A Thousand Faces is the result of a study painted in the company of great friends, wonderful artists, and much laughter. It was October, and the group of plein air painters had pulled over to the side of the road and snuck between fence lines to paint the glowing cliffs.
The backcountry of Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, is luminous and ancient. It is a landscape of paradoxes for the human soul: simultaneously fleeting and eternal. While now an expanse of desert canyons and cliffs, it used to be part of an ocean, the shorelines are preserved to this day. Ghost Ranch’s duality of being both rich in color and architectural elements, yet honed down to its essence, has captivated artist Barbara Coleman for much of her life. To begin coming to terms with this place, much less paint it, the artist must become unflinchingly present to the shining cliffs, radiant shadows and vast, cobalt sky; and then give herself completely away to them. The poet David Whyte writes: “Sometimes it takes a great sky to find that first, bright and indescribable wedge of freedom in your own heart.” This place, and this great sky, has that kind of power to create freedom of expression.
On that sunny afternoon, laughter slowly gave way to intense focus and solitude as Barbara painted several studies, gathering her color notes and ideas to guide her future work. Afternoon flowed swiftly into evening and Venus hung brightly in the sky as she finished capturing the study that would later become A Thousand Faces.
A Thousand Faces is part of the Oil Painters of America Virtual Western Regional Show hosted by Illume Gallery of Fine Art in St. George, Utah. It is available for purchase through Illume Gallery.
Barbara is a member of these art organizations:
Oil Painters of America
Pastel Society of America, Signature Member
Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Signature Member, Membership Director
Women Artists of the West, Associate Member
In the Wind
24 x 36 in.
Oil on Linen
$7,570.00
Available through the artist
In the Wind began as a plein air painting completed on a Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine annual art trip this particular year a cruise up the Rhine River and visit to Amsterdam. Also included was a pre-trip for painters who enjoyed several days painting in Bruges, Belgium and Zaandam, Netherlands. Zaandam is the site of a windmill museum, Molenmuseum, depicted restored antique windmills, one of which actual ground pigments for Rembrandt and grinds pigments offered for sale today. You can learn more about the annual art trips through the magazine.
At the 2019 Lincoln Arts Festival on Southport, Maine, Rick volunteered to demonstrate for the three days of the show and chose to start this studio painting using his plein air study and a photograph as references. He was at the show in front of his easel, engrossed in the work when he felt the presence of someone behind him. There was a couple paying close attention and clearly interested. The gentleman’s face light up with delight. The painting brought back fond memories of his being stationed near Zaandam after the war. Rick and the couple were even more delighted that Rick was able to gift them the plein air study.
Rick grew up in upstate New York, enjoyed a career as an executive in the construction industry, and now paints full time. He maintains studios in Lawrence, MA, and Southport, ME, and has many years of workshop and atelier training at The Ingbretson Studio of Painting and Drawing. His artistic goal at this time is to simply refine his craft to be the very best he can possible be when he tips over. The quest to capture the beauty of nature is a lifelong journey. The appeal is that the results never fully meet the objective, and his truth is that he hopes the two never meet because then the learning may stop and the game may be over.
To see more of Rick’s work visit DickinsonArt.com.
Or call him at 207-350-5772 to arrange a studio visit.
The 12th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art is pleased to welcome New York artist Kari Ganoung Ruiz to this year’s event. Ruiz is joining 22 plein air artists participating this year.
During Plein Air at Grand Canyon from September 12th through September 17th, visitors can watch the artists at work, painting along the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. These artists know the canyon intimately and are successful in capturing its beauty, its mystery, and its wonder on canvas. They face and overcome the challenges the canyon presents—its over-whelming vastness, ever changing light and color, and always unpredictable weather.
All of the participating Celebration of Art artists submit a Grand Canyon themed studio painting prior to the event. Of her studio painting Question of Time, Ruiz reflects:
How many nights turned to day,
How small we are compared.
When did the stone give way to wind and rain?
Why does this place move us so.
Why direct us to describe, represent, wander amidst
capture, hold on to, be awed by
but then let go?
All of these questions down to one.
The question of time.
Beginning September 20th, 2020, and open daily through January 18th, 2021, Ruiz’s work and the work of the other CoA artists will be exhibited and available for purchase at the historic Kolb Studio at the South Rim of Grand Canyon. Admission is free and open to the public. The work can also be viewed at the website below.
THE ART OF NATURE A Great Day for Fishing features a beautiful Great Egret. I love shorebirds and the Great Egret is one of my all time favorites. I painted this one in a morning setting, as the sun is rising and filling the day with glorious colors.
This beautiful bird, a master at fishing, stands at the ready. Its life depends on what it can find for breakfast and it truly is a great day for fishing.
Kathryn Ashcroft was born in a small, Northern Utah farming town in 1961. She was raised on the family dairy farm where animals were fed before people were and a strong work ethic was instilled in her at a young age. Many hours were spent on the back of a horse and riding was her favorite pass time. Her Mother, also an artist, created beautiful paintings in oil and this was a great source of inspiration. Kathryn began drawing animals early and was encouraged and taught by her Mother and by Nature.
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 that 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.
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.
Her work can be 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.
Kathryn is regularly invited to participate in the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina, and she has had her work accepted into the prestigious Birds In Art international competition in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Gallery Representation:
Horizon Fine Art Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming
Summit Gallery, Park City, Utah
Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
For more of Kathryn’s work you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook as Kathy Ashcroft.
She can be reached through email and phone at [email protected] and 435.890.0912.
View more of Kathryn’s work at www.kathyashcroft.com.
Dawn Light, Edisto
8 x 10 in.
Oil on Panel
$750.00
Available through the artist
Using the changing color and light of an impression, the artistry of Mary Bentz Gilkerson’s paintings connects people to the experience of place.
“Almost daily for the last ten years I’ve made a small painting inspired by the landscapes I travel through, mainly near the roads and highways around Columbia, South Carolina, especially Lower Richland, and Savannah, Georgia,” says Gilkerson.
Mary is drawn to the ordinary spaces we move through, especially ones that are within view from the road.
“In a roadside view I find a strange intersection of nature and culture. We move so fast that we don’t take time to observe the world around us in the way that people did before modern transportation and technology came along. In my work, I seek to focus on the shifting patterns of light and color that tell us what time of day and season it is, to note the small and subtle, as well as the large and grand.”
Gilkerson holds an MFA in drawing and painting from the University of South Carolina. A native South Carolinian, she lives and works in her Columbia studio after retiring as a professor of art at Columbia College. She has received grants from the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties in addition to having been selected as a Southern Arts Federation Fellowship Finalist. Her work is in the permanent collections of McKissick Museum, Palmetto Health, Morris Communications Company, and Seibels Bruce Group, among others.
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.
Maroon Sunset by Roger Dale Brown, Oil, 30 x 40 in; Anderson Fine Art Gallery
Elephant Bonsai by Lauren Pretorius, Oil on Panel, framed 16 x 20 in.; Bluestone Fine Art Gallery
Water View by Brian Kliewer, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 36 in.; Williams Fine Art Dealers
The Gift of Time by Kim Lordier, Pastel on Archival Board, 30 x 40 in.; Rieser Fine Art
Dunkin Donuts by Cesar Santander, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 23 3/4 x 29 3/4 in., Signed; Rehs Contemporary
Le Réveil de Vénus (The Awakening of Venus) by Louis-Joseph Courtat (1847-1909), Oil on Canvas, 57 3/4 x 81 in., Signed and dated 1883; Rehs Galleries, Inc.
Respite by Mia Bergeron, Oil on Linen, 36 x 26 in.; Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery
Peonies by a Window by Susan Abbott, Oil on Linen, 36 x 36 in., Vermont Artisan Designs
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.
The Luminous Landscape: New Paintings by Kim Lordier opens July 1, 2020.
Rieser Fine Art is honored to present their 6th bi-annual exhibition of Kim Lordier’s incredible art. In The Luminous Landscape: New Paintings by Kim Lordier, Kim focuses mainly on the light and moods of California’s Central Coast. From the first morning light to the last glow of evening, you can feel the warmth of the sun and the cool of the fog, as sun and fog do their endless tango along the beaches, through the cypress trees, and into the oak-studded hills. You can hear the excitement of crashing waves, or rest in the quiet of a country road at dusk. But above all else is the luminous light, the glow of a fleeting moment on a special day, that no one captures better than Kim Lordier.
The Gift of Time was created during the beginning of the global pandemic. A time of uncertainty, Lordier depicts a sense of calm and hope for the future. About her painting she writes:
“Dusk, an hour that drifts into the next. A marriage of tone and color blurring boundaries with luminous light. With special meaning in a memorable world. I am humbled and pray for the gift of a new day.”
The Luminous Landscape: New Paintings by Kim Lordier opens July 1, 2020.
Read about the creative inspiration behind the new collection here: The Luminous Landscape
Rieser Fine Art
Dolores between 5th & 6th in Su Vecino Court Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
(831) 620-0530 www.rieserfineart.com
Barbara Ernst Prey, "Pathways," 2020, Watercolor on paper, 29.5 x 42 inches
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Barbara Prey Projects, a gallery and exhibition space in Port Clyde, Maine, housed in what was once an inn frequented by such locals as the artist N.C. Wyeth. Barbara Ernst Prey has painted and exhibited in Maine for more than 40 years, regularly drawing inspiration from its scenic coast.
Barbara Ernst Prey, “On Island,” 2019, Watercolor on paper, 28 x 40 inches
On view are two exhibitions:
Through September 7 “20 in 2020: Celebrating 2 Decades,” highlighting Prey’s monumental watercolors of simple, light-filled interiors used by members of the now-defunct Shaker religious sect.
August 14 – September 7 “Mother-Daughter: Two Generations” marks the first joint showing of art by Barbara Ernst Prey and her late mother, Peggy Joubert Ernst (1923–2005), who once headed the design department at Pratt Institute (Brooklyn).
Although it’s been many thousands – if not millions – of years since ancient civilizations and some extinct animal species flourished, their legacies continue to fascinate and live on through the creative vision of artist James Gurney. Welcome to Dinotopia and other lost worlds.
It was 128 years ago when — in October of 1888 — the first issue of National Geographic was published. Containing articles, illustrations, and photographs covering geography, history, world culture, and more, the magazine has inspired generations across the globe to understand the world beyond — and before — them.
One of these was artist James Gurney, who as a child would journey back in time through the illustrated pages of the magazine. “I would tiptoe into the hallway late at night” Gurney remembers, “and read about pilots in biplanes flying over uncharted Incan ruins. After school I would dig excavation pits in my suburban back yard, hoping to find a dinosaur bone or maybe even a lost temple. Even though I didn’t find much of what I imagined, I made up for it by sculpting it out of clay or drawing it on paper.”
James Gurney, “Waterfall City Afternoon Light,” 2001, oil, 24 x 52 in. (c) ARC, Private collection 2016
Today, Gurney continues a similar process, working as a painter and illustrator of imagined worlds that seem factually plausible. He also paints paleoart, scientific reconstructions of actual extinct life. “Paleoart is wildlife art for the time traveler,” he says. “I’ve always been interested in creating an alternate universe that my viewers can travel to during those moments of daydreaming. My inspiration has always come from the 19th century Salon painters and the Golden Age illustrators, who used their training to breathe life into mythic adventures and historical epics.”
James Gurney in his studio, (c) Photo courtesy of the Artist 2016
Gurney’s artistic vision undoubtedly developed from both his childhood experiences and his early professional career. Eventually, Gurney grew from a child reading National Geographic to an illustrator working for the magazine. He recalls, “Looking back, I suppose that illustration work was an ideal training ground for the kind of visual world I was trying to develop, because I was called upon to paint all sorts of subjects. I traveled to Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome on assignment for National Geographic. It was a huge inspiration to see those famous old cities. I spent time with Rick Bronson, an archaeologist who was just like Indiana Jones. He led me through overgrown jungles to find little-known Etruscan ruins, and we descended down ladders into newly discovered tombs. Sitting around the campfire at night, Dr. Bronson and I would talk about dreams of discovering a lost city along the lines of Machu Picchu or Troy. I realized that I could always make a painting of such a lost city, and that led to painting ‘Waterfall City: Afternoon Light.’”
James Gurney, “Titanoboa,” 2009, oil, 18 x 14 in. (c) ARC, Private collection 2016
Adventure seems apropos to describe Gurney’s work — one isn’t quite sure what to expect. From plein air oils, to fantasy and science, to a fantasy universe called “Dinotopia” developed in a series of New-York-Times bestselling illustrated books, Gurney’s artistic range is eclectic, impressive, and tantalizing. Exhibitions of his original artwork have traveled to over 30 art museums in the United States, England, France, Italy, and Switzerland.
James Gurney, “Sinking of the Cumberland,” 2005, oil, 30 x 40 in. (c) ARC, Private collection 2016
The artist’s creative process can be equally varied. However, for Gurney, a typical process begins “with small thumbnail sketches in pencil, pen, or watercolor.” He says, “If it’s an architectural subject or a dinosaur, I’ll often build a little maquette to establish shadows and angles. Sometimes I’ll do a small color study or comprehensive sketch. If the painting requires scientific or historical accuracy, I consult with experts at every stage of the process and incorporate their suggestions. After all these studies, I develop a line drawing — and sometimes a full charcoal drawing — and finally begin the final painting.”
Gurney’s art has been leading him on a variety of new adventures, both on and off the canvas, and many of them are documented on his blog “GurneyJourney” and on his Instagram and YouTube channels. “I’ve kept several doors open all through my career” he says, “painting in the studio, sketching on location, teaching, writing, illustration, video production, animation, and storytelling. Lately I’ve been doing more self-publishing, particularly in the video art instruction category. I also have new story worlds that I’m developing, and I expect to continue with my blogging, which I’ve done daily since 2007.”
Here’s a fascinating look into one of Gurney’s projects in which the artist was commissioned to paint the now-extinct Pelagornis Sandersi, the largest bird in history:
Pastel artist Nancie King Mertz works from photo references and from life en plein air. Known for her cityscapes of Chicago, here she explains how she takes a dull reference photo and creates from it a lively scene.
How I Paint Cityscapes
BY NANCIE KING MERTZ
I began this piece (shown at top) with the “tick mark map” I always use: I simply place quick notes of vine charcoal on the surface (mounted UART #320), indicating the perspective and the structure placement. Various warm and cool darks (only) are then applied with my signature Richeson soft pastels, using the side in broad strokes, but with a light touch. In this painting, the darks formed a “U” to indicate the street, cars, and structures. By treating them all as one dark value-shape, the design is more cohesive as I later paint over with mid and light values.
But before I introduce any mid to light values, the darks are washed in with denatured alcohol and a #6 Grey Matters fan brush. I use a vertical stroke when painting buildings, and this initial brushwork helps define windows and subtle details as the painting progresses. After a short drying time, I begin with the mid and light values, cleaning up the brushwork and carving out the negative space around the hard elements.
The side getting the most direct light becomes the “warm side” by pushing the color into the reds and golds. The opposite side of the street is cool, and consists of blues, violets, and blue greens. However, strong light bounces onto buildings opposite, so I always include a few subtle warm color notes on the cool side to heighten the color harmony. Warm greens are added to the sunlit trees, serving as a balance to the cool green opposite.
The Sienna pastel box and my signature Urban and Atmospheric Landscape pastels and brushes are all compliments of the Jack Richeson Co. This is my travel set for plein air, demos, and workshops, and it all fits into a rolling cart that I place in the overhead bin when flying — easy-peasy!
For a step-by-step visual demo of my process, the Urban Pastel Painting video by Liliedahl allows the painter to follow along to create a painting of “the L” that Chicago is famous for.
Related > Listen to Eric Rhoads interview Nancie King Mertz on the PleinAir Podcast (originally published May 2018):
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