PleinAir Salon Spotlight: Mariposa

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September 24, 2020

PleinAir Salon winners - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Ann Moeller Steverson, "Mariposa," oil, 36 x 21 in.

Congratulations to Ann Moeller Steverson (annmoellerstudios.com), whose work has been recognized in the PleinAir Salon, a monthly art competition with many categories in which to enter your art.

Steverson’s figurative painting “Mariposa” (shown above) won in the Best Oil category in the February/March 2020 round of the PleinAir Salon.

Ann Moeller Steverson on “Mariposa”:

I find in creating an ambitious piece, it is essential to really love your subject, and there is nothing I love more in this world than my two daughters. I enjoy the opportunity to play in costumes that feel like they are from another time, and so we had a photoshoot playtime in the upstairs storage room of my studio.

The setting lent itself to an “upstairs attic playing in stored antique clothes” narrative. I chose the images of them that best seemed to capture each of their personalities – my oldest daughter’s serious nature, and my youngest’s irrepressible energy shown in the upwards curl of her toes.

Details such as the butterflies, moths and oval window were added to enhance the composition and story. Some of the moths and butterflies are intentionally hard to see and offer the viewer an Easter egg for looking closely.

The painting was created on a special matt textured copper panel, which allowed for a lovely warmth and very fine detail. The panel’s smoothness benefited the creation of the tiny interwoven knit dress, which took many weeks to paint. I loved playing with the intricate light-dark pattern of small shapes while keeping an awareness of the overall gradients. For the background texture of the painting I used mineral spirits over oil thinned paint reticulation on the copper. I rolled over the wet solvent and wet paint layers with a rubber brayer to aid the background’s aged and ethereal effect.

I originally painted “Mariposa” as an entry for the Portrait Society of America in 2018, and it was not chosen. It is one of my favorite pieces I have ever created, which is why I chose to enter it for the Plein Air Salon and I am delighted that it was as a finalist for the Plein Air Salon and ARC. It reminds me of how subjective competitions can be, and it is best not to get discouraged if you believe in your work.

Join Us for the FIRST EVER ONLINE PleinAir Salon Art Competition Awards Ceremony

Discover who wins the $15,000 Grand Prize and the cover of PleinAir Magazine.
Watch us award $30,000 in prize money and see the best painters of the year live.

The September competition is open and is accepting entries until midnight on September 30, 2020. Helena Fox, owner of Helena Fox Gallery, is the September judge.

Tranquility in Troubling Times

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Fine Art Today

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September 21, 2020

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Ardith Starostka (b. 1962), "Repose," 2009, oil on linen mounted on panel, 11 x 14 in., available from 33 Contemporary Gallery (Chicago)

“Shelter” is an online only exhibition of paintings available via artsy.net/33-contemporary, through December 31, 2020.

Curated by Dr. Samuel Peralta, “Shelter” is the latest online group exhibition from Chicago’s 33 Contemporary Gallery. Its artworks explore objects, places, or memories that — in these troubling times — offer the artist (and hopefully viewers) a measure of tranquility, solace, and safe harbor from the storm.

Figurative Art - FineArtConnoisseur.com — A. Zanetti, “Quietude,” 2020, oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in.

Contemporary realism - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Ardith Starostka, “Inner Solace,” 2005, oil, 18 x 22 in.

“All of us are living today in a shared experience that is unprecedented in living memory – a pandemic that arrived suddenly, almost without warning, a pandemic so pervasive that its influence touches everyone we know, everything we do, everywhere we go,” Dr. Peralta said. “Sometimes we feel like there is no escape, no respite. They tell us to distance ourselves from each other, from what makes us human, to shelter in place.

“And yet in those words there is the key to survival, far more than just physical survival. There is the one place that we can go, where we can remain ourselves, continue with the lives we’ve made. It is a place of safety that we conjure for ourselves – a quietude bounded by walls or disinfectant, or circumscribed by the arms of a child, or in the words of a prayer. For each one of us it is different, but for all of us it is the center of our quiet, our calm in the eye of the hurricane, our shelter.

We are looking in this call for your interpretation of that object or place or memory that in these times offers safe harbor from the storm, offers tranquility, comfort, solace. Shelter.”

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Books for Art Lovers: Disrupted Realism

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Fine Art Today

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September 19, 2020

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Artist, writer, and curator John Seed believes we are “the most distracted society in the history of the world.” That’s one reason he created “Disrupted Realism: Paintings for a Distracted World” (Schiffer Publishing), the first book to survey 38 living artists who distort traditional realism to reflect the fragmentation of modern life.

During interviews with these talents, Seed learned that all of them share the need to include perception and emotion in their process.

The book contains 190 images, runs 208 pages, and has six thematic sections:
– Toward Abstraction
– Disrupted Bodies
– Emotions and Identities
– Myths and Visions
– Patterns, Planes, and Formations
– Between Painting and Photography.

Fine Art Today covers artists and products we think you’ll love. Linked products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Streamline Publishing may receive a small share of that sale.

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Centerpiece Lot by Philip de László Sells for Six Figures

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September 18, 2020

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An oil on canvas portrait painting of Anglo-Irish socialite, society hostess and art collector Oonagh Guinness (1910-1995), by Philip de László (Austro-Hungarian/U.K., 1869-1937), soared to $324,500 at a two-session auction held September 12th and 13th by Ahlers & Ogletree, live in the Atlanta showroom as well as online. The whereabouts of the portrait painting had been a topic of conjecture for years, and when it suddenly turned up in Atlanta, bidders pounced. It had a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$60,000.

The painting, officially titled “The Honourable Mrs. Philip Leyland Kindersley, nee Oonagh Guinness, later Lady Oranmore and Browne,” was the centerpiece lot in an auction that featured items from the spectacular Atlanta estate home known as White Oaks, a fine mansion residence brimming with superb decorative arts from high-end retailers and world-class auctions.

The oil rendering was a ¾ length portrait depicting one of the three “Golden Guinness Girls” and the daughter of Arthur Ernest Guinness (1876-1949), an engineer and the second son of brewing magnate Edward Guinness (1847-1927), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who, as head of the family’s eponymous brewing business, rose to become the wealthiest man in Ireland.

Ms. Guinness was shown seated and wearing a white chiffon dress with green sash and holding a wide brimmed hat. Bidders pushed the 1931 work, measuring 52 ½ inches by 39 inches (sight, less frame), well past its $30,000-$60,000 estimate.

Philip de László was an artist known for his portraits of royal and aristocratic personages. In 1900, he married into the Guinness family himself by wedding Lucy Guinness and he became a British subject in 1914. The painting of Oonagh Guinness brought the second highest sum ever seen at auction for the artist. Another piece sold in December 2019 at Christie’s in London for about $350,000.

The White Oaks estate was filled with fine decorative arts from names like Steuben, Baccarat, Hermes, Christofle, Tiffany & Company, Lalique, Ralph Lauren Collection, Buccellati, Moser, Fornasetti and Asprey; as well as fine antiques from the Doris Duke Collection, acquired from around the world and previously sold at Christies. Most brought robust prices in the auction.

Following are additional highlights from the auction, which grossed $1,580,210, including the buyer’s premium. All of the 769 lots found new owners. More than 600 absentee and phone bids were executed and over 9,100 online bids were placed across four platforms.

A pair of Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644) tileworks of Buddhist lions, from the Doris Duke estate, brought $37,200. The ochre, turquoise and aubergine glazed tileworks, each one 53 inches tall, depicted seated Buddhist lion figures on stands. Also, a pair of large Chinese Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) polychrome painted pottery horse figures in prancing stance, 21 ¼ inches tall on a 1 ½ inch base, sold as one lot for $12,400.

Monumental pair of Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644) tileworks of Buddhist lions, from the Doris Duke estate, 53 inches tall ($37,200).

An exquisite 20th century Buccellati sterling figure of a bird of prey perched on a naturalistic stump, 28 inches tall and marked to the back of the tailfeather with maker’s mark, fetched $27,225. Also, an oil on canvas still life painting of sliced fruit by Peter Von Artens (Argentina, 1937-2003), titled Melons, depicting watermelons, honeydew and cantaloupe, about 40 inches by 42 inches (sight, less frame), brought $18,150.

Exquisite 28-inch-tall 20th century Buccellati sterling figure of a bird of prey perched on a naturalistic stump, marked to the back of the tailfeather with the maker’s mark ($27,225).

Oil on canvas still life painting of sliced fruit by Peter Von Artens (Argentina, 1937-2003), titled Melons, depicting watermelons, honeydew and cantaloupe, 40 inches by 42 inches ($18,150).

Staying with the fine art category, an oil on canvas inland ocean view painting with sailboats, signed by Pierre Bittar (American/French, b. 1934), titled “Vue Sur St. Jean Cap-Ferrat (View of St. Jean Cap-Ferrat),” gaveled for $8,060; while an oil on canvas Impressionist work depicting two people working in the foreground and boats sailing in the background by Gaston Sebire (French, 1920-2001), titled French Tropical Landscape, rose to $5,445.

Oil on canvas inland ocean view painting with sailboats, signed by Pierre Bittar (American/French, b. 1934), titled “Vue Sur St. Jean Cap-Ferrat” ($8,060).

Oil on canvas Impressionist work depicting two people working in the foreground and boats sailing in the background, by Gaston Sebire (French, 1920-2001) ($5,445).

A late 20th century genuine alligator upholstered wingback chair by Ralph Lauren with brass nailhead details and a loose cushion, rising on square legs, reportedly from Ralph Lauren’s private collection, went for $22,320. Also, an 18th century pair of English Queen Anne pier mirrors (or looking glasses), having giltwood shell carved tops with a floral etched two-part plate, unmarked, 59 ¾ inches tall by 23 inches wide, hit $11,780.

A complete six-volume set of Winston Churchill’s “The Second World War,” first British editions (London: Cassell & Co., Ltd., 1948-1954), having leather hardcovers with black cloth bindings, hand-signed to Volume 1 “Winston Churchill,” finished at $15,730. Also, a large Elkington & Co., Ltd. (English, 1861-1963) sterling silver wine cistern (or cooler) having double handles decorated with lions and a chased grape motif rim, made in 1904, about 13 inches tall and weighing a total of 106.161 ozt., changed hands for $11,800.

Ahlers & Ogletree is a multi-faceted, family-owned business that spans the antiques, estate sale, wholesale, liquidation, auction and related industries. To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree and the firm’s calendar of upcoming auctions, please visit www.AandOauctions.com.

Friday Virtual Gallery Walk for September 18, 2020

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sarahw

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September 18, 2020

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As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this new “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the paintings below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.

Waning Light St. Simons Island by Roger Dale Brown, Oil, 22 x 40 in.; Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Lifting Fog, Monterey Harbor by Michael Obermeyer, Oil on Canvas Board, 14 x 11 in.; Rieser Fine Art

St. Ignatius Church in Morning Sun by Bruno Baran; Harford Plein Air Gallery Sale

Three Sisters by Deborah Moss Marris, Oil on Canvas, 11 x 14 in.; Bluestone Fine Art Gallery

Entangled by Alexandra Manukyan (born 1963), Oil on canvas, 12 x 24 in. Signed; Rehs Contemporary

Snowy Day by Johann Berthelsen (1883-1972), Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in., Signed, also signed, titled, and inscribed on the reverse; Rehs Galleries, Inc.

Lake Warren, September Morning by Kate Beetle, Oil on Linen, 18 x 24 in., 21 x 27 in. framed; Vermont Artisan Designs

Anchored at Port Salerno by Maria Marino, Pastel, 12 x 24 in.; The Artful Deposit

Replenish by Kristina Boardman, Acrylic, 24 x 48 in.; Bronze Coast Gallery

Velasquez by Salvador Dalí, Black ink on eggshell colored paper, 15 1/2 × 12 1/2 × 1 in.; Objets Trouvé

In the Appalachian Mountains by Stefan Horik, Oil on canvas, 48 x 12 in.; Pasasha Art

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.

Landscapes Born From Unfiltered Freedom

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Fine Art Today

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September 17, 2020

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Plein air landscape paintings — “Along the Dolores” by Kathryn Stats $7,800.00

“On the Loose” is an online exhibition of the nationally recognized organization Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA). The Taos Art Museum at Fechin House will be hosting the exhibition via their website (click here to view the landscape paintings for sale) for the entire month of September.

“Plein air” is a term which originates from the 19th century French Impressionist movement, it refers to the practice of painting entire finished pictures outside.

plein air oil paintings — “Rosebud Awakening” by Mitch Baird
$2,900.00

“Ask an artist what they like the least about painting and they are likely to say deadlines or show theme restrictions. They seem to be never-ending. In this online exhibition, we have removed all restrictions, asking only that PAPA Members paint what they want, where they want and how they want. Eliminating these constraints provides a freedom that allows the artist to fully celebrate the process and chosen subject. It’s an opportunity to celebrate their personal vision, unfiltered and without limitations.” – Matt Smith, PAPA President

Founded in 1986 by artist Denise Burns, on Catalina Island, California the Plein Air Painters of America began as a small group of artists dedicated to painting from life. For the first two decades, PAPA held annual paint-outs followed by an exhibition, in Avalon on Catalina. This format, unique at the time, has given birth to countless similar groups and events across the country.

In 2007, PAPA expanded its format to include exhibitions in museums and art centers to emphasize the importance of field studies in the process of making studio paintings. Most of PAPA exhibitions are documented in catalogs.

PAPA members are seasoned outdoor painters and consider some of the best teachers of the genre today, conducting workshops throughout the country and internationally. PAPA also collaborates with Streamline Premium Art Videos to produce instructional videos that are indispensable learning tools.

For more details about “On the Loose,” please visit www.p-a-p-a.com.

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Enigmatic Moods and Private Worlds

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Fine Art Today

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September 17, 2020

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Johan Abeling, "Lockdown Landscape I"

Timeless, atmospheric, and deeply mysterious, the paintings of Johan Abeling are sure to evoke contemplation among his viewership.

Translated from the Italian as “smoky,” sfumato is a painterly technique that was mastered in — and coined through — the works of Leonardo da Vinci. The process involves the tedious layering of transparent paint so as to virtually eliminate the contours of objects and figures. Done skillfully, the results can be outstanding, with subjects that appear to radiate their own light source and compositions that have a soft, diffused, and atmospheric aura.

Johan Abeling, “Lockdown Landscape V”

All of the above could easily be ascribed to the work of Dutch painter Johan Abeling, whose landscape paintings are captivating in their light, and their emptiness. “I am fascinated by the emptiness and silence of Dutch northern landscapes,” he says. “I try to create, with a minimum of objects, an enigmatic mood. All the elements are derived from reality, but not in the combination seen in the paintings. In this way, I create private worlds that only exist in my imagination.”

Johan Abeling, “Oktober II,” acrylic on panel, 24 x 39 1/2 in.

“Silence II” (below) is almost haunting in its portrayal of an isolated — presumably abandoned — home. From a low point of view, an old, unkempt fence projects from the distance toward the viewer. Resting just beyond, and centrally located, is the home. Abeling’s description of the piece only enhances the initial perception. He writes, “The building in ‘Silence II’ is an actual structure in the middle of our town, it is completely neglected. I painted it about a dozen times because I was attracted to the white woodwork against a dark sky and the harmony within the horizontals and verticals. Nobody was living there, it is a house with a question in it.”

Johan Abeling, “Silence II,” 2012, oil on panel, 19 3/4 x 29 1/2 in.

Outstanding is Abeling’s “Sunday Morning,” (below) a landscape with a more comforting subject. The painting truly displays Abeling’s exquisite touch and skillful use of light. Within a blanketing haze, a small group of tall, looming trees line an unseen stream as it winds through a field. Barely detectible is the distant tree line along the low horizon. Particularly beautiful is how the central trees sparkle in their diffused light, each leaf indicated with extreme clarity and care. The softness of the sfumato and calm quietness of the piece are eerily soothing.

Johan Abeling, “Sunday Morning,” 2012, acrylic on panel, 19 3/4 x 31 in.

Abeling continues, “I try to create a moment of respite in a turbulent world by playing with the composition and light, to create a mysterious mood. Everything looks peaceful at first sight, but there is always an uneasy feeling in the painting, nobody knows what’s going to happen, and everybody can finish the story in their own unique way.”

Johan Abeling, “Summer,” oil on panel, 24 x 39 1/2 in.

Abeling continues to ascend in his career, as he was just added to the talented stable of artists at CK Contemporary in San Francisco, California. Of the future, Abeling says, “I do know where I am in five years, but I believe that art grows in a natural way. I hope to continue to surprise people with mildly critical, contemporary, and open-ended stories.”

Johan Abeling, “Dancing Trees,” 2013, oil on panel, 27 x 24 in.

Johan Abeling, “Branches,” 2015, oil on panel, 21 3/4 x 31 in.

To learn more, visit Johan Abeling.

This article by Andrew Webster was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Spotlight: Portraits of a Hybrid Style

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Fine Art Today

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September 17, 2020

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Painting portraits - Jean Pederson - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Jean Pederson, “Paper Rose,” watercolor on 140 lb. paper, 16 x 20 in.

Go behind the scenes of these portraits and see why Jean Pederson has “an undeniable craving.”

BY JEAN PEDERSON
jeanpederson.com

There is a constant tug between the desire to render classically and the desire to communicate expressively.

I need a certain amount of rendering within my practice, but there is an undeniable craving to interpret, in my own voice, what I feel about my subject.

My work has evolved into a hybrid of styles, much like that of modern dance. I still hold the ability to paint a realistic and dramatic portrait in watercolor (like classical ballet). My travels into a variety of expressions (the tap, jazz, hip hop of painting) allow me to pick and choose the dance of my brush.

My question for artists: Do you want to do the same consistent style for the rest of your career (a very solid and accepted path), or do you want to chassé to the left?

I feel gratitude for the choice to move where the music leads me.

Sketching figures - Jean Pederson - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Jean Pederson, Overlapping life drawing in oil

Sketching portraits - Jean Pederson - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Jean Pederson, Overlapping life sketches in sketchbook

Art Video Workshop:

Jean Pederson’s “Mixed Media Portraits: Beyond Realism”

If your portraits can’t be described as exciting, unique, and authentic, but you would like them to be, this is for you! You’ll no longer be painting exactly what and who you see … you’ll be conveying the inner soul of your subject … who they are outside of just their physicality.

You’ll hear Jean Pederson ask, “How much information do you have to give your audience to communicate the idea of a portrait?” With that question as a foundation, she’ll show you what you need to include and what’s best to leave up to your viewer’s imagination. This concept alone will help you to stop focusing on the tiny details that can be frustrating in portrait painting. You’ll now be enjoying the freedom that comes with creating your own interpretation of the person you’re painting.

Learn more about “Mixed Media Portraits: Beyond Realism” and get your copy here.

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Featured Artwork: Alessandro Tomassetti

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Fine Art Today

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September 16, 2020

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I Don’t Owe You Anything by Alessandro Tomassetti
Oil on canvas
36 × 25 1/2 in
91.4 × 64.8 cm
2019
Available from 33 Contemporary, Chicago

In his bold paintings of contemporary men, figurative painter Alessandro Tomassetti combines his naturalistic rendering style with a tenebrous palette and dramatic lighting to create work which is as seductive as it is subversive. Rather than presenting his male subjects as mythological heroes or captains of industry, Tomassetti paints to reveal their vulnerability and sensitivity. From the pose, expression and styling to the glints of light and reflection captured in his brushstrokes, Tomassetti’s work manifests an intimacy most often associated with paintings of female subjects. By eschewing historic expectations – where men were typically the audience for such portraits rather than the subjects – Tomassetti’s oil paintings invite the viewer to acknowledge their preconceptions and explore the state of contemporary masculinity in all its shades, strengths and limitations.

Of Light and Strength

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Fine Art Today

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September 15, 2020

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Eustaquio Segrelles, "La Recollida de Verano, Valencia Espana"

Enjoy a preview of works such as “Pescadores de Valencia” and “Lo Mejer de Naranjos” by Spanish artist Eustaquio Segrelles, and take a video tour of his studio here.

Eustaquio Segrelles: De Luz y Fuerza, “Of Light and Strength” opened recently at Manitou Galleries on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The exhibition is open through October 4, 2020.

Watch Eustaquio Segrelles as gives us a peek into his studio with the help of his son, Takio: