What is imaginative realism? Michael J. Pearce explains this artful “escape from reality” in a 15-minute video, featuring work by:
Kathiucia Dias
Benozzo Gozzoli
F. Scott Hess
Regina Jacobson
Yu Ji
Guy Kinnear
Gustav Klimt
Brad Kunkle
Bryan Larsen
Richard MacDonald
John Millais
Claude Monet
Gustave Moreau
Alphonse Mucha
Vince Natale
Michael J. Pearce
Boris Vallejo
John Waterhouse
Pamela Wilson
Weixin Xu
Sandra Yagi
This video was produced by Brittany McGinley and Huicho Le at Brit Bat Studio.
Eric Wert, "Nimbus," 2019, Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in., $46,000
Blue Review Project Space recently announced “Manic Botanic.” Featuring works by over twenty artists, the show celebrates flora in all its diversity and sublimity. It will be exhibited virtually online, and also by appointment to examine works in person.
Co-curated by Garvey|Simon and Brodsky, this collaboration brings together a dealer’s proclivity for theme and an artist’s eye for craft. Featuring drawing, watercolor, metalpoint, painting, photography, and ceramics, each mode seeks to capture the fragility and singularity of its subject. The works are united by their sense of dexterity and detail.
From the organizers:
Meticulous, nuanced petals and sensuous stems belie the ubiquity of their subjects, and gesture towards the deft hand of their makers. Whether miniature or grandiose in scale, these floral icons are utterly ecstatic.
Margot Glass’s delicate graphite and goldpoint dandelions and Dina Brodsky’s diaristic trees are byzantine meditations on impermanence and memory.
Dina Brodsky, “Tree, Mid-Autumn,” 2018, Oil on copper, 2.5 x 2.5 in., framed: 10.5 x 10.5 in., $1,650
Miriam Escofet (recent recipient of the BP Portrait Award) and Grace Devito each bring their background in portraiture to their floral still lifes, capturing the subtle nuances and individuality of each bloom.
Marina Kiseleva, “Rococo Tulip Bud,” 2020, Watercolor on vellum, 7 x 5 in., $1200
Eric Wert, Amy Laskin, and Marina Kiselyova celebrate the opulence of their blooms with lavish and decorative detail; conversely, Jordan Wolfson, Tyler Swain, and Melanie Parke each bow to the humble simplicity of their botanicals.
Christopher Adams explores adaptive radiation with ceramics, and Sarah Phillips arranges her specimens into kaleidoscopic patterns, rendering their quotidian subjects surreal and exotic. Jose Escofet’s oil paintings are similarly punched up and surreal.
Jose Escofet, “Metamorphosis of a Snail,” 2007, Oil on canvas, 22 x 28 in., $19,400
A bouquet of fragile monoliths, Frederick Brosen’s watercolor blossoms are feats of gentle precision, L.C. Armstrong’s bomb fuse paintings are laced with an element of danger, Tim Nighswander’s amaryllis photographs are modern memento moris, and Brandy Kraft’s oil paintings are portrait-like in their hybrid specificity.
Brandy Kraft, “Antirrocallis aurantium, Hybrid No. 30,” 2019, Oil on canvas, 23.5 x 23.5 in., $1,600
David Morrison and Mary Reilly’s hyperrealist colored pencil and graphite drawings are charged with a sense of intimacy and rigor, while Jimmy Fike achieves the same effect through his objective, almost scientific lens.
A virtual opening reception for “Manic Botanic” will take place on Thursday, June 18, 2020.
ABOUT THE CURATORS
Elizabeth K. Garvey is the Co-founder and Director of Garvey|Simon (est. in 2010). Previously she was President and Owner of EKG Art Advisory, (1999-2009), and Co-Director of Schmidt-Bingham Gallery (1989-1998). Liz is a member of ArtTable, a distinguished national network of leading women in the visual arts professions, and a founding member of the New York chapter of the Association of Women Art Dealers. With over 30 years of experience in the fine art industry, Liz leverages her professional relationships with other galleries, auction houses, private dealers, and artists to offer boutique art advisory services and an exhibition program championing mid-career and emerging artists.
Dina Brodsky is a contemporary realist, miniaturist painter and curator. She was educated at University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the New York Academy of Art, where she received her MFA. She has taught privately, and in several institutions including the New York Academy of Art, the Art Students League and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Blue Review was established in 2017 by curator and art consultant Trek Lexington. Its mission is to discover and draw attention to contemporary art that is both highly skilled and conceptually rigorous. Their online project space connects artists and collectors through a series of group and solo exhibitions. Committed to exhibiting beautiful, thought-provoking art without compromise, The Blue Review aims to bring art back to art criticism, and art criticism back to art.
“Imagining” was first conceived actually quite by accident. During a photo shoot, my young muse, dressed in authentic pioneer garb, moved about the historic house as though she had traveled back through time to the early 1900’s. But when she moved to the window something magical happened. It was as though time stood still. The sun illuminated her silhouette and pooled at her feet in a sea of gold. The window was awash with a white glow.
As an artist I saw the blank canvas that was before her. The words of Henry David Thoreau, “The world is but a canvas to our imagination,” resonated with me and “Imagining” was born. I was compelled to paint this moment in time on my own blank canvas. This was the birth of “Imagining” but it has since taken on a life of its own given the world pandemic. It is a poignant view of the inside looking out; a keen sense of what we all experienced globally with social distancing and stay at home orders.
Imagining–we all do it. We dream of what the future may hold, we conjure stories and fantasies, let our thoughts take us to far away places. Our real life adventures and accomplishments often begin as daydreams. With childlike wonder we look out our windows and imagine a brighter future.
The economy will return, art sales will return, life will return to normal.
This social distancing has not separated us; it has brought us closer as we realize our need for one another.
DELFIN FINLEY (b. 1994), "Undefined Horizon," 2018, oil on canvas, 24 x 20 in., private collection; www.delfinfinley.com
There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.
DELFIN FINLEY (b. 1994) is keeping realism real. The Los Angeles artist paints representational portraits of his peers that focus on the pervasive racial issues of our time. Emerging on the scene in 2014 as a participant in several group shows, Finley was offered his first solo exhibition at Lora Schlesinger Gallery (Santa Monica) in 2017. Titled “Some Things Never Change,” that project highlighted experiences that people of color continue to encounter and sold out completely.
Finley’s portraits often take a close look into the eyes and expressions of black people carrying the weight of circumstances past, present, and future. Several of his works examine the angst and anxieties his generation wrestles with, painted in unflinching detail.
“Some Things Never Change,” for instance, is a sobering scene of a young black man in a defeated position with a rope hanging not far from him. “Dead Man Walking” illustrates the probability of a young black man’s violent or premature death, while a portrait of Finley’s father, “It’s Only a Matter of Time,” represents men of color and the danger they face on a daily basis.
While several of Finley’s portraits convey a frank sense of despondency, discouragement, and despair, ultimately they are intended to offer hope through awareness and change. “Undefined Horizon” is a painting that seems to carry glimmers of that hope. The artist has intentionally introduced some ambiguity here: a black man is seen only from behind, wearing a shirt with the number six on its back and a headcloth made of fine silk. Is he a present-day athlete? An ancient pharaoh? One of a numbered lot? Whoever he is or was, Finley seems to suggest that he will have to determine his own future.
As Finley continues to grow in popularity in Los Angeles and nationally, he is being noticed not only by realists but also other sectors of the contemporary art community. The issues into which his art delves — and the manner in which he addresses them — speak powerfully to our times.
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.
Stargazers by Loren DiBenedetto, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 30 in.; Anderson Fine Art Gallery
Bridges Turn #1 by Stanka Kordic, 2017, Oil on Wood Panel, 36 x 48 in.; Stanek Gallery
6 Feet Please by Stuart Dunkel, Oil on Panel, Framed, 5 x 7 in.; Bluestone Fine Art Gallery
Sundown at Camp (detail) by Chula Beauregard, Oil on Linen, 12 x 36 in.; Steamboat Creates
Gray Wolves by Janice Schultz, Mixed Media, 36 x 36 in. framed; SLOPOKE Fine Art of the West
Beyond Comprehension Sculpture Collection. #3 by James Ferrari, Aluminum & Car Parts; Ferrari Gallery
Naoko Visiting Bosch’s Hell by Mitsuru Watanabe (born 1953), Oil on Canvas on Board, 63 3/4 x 38 1/4 in., signed; Rehs Contemporary
Cardinal Study for The Preening Peacock by Jehan-Georges Vibert (1840-1902), Gouache on Paper, 9 1/2 x 7 in., signed; Rehs Galleries, Inc.
The Silken Shawl by Johnnie Liliedahl, Oil on Canvas, 18 x 24 in.; Liliedahl Fine Art Studio-Gallery
Kitchen Sill Life Series #16 Glass and Green by Karen O’Neil, Oil on Linen, 20 x 20 in.; Edgewater Gallery
Local Diner by Bill Farnsworth, Oil on panel, 14 x 18 in.; Tree’s Place
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.
Gravity
24 4/5 × 19 7/10 in.
Charcoal on board
2019
Available through Artsy
Dirk Dzimirsky (born 1969) is an award-winning artist from Germany who is known for his hyper-realistic drawings and paintings of people. His carefully elaborated stagings of light and shadow reveal the sensitivity and vulnerability of his models. An extreme level of detail in combination with calculated set of light create an enigmatic mood of melancholic beauty in his images.
Dzimirsky’s works has been exhibited in the US, Europe and Tokyo, and are part of numerous international private collections.
In 2014 he was commissioned by Waterman-Paris to draw a large scale portrait with ball pen to introduce their new line of luxury pens. The artwork was shown at exhibitions in Paris and Tokyo as well as on billboards and screens throughout the cities.
Also in 2014 Dzimirsky was hired by A&E Network for their new T.V. show “The Returned” to design and create 4 drawings of some of the main characters, which were then used for advertising the Series.
Nancy Depew, “Insight,” oil on canvas, 36 x 26 in. (c) Nancy Depew 2017
Often it is a pure and humble approach to the blank canvas that leads to aesthetic success in a painting. When artists divert from the formulaic and allow creativity to flow organically, the untainted core of art often emerges: to express that which words cannot.
Artist Nancy Depew is a case in point, and her process allows the painter to respond naturally to a piece as it’s revealed, leading to moments of insight, revelation, and discovery. “It’s an adventure filled with perils and surprises,” she says of her creative process. “I try to respond to the artwork as it forms, choosing options that will lead me to learning the most I can from and about the work.” For Depew, painting affords ample opportunity to journey inward and investigate her responses to the “thousands of options you have every time you pick up a brush,” as she suggests.
Nancy Depew, “Afterthought,” oil on canvas, 40 x 26 in.Nancy Depew, “Bittersweet,” oil on canvas, 26 x 34 in.
Although Depew avoids any strict methodology when a painting begins, her results are undeniably masterful in their naturalism and magnetic in their quiet simplicity. With little idea of what the finished painting may look like, Depew often builds her work from “a visual idea, gesture, or intuitive idea, not a verbal or rational one.” She says, “I am not attempting to capture reality. If you want to convey a story, chances are you would try to do it with words. Our society revolves around verbal communication, but a huge part of our day-to-day experience is visual and has little to do with words or logical thought. Words get layered on top of experience. When I paint, I try to forget about words.”
Nancy Depew, “Better Now,” oil on canvas, 60 x 40 in.
Depew achieves her goal, and with outstanding success; to be sure, her paintings’ beauty often leaves viewers at a loss for words. How apropos. Continuing, Depew writes, “When I paint, I manipulate visual information with the intention of exploring a more metaphysical terrain. I dig into visual information like an archaeologist looking for discoveries. Each stroke represents a choice among thousands of options. I believe that through this process, visual ideas can reveal the most essential qualities and our most intimate selves.”
“Insight” (shown at top) is a fascinating example of this process. Set against a dark background populated with a number of stunning, flowing lilies, a nude female figure is shown in half-length at the left edge of the canvas. Lit from above, the subject brings her arms to one shoulder, crossing her forearms and embracing herself. With eyes closed, her elevated — and inward — gaze is hopeful and uplifting.
Describing the process, Depew writes, “I went into the session with no clear idea of what pose I was looking for. I went in looking and found something, or the pose found me; it was serendipity, a discovery. Although it wasn’t clear, I knew it was there and had to develop it. First I realized it was going to be a portrait. I had been working on a series of paintings of flowers combined with figures so I thought about what it might be like to include flowers. I had to choose the flowers, and each one had to be placed and orchestrated, each moment determined, how loud, how soft, how dark, how light. The painting revealed itself one bit at a time. I was fortunate and the piece went together easily. This isn’t always the case. I often have to stop and rework the images. Sometimes I have to set them aside for weeks or months before I can see how to proceed.”
Nancy Depew, “Merge,” oil on canvas, 40 x 60 in.Nancy Depew, “Weight,” oil on canvas, 36 x 55 in.
Although Depew does not recognize a specific agenda for her paintings, she does hope to entice and “encourage the viewer to have his or her own experience.” She says, “I hope I’m presenting food for thought, for contemplation that may lead to something of significance or discovery for the viewer.”
Nancy Depew, “Cascade,” oil on canvas, 48 x 34 in.
After 40 years of painting, Depew acknowledges that she’s made mistakes along the way, but she’s come far and learned so much. The artist seems more motivated than ever to push herself artistically and appreciate the creative moments in the studio. She adds, “I hope I have many more years of painting. Every day is a gift. I try very hard to treat it that way. There are thousands of paintings I would like to make, but I have no clear vision of the work I intend to complete. I do, however, have a clear sense that the days are slipping away and I want to make to best work I can in the time I have left.”
Nancy Depew, “Inside Out,” oil on canvas, 40 x 60 in.Nancy Depew, “Open,” oil on canvas, 40 x 40 in.
Richard Oversmith, “A Summer Symphony,” oil on linen, 30 x 60 in. Private Collection
Richard Oversmith (b. 1971) paints vibrant, impressionistic landscape oil paintings during his travels across the United States, and also in far-flung destinations such as Italy, Cornwall, Bermuda, and Belize. When his wife and daughter wanted to become more fluent in French, the entire family spent six months in Brittany, where Oversmith made hundreds of sparkling seaside scenes.
Richard Oversmith, “Cadaques Boats,” oil on linen, 14 x 18 in. Available through the J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art in Vero Beach, Florida
Although he usually makes small compositional sketches before he starts a landscape painting outdoors, Oversmith must respond to changing conditions of light and weather on a minute-by-minute basis. He paints outdoors most of the year and, unlike most plein air artists, actually prefers autumn and winter, when the foliage is not so lush and visually overwhelming.
Caption: Richard Oversmith, “Beach Breeze,” 2016, oil on linen, 12 x 12 in.
Though he occasionally paints outside on canvases as large as 36 x 48 inches, Oversmith is more likely to develop them back in the studio, working from his own oil sketches and reference photographs. Using his studio’s north-facing window, he has also earned a reputation for luminous still lifes, usually of flowers.
Richard Oversmith, “The Village of Saint-Cirq Lapopie,” oil on linen, 42 x 72 in. Available through the J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art in Vero Beach, Florida
Oversmith came to plein air painting in an unusual way. While earning his B.F.A. from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he spent a summer at London’s Royal College of Art, and it was there that he learned more about the long, proud heritage of painting outdoors.
Richard Oversmith, “St. Ives Stroll,” oil on linen, 16 x 16 in. Available through the J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art in Vero Beach, Florida
Long committed to painting alla prima (wet-on-wet), he has turned for inspiration to such historic masters as Vincent Van Gogh, Nicolai Fechin, Isaak Levitan, Willard Metcalf, Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Joaquín Sorolla, Tom Thomson, and Nikolai Timkov.
Richard Oversmith, “House on the Hill,” oil on linen, 30 x 28 in. Private Collection
Today Oversmith thrives in Asheville, in western North Carolina. Having explored much of the U.S. in search of a place to settle, he and his wife landed here thanks to its natural beauty, four-season climate, quality of life, and abundance of kindred spirits working in the arts and crafts.
Richard Oversmith, “Another Day Dawns,” oil on linen, 16 x 20 in. Available through the Art Cellar Gallery in Banner Elk, NCRichard Oversmith, “Breath of Spring,” oil on linen, 32 x 30 in. Available through the J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art in Vero Beach, Florida
Not surprisingly, three galleries represent Oversmith’s oil paintings in North Carolina: Grand Bohemian Gallery (Asheville), City Art Gallery (Greenville), and the Art Cellar (Banner Elk). He is also represented in Charleston, South Carolina, by Hagan Fine Art Gallery, and in Vero Beach, Florida, by J. M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art.
To learn more about the artist and see more of his oil paintings, visit richardoversmith.com.
Bruce K. Lawes, "Spirit of the Forest," oil, 40 x 30 inches
Driven With a Purpose, Creating Art as His Vehicle
BY BRUCE K. LAWES, AFC, SAA, OPA
Many of my successful paintings tell a story and are a journey of learning and discovery—whether I am researching something historical or have the challenge of creating a painting with great personal meaning. “Spirit of the Forest” (above) was both; it was a journey of the past adventures of an incredible lady and a journey with great personal meaning. Dr. Jane Goodall has been my hero since early childhood, and I was determined not only to create a significant painting, but also create something that she would be proud to say represented a part of her life with fond memories.
Jane’s wonderful staff in the U.S. opened their arms in friendship to assist me with the Jane Goodall Institute archives of video and still photography. This is where it began. The question was how to create a painting that told a story, while prominently depicting the iconic chimpanzee in an artistic composition.
Scrolling through the beautiful imagery in the archives I began to get a feeling of what I wanted to do. In one video Jane is seen near a waterfall in Gombe, Tanzania, where she studied the chimpanzee’s behaviors around the falling water. She observed that it was a place of play, wonder, and contemplation—almost a spiritual response, if compared in human terms. I knew from that video that the waterfall had to become a big part of my story.
While researching and talking to Jane’s staff I found out the female she named Fifi was one of her favorites. It then became obvious which chimpanzees I’d feature in the painting: Fifi, with her baby, Flirt—one of the nine offspring she had over her lifetime—had to be my stars. Now, with the stage set and the stars determined I began to create a composition that would be both scientifically accurate and artistically appealing.
By the first week of April the painting was nearly completed, but final details not quite refined. An opportunity to meet Jane in New York City presented itself and the painting was done enough to show her, to hopefully get her blessing. This would be the first time anybody, other than my wife Luisa, would see what I imagined Jane would appreciate in a painting. It was a little nerve-racking, but I was quickly relieved when she first saw the painting and said, “That’s Fifi!”
Jane Goodall and Bruce K. Lawes
While discussing the painting I said that during my process I had come up with a title, “Spirit of the Land,” and Jane quickly responded, “Spirit of the Forest.” With the title finalized by one of the great women in history, the painting went on to raise funds so the good work of Jane and her Institute will continue in perpetuity.
Editor’s Note: Bruce Lawes has pledged to raise 1 million dollars for the Jane Goodall institute in the coming years. Later this year a large painting of two charging bull elephants will be painted on a 6×7-foot canvas and auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to Jane Goodall Institute.
Equine Art
Another passion of mine is to paint equine images. They, like a figurative nude, can convey such beauty and grace. The painting featured here has won multiple awards, including First Place in Southwest Art Magazine’s 2016 Artistic Excellence competition. It was also featured on the front cover of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine. The title of this equine painting was given not just because it is representative of the dust cloud this beautiful dressage horse and rider have stirred up, but it also symbolically represents what all riders must feel when mounting their horse: “On a Cloud.”
Bruce K. Lawes, “On a Cloud,” oil, 40 x 50 inches
I think the success of this painting was the mystery of suggesting a rider without a recognizable person. This puts the emphasis on the form of the white horse against the black background using negative space to create a dynamic tension.
My painting “With Grace” (below) was selected for the initial exhibition and chosen for an extended year tour at the following venues:
National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Brookgreen Gardens, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts.
Bruce K. Lawes, “With Grace,” oil, 40 x 50 inches
ABOUT BRUCE K. LAWES
Bruce K. Lawes is an internationally collected artist with a passion for animal art and conservation. He is a signature member of the Artists for Conservation (AFC), The Society of Animal Artists (SAA) and The Oil Painters of America (OPA). He was born in 1962 in Toronto, Canada. International Artist Magazine wrote, “One of the first things you notice about the art of Bruce Lawes is the artist’s versatility; whether it be a figurative painting, a landscape or an equine his work always upholds a strong level of quality, craftsmanship and technical skill.” Art of the West Magazine recently praised Lawes as “one of the most versatile among today’s field of highly skilled representational artists, Lawes moves with seamless articulation between the genres of wildlife and equine portraiture, landscapes, and figurative renditions of historic events.”
TERRY TRAMBAUER NORRIS (b. 1960), "Iron Cauldron with Meat," 2015, oil on linen, 24 x 30 in., private collection
There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.
TERRY TRAMBAUER NORRIS (b. 1960) is a still life painter from South Carolina who creates highly finished works in the spirit of the Old Masters. Her artistic abilities were recognized from childhood and in 1985 she earned a B.F.A. from Atlanta College of Art after studying design, painting, printmaking, and photography.
As Norris began to gravitate toward fine art in a traditional realist style, she took a close look at several key painters from the past, then supplemented her education with a month’s study at the Art Students League of New York, as well as workshops with David A. Leffel and Gregg Kreutz and critiques and classes with Ralph Bagley.
Although known primarily for still lifes, Norris also paints landscapes and seascapes. Capturing mood, atmosphere, and light are essential to her practice, which requires not only patience but also planning, particularly for the still lifes. While admiring the variety of perfectly arranged objects — be they pots, jugs, fruit, jars, cauldrons, or cookies — we might assume these arrangements hap-pen relatively naturally. Yet as much as nature plays a role in these visions, Norris spends considerable time composing her subjects, carefully harmonizing shapes, patterns, light, and shadow until the elements sing.
Norris’s painting “Iron Cauldron with Meat” (above) reflects this compositional attentiveness while sustaining the dramatic light and shadow (chiaroscuro) championed by still life masters of the past. This 24 x 30-inch scene also represents a milestone for Norris, as it is the largest still life she has attempted to date. “There was something about the cauldron and the sense of history it represents that drew me to it,” the artist says.
“The painting went through some unexpected twists and turns during its creation,” she said. “The meat was actually not in the original set-up, but it was a subject I’ve been wanting to try for years, mainly inspired by J.-B.-S. Chardin and Raphaelle Peale.”
The 18th-century French painter Chardin is just one of the masters who have inspired Norris. Other influences include Rembrandt, Vermeer, Whistler, Robert Henri, and Charles W. Hawthorne, all known for their expertise with light and composition. The time Norris has devoted to studying these artists has clearly served her well: theirs are the foundational shoulders upon which she and so many painters continue to stand.
Norris is represented by Sloane Merrill Gallery (Boston).
Fill your mind with useful art stories, the latest trends, upcoming art shows, top artists, and more. Subscribe to Fine Art Today, from the publishers of Fine Art Connoisseur magazine.
