Warren Chang, "In the Artist's Studio," 40 x 60 oil on canvas, 2012
Art Ventures Gallery will host an exhibit of Warren Chang‘s interior paintings throughout the past 20 years. Essentially a 20-year retrospective, the exhibit focuses on Chang’s figure in interior works, which are largely biographical in nature.
The Details:
Warren Chang: An Artist’s Life Behind the Easel
Art Ventures Gallery, Menlo Park, California
Through January 31, 2021
Gallery open daily and by appointment
Meet the Artist: December 5 (private tour and book signing)
Warren Chang, “The Discussion,” 30 x 24, 2009
Influenced by 17th century Masters such as Vermeer and Velasquez, these intimate interiors are an inward look at the artists life within his studio and classroom environments, which includes his relationship with his family, friends, models and art students. Through viewing these paintings, we become witness to the artist’s life and work through the passage of time.
Warren Chang, “Artist in Her Studio,” 24 x 30 oil on canvas, 2004Warren Chang, “The Break,” 36 x 24 oil on canvas, 2003Warren Chang, “Gill Gallery Interior,” 28″ x 57″ oil on canvas, 2015
As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the paintings below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.
Regal Arrangement by Gyula Siska, Oil on panel, 31 x 40 in.; Lotton Gallery
In Flight by Roger Dale Brown, oil, 20 x 24 in.; Anderson Fine Art Gallery
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair by Nigel Cox, Oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in., signed; Rehs Contemporary
Villeneuve-Loubet by Raymond Thibesart (1874 – 1968), Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 32 in., signed; also signed, titled and numbered on the reverse; Rehs Contemporary
Fast Lane by Nancie King Mertz, 12 x 10 in., pastel demo; ArtDeTriumph & Artful Framer Studios
Winter’s Soulful Song by Dennis Sheehan, Oil, 14 x 20 in.; Ceres Gallery
In the Artist’s Studio by Warren Chang (b. 1957), oil on canvas, 40 x 60 in., 2012; Art Ventures Gallery
Want to see your gallery featured in an upcoming Virtual Gallery Walk? Contact us at [email protected] to advertise today – don’t delay, as spaces are first-come first-serve and availability is limited.
Lot 16: Albrecht Dürer, "Hercules, or the Effects of Jealousy," engraving, 1498, Estimate $30,000 to $50,000.
Swann Galleries’ “Old Master Through Modern Prints” sale on Thursday, November 12, 2020 will include masters of printmaking from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries.
More from the organizers:
The auction is led by Louis Lozowick’s scarce circa-1925 Art Deco lithograph “New York,” of which only three other impressions have been seen at auction in the past 30 years ($40,000-60,000).
Lot 247: Louis Lozowick, “New York,” lithograph, circa 1925. Estimate $40,000 to $60,000.
Edward Hopper is available with “Night Shadows,” etching, 1921 ($20,000-30,000): the work is the only commercial etching printed by Hopper and was created for The New Republic, New York, and published in a limited edition portfolio for their December 1924 issue. Additional works by American printmakers include color woodcuts by Gustave Baumann, classic views of New York City by Martin Lewis, and the important Regionalist lithographer Thomas Hart Benton.
Latin American stalwarts include Wifredo Lam with “Pleni Luna,” a 1974 portfolio with complete text and 10 color lithographs ($6,000-9,000); Mixografias by Rufino Tamayo: “Personajes con Pajaros,” 1988 ($4,000-6,000), and “Hombre en la Ventana,” 1980 ($5,000-8,000); as well as impressions by Diego Rivera, Leopold Méndez, David A. Siqueiros and Roberto Matta.
Lot 295: Diego Rivera, “El Sueño (La Noche de los Pobres),” lithograph, 1932. Estimate $25,000 to $35,000.
Old Master works include woodcuts, etchings and engravings by Albrecht Dürer, most notably a 1498 engraving “Hercules, or the Effects of Jealousy” (shown at top; $30,000-50,000), and a 1498 woodcut “The Adoration of the Lamb.” Rembrandt van Rijn is present with the etchings “The Descent from the Cross: Second Plate,” 1633, and “A Beggar Seated on a Bank,” 1630, a likely early self-portrait (both $30,000-50,000), as well as “Christ before Pilate: Large Plate,” 1635–36, which also features a self-portrait of the artist ($20,000-30,000). Pieter Bruegel, Francisco José de Goya, Giovanni B. Piranesi and Martin Schongauer also feature in the section.
Lot 84: Rembrandt van Rijn, “The Descent from the Cross: Second Plate,” etching and engraving, 1633. Estimate $30,000 to $50,000.
A superb selection of modern prints is anchored by a strong group of nineteenth-century artists, ranging from James A.M. Whistler to Paul Gauguin, and Impressionist stalwarts like Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt. A run of Whistler etchings includes “Venus,” 1859 ($7,000-10,000); one of only six known impressions of “The Hangman’s House, Tours,” 1888, ($8,000-12,000); and “The Kitchen,” 1858 ($4,000-6,000). Paul Gauguin is represented by an early color woodcut “Mahna No Varua Ino,” 1893–84 ($20,000-30,000); while Edgar Degas’s ballerinas make an appearance with the 1888–89 lithograph “A la Barre” ($10,000-15,000).
A strong selection of drypoints by Mary Cassatt feature “The Crocheting Lesson,” circa 1902 ($12,000-18,000), “Margot Wearing a Large Bonnet, Seated in an Armchair,” circa 1904 ($10,000-15,000), and “Reflection,” circa 1890 ($8,000-12,000).
Lot 169: Mary Cassatt, “The Crocheting Lesson,” drypoint, circa 1902. Estimate $12,000 to $18,000.
Twentieth-century European masters include signature works by Pablo Picasso with “Buste au Corsage à Carreaux,” lithograph, 1957 ($25,000-35,000); Henri Matisse with “Nu au Bracelet,” linoleum cut, 1940 ($12,000-18,000); and Joan Miró with “La Femme Toupie,” color etching, 1974 ($35,000-50,000), “Série Noire et Rouge,” color etching, 1938 ($25,000-35,000), among others prominent Modernists.
Lot 324: Pablo Picasso, “Buste au Corsage à Carreaux,” lithograph, 1957. Estimate $25,000 to $35,000.
Limited previewing (by appointment only) will be available from through November 11, to be scheduled directly with a specialist in advance and conforming to strict safety guidelines. Swann Galleries staff will prepare condition reports and provide additional photographs of material on request. Advance order bids can be placed with a specialist for the sale or on Swann’s website, and phone bidding will be available. Live online bidding platforms will be the Swann Galleries App, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers. The complete catalogue and bidding information is available at www.swanngalleries.com and on the Swann Galleries App.
The woman depicted in “Lighting Her Way” is enveloped by rings of energy, light, like an aura with the names of important women in our history. The rings overlap at the belly, the center of emotion, of life. Her hands are palms up receiving the energy from these historical women, her gaze is forward and confident.
“Lighting Her Way” is the first in a series of paintings depicting women of different ethnicities lifted and inspired by women who have achieved great things throughout history. I ask each model who poses for me to give me a list of women they have been inspired by so I can include these names in the painting. These lists certainly are not exhaustive so the viewer may come up with additional names of women they are inspired by. Also, there will be names that are not known, inviting the viewer to look them up. Each painting is purposely life size to create a more intimate relationship with the viewer. Women have been and are an important part of our world history and this is what I want these paintings to celebrate.
Education
Palette and Chisel Academy of Art, Chicago
American Academy of Art, Chicago
Northern Illinois University, BSed
William Rainey Harper College
Recent Workshops
Alyssa Monks
Roger Dale Brown
Casey Baugh
Quang Ho
Vincent Desiderio
Bernardo Siciliano
Steven Assael
Exhibitions
• NOAPS Best of America 2020
• OPA Salon 2020
• NOAPS Small Works 2020
• OPA Salon 2019
• NOAPS Best of America 2019
• NOAPS Best of America 2018 — 3rd Place Award for “The Gift”
• NOAPS Small Works 2018
• OPA Eastern Regional 2017 — Award of “Excellence” for ‘Model Break’
• NOAPS Best of America 2017 — Award “Best Figurative Work” for ‘Potiphar’s Wife’
• Unlocking The Bible Fundraiser: Painting “The Sower” completed live and auctioned at the event
• American Impressionist Society Small Works 2017
• Portrait Society Award of NOAPS Signature Artist Group Show 2016 — Honorable Mention “Out of the Box” category for ‘Free Bird’
• “Thief on the Cross” one act play by Stephen Baldwin, Painting “Redemption” featured in the performance.
• “Grasshopper” movie, commissioned painting “It’s Over”
• NOAPS Online International 2014 — Award of Excellence
• NOAPS Best of America 2013 — Award of Excellence
• American Impressionist Society 2013
• OPA Salon 2013
• American Impressionist Society 2012
• NOAPS Best of America 2012
• OPA Eastern Regional 2011
• OK Art, Oklahoma — Best of Show Award for ‘Longing’
• 23rd Annual Conservatory Art Classic, Bosque TX
• 22nd Annual Conservatory Art Classic, Bosque TX — 1st Place Gold for “Contemplation”
• Barns & Farms National Juried Competition 2007
• OPA Eastern Regional Miniature 2007
• OPA Eastern Regional, 2005
Professional Memberships
• OPA, Oil Painters of America
• Portrait Society of America
• ARC, Art Renewal Center
• American Impressionist Society
• NOAPS, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Signature Status
Jan van de Velde (Dutch, 1593 - 1641)
"Landscape with Ruins (recto); Head of a Woman and Animals (verso)," about 1615 - 1616
Dutch
Pen and black ink with gray wash (recto);
Black chalk with gray wash (verso)
12.4 × 18.4 cm (4 7/8 × 7 1/4 in.)
2020.14
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
The J. Paul Getty Museum (getty.edu) announced recently an acquisition of 39 Dutch drawings, providing a stunning survey of the artists, styles, genres, and subjects in seventeenth-century art from the Netherlands. The group includes drawings by Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacob Ruisdael, Gerrit van Honthorst, and many other artists of the “Golden Age” of Dutch art. In addition, the acquisition includes a monumental early watercolor by Piet Mondrian, a panoramic landscape view made in 1901.
“Landscape near Arnhem,” 1900-01, Piet Mondrian. Translucent and opaque watercolor over graphite on wove paper. 20 ½ x 29 7/16 in. (52 x 71.5 cm). The J. Paul Getty Museum
“Set in motion nearly two years ago and finalized in January 2020, this major acquisition dramatically enhances our Dutch drawings collection, increasing it by a third, and placing it among the most important museum holdings in the United States,” says Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “Several drawings represent artists who are almost never available on the market, including Cornelis Vroom, Hendrick Dubbels, Jacob Pynas, and Gerrit Pietersz, adding rarity and depth to the group, and enabling the Getty to showcase a more complete history of Dutch art.”
Potts continued, “We are thrilled that, with this acquisition, we are able to bring these objects from a private collection into the public domain, making them available for scholarly research and for the enjoyment of our international audience.”
Adriaen van de Velde (Dutch, 1636 – 1672) “The House with the Little Tower Seen from the Northeast,” about 1660 Dutch Pen and brown ink with brown and gray wash; pounced squaring grid in black chalk 14.3 × 27.9 cm (5 5/8 × 11 in.) 2020.12 The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
The group of drawings features landscapes, seascapes, figure studies, portraits, religious and allegorical compositions, and nature studies by key masters of the period: Rembrandt van Rijn, Maria Sibylla Merian, Jacob Ruisdael, Jacques de Gheyn II, Bartolomeus Breenbergh, Hendrick Avercamp, Gerrit van Honthorst, and even an early Piet Mondrian.
A selection of 18 drawn landscapes and seascapes illustrate how Dutch artists celebrated their natural environment, burgeoning economy, and national identity. Underscoring the central role played by the human figure in Dutch Art, the acquisition includes nine figure studies, genre scenes, and portraits.
Ferdinand Bol (Dutch, 1616 – 1680) “Reclining Female Nude,” about 1655 – 1661 Dutch Black and white chalk 22.5 × 31.4 cm (8 7/8 × 12 3/8 in.) 2020.4.1 The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
The group also includes seven religious and historical scenes that served as compositional studies for paintings or as finished works to be sold on the open market. Five drawings demonstrate the Dutch fascination with the natural world and the interdependence of art and science in the early modern period.
Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647 – 1717) “Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth on a Damson Plum, plate 13 of the Caterpillar Book,” 1679 German Translucent and opaque watercolor over counterproof print 18.7 × 14.9 cm (7 3/8 × 5 7/8 in.) 2020.10 The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los AngelesSamuel van Hoogstraten (Dutch, 1627 – 1678) “The Crucifixion,” about 1650 Dutch Pen and brown ink with gray wash, red chalk, and heightening with white opaque watercolor; corrections in white opaque watercolor Unframed: 24.5 × 25.1 cm (9 5/8 × 9 7/8 in.) Framed: 53 × 47.5 × 3.5 cm (20 7/8 × 18 11/16 × 1 3/8 in.) 2020.39 The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
“This landmark acquisition of 39 drawings from a private collector will allow our visitors to explore in depth the subjects and techniques that made artists of the Dutch Republic so renowned and beloved,” says Stephanie Schrader, curator of drawings who spearheaded the acquisition.
The 39 Dutch drawings are:
Ancient Ruins in a Landscape, about 1646, by Jan Asselijn (Dutch, about 1615-1652)
Landscape with a Road below Cliffs near Bracciano, about 1625, by Bartolomeus Breenbergh (Dutch, 1598-1657)
Man-of-War and Small Vessels, 1653, by Caspar van den Bos (Dutch, 1634-1656)
Ships at a Quai with a City in the Background, late 1660s, by Hendrick Dubbels (Dutch, 1621-1707)
Mountain Landscape with a Chapel, about 1600-1603, by Jacques de Gheyn II (Dutch, 1565-1629)
West Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight, 1646, by Lambert Doomer (Dutch, 1624-1700)
Norwegian Landscape with a Timber Yard, 1644, by Allart van Everdingen (Dutch, 1621-1675)
Landscape near Arnhem, 1900-01, by Piet Mondrian (Dutch, 1872-1944)
Cottage among Trees, about 1652-53, by Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, 1628/29-1682)
View of Part of City of Amsterdam, about 1686, by Abraham Rutgers (Dutch, 1632-1699)
Antique Ruins, about 1665, by Willem Schellinks (Dutch, About 1627-1678)
The House with a Little Tower Seen from the Northeast, about 1660, by Adriaen van de Velde (Dutch, 1636-1672)
A Lady and Gentleman Falconing, 1629, by Esaias van de Velde (Dutch, 1587-1630)
Landscape with Ruins, about 1615-1616, by Jan van de Velde II (Dutch, 1593-1641)
Forest Scene, about 1650, by Adriaen Hendriksz. Verboom (Dutch, about 1628-1670)
Mountain Landscape with a Distant View Behind, about 1635-1640, by Cornelis Vroom (Dutch, about 1591-1661)
River Landscape with a Castle in the Distance, after 1650, by Anthonie Waterloo (Dutch, 1609-1690)
Courtyard of an Italian Tavern, about 1644-1653, by Thomas Adriaensz. Wyck (Dutch, 1616-1677)
The Messenger of God Appearing to Joshua, about 1640, by Ferdinand Bol (Dutch, 1616-1680)
Allegorical Portrait of the Four Eldest Children of the King and Queen of Bohemia, about 1631, by Gerrit van Honthorst (Dutch, 1592-1656)
The Crucifixion, about 1650, by Samuel van Hoogstraten (Dutch, 1627-1678)
Manasseh, Repentant Sinner from the Old and New Testament, 1596, by Karel van Mander (Dutch, 1548-1606)
Amorous Couple, about 1623, by Jacob Matham (Dutch, 1571-1631)
Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, 1608, by Gerrit Pietersz. (Dutch, 1566-1612)
Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, about 1650, by Jacob Pynas (Dutch, about 1592/93-after 1650)
Horse with a Rider Talking to a Man at an Inn, about 1630, by Hendrick Avercamp (Dutch, 1585-1634)
Reclining Female Nude Seen from Behind, about 1655-61, by Ferdinand Bol (Dutch, 1616-1680)
Young Woman at a Balustrade, 1650, by Jan de Bray (Dutch, about 1627-1697)
Peasant Couple with a Drinker, 1689, by Cornelis Dusart (Dutch, 1660-1704)
Sleeping Girl, about 1652, by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (Dutch, 1621-1674)
Violin Player, about 1653, by Adriaen van Ostade (Dutch 1610-1685)
Young Man Leaning on a Stick, about 1629, by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)
Study of a Man Holding a Basket, 1650-1660, by Willem Schellinks (Dutch, About 1627-1678)
Youth Seated on a Bench, 1660s, by Moses ter Borch (Dutch, 1645-1667)
Double Page from a Tulip Book, about 1635-1645, by Jacob Marrel (German, 1613/14-1681)
Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth on a Damson Plum, plate 13 of the Caterpillar Book, 1679, by Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647-1717)
Tulips from The Brandemandus Tulip Book, about 1633-1637, Unknown maker, Dutch
Three Dragonflies, 1681, by Rochus van Veen (Dutch, active 1660-1693)
Purple Oleander, 1691, by Pieter Withoos (Dutch, 1654-1692)
Hendrick Dubbels (Dutch, 1621 – 1707), “Ships at a Quai with a City in the Background,” late 1660s Dutch Pen and brown ink 26.4 × 19.1 cm (10 3/8 × 7 1/2 in.) 2020.8 The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Jeffrey T. Larson, "Blue Plums," Oil on linen, 16h x 20w in
On view at Collins Galleries in Orleans, Massachusetts is “Larson & Seaton: Something Deeper,” presenting the works of Jeffrey T. Larson and Paul Raymond Seaton, through November 13, 2020.
From the gallery:
Jeffrey T. Larson
b. 1962 in Two Harbors, Minnesota; currently lives in Maple, Wisconsin
Jeffrey T. Larson is a classically trained artist renowned for his ability to adeptly capture the simple, yet oft-neglected and beautiful, pleasures of contemporary life onto canvas. At the young age of 17, Jeffery T. Larson had the resolve and dedication to receive admission into the renowned Atelier Lack, Richard Lack’s traditional and Boston School-influenced atelier in Minneapolis, MN. After completing his four-year education at Atelier Lack, Larson continued his academic training through museum study in the U.S. and Europe. His strong repertoire allowed for a wonderful duality to evolve in his work: authoritatively rendered, composed and current still-life paintings created in the studio and, conversely, luminous, painterly and almost Impressionist landscape and figure paintings created en plein air. The common threads between the two styles are Larson’s exacting usage of natural light, dedication to working solely from direct observation, ability to capture the quiet beauty in even the most mundane subject matter and, of course, the necessary restraint to leave his pieces open and fresh.
Larson is represented by galleries in Massachusetts, South Carolina and California. He has work in a number of important private and corporate collections and continues to receive honors for his artistic achievements year after year. In 2016 Larson co-founded the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Arts in Duluth MN with his son, Brock Larson. He also teaches at The Atelier in Minneapolis, MN and gives lectures on traditional painting techniques all over the United States.
Paul Raymond Seaton, “Arrangement with Antique White Roses,” Oil on linen, 18h x 16w in
Paul Raymond Seaton
b. 1953 in Birmingham, England; currently resides in Uckfield, East Sussex, England
Paul Raymond Seaton is renowned in the United Kingdom and abroad for his beautifully composed arrangements of English garden roses and old fashioned flowers. After receiving a baccalaureate degree in Mathematics from Exeter University, Seaton furthered his studies at Nottingham University with a special focus on obtaining a teacher’s degree. Shortly after enrollment he found himself compelled to leave the university in pursuit of a totally different vocation, that of an artist. Resolute in his decision he moved to the culturally rich city of London where he studied music and painting. Primarily a self taught artist, Seaton tirelessly examined the works of the Old Masters at the Tate Gallery and surrounding museums while immersing himself in the contemporary culture of the neighboring galleries. It was during this time that he began to draw more extensively and to paint the still life. In his words, “Still life painting became a means to an end – namely, to teach myself to paint.”
Inspired by the literary compositions of the Pre-Raphaelites, in particular, John Everett Millais, Arthur Hughes, and Maddox Brown, Seaton connects with their use of color, finish, and detail however he eschews the brotherhood’s devotion of the figure to that of the still life. Seaton’s archaizing floral compositions remind the viewer of the gifted French painter, Henri Fantin Latour, however the bounty that Seaton describes carries with it the modernist’s sensibility of light and atmosphere. Seaton’s oils exude an ethereal beauty, each flower a complex web of marks resulting in a sophisticated unity of tone, color and form.
Paul Raymond Seaton is currently represented by galleries in the UK, United States, and Australia. He has had solo exhibitions in London, Amsterdam and New York City. He has participated in group exhibits at the Whitechapel Gallery, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, the Mall Galleries and the Royal Academy in London. His work hangs in many esteemed private and corporate collections around the world.
Left: Paul Raymond Seaton, “Pink and White Climbing Roses in a Glass Vase,” Oil on linen, 16h x 12w in Right: Jeffrey T. Larson, “Nautilus,” Detail, Oil on linen, 16h x 16w in
The Space Gallery Annex in Denver has announced its artists in the 2020 Windows to the Divine National Exhibition, reminding us that, “Now more than ever, we all need art!”
Details:
Windows to the Divine Exhibition
Contemporary Visions of Beauty
November 5th-7th, 2020
Space Gallery Annex, Denver, CO
Huihan Liu, “Where Am I?” oil, 24 x 18 in.
Participating Artists:
Blair Atherholt, Carolyn Barlock, Jill Basham, Daniel Bilmes, Gregory Block, Casey Childs, LuCong, Michelle Dunaway, Scott Fraser, Ann Gargotto, Ron Gerbrandt, Ulrich Gleiter, David Gray, Albert Handell, Stephanie Hartshorn, Ron Hicks, Quang Ho, Jane Hunt, Carol Jenkins, Brendan Johnston, Andrea Kemp, Weizhen Liang, Huihan Liu, Kyle Ma, David W. Mayer, Dan McCaw, Danny McCaw, John McCaw, Ned Mueller, C.W. Mundy, Desmond O’Hagan, Ron Richmond, Don Sahli, Jill Soukup, Daniel Sprick, Adrienne Stein, Cheryl St. John, Teresa Vito and Vincent Xeus.
CW Mundy, “Flow Blue Pitcher with Roses, Birthday Bouquet,” oil, 12 x 9 in.
More from the organizers:
This is a unique opportunity to view and procure the works of artists of national renown while supporting the two-fold mission of our nonprofit organization which supports the vocation of the living artist and the charitable works of the Dominican novices in Denver whose ministries include serving the homeless and impoverished elderly.
Due to COVID, we will not be holding our usual weekend of artist-collector events (known as the Collectors for Connoisseurship Arts Weekend). For details, please visit windowstothedivine.org.
Detail, Graydon Parrish, "Interlude (Young Woman at a Door)," 2014, oil on panel, 40 x 25 in., The Kushner Collection
From the Fine Art Connoisseur November/December 2020 Editor’s Note:
Kindred Spirits, We Should Meet
On a rolling basis, some of the many artists, dealers, and organizations highlighted in this magazine check in to let me know how the art world is looking from their perspectives. I always value their insights, and today I thought it might be useful to relay one trend I see emerging.
Quite rightly, everyone is concerned about what younger people are buying to adorn their new homes. I am referring to folks in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s who are finally settling down for the longer term, possibly because children have arrived, though not necessarily. Although this generation’s zeitgeist tends to be minimalist and “anti-stuff,” they eventually need to decorate their walls with something, and we at Fine Art Connoisseur believe that should include original works of art.
A huge swath of this demographic has been converted to the spartan lines and dreary oatmeal coloring we see in most of the leading decorating magazines. That’s a shame, and there is not much we can do about those folks. But there is a still-significant percentage who admire diverse textures, rich coloring, and even a bit of clutter; those are people more likely to admire the contemporary and historical realist art we celebrate in Fine Art Connoisseur.
One way to reach them seems to be through the antiques business. We all know that “brown furniture” — and other decorative artworks from the past such as china, silver, quilts, and glassware — have struggled lately, but now younger folks are awakening to two key facts. First, these well-made items are now seriously inexpensive, especially compared to the pricey historical reproductions offered by Ethan Allen or the modernist versions at Design Within Reach. Second, these items already exist, and that’s important to younger generations worried about cluttering up Earth with more stuff. “Vintage” and “gently used” are hot in every sector, so why not home décor?
Two leading voices in this terrain are worth following online. First, the cosmetics heiress and lifestyle guru Aerin Lauder has been championing “heritage with a twist,” which is a nice way to describe this phenomenon. Second, the influencer Michael Diaz-Griffith has organized an online group called “The New Antiquarians” who are taking fear and snobbery out of the antiques trade by highlighting the very human stories behind its objects. (He recently took over the American “friends” group supporting London’s Sir John Soane’s Museum, which has long defied the odds by making 19th-century neoclassicism cool, even on this side of the Atlantic.)
I mention all of this because those of us who make — and love — etchings, bronze sculptures, and oil paintings in gilt frames, be they old or brand-new, need to meet the folks following these trends. Let’s not call them collectors (yet), as that’s putting too much pressure on them. Instead, let’s call them future clients who may buy half a dozen artworks from us and then fall in love with them. These are kindred spirits, and although they didn’t get the memo about our contemporary realism revival during their college art class, they will love what we do. Let’s reach out and start a conversation.
P.S.
Expect to read about some of the New Antiquarians in our annual Collector’s Issue this coming spring.
Barn Owl Feathers
12 x 9 in.
Oil on Linen
$1,300
Available at Summit Gallery in Park City, Utah.
“This painting is a beautiful still life of two Barn Owl feathers. I wanted to capture the softness and beauty of the feathers of the Barn Owl.”
Kathryn Ashcroft was born in a small, Northern Utah farming town in 1961. She was raised on the family dairy farm where the animals were fed before the people were, and a strong work ethic was instilled in her at a very young age. Many hours were spent on the back of a horse and riding was her favorite pastime. Her Mother, also an artist, created beautiful paintings in oil, and this was a great source of inspiration. Kathryn began drawing animals very early and was encouraged and taught by her Mother and by Nature.
Kathryn began working in oils in 2004. Striving to convey the essence of the animal, as opposed to a detailed depiction, she uses a loose, painterly style. The result is a beautiful rendition of what the viewer would see if they were viewing the animal in the wild. Abstract backgrounds bring the focus of the painting to the animal itself.
As a child, Kathryn had ample opportunities to view wildlife in its natural environment. She continues observing and studying animals every day and her paintings are based on personal experiences she has had. She will not paint an animal unless she has seen it and studied it in the wild. Countless hours are spent outdoors and in nature capturing reference material for her artwork. While the main focus of her work is Wildlife, Kathryn also paints Western and Native themes.
The use of light, color, shape and value are important to Kathryn, and she is constantly striving to bring all dimensions of her paintings to a higher level.
Kathryn’s work is found in collections across the country and internationally. It is her desire that all who view her work will have a greater appreciation for the natural world.
Pavel Sokov, "Sadhu at the Holy Manikarnika Burning Ghat in Varanasi," oil on linen, 30 x 20 in. Read about this oil painting here.
Sadhu at the Holy Manikarnika Burning Ghat in Varanasi
Oil on Linen
One-of-a-kind frame made by master Rett Ashby
30 x 20 in. (painting size)
$24,750 Available Through Artist
A Sadhu seen at the holy Manikarnika Burning Ghat in Varanasi where bodies are cremated at all hours of day and night. In Hinduism, death is considered as a gateway to another life marked by the results of one’s karma. It is believed that a dead human’s soul attains moksha, and hence breaks the cycle of rebirth when cremated here. Thus, scores of the elderly across the whole country seek to walk up to its edges and spend their last days absorbing the charisma of the ghat, making death painless and insignificant to be pondered upon.
I am fascinated by the narratives, textures, traditions and people I encounter throughout my many world travels, which birthed my series “Stories of the World.” This series includes scenes of the most interesting encounters of India, Morocco, Vietnam, Korea, Italy and Spain. I would say that my absolute favorite endeavour in art is capturing the various traditional cultures of the world and the experiences I have there. I can’t get enough, and can’t wait to experience more cultures in future expeditions. As for my other projects, I am well respected for my portrait commissions that I do for members of royal families and entrepreneurs, as well as a new series called “Gravitas.” Gravitas celebrates the heroes of science through portraiture. So far, six scientific heroes have already been represented; Albert Einstein, Marie-Curie, Charles Darwin, and George Washington Carver.
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