Featured Artwork: Denise Bohart Brown

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March 31, 2021

Chasing The Sunset
15 x 28 x 5 in.
Kiln-formed glass
$870
Available through the artist

There are times in my life as an artist when an idea pops into my head fairly fully formed — sometimes requiring some design tweaking, but essentially whole. This was NOT the case with Chasing The Sunset. Inspired by a sculptor friend’s work of five running horses, I spent many months — years, actually — with this design turning over periodically in my head before I was finally able to bring it to the point of creation.

Once I had the glass piece design mostly solidified, I realized that the presentation was critical — the display stand needed to be a part of the overall design. I have a blacksmith that has thus far never failed to produce whatever my mind can design and throw at him. With his contribution, I was able to present the piece in such a way that the horses are racing across the prairie toward the setting sun, traveling with such lightness and grace as to have air under their feet; the shadow cast by the late-day sun helps keep them tethered to the earth.

In all of my kiln-formed glass creations, I strive to capture a singular moment in time —something that, if you look again a second later, will be gone. While often abstract in nature, my work is still very much based on an image — most often an image in nature — that is fleeting and ephemeral. Capturing that moment, no matter how literal or abstract the result may be, marks that singular moment as something to be cherished.

I am looking forward to returning to the Sculpture in the Park show in Loveland, CO this August. You can find more info here: www.sculptureinthepark.org

I would love to connect with you! Please reach out through your favorite form of communication. Kiln-formed glass is not as familiar a medium to many people, and I love the opportunity to share my passion and answer questions. And if you are ever in Steamboat Springs in the Colorado mountains, contact me for a studio tour.

Website: DeniseBohartBrown.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 970-819-1362
Instagram: DeniseBohartBrown
Facebook: Elemental Glassworks by Denise Bohart Brown

Featured Artwork: Philippe Gandiol

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March 30, 2021

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Ave Maria
By Philippe Gandiol
Oil on linen
24 x 18 in.
$2,700

Available through:
California Center for the Arts
Escondido Museum
340 N. Escondido Blvd
Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 839-4149

Philippe painted this scene to honor his mother. She is a devoted catholic and has been asking the Virgin Mary to protect her children all her life. This scene is taking place at a church in the heart of Paris where she is praying in the light. This painting will be part of the Oil Painters of America 30th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils which is taking place at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.

Philippe was born and raised in France and moved to California in his early 20s. He has painted with oils for over 30 years. Philippe likes to paint a variety of subjects including landscapes, cityscapes, still life and figures “en plein air” or in the studio. He works as much as possible from life, believing that only life can really bring the full range of light, color, spirit and mood that he wants in his paintings. He teaches privately out of his studio or in the outdoors. He also offers painting workshops.

Upcoming shows and events:
April 2021 American Impressionist Society: Small Works Showcase
April 2021 30th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils
August 2021 Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout

Gallery Representation
John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA
New Masters Gallery, Carmel by the sea, CA
Vanessa Roth Fine Art, Laguna Beach, CA

View more of Philippe’s work:
www.philippegandiol.com
Follow him on Facebook and Instagram

Featured Artwork: Richard Boyer

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March 30, 2021

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Oil painting of a red trolley on a city street

Red Trolley
30 x 30 in.
oil on board
$6,500
Available through the artist

See more of Richard’s work at www.richardboyerart.net

Gallery Representation
Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA
Mockingbird Gallery, Bend, OR
Southam Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
Authentique Gallery, St. George, UT
Mountain Trails Gallery, Sedona, AZ
New Masters Gallery, Carmel, CA
Berkley Gallery, Warrenton, VA

Signature Member
Oil Painters of America & American Society of Marine Artists

Exhibitions
2020 OPA, Fredericksburg, TX
2020 OPA Western Regional, St. George, Utah
2020 OPA Salon Show, Gainesville, Georgia
2020 American Impressionist Society, St. George, Utah
2019 ARC. Salon Finalist
2019 OPA, St George, Utah
2019 Sonoma Plein Air Invitational
2018 Sonoma Plein Air Invitational
2018 Sedona Plein Air Invitational
2018 Zions Plein Air Invitational
2018 OPA, Steamboat Springs, CO
2017 ARC Salon Finalist
2017 Sedona Plein Air Invitational
2016 17th National Exhibition ASMA
2016 American Impressionist Society, Kirkland, WA
2016 OPA, Dallas, Texas
2015 16th National Exhibition ASMA
2015 American Impressionist Society, Scottsdale, AZ
2015 OPA, St. Augustine, FL
2013 OPA, Fredericksburg, Texas
2013 2014 ASMA Touring Exhibition of 1812
2011 OPA, Devin Gallery, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho
2005 OPA, Hillgoss Galleries, Chicago, Illinois

Awards
2021 17th Annual “Best of Plein Air” Show LPAPA, Second Place
2020 June Annual Plein Air Salon Competition, First Place
2019 Sept. Annual Plein Air Salon Competition, First Place
2019 Coos Art Museum, Best of Show
2018 Sedona Plein Air Festival
2017 ASMA Coos Art Museum, Best of Show
2012 Port of Coos Bay Award, 19th ASMA
2011 OPA, Animals Award of Excellence
2009 16th National ASMA, Award of Merit
2006 Arts for the Parks, Marine Art Award
2005 Arts for the Parks, Grand Canyon Purchase Award
2004 Arts for the Parks, Grand Teton Historic Award
2004 25th International Marine Art, Award of Excellence
2003 Stobart Award, 23rd Annual International
2002 Art Times Award, Salmagundi Club, NYC

Publications
2019 Jan/Feb. Fine Art Connoisseur
2018 May, Southwest Art
2017 Feb /March, Western Art & Architecture
2006 International Artist Magazine (Article/Front Cover)
2004 American Artist, Dec. issue (Article /Front Cover)

Featured Artwork: Christine Graefe Drewyer

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March 30, 2021

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Oil painting of a great blue heron flying in the night sky in front of the moon

Once in a Blue Heron Moon
30 x 30 in.
Oil on Belgian Oil Primed Linen
Available through the artist

The word “Dreamscape” can suggest many different things. As it turns out, this painting – “Once in A Blue Heron Moon” was delivered to Artist Christine Drewyer through a dream. A favorite quote of the artist’s by Vincent Van Gogh is, “I dream of painting and then I paint my dreams.” She sure was not expecting to have an entire concept come through in a dream, much less remember it well enough to translate it into a painting! However, this is precisely how it began.

Particularly known as a landscape artist, Christine certainly does like to venture into other subject matter, but this one was quite out of the realm of usual for her. The dream for the concept came through in the 1st week in October of 2020 (yes that dreadful year!) a short three weeks before the Super Blue Full Moon at the end of the month. The piece was completed on the day after the Full Super Blue Moon. It felt amazing to stand under that exquisitely brilliant Super Moon and know just how much it had been the inspiration for the piece.

The rare Blue Moon has several meanings of origin. It can refer to the 2nd full moon in one calendar month, which is relatively uncommon but the phrase, Once in a Blue Moon has also been used when the Moon appears to be blue in actual color because of atmospheric conditions which are exceptionally rare as well. The artist dreamt that the Heron was flying directly in front of this celestial orb and later added the stars to the composition. “I wanted some recognizable constellations like the Pleiades, The Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt to be there but the rest of the rest is completely invented,” says Christine. It is pretty amazing to create your own Universe!

Christine practices Native American Animal Medicine. Blue Heron medicine is for “Self-Reflection”. It seemed so apropos that in this unique time, where it seems the whole world is in a collective time out that this was the medicine selected. Heron medicine is the power of knowing the self by discovering its gifts and facing its challenges. It is the ability to accept all feelings and opinions without denying any emotion or thought. Heron flies over those who can be unaware of who they are and where they belong in the world. Heron asks that they follow their intuition and begin the empowering journey to self-realization.

“Once in a Blue Heron Moon” has been accepted into the American Women Artists “Lifting the Sky” a National Online Juried Exhibition / May 20, 2021 – August 21, 2021

Christine is a Member of these Fine Art Organizations:
American Women Artists – President / Signature member
Women Artists of the West – Master, Signature, Emeritus member / Advisor to the Board
National Oil & Acrylics Painters Society – Signature member
Washington Society of Landscape Painters – Publicity Chair

View More of Christine’s paintings at christinedrewyer.com

An Unceasing Devotion

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Fine Art Today

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March 29, 2021

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Oil painting of a creek — Tom Nicholas, "Late October Vermont," Oil, 20 x 18 in.

Adopting nature as his bountiful muse to the point of romantic personification, Tom Nicholas has created a body of work spanning decades. His paintings reveal his intimate and personal interaction with the beauty and lush diversity of the world around him.

His works are on view April 3 – 24, 2021 at The Guild of Boston Artists in the spotlight exhibition ” The Art of Tom Nicholas, N.A.”

Watercolor painting of a beach — Tom Nicholas, “Evening Tide,” Watercolor, 12 x 18.5 in.

More from the Guild:

Reflecting on his personal philosophy toward landscape painting, the artist explains, “I am a firm believer in working from nature and working to understand her many moods.”

Nicholas describes painting as a “healthy struggle” made up of a variety of stages involving many preparatory sketches and studies. When observing a scene to depict, Nicholas will often choose to manipulate and tweak details to create a more personalized and individual piece, allowing his unique perspective to speak through his precise use of color and texture. He believes that it is this personal interpretation that develops one’s art style. This belief is the anchor to Nicholas’s creative vision, of which he says, “Nature, interpreted with additions and omissions by the artist, tells us as much about the painter as it does about the natural world.”

Oil painting of Rome — Tom Nicholas, “Rome, Italy,” Oil, 24 x 36 in.

Oil painting of snowy hillside — Tom Nicholas, “Snowed In,” Oil, 30 x 40 in.

Oil painting of trees in sunlight — Tom Nicholas, “Aspen Glow,” Oil, 16 x 20 in.

“The Art of Tom Nicholas, N.A.” will feature 22 landscapes by Nicholas and include watercolors, oil paintings, and drawings from the artist’s travels within the New England region and abroad. The assembled works reflect the artist’s creative drive and unceasing devotion to the natural world around him. For more details, please visit www.guildofbostonartists.org.

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Silver Linings

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Fine Art Today

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March 28, 2021

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Oil painting of a home scene — “Meet and Greet” by Anette Power, 2020, Oil on gessoed panel, 30 x 30 inches, Collection of the artist.

Light has long been an object of fascination for award-winning artist Anette Power, informing both how and what she paints. There is, after all, light that can be seen and painted, and then there’s the joy and lightness of feeling that can only be conveyed through an artist’s choice of subject matter. In “Silver Linings: Journey of Light,” Power’s solo exhibition of 37 oil paintings at the Santa Paula Art Museum, the artist hopes that her art will inspire viewers to consider the bright spots in their own lives.

Oil painting of children in a pool — “Pool Pirates” by Anette Power, 2019, Oil on linen panel, 9 x 12 inches, Collection of the artist.

More from the museum:

“In my life and in my art, light is synonymous with joy and an antidote to difficulties and darkness,” says Power. “I’m always looking for the silver lining.” The artist has long been admired for her ability to portray the beauty in everyday objects and moments: old cars and boats, children at play, charming homes, and storefronts.

For this exhibit it felt particularly meaningful to Power to shine a light on family, everyday life, and ordinary activities – things that now seem extraordinary due to the pandemic. “Art has been such a gift to me in challenging times, helping me to process what I’m going through,” Anette adds.

Oil painting of a kitchen scene — “Table Creations” by Anette Power, 2020, Oil on gessoed panel, 30 x 40 inches, Collection of the artist.

One experimental approach that the artist has used in her most recent works was to start out with a “mess of color.” Instead of laying down just one paint color on her canvas to start, she would begin with a random assortment of colors. Creating an image out of this chaos of colors seemed like a tangible way to make sense of the unknown. Many of the pieces in the exhibit also showcase back-lit subjects. For Anette, placing a light source behind the subject was the closest thing to painting a silver lining.

Oil painting of a couple — “The Art Lovers” by Anette Power, 2020, Oil on gessoed panel, 36 x 24 inches, Collection of the artist.

Born in Finland, Anette Power spent more than a decade working in animation as a background painter for studios like Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, and Universal. She is an artist member of the California Art Club and has been an active board member of the Westlake Village Art Guild for eight years. She maintains a working studio in Newbury Park, California. Power is well-known for her popular painting demonstrations and is a respected juror for art competitions. Her work has been shown in numerous galleries and museum exhibits and has garnered several “Best of Show” awards. Her paintings are collected widely throughout the U.S. and in Sweden. To learn more about Anette, please visit www.anettepower.com.

Oil painting of people outside — “Fun Fare” by Anette Power, 2020, Oil on gessoed panel, 16 x 20 inches, Collection of the artist.

Oil painting of boats — “Pork Chops” by Anette Power, 2020, Oil on linen panel, 11 x 14 inches, Collection of the artist.

Oil painting of children — “Between You and Me” by Anette Power, 2020, Oil on gessoed panel, 16 x 20 inches, Collection of the artist.

“Silver Linings: Journey of Light” is on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum through May 30, 2021. The exhibit is also available to view at www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.

From Mountains to Museum in the Middle East

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Fine Art Today

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March 27, 2021

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Matt Ryder, plein air painting in the mountains of the UAE

Every so often an artist creates an opportunity to put themselves before a new audience, offering up something that has never been seen before. This is the unique situation British artist Matt Ryder finds himself in as he prepares to exhibit five major new paintings in the longest running exhibition of the Emirates (Middle East).

Oil painting of a rocky landscape — Matt Ryder, “Wadi Naqab Rock Fall,” Oil on linen, 90cm x 60cm

More from the announcement:

The prestigious Emirates Fine Arts (EFA) exhibition, which is taking place in the Sharjah Arts Museum, is now in its 37th year and has always looked to improve the standard of art and artists in the country, carefully curating their shows with the development of the cultural landscape in mind.

This will be the first time Ryder, who has lived in the UAE for 13 years, has exhibited with the EFA after being accepted by committee as a member last year. “For several years I have been pushing realism, and in particular landscape painting, as a contemporary art form in the UAE, something that has not always been easy, but is certainly starting to change. I really see this exhibition as a step towards that,” says Ryder.

Oil painting of a canyon — Matt Ryder, “Snake Canyon,” Oil on linen, 120cm x 90cm

The paintings that Ryder is exhibiting are all regional landscapes, highlighting the little-known rugged mountain terrain and desert stillness of the Emirate, which lies just a short drive out of the city. Ryder’s largest painting to date, “Silence in the Valley,” is a real testament to this.

Landscape painting of a valley — Matt Ryder, “Silence in the Valley,” oil on linen, 180cm x 120cm

“I hiked around for an hour or so to reach this spot. It was mid-morning and there was this incredible light, unlike anything I’d encountered in the region. Being the only person for miles around, there was this silence and sense of peace in the air which I knew I had to capture. I did a small plein air study, took some photos and just knew I had something special which would work at a very large scale.”

Matt Ryder, working on one of his paintings for the art exhibition — Matt Ryder, working on one of his paintings for the Emirates Fine Arts exhibition

The exhibition will run through May 24, 2021 in the Sharjah Arts Museum, UAE.

See more of Ryder’s work at www.ryderscanvas.com, and follow him on Instagram: @mattryder.

Listen to Eric Rhoads interview Matt Ryder on the Plein Air Podcast:

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> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

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Salman Toor: How Will I Know

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Fine Art Today

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March 26, 2021

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Salman Toor (b. 1983), The Arrival, 2019, oil on panel — Salman Toor (b. 1983), "The Arrival," 2019, oil on panel, 18 x 14 in., private collection

Having had to delay it due to the pandemic, the Whitney Museum of American Art has finally opened the exhibition “Salman Toor: How Will I Know.”

Known for small figurative oil paintings that combine academic technique and a sketch-like style, Toor offers intimate views into the imagined lives of young, queer Brown men residing in New York City and Pakistan, where he was born.

Several lush interior scenes depict friends dancing, binge-watching television shows, playing with puppies, and gazing into their smartphones. A more somber scene features a forlorn man whose possessions are on display for the scrutiny of airport security officers.

Exhibition details:
Whitney Museum of American Art / New York
Through April 4, 2021
whitney.org

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Nature of Vermont

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Fine Art Today

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March 26, 2021

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Graphite drawing of flowers — Mary Reilly "Flowering Hillside 2," 2020 Graphite pencil on paper 9.50h x 9w in.

Mary Reilly’s photorealistic drawings of sylvan landscapes and still lifes of wild flora are celebrations of her local Vermont terrain. Attracted to isolated, almost liminal spaces, Reilly’s conscientious details are bolstered by a hint of fantasy.

“Mary Reilly: Nature of Vermont” is on view at Garvey|Simon (New York) from April 5 – April 30, 2021.

“Ranging from sweeping, monumental scenes to intimate studies, the artist’s graphite drawings are a feat of technical prowess,” says the gallery.

Graphite drawing of a riverbank — Mary Reilly, “Riverbank 3,” 2020 Graphite pencil on paper 16h x 24w in

Graphite drawing of trees — Mary Reilly, “Riverbank 4,” 2020 Graphite pencil on paper 23.50h x 17.50w in

More from the gallery:

Mary Reilly’s laborious method of toning her paper serves as the starting point for her intricate compositions. She begins by covering the entire sheet with up to eight smooth, unmodulated coats of graphite. From here, Reilly deepens her darker tones and elevates her highlights.

At once additive and subtractive, this process allows Reilly to create subtle shifts in shade and incremental gradients that result in myriad tonal effects and explore the full diversity achievable in a gray-scale palette. This technique also lends itself to Reilly’s play with depth and scale. Whether raked views of monumental trees, or tight, jostling arrangements of seashells and leaves, the ease of her transitions belies the intricacy of her compositions.

Graphite drawing of sea shells — Mary Reilly, “Seashells 3,” 2018 Graphite pencil on paper 17.75h x 26.50w in Framed: 23.25h x 32.25w in

Reilly’s move from New York City to Northern Vermont has signaled a shift in the scale and scope of her drawings. Unbridled scenes bask in soft expanses of negative space, dramatic atmospheric effects, and prodigious plant life. There is a certain spontaneity and tranquility in her drawings that suggest an environment untouched, sequestered from interference and almost atemporal in their serenity.

She reflects, “Since my move to northern Vermont, I have become immersed in nature and the magnitude of its ever changing seasons. Images that I once traveled to find in New York City I now stumble upon in my everyday life.”

Reilly treats her subjects with reverence, acquiescing to their wildness and allowing them to command and overwhelm her pictorial plane. At once ancient and immediate, Reilly’s sylvan scenes are striking in their solitude.

An indoor/outdoor opening reception will take place at DFN Projects on Thursday, April 8 (weather permitting.) The full exhibition will also be available on Artsy.net.

Graphite drawing of corn field — Mary Reilly, “Corn Field 1,” 2019 Graphite on paper
33h x 49.50w in Framed: 41h x 57.50w in

More about Mary Reilly:

New York native Mary Reilly studied art at SUNY Purchase, the School of Visual Arts, the Art Students League of New York, and the National Academy School of Fine Arts. After a short stint as a graphic designer, Reilly then chose a career in fine art. She studied with artists Frederick Brosen and Sharon Sprung, who both work with graphite and often in photorealistic styles. Mary Reilly is devoted to drawing in graphite, her medium of choice. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in New York City since 2001, and is featured in the permanent collections at Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY, New York Historical Society, New York, NY, The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Little Rock, AR, The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, and the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

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Tennessee Williams: The Painter and the Playwright

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Fine Art Today

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March 26, 2021

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Tennessee Williams with his bulldogs, 1958, Photo by Don Pinder

Tennessee Williams, one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, was also a painter. While he used his plays to explore the dynamics of the American South and his tumultuous upbringing, Williams turned to painting to express other private thoughts.

The exhibition “Tennessee Williams: The Painter and the Playwright” is on view through April 11, 2021 at The MAX in Meridian, Mississippi.

Tennessee Williams oil painting — Tennessee Williams, “Le Solitaire,” 1977, oil on canvas board, Courtesy of the Key West Historical Society

“There’s a fragility to his paintings or a shyness. We are allowed in, to gain a glimpse into Williams’ innermost thoughts and struggles,” said Stacey Wilson, Curator of Exhibitions at The MAX.

A native of Columbus, Mississippi, with other childhood years spent in Clarksdale, Williams as an adult lived in New Orleans, New York, and Key West, Florida. He is closely associated with the literary heritage of the latter. He wrote plays, short stories, screenplays, poems, and essays, with the bulk of his success realized between the mid-1940s and early 1960s. Despite his success, he struggled with alcohol and drug abuse as well as depression. He used writing and then painting as coping mechanisms.

Portrait painting by Tennessee Williams — Tennessee Williams, “L’inconnu: C’est les Yeux,” 1981, pastel on canvas, Courtesy of the Key West Historical Society, Portrait of David Wolkowsky

Figurative painting — Tennessee Williams, “The Blaze of the Moment,” ca. 1970s, oil on canvas, Courtesy of the Key West Historical Society

Multi-figure painting by Tennessee Williams — Tennessee Williams, “Sulla Terrazza della Signora Stone,” ca 1970s, oil and pencil on canvas, Courtesy of the Key West Historical Society

Cori Convertito, PhD, Curator of the Key West Art & Historical Society, created “The Painter and the Playwright” because she wanted to show that Williams was multifaceted. “The intention of this exhibition is to showcase the playwright in a more developed narrative using his paintings as the catalyst, revealing his more personal side, the side that found comfort in Key West’s carefree lifestyle,” said Convertito. “He moved with relative anonymity around the island despite his international fame. That, plus the relative acceptance of the homosexual community on the island, made this an attractive place for Williams to live and work.”

The exhibition is generously sponsored by The Community Foundation of East Mississippi. The foundation strongly favors collaboration among nonprofits and other entities, and is a longtime supporter of The MAX.

“We really just want to build relationships and be involved with what’s important to our community, to see our community thrive and grow,” said CFEM Executive Director Leigh Thomas. “The fact that Tennessee Williams is a native Mississippian is not lost on me. The people of Mississippi are our greatest asset, and the talent that we have should not go unsung.”

For more details, please visit msarts.org.

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