Buzz Aldrin – Giant Leap for Mankind
By Pavel Sokov
40 x 30 in.
Oil on Linen
$45,000
Available through the artist
Prints available

In my view, the moon landing of July 20th, 1969, is one of the most beautiful and dignified acts that humanity ever accomplished. The striving to do the impossible, to be eternally curious is what distinguishes us from other animals. I hope to see humanity return to taking space exploration seriously as to me it is a graceful act that gives us something to be proud of and unifies us as one human race.

This painting is among the six portraits in my “Gravitas” series which focuses on my heroes of science. I felt that we don’t appreciate our scientists anymore and don’t consider how much positive impact they make on our quality of life. I wanted to start a series that celebrates these heroes and their amazing accomplishments. So far, I have represented Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Marie Sklodowska-Curie, George Washington Carver, Jonas Salk and Buzz Aldrin. The ultimate goal is to paint the portraits of contemporary scientists whose works are paving the way for progress.

I am focusing on finding an institutional collector for these science pieces such as a museum, university, institute, or corporation. If you are part of an institution that you think may benefit from having one of my science paintings, I would love to be in contact and see what is possible. If you have any suggestions for which scientists I should paint and celebrate, please send me your suggestions to my email [email protected].

I invite you to see what else I am painting over at my website (www.pavelsokov.com) or Instagram (@pavelsokov). If you are curious about the process of commissioned portrait painting, you can find out more here.

Escalante Route by Betsy Menand
10 x 30 in.
Acrylic gouache paint on clayboard

The 12th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art kicked off in early September with 20 artists painting en plein air at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. From September 12 through September 19, visitors could watch the artists at work. Through January 18, 2021 their work will be available for sale at Kolb Studio at the South Rim and on Grand Canyon Conservancy’s online gallery (shop.grandcanyon.org).

One of this year’s artists new to the event is Colorado artist Betsy Menand. Of her work, Menand says, “I love to sketch and paint images gathered from my outdoor adventure photographs…exploring the wild landscapes and national parks of the southwest is where you’ll find me! My painting style is graphic with bold lines and colors.” This style is very apparent in her studio painting submitted to the event.

Escalante Route was inspired by a hike at 75 Mile Canyon during a raft trip through Grand Canyon. “We walked down the rocky side canyon floor glowing in desert colors. We rejoined the river at Neville’s Rapid. Above the green and white water, an incredible layering of rock angled up, seeming to grow out of the river. I looked up stream. I looked down stream. I took an extremely wide-angle photo and thought, ‘I’ll want to paint this someday.’”

Menand’s work and the work of the other Celebration of Art artists can be seen daily at Kolb Studio or online at shop.grandcanyon.org.

For more information visit grandcanyon.org and shop.grandcanyon.org, or contact Kathy Duley at [email protected] or 480-277-0458.

Meditation
20 x 16 in.
Oil on canvas
$2,550
Available through the artist: 304.822.5050

This view is of a portico tucked away in a secluded spot in the San Juan Capistrano Mission. It is far from the busiest part of the compound, a quiet refuge from tourists and souvenir shops. The shade is a welcome shield from the heat, and the peace is calming and soothing.

A native of Washington, DC, Susan G. DeVan graduated from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service. Throughout her career Susan always made time to paint before turning to it and writing full time. From a home and property, in what she describes as “wild and wonderful West Virginia,” Susan finds endless inspiration in the landscape and wildlife surrounding her.

A “Fellow” Member of American Artists Professional League at Salmagundi Club in NYC, Susan has had work exhibited in juried shows from Rhode Island to Maryland, from Pennsylvania to California, from Idaho to Arizona. She is also a juried member of Oil Painters of America and a member of many art associations and clubs. The John Collins Memorial Award for Oil Painting and Best Oil Painting is one of many accomplishments for Best in Show and Best Work on Canvas awards and honorable mentions. Susan is also delighted three of her grandchildren have displayed artistic talent and mentors each as they follow their own paths to excellence.

Susan’s writing provides a glimpse into her engaging, lively personality. The book, “The Granny Chronicles,” is a humorous account of a feisty woman who lives in Rock Bottom, the town with no place to go but up. Her adventures and shenanigans are recorded by friends and family members whose lives are forever altered by their association with Emma Frick. Susan suggests one curl up with a cup of herbal tea and have some laughs with Granny and the denizens of Cornrow County. The book is available through Amazon and Kindle.

Susan is represented by Xanadu Gallery.

Her professional membership affiliations include OPA, MFA, WAOW, SWA, AAPL Fellow

See more of her landscape, wildlife and still life paintings on her website.

To learn of newer work and exhibits, sign up for Susan’s e-newsletter.

Mile Marker 212
By Karen Ann Hitt – An Original Hitt
18 x 24” Oil on Belgium Linen
Available through Hughes Gallery Boca Grande, Florida: 941-964-4273

Mile Marker 212 is a painting that represents one of those views that we each have experienced in our lives. Where were you when the road you were on lead you straight into a storm and there was no way around it? Feel like 2020? Alas, that spark of light, like a light at the end of a tunnel remains, and you know that all is going to be alright — and in that, you are able to simply enjoy the beauty of the dramatic skies. Dramatic big skies — there really is nothing like them.

Mile Marker 212 holds the honor of being juried into the prestigious Oil Painters of America National Virtual Salon Show 2020, that went virtual for the first time ever this year. Now, it is on display and available at the Hughes Gallery in Boca Grande, Florida. Hughes Gallery represents all of Karen Ann’s work and is proudly celebrating their 21st season. What a season this last has been. We may all look forward to that glorious light at the end of the tunnel, which Mile Marker 212 highlights.

A little more about this painting and the artists’ recent events leading up to its completion, is shared in Karen Ann’s “Discover An Original Hitt” blog. This painting, completed in January, certainly has been on the move — who knew what the year held for it, and us? Hard to believe December of this year is here. You may now visit Mile Marker 212 at the Gallery in Boca Grande, Florida, which is excited and honored to be entering into its 21st season on the island.

Another honor for this artist, Hughes Gallery hosting her upcoming solo exhibit. Mark your calendar, February 15, 2021; when Karen Ann Hitt – An Original Hitt, solo exhibit opens. Until then, hope you enjoy traveling with Mile Marker 212.

To stay connected with Karen Ann’s projects through her announcements, receive a gratis greeting card, or to just stay connected with her new works of art, you may contact her through her website: www.anoriginalhitt.com or directly go to contact info here. Be sure to add your address in the comments, and let the artist know if you would like a gratis greeting card.

Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @anoriginalhitt
Facebook: Karen Ann Hitt An Original Hitt

Into The Storm
24 x 20 in.
Oil on Panel
$2,450
Available through the artist

A storm coming in. A beautiful clipper ship sailing out into it.

Baltimore is famous for the fast clippers it built, many of which served as privateers during the War of Independence. I was fortunate to see the Pride of Baltimore under full sail, and this piece captures the light of this ship beautifully!

Into The Storm is available at my studio in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood of Baltimore, along with several large and small works in oil and pastel. The frame on Into The Storm is a perfect match for this painting. Please let me know if you are interested!

If you’d like to see this — and more of my artwork, please take a look at my website: johndavisheld.com. If you like what you see, sign up for my newsletter when the offer appears. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram. I love sharing my peaceful and beautiful work.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you’re interested in Into The Storm or other work. You can always reach me at (410) 842-7012, or email me at [email protected]. And we love working with people on commissions!

Galleries
Gallery D’May Fine Art
401 Washington St, Cape May, NJ 08204
Phone: (609) 884-4465

The Troika Gallery
9 S Harrison St # 1, Easton, MD 21601
Phone: (410) 770-9190

New Canaan Gallery
33 East Ave, New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (203) 966-8483

Front Light
14.5 x 14.5 in.
Graphite and white chalk on toned paper
$750
Available, call (240) 461-7799

Victoria Castillo is a classically trained artist who paints people in light-infused settings, often gardens and intimate interiors.

“I love the way light and shadow play across the human form. I use it to create mood and to tell a story. Front Light is a drawing, created from life, using pencil and white chalk on toned paper. The model, a Native American woman, sat for several sessions with me over the course of a week.

The title refers to the position of the light source and what it reveals about the model. Using “front light” to illuminate a subject is always a challenge. When a light source shines directly onto a face, the light falls evenly, causing no deep shadows or bright highlights. This can easily lead to a flattened appearance. But with experience and practice, front lighting can be used to reveal subtleties of features that would be obscured by more dramatic lighting.

In this portrait, I chose front light because I wished to show the model’s feminine details, such as her thick eyelashes and the wisps of hair at the nape of her neck. In addition, it allowed me to direct attention to her exquisite profile. The softness of the light also fit her quiet, inward gaze.”

Front Light is on its way to The Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas, as part of Women Artists of the West’s America The Beautiful exhibition, February 5 – March 19, 2021.

To purchase this painting, call (240) 461-7799

To view more of Victoria’s paintings, visit her website.

Be the first to see new work by signing up for her quarterly e-newsletter.

Connect on Instagram.

Carrie Furnace #6
15 x 22 in.
Sanders Waterford 140# Rough Watercolor Paper
$2,500
Available through the artist

Carrie Furnace #6 is one of a series of paintings I’ve done of the blast furnaces which were part of Homestead Steel Works along the Monongahela River in Homestead, just up river from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Homestead Steel Works was purchased by Andrew Carnegie in 1898. It was one of the many steel plants in Pittsburgh and was in production until 1986. Although most of the blast furnaces have been torn down, there are still two of these giant structures left.

I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to draw and paint at Carrie Furnaces twice in recent years. I was awestruck by their gigantic scale and power. These magnificent rusting masses of steel are a testament to the history of Pittsburgh and the steel industry of America. This painting was my attempt to represent their unforgettable character. If you ever get a chance to spend time there, don’t pass it up.

I started painting as a watercolorist, primarily en plein air, in 2011, after nearly fifty years as an architect and architectural illustrator. At 5 or 6 years old I was drawing dogs and horses from Walter T. Foster’s books, later cars, planes, then buildings, which I’m still doing. Architecture was my first love, and has formed the foundation of my understanding of design, composition, freehand drawing, perspective, the built, the natural environment, and many other aspects of my professional growth.

I became interested in plein air painting in the late nineties when myself and 50–100 architectural illustrators would spend Saturdays at our annual conventions drawing or painting outside in some great places like Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Pittsburg, Yellowstone, and other venues, and although I only got to do it once or twice a year, it piqued my interest. And, in 1997 I thought it was time I started learning more about plein air painting with watercolor. Since then I’ve taken workshops along the coast of Maine with Carlton Plumber, in the Florida Keys with Jeanne Dobie, in Key West and Catalina Island with Charles Reid, in Victoria, Canada with Alvaro Castagnet, and at the Madeline Island School for Art on Lake Superior with Joseph Zbukvic and Herman Pekel.

I’m sure it was both the excellent artists and the locations that hooked me, but either would have convinced me that plein air painting was something I wanted to do! And so far, I have participated in over 70 plein air events all over the country, plus a couple of dozen more just-for-fun plein air paint-outs with many of my colleagues. I have had the good fortunate to paint with some of the best painters in the country, which has been a boatload of fun, an incredible learning experience, and a hell of a way to spend a day!

I am a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, Missouri Watercolor Society, Outdoor Painters Society, President Emeritus of The American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI), and Artist Faculty at the 2016 Plein Air Convention & Expo in Tucson, Arizona.

See more of my work at www.richardsneary.com.

Recent awards include En Plein Air Texas 2014, 2018, 2019, & 2020 Best Architectural Award 2014, Award of Distinction 2018, Award of Distinction Mini Pearl 2019, Texas Precious Water Award; Stems Plein Air 2011 & 2020 Best Of Show; Shadows-on-the-Teche 2018 & 2019, 2nd Place 2018, Honorable Mention 2019; Cape Ann Plein Air 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019, Neptune Harvest Award 2018 & 2019, Honorable Mention 2018, Best Maritime 2019; Paint Grand Traverse 2019, Award of Recognition; Plein Air Easton 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, Best Architecture 2012, Historic Preservation 2013, Best Use of Light & Honorable Mention 2017, & Honorable Mention 2019; Solomon Plein Air 2016 & 2017, Honorable Mention 2016, 3rd Place Sunset Quick Draw & Honorable Mention 2017; Paint The Pennisula 2016 & 2017, Best Architecture 2016, Best Waterscape & Peoples Choice 3rd Place 2017; Plein Air Easton 2012, 2013, 2017, Best Architecture 2012, Historic Preservation 2013, Best Use of Light & Honorable Mention 2017; Plein Air Magazine’s 6th Annual Plein Air Salon Winners, Honorable Mention; Plein Air Magazine’s 6th Annual Bi-Monthly Apr/May 2017, Dec 2016/Jan 2017, Oct/Nov 2016, & Aug/Sept 2016 Plein Air Salon Awards, 2nd Place, Best Artist over 60 (Apr/May), Best Sketchbook (Dec/Jan), Best Building, Best Nocturne (Oct/Nov), Best Watercolor (Aug/Sept); Plein Air Magazine’s 5th Annual Bi-Monthly Dec 2015/Jan 2016 Plein Air Salon Awards, Best Plein Air; 2017, 2016, 2014 Annual OPS Plein Air Southwest Salon, Honorable Mention 2017 & 2016, Dick Blick Art Materials Award for Excellence 2014; Wayne Plein Art Center Plein Air Festival 2017 & 2015, Canson Award 2017, Honorable Mention 2015; Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Festival 2016, 1st Place Quick Draw; Plein Air Richmond 2014 & 2013, Honorable Mention 2014 & 1st Place in Fast & Fresh 2013; Easels in Frederick 2013, 1st Place in Quick Paint; Stems Plein Air Paint 2014, 2013, & 2011, 1st Place Watercolor 2014, 3rd Place Watercolor 2013, Best of Show, and 1st Place Watercolor 2011; Missouri Valley Impressionist Society Juried Exhibition Best of Show 2012, 2nd Place 2014, Best of Show 2018

Bathsheba Answering King David’s Letter
30 x 24 in.
Oil on linen
$12,000
Currently available through the artist

This picture portrays Bathsheba as she reluctantly comes to the call of her king knowing that she will have to betray her husband. She appears between the rich red drapes caught in a moment of accepting her fate and aware that the life she has had now comes to an end.

“When I work, my intention is to create an image that is intimate and enduring,” states David Stallings. “There are times when sketching an idea, my method is free and rapid. Other times, the process is lengthy and undergoes many changes. Some paintings I have worked on over several years.”

“Timelessness is an important feature of my work. It is an aspect that has always appealed to me. Even in my earliest pieces, I represented scenes in a way that created a distance from the present while at the same time dealt with relevant themes like loss and friendship.”

“Whether in music, poetry, sculpture or painting, I always admire works that transcend their age to remain relevant and meaningful. I enjoy how they seem to be in one sense not real yet go on delivering some vital message from across the void of space and time.”

David M. Stallings was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He attended the Pennsylvania School of Art and Design where he received his Fine Art Degree in 1991.

His work is in several private collections, both locally and abroad. In June of 2009, David’s painting Contemplating Submersion was acquired by the Lancaster Museum of Art through a purchase award and is part of the museum’s permanent collection. David was also a member of the PA Arts Experience until its close.

In August of 2011, David spent three weeks studying with master painter Odd Nerdrum at his home in France. In 2015, he returned to study for 3 more weeks with Nerdrum at his home in Norway.

In 2015, David presented a paper he wrote entitled Sensibility and Intent at The Representational Art Conference held in Ventura, California.

David is also the creator of the podcast “Drawn to Depict” that covers topics dealing with representational works. “Drawn to Depict” is now available in Apple Podcasts.

David’s latest show was a group exhibition at Lancaster Galleries.

Visit David’s website www.davidmstallings.com, Facebook @dmstallingsstudio, and Instagram @dmstallings to view more work and previews of works in progress.