Light in the Woods by Paul Keysar  5×7″  Oil

Paul’s paintings go above and beyond. They have light that is incredible. I love his nocturnes, even in the dark his paintings have light! Paul’s sky shows those beautiful stars twinkling down upon us. THAT LIGHT in the distance… OH! Fabulous! A little touch of something unexpected!

In Hope of Spring by Paul Keysar  16×12″  Oil

Paul can paint absolutely anything. This painting In Hope of Spring has won a few awards. Here is some information (from Paul’s website) regarding this painting:

“I saw Carolyn, an employee at a local arts council, wearing
the fur hat, scarf, and coat, with the vibrant, complementary colors.
I felt compelled to paint her. The scarf required about 24 colors
of paint. This painting is the first one I painted as a smaller
study for pose and background. I wanted something different
for the larger painting Winter Solstice. I liked this painting too,
so I went back and finished it.”

This painting has won:
First Place, TRAC2015 Online Art Competition, Fifth Round
The Representational Art Conference

Second Place Overall, Dec 2015 / Jan 2016
Plein Air Salon competition

Read a bit about Paul, from his website:

Paul Keysar is known for his classic, representational oil paintings and drawings of landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. He has received numerous awards for his work, including, a 2014 Certificate of Excellence and 2015 Honorable Mention from the Portrait Society of America, Best in Show in the Richeson75 Figure/Portrait 2014 Competition, First Place in The Representational Art Conference 2015 competition, Honorable Mention in the Artistic Excellence 2015 Competition from Southwest Art Magazine, 2nd Place Overall in the Dec 2015/Jan 2016 Plein Air Salon, and finalist in the figure/portrait category of The Artist’s Magazine‘s 2014 Annual Competition. His painting, Jacob in Winter, was featured as the cover of Southwest Art Magazine‘s December 2015 issue.

He has a passion for the land and is intrigued with the interaction of man and nature.  “As an artist, I am continually observing life around me. I am fascinated by the effects of light, atmosphere, and weather. The figures I am currently working on reflect a moment of stillness and thought—a reflection on the subject’s place in time and their hope for a better future.”

Keysar started his formal art training at the age of fourteen with lessons at The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2000, he completed four years of fine arts education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In addition, his training included a year of study from 1997–1998 under nationally-known portrait and landscape artist Carolyn Egeli of Valley Lee, Maryland. He has also studied the figure with Robert Liberace and Dan Thompson.

Keysar’s greatest artistic influences have been the art of Homer, Eakins, and the Barbizon School, along with the contemporary work of Randall Exon, David Graeme Baker, and many others. He has participated in numerous solo and group shows, and his work is owned by collectors throughout the country. He is available to give demonstrations and lectures and serve as judge/juror for art competitions. Keysar offers private art lessons, classes, and workshops for beginner through advanced students in drawing and painting. He accepts portrait, landscape, and still life drawing and painting commission requests. Keysar currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children, and maintains a studio at ClearWater Artist Studios, in Concord, NC.

All images via PaulKeysar.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Where We Met by Christel Minotti 40×40 Mixed Media

Christel Minotti. Fresh, light and airy paintings. Does this painting scream SPRINGTIME to you? It does to me! The mixture of colors and textures is wonderful. I happened upon this painting on Facebook and it grabbed me. I think the airiness of it is so interesting. The abstract quality is wonderful and the colors are perfection!

Read a bit about Christel, from the Anne Irwin Fine Art website:

Christel Minotti’s paintings explore the themes of relationships of colors and shapes. The images are simple in order to clarify the shapes and render the colors more powerfully. Her childhood was spent in Finland where basic modern forms were admired and blended with the nature-centered mysticism of the past. These influences have become intuitively central to her work. Her work has been exhibited in the South at the Gwinnett Fine Arts Center, Georgia, the Huntsville Museum of Art, Alabama, the National Invitational at Brenau College at Gainsville, Georgia among others. Her awards include 2nd Place, National Invitational, Brenau College and 1st Place, Cobb Council of Art, Marietta, GA with Alan Avery, Judge.

Image via AnneIrwinFineArt.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Last Light by Lindsay Hopkins-Weld 30×40 Oil

Lindsay Hopkins-Weld. With all the fabulous artists in the world it’s not easy to have a style that stands out, yet Lindsay’s work does stand out. Last Light is a soothing landscape, nice and serene, but with a strong contrast that makes it that much more wonderful!

The Light Before the Rain by Lindsay Hopkins-Weld 11×14 Oil

Light Before the Rain is the perfect name for this painting. You know how the colors change before a big rain? Everything has a stormy, cool color – Lindsay reflected it perfectly in the water and the wonderful light in that oh-so-cool tree!

Read a bit about Lindsay, from her website:

I strive to capture in my work the essence, beauty and vibrancy of a specific moment in time. My oil paintings are a direct result of this fleeting experience. They are filled with expressive brushstrokes, rich color, strong light and shadows. Through color harmonies, I am able to achieve a certain mood, and by using heavy brush-stokes, my work has a textural aspect to it. I am inspired by the reflective quality of water and the abstract shapes that result. I like to both exaggerate and simplify what I see, whether it be cloud formations, patterns in water or tree silhouettes. This creates a pleasing balance between abstraction and representation. I search for scenes that take my breath away, and paint through direct observation outdoors (Plein Air) and in my studio with the aid of my own photographs. The resulting work is an outpouring of my love for the coast and its environs. My goal is to convey this passion to the viewer.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1960, Lindsay received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Museum School in Boston and has studied art in Florence, Italy and at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Further influence and encouragement came from her father, a self taught painter and wood carver. Lindsay currently lives in Massachusetts by the water.

“I am inspired by a beautiful day, the sun shining on anything, the gradation of fog, Richard Diebenkorn, Fairfield Porter, John Marin, all the Wyeths, Vincent Van Gogh, white sails on blue water, cloud formations, old bottles….” Read more HERE…

All images via LindsayHopkins-Weld.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Lost in Translation by Heather Arenas 24×18″  Oil

Nice painting by Heather Arenas. She caught this guy lost in thought… You can see him thinking… wondering where he is or where he’s going. The little tree behind him is wonderful, but the shadow of it on the building… Love!!

31st and Lexington by Heather Arenas  18×24″  Oil

Wonderful light in the sky. Love all the light, from the signs, the reflections, the street sign, etc. A fabulous, wild sky and the streetlights which seem to anchor the painting.

Read a bit about Heather, from her website:

Artist’s Statement

One of my goals is to say more with a painting than can be said with a photograph. I want to help others see the beauty in everyday objects, places and people as I see them.

Medium and Subject Matter

I work in oils and prefer figurative work but enjoy painting many different subjects.

Influence

My grandmothers were both artists and my parents provided me with various art supplies growing up. I was taught to appreciate many forms of art. I have many favorite artists now and there are too many to name but living artists include Richard Schmidt, Tibor Nagy, Jeremy Mann, Kim English, and Dan McCaw. Deceased influences include John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, and Joaqin Sorolla.

Art Education

My education includes a rigorous course of independent study reading many books on drawing and painting and taking workshops from respected artists such as Vadim Zanginian, Kim English and Clayton Beck III. While earning a degree in biology with emphasis on anatomy in the early 1990’s, I also studied art history and ceramics.

All images via HeatherArenas.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The Old Farmhouse by David Finnell  9×12″ Watercolor

David Finnell. Fabulous watercolors! I think there is a resurgence in the watercolor medium. Watercolor paintings are so wonderful! The light and looseness of the painting above adds so much character. The windows not showing all details, etc., the lines of the house… This is wonderful!

Waterford Post Office by David Finnell 17×12″ Watercolor (Sold)

There are things in paintings that draw me in time after time. A good nocturne, especially one with a good moon and some stars – Whoa! A flag on a house, I love it! A mailbox. A simple mailbox adds so much. I am also drawn to orange. While this painting is not a nocturne with a moon and stars it does have a flag, mailbox and the color orange, ha ha… Just the perfect amount of detail was added to this painting. Really nice, and… sold…

Read a bit about David, from his website: (Had to include the Artist’s Statement – I love it!)

Artist’s Statement

All images via DavidFinnellWatercolors.com, used with permission…

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

I love a good bio and artist’s statement! Love it! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Capital Haze Study  16×12″  Oil

I featured Robin Cheers about a year ago, she’s an artist with a unique perspective and fabulous paintings, it’s no wonder she is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society! This piece is very different from what I featured last time.

The painting above is a study, and it’s fabulous. Full of life and power lines. Those power lines add so much character. Robin has packed just enough detail into this painting to make it really fabulous!

Read a bit about Robin, from her website:

Robin Cheers is an Austin artist working in the impressionist tradition with a contemporary style focused on representing the figure and every day life.

Working directly from life and utilizing photos for those hard to hold poses, Robin is driven by a passionate desire to capture the essentials of light and life. Spontaneous brushwork,  abstracting shapes and working alla prima creates expressive art that speaks from the heart. Recent ventures into printmaking and sculpting continue to inform her body of work.

As an active member of her local art community, Robin hosts twice monthly figure painting sessions and teaches drawing and painting. Her work is in private and corporate collections worldwide.

All images via RobinCheers.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Early Spring by Carol Jenkins  20×24″  Oil

Carol Jenkins. Her work stands out. I love the lighting in this piece. That ground looks hard and cold, but with that wonderful gold glow… Fabulous barn!

Island Harbor by Carol Jenkins  16×20″  Oil

Just look at this water! It feels as if I am on the shore looking out at this boat, the water is smooth as glass in some areas which is just fabulous. This painting caught my attention right away. Fabulous!

Read a bit about Carol, from her website:

I was born to an artistic Massachusetts family. I started drawing and painting very early. My home was filled with beautiful paintings done by my great grandmother. She traveled to the White Mountains in New Hampshire in the 1890″s to paint”en plein air”. I was inspired by these paintings and encouraged by my family. I always knew I wanted to be an artist.

I recieved a National Scholastic Art Scholarship in high school to go to the art school of my choice.I dreamed of becoming an illustrator and choose Vesper George School of Art in Boston.

One of my teachers was Robert Douglas Hunter. He noticed my talent and encouraged me to
move from commercial art to fine art. I transferred to the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, Massachusetts and majored in painting.

In my early twenties I had an urge to travel and headed west. I was struck by the awesome beauty of the Rocky Mountains.I settled in the historic mining town of Ward, Colorado, surronded by National Forest and near the Indian Peaks Wilderness area .Hiking, backpacking, and living in a small town suited me . I am still here today.

After many years of working with pastels, I felt like holding a brush again.I decided to get serious about oils and signed up for workshops with the best teachers and painters I could find. I studied with Kim English, Skip Whitcomb, Kang Cho,Greg Kreutz, George Strickland, Carolyn Anderson and Kevin Weckbach.I can’t begin to describe how great it is to spend time with teachers so willing to share their knowledge and experience.

I enjoy painting just about anything – landscapes, interiors, buildings and figures, but my greatest love is plein air painting. The weather, the light, and the land all become part of me. Heading out into nature,looking around and being inspired by a beautiful composition and translating that to my canvas right then and there is always exciting to me.

I still love to travel to New England, Florida and the mountains and deserts of the Southwest. You can often find me happily painting on the side of a road, in some grubby alleyway, or off on some trail past the “no trespassing” sign.

All images via CarolJenkinsOils.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!