson painting in my elementary classroom that first got me to dream about painting. Unfortunately, there weren’t any art galleries in Moose Jaw and I had little exposure to original art until I visited my aunt in Ottawa when I was twelve. She took me to the National Gallery and that’s when I decided to become a painter.
I bought a book titled “How to Paint” and read it on the train ride back to Moose Jaw. My aunt sent me a set of oils for my thirteenth birthday and I created my first masterpiece on a canvas belt I found in my father’s workshop. That belt was so thick it almost stood up by itself and I didn’t even know to prime it first, but that’s how I got started.
My mother always told me that if I wanted something bad enough I would find a way to do it. My mind was set on painting and so I determined to make a success of myself. Over the years I’ve come to realize that there’s really no such thing as talent. It’s more desire than anything. Anyone can learn to paint competently and after that it’s just a little something of yourself, call it soul, which has to go into the work.
When people ask me what inspires or motivates me to paint, I simply tell them “I love painting.” Painting to me is like being a kid again; I get to play, but now it’s with paint instead of toys. I like how the paint moves on the canvas, how it can be a million different colors, what happens when you set one color next to another and what happens when they’re mixed together. For me painting is about feeling rather than thinking. It’s a spontaneous, creative, serendipitous process whereby I allow the evolving shapes and colors on the canvas to speak to me. I use loose brush strokes which, by definition, involve a certain lack of control. They are intuitive rather than calculated.
I paint mostly from memory. When I see a sky, I like to put that in my visual memory bank, and on another day I might add an appealing cluster of trees or an intriguing bend in the river. As I paint, I become a creator. I simply plant a tree or move a mountain in order to create a scene that pleases me visually. The final composition becomes a composite of many impressions. Each of us remembers things in a certain way that is our own reality, so I am painting things the way I remember them, perhaps not exactly as they were.
I think of my work as a visual expression of the emotion and passion evoked by a particular image. It is more important for me to capture the feeling of a place than it is to copy it realistically in every detail.
I paint what I love and see around me, scenes that speak to me, places I want to explore. I try to capture moments of light, color and atmosphere which spark my imagination. I want to create my own personal version of reality and entice the viewer to share it with me.
“A photograph is what it is; a painting is what you want it to be.”
Can you imagine how wonderful these two old homes must have been at one point in their lives? Kate captured the character of these buildings and you see how sweet they were at one time. A long time ago, no doubt!
Maynard Dixon Country is much more than just an art show. In fact, it’s not really an art “show” at all. Maynard Dixon Country is a gathering bringing together artists, collectors, community, and friends who love art.
The guiding principles of the event are two fold: we want to help artists in America and we want to ensure the viability of historic preservation. We are deeply connected to the art of Maynard Dixon and his contributions to American art. But rather than focusing solely on the beloved paintings of Maynard Dixon, we focus on the “art spirit” and intention of Maynard Dixon, the artist, poet, and whole person. In choosing to remember Dixon this way, we believe his legacy becomes even more meaningful when it is illuminated by the artists who are living and making art in 2013.
Maynard Dixon Country is also our only fundraising event of the year to support the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts. In bringing serious collectors to this event, we help the artists on the forefront of American art continue to thrive, and we fulfill our mission for historic preservation. All art sales from Maynard Dixon Country directly fund the artists as well as the annual operating budget of the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts and the Maynard Dixon Living History Museum.
Kate Starling is an oil painter who lives and works in the canyons of southern Utah. Educated in geology, she spent years working outside as a geologist and National Park ranger. After formal academic art training in the 1980’s she devoted her work to painting the landscape. Schooled in the importance of direct painting from life she has spent years painting outside, learning the way light plays on the land. Now she splits her time between the roadways and trails surrounding her home and the studio.
Starling’s paintings portray the natural world and focus on communicating a sense of place, atmosphere and light, retaining the immediacy of the painting experience. She knows the strength of emotion that the landscape seen in a particular light can trigger in her – she strives to paint in such a way that memory and emotion are triggered in the people who see her work.
Jacobus Baas, amazing painter, and a founding board member of LPAPA (Laguna Plein Air Painters Association). These schooners are amazing, that goes without saying… but the water with those reflections is over the top! The sleekness of the ships against the glassiness of the water is so beautiful! I would say that Jacobus approached this painting masterfully.
This is absolutely the sweetest painting, “Spruce Head Blues’ (Spruce Head, Maine) – so very nice! Take a look at Jacobus’ website, he’s got some amazing paintings!
Read a blip about Jacobus from the Dowling Walsh Gallery website – they always do such a great job with their website… check it out! Click HERE to read the full biography including some fabulous articles!
Biography
Jacobus Baas was born in the Netherlands in 1945 and spent his early years in Rotterdam, surrounded by rich landscapes and cloud-laden skies made famous by the Dutch Masters throughout history. Jacobus arrived in the United States in his early teens with an interest in art already indelibly imprinted.
Fascinated with surfing, he spent most of his after school hours in the ocean but never abandoned his passion for art. After graduating, he traveled extensively in Europe and enjoyed all the Old World had to offer, especially the art. The desire to create deepened.
Returning to the United States, Jacobus decided to channel his creativity in a new direction, one that would enable him to use his artistic ability and also provide some financial stability. He began to design and make jewelry. His unique and original works captured a following and contributed to his success as a goldsmith. He opened his business “Jacobus Goldsmiths” in Laguna Beach and is still in the same location since 1975. This afforded him the freedom to pursue his first love, painting. Since 1978, Jacobus has exhibited his paintings along side his jewelry at the Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach. The paintings were strictly done in the studio, but in 1994 he began painting on location during a trip to Santa Fe. “It was like discovering a new world!” Jacobus exclaimed. On subsequent trips to New Mexico and Hawaii, he produced vibrant color-filled landscapes that inspired him to begin a remarkable series of work that continues to be widely acclaimed and admired.
A founding and current board member of LPAPA (Laguna Plein Air Painters Association), Jacobus divides his time between California, Hawaii and Maine. In addition to many one man shows, he has participated in many group exhibitions in concert with LPAPA’s venues, including the Laguna Art Museum.
Jacobus found the satisfaction he had been seeking as a plein air artist. “Painting has become my full time passion, there is no time to make jewelry. The act of applying paint to a canvas has always been intriguing to me. To transform a two dimensional surface and give it a feeling of space with carefully arranged brushstrokes, using the right colors and values is pure magic. Every time I paint on location, with each brushstroke I experience that magic again, and hopefully the viewer will experience it as well in the finished painting.”
This is an amazing piece by artist Bob Rohm. The looseness and the light… love it! I need to have the nice big strokes that he’s got… wow!
“Texas Evening” by Bob Rohm
This sky is over the top fabulous! The light in the sky is breathtaking! The above painting is at Southwest Art Gallery, just one of the many galleries that Bob is in. Bob paints in oil and pastel and he covers a variety of subjects… this man can paint anything! He’s giving some great workshops, so be sure to check that out!
Bob has been painting most of his life, and received classical art training at the York Academy of Arts in Pennsylvania. Now a resident of Texas, his paintings reflect the brilliance of the colors found in the clear, bright light of the southwest.
Bob juries shows, teaches workshops, lectures and demonstrates in oil and pastel mediums. Known for his ability to capture the poetry of light, he has received many awards and is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, Oil Painters of America and the Outdoor Painters Society. He is the author of the book THE PAINTERLY APPROACH and has been featured in many publications includingSouthwest Art, American Artist, The Artist’s Magazine, The Pastel Journal, International Artist and Pure Color. Bob’s painting approach has been the subject of several instructional DVD productions and his work is collected internationally and is represented by a number of fine galleries including Michael Henington Gallery in Santa Fe, Aspen Grove Fine Arts in Aspen and Southwest Gallery in Dallas.
Lisa Mitchell is a fabulous plein air artist who shows her work at South Street Art Gallery. “Golden Fields” is part of the People/Places/Things exhibit that runs from 8/3 – 9/1/2013. If you’re in the Easton, Maryland area be sure to stop in to see it!
I am loving the warm colors of the foreground and that wonderful light hitting the barn… to me, those two elements make this a fabulous painting!
Lisa has a wonderful blog that shows her art as well as all kinds of painting tips – a good one to check out! Read a bit about the artist from her website, I see she’s taken workshops from some pretty fine artists:
Lisa Mitchell received her formal art education at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, concentrating her studies in Illustration and Graphic Design. Lisa found employment as an Illustrator creating storyboards and comprehensive illustrations for several leading advertising agencies in the Mid-Atlantic region. She then began a twenty year career painting children’s portraits in her home based studio and has expanded her focus to include landscapes, figures and still life subjects.
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