29th National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils

Featured Artwork: Jessica Bianco

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August 6, 2020

Featured Artwork: Jessica Bianco

Fears for Humanity
80 cm x 80 cm
Oil on canvas
Available through the artist

As experienced by the viewer in Jessica Bianco’s Fears for Humanity, weaving the elements of graffiti with the classic embodiment of angels, gives the viewer a sense of clashing of realms – one of peace versus one of human conflict.

“While residing in Germany, I found the influence of graffiti to be very prominent and it’s always struck a chord with me. The ability of just a few words hitting you in both their simplicity and complexity, is truly unique. I felt compelled to merge this into a relationship of modern and classic, while emphasizing the intricacy of the times we’re living in; rife with chaos, disappointment and uncertainty.”

Jessica paints in a variety of categories and styles of fine art, living under the philosophy of avoiding boredom and repetition, and portraying the satire and symbolism of our existence. She has recently been concentrating on a collection of paintings entitled The Haunted, depicting the intrigue of the afterlife and faded memories.

Jessica is largely self-taught, driven by a lifelong passion for art, while formally educated in the medical sciences. She is an artist member of OPA and the Federation of Canadian Artists.

View more of Jessica’s work at BiancoFineArt.com.

The Challenge and Joy of Painting San Francisco

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Cherie Dawn Haas

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August 6, 2020

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Richard Boyer, "Last Light," oil, 30 x 30, June 2020 First Place Overall Winner in the Plein Air Salon

Congratulations to Richard Boyer, whose cityscape oil painting, “Last Light” won First Place in the June 2020 Plein Air Salon. We asked him to tell us about his winning work in this exclusive feature.

“I have always been inspired by the architect of the city, especially San Francisco,” Boyer said. “It’s a real challenge to capture the perspective, light, and feel of the buildings.

“I like the idea of being challenged in a painting. With so much information to put on the canvas one really has to simplify and get a little abstract in order to get all the information recorded down in the painting session. This is really evident in plein air work. I have some friends who I paint with in the city and the amount of time one has to paint the light is changing so fast you can actually see the shadows moving across the buildings.”

On Painting “Last Light”

“I created this piece based on a smaller, 12×12 plein air study,” Boyer said. He added that the light was moving so fast that he couldn’t complete the painting he wanted at that moment, so he took a photo, and later finished the winning painting “Last Light.”

Richard Boyer, “Last Rays of Light,” 30 x 30

On His Painting Process

To aid in doing the paintings, Boyer said he finds rollers and squeegees work really well. They “help give a loose feel to the work, then I can go into it with brushes,” he said. “I find treated Masonite works best for me because I can go at it a little harder and don’t have to worry about damaging or the springing effects of stretched canvas.”

Richard Boyer, “Market Street,” 36 x 36; First Place in the Plein Air Salon, August/September 2019

On Painting Reflections

“There is a beauty I find in the city with rain coming down. The reflections become much more intense and the atmospheric quality adds some nice effects. I use to paint a lot of European villages years ago, but when the recession hit in 2008 I started to find more inspiration closer to home. I remember doing a trip to Portland to paint with a friend and for the weekend it just poured every evening and I think that’s when I got hooked on all the reflections and lights.”

Richard Boyer, “San Francisco, Bike Ride Home,” 30 x 30, which will be in the Oil Painters of America Western Regional show in St George, Utah

Connect with the artist at www.richardboyerart.net.

ART COMPETITION CALL FOR ENTRIES: Did you know? The Plein Air Salon accepts both plein air and studio works! Categories include best Acrylic, Oil, Pastel, Watercolor/Gouache, Floral, Landscape, Nocturne/Sunrise/Sunset, Figure/Portrait, Outdoor Still Life, Water, Animals/Birds, Western, Plein Air only, Buildings, and Vehicles. The next deadline to submit art is coming soon. You could win up to $15,000!

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Plein Air Art Experience in Colorado Springs

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August 6, 2020

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art Loughridge_inaction-696x1044 — Denver printmaker Leon Loughridge, whose work hangs throughout the Broadmoor Hotel

Beginning with the 4th of July weekend, in conjunction with the Broadmoor Hotel, Broadmoor Galleries in Colorado Springs hosted its 2nd annual Broadmoor Art Experience. Originally expanded off the 2018 Plein Air Weekend, the show now takes place over the course of four weekends throughout the month of July with artists working each weekend in a variety of mediums.

Each weekend 15-20 artists set up throughout the Broadmoor Properties, creating new pieces on site while being available to visit with guests and collectors. Viewers watched the magic of art making as blank canvases were filled with paint and mounds of clay transformed while artists’ visions came to life. As guests strolled the historic property they saw clusters of artists staged throughout the resort. The event was free and open to art lovers of all ages.

Nationally known Illustrator, Thomas Blackshear

Ambidextrous and color-blind painter Robert Moore from Idaho

Nationally known plein air painter, Darcie Peet

Young up and coming Colorado plein air artist, Jared Brady

Wildlife painter from Colorado, Dustin Van Wechel

Denver printmaker Leon Loughridge, whose work hangs throughout the Broadmoor Hotel

Featuring standout museum artists Gerald Balciar, Leon Loughridge, Nathan Solano, and Thomas Blackshear, in addition to plein air masters Ovanes Berberian, Susie Hyer, and Scott Yeager, plus many, many more! Artists had additional pieces available for purchase as well as the works created on site.

To learn more, please visit https://broadmoorgalleries.com/broadmoor-art-experience-2020/.

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Finding Magic in the Mundane

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August 5, 2020

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Acrylic landscape paintings — Bennett Vadnais, "The Little House," acrylic on panel, 32 X 43 inches

Bennett Vadnais’ newest work is created from intimate and humble architectural subjects around his neighborhood and home in Baltimore city.

Artist Bennett Vadnais with his paintings

The pictures arise from direct observation of the locations that he records via numerous sketches, drawings and colors studies.

Referring to them in his studio, Vadnais turns the references into pictures through a lengthy process of reflection and distillation.

He draws heavily on traditional methods of painting while employing modern materials such as acrylic paint and durable aluminum composite panels.

The finished pictures have a complex balance of observed facts, memory and invention. Through these modest structures with their subtle play of light and texture, he finds magic in the mundane.

View these paintings and more by Bennett Vadnais at George Billis Gallery (open by appointment in NYC) through September 10, 2020. For more details, please visit georgebillis.com.

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The Berlin Masterpieces in America

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August 3, 2020

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In April 1945, the U.S. Army discovered the collections of Berlin’s leading museums hidden in a German salt mine. The art was sent to the Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point run by the Monuments Men and led by Capt. Walter I. Farmer, a native of Cincinnati. In November, 202 key works were sent to Washington, D.C. for safekeeping and remained there in storage for two years. In 1948 they were exhibited at the National Gallery of Art, then took a whistle-stop tour of 13 U.S. cities before being returned to Germany.

The first publication to address this fascinating chapter in cultural history is The Berlin Masterpieces in America: Paintings, Politics, and the Monuments Men. Created by a multi-author team led by Peter Jonathan Bell and Kristi A. Nelson, the 224-page volume features 311 illustrations, interviews with people who knew Capt. Farmer later in his life, and an illustrated checklist of all 202 artworks.

Published by D Giles Limited (gilesltd.com), the book was meant to accompany an exhibition that would have opened at the Cincinnati Art Museum this June. The show has been delayed, but the book can be enjoyed now.

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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What Good Can Come of This?

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B. Eric Rhoads

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August 3, 2020

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I have been counting my blessings, aware that being cooped up with a wooded backyard and a neighbor with 40 acres is a small price to pay to keep from infecting someone, or being infected.

My fear, my concern for others, and my sadness in watching Facebook friends post tragic news of family members who are ill, or worse, have made me want to default to depression. But I refuse to give in. None of us ever wanted this, but I’m embracing it for what it is.

I don’t think life will ever be the same. Yes, we will return to a new normal, but we have each grown from this experience and taken hold of something that has enriched our lives. We are discovering things about ourselves we did not know. Those with businesses, myself included, are finding new ways to do business, and that will continue after the all-clear.

This experience has strengthened my own marriage; it has given my wife, Laurie, and I more time together; and now we have our teenage triplets at home, playing and doing projects they had no time for before. They’ve been forced to be creative, to grow. Their last few months of high school would have found them spending no time at home, so now we’re getting the gift of time with them. Deep, rich time.

I’m so impressed with human ingenuity, watching friends whose imaginations are on fire to develop solutions to help others, to expose their enterprises, to survive. These innovations will make them stronger in the long run.

I’m also impressed with how we are coming together as a people. We share this fear, this problem, this quarantine, with the entire world. Because of some of the initiatives I’ve been forced to come up with, I’m meeting and chatting with people around the globe. They are helping me, and I am helping them. I realized after talking with a new acquaintance, an artist in Iran, that his issues and concerns are the same as mine. We’re connected by our passion for art.

Let’s change what we can change in the next 15 minutes. Don’t ruminate about six months or one year from now. Find something to look forward to, to get you excited, something you can learn at home, a project you can take on.

In a weird way, this is a golden hour. It will come to an end. Maybe soon, maybe not, but it will end. After that, you’ll be busier than ever. Take advantage of this time. And Godspeed.

P.S.: My team and I have been working around the clock to come up with new ideas that help artists and art lovers cope with this challenging moment. One example, here’s how my art stimulus package works: Artists and galleries post links to their paintings or websites on their social media and tag it with #buyartnow. People who want to buy art to help them survive put #buyartnow into the search on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter and browse what others have posted.

Another example is the recent Plein Air Live global virtual art conference, which has led us to announce the upcoming Realism Live – learn more at RealismLive.com and join us in October, from wherever you may be.

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John Koch Painting Achieves Top Lot

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August 3, 2020

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Fine Art Auctions — John Koch (1909-1978), "Siesta," 1962, oil on canvas, Price realized: $596,075 (estimate: $40,000-60,000)

The July 29 Bonhams sale of American Art was led by strong prices for works across all genres and the top lot was John Koch’s “Siesta,” painted in 1962, which realized $596,075. The sale realized $2,271,765, exceeding its pre-sale high estimate, and was 84% sold by lot, 96% by value.

More from the organizers:

Jennifer Jacobsen, Bonhams’ Director of American Art, commented: “We are thrilled with the success of our most recent sale of American Art. We saw competitive bidding across all of the genres offered in the category, demonstrating collectors’ demand for quality works and the strength of the current market. We are honored to have achieved such a strong price for John Koch’s elegant, beautifully painted work ‘Siesta,’ which is now his second highest price at auction and a near miss of his world auction record.”

Siesta depicts the complexities of the male-female relationship in the guise of a domestic bedroom scene. Koch’s perspective on this subject was unique in that he explored both physical beauty and social issues, including race, sexual norms, and domestic relations. This work was chosen for the cover of Time Magazine in 1964 for a special issue entitled “SEX in the U.S.: Mores & Morality.”

Further highlights in the sale included:

Walt Kuhn, “Lady in Vest,” oil on canvas, painted in 1939, a fantastically bold and modern portrait of a performer, sold for $312,575
John Singer Sargent, “Mrs. John C. Tomlinson,” oil on canvas, painted circa 1904, from the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Foundation, sold for $212,575
John Koch, “Summer Night,” oil on canvas, painted in 1965, another painting from the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Foundation, sold for $162,575
Gary Erbe, “Those Amazin’ Mets,” oil on canvas, painted in 2005-06, sold for $30,075, a world auction record for the artist

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August 2020: Santa Fe Indian Market

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August 1, 2020

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Since 1922, the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) has produced Santa Fe Indian Market. Rather than cancelling it due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SWAIA has teamed up with Santa Fe’s Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists (CHF) to create a virtual platform through which art lovers can see and buy artworks they would have discovered on the streets of New Mexico’s historic capital. In fact, there will be even more to see because many talented artists who were juried into the show had not previously been assigned a booth due to lack of physical space.

SWAIA and CHF are dedicated to creating economic opportunities for Native American and First Nations artists, and CHF has expertise in developing sustainable business models for artists and arts communities.

The very first “Indian Fair” was held in 1922. It was a small event featuring a handful of artists, held indoors at the National Guard Armory in downtown Santa Fe as part of the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe celebration.

Weekly silent auctions of donated art and packages with proceeds benefiting SWAIA:

Aug 8: Virtual General Preview of Artwork Submitted for Judging
Artists will have the opportunity to submit one piece per class they have juried into. These pieces will be available for virtual preview beginning on August 8.
Aug 13: Virtual Advanced Preview of Final Round Art
A select amount of art will be chosen to be sent to Santa Fe for in-person judging. Preview those pieces before winners are announced.
August 15: Virtual Awards Announcement
Find out “live” from Santa Fe who the winners are.
August 16: Virtual Fashion Show, featuring designer Orlando Dugi
August 22: Virtual Gala and Live Auction
Bid on award-wining art and also work donated to support SWAIA.
August 29: Finale Concert with Snotty Nosed Rez Kids

To learn more about the Santa Fe Indian Market, please visit swaia.org.

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Featured Artwork: Darcie Peet

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August 1, 2020