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Rest in Peace Ronald Joseph Cavalier Sr.

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Ronald Cavalier obituary

Ronald Joseph Cavalier, the foundryman the Associated Press credited as being the first to use the ceramic shell technique to cast artwork into bronze, died of natural causes in Marietta, GA on April 28, 2020.

Cavalier began his 60-year foundry career at Scope Precision Castings in Norwalk, CT before starting The Renaissance Art Foundry in Norwalk, CT and later the Cavalier Renaissance Art Foundry in Bridgeport, CT where he used the innovative ceramic shell lost wax process to produce countless works.

Across the span of his career, Cavalier cast and restored bronze, steel, silver, aluminum, concrete, pewter, and brass pieces of small to mammoth proportions for some of the world’s most renowned artists including Brancusi, Calder, Giacometti, Morre, Nakian, Remington, and Rodin as well as contemporary artists Tomm Otterness, Sandro Chia, Brian Hunt, and others. He restored and preserved the Hirshorn sculpture collection before it left Greenwich, CT for Washington, D.C. He also serviced many museums including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum, Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Cavalier was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 10, 1933 to Alfred and Mae Cavalier. He was the youngest of four and his father was a math and music teacher, machinist, draftsman, bandleader, musician, and Masonic Lodge member. Growing up on Atlantic Avenue, Ron enjoyed neighborhood stickball, raising pigeons, and fishing on Coney Island. After high school, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, and apprenticed in Maine summer stock theater appearing with Dinna Barrymore, Lionel Standish, and Kenneth Nelson in South Pacific, Finian’s Rainbow, Oklahoma, Death of a Salesman, and Hamlet. He originated the role of Ghost of Christmas Past for the Music Theater of Connecticut’s world premiere of Ebenezer, played Judge Taylor in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Polka Dot Playhouse, and was in numerous performances for the Darien Dinner Theater, Westport Community Theater, and Stamford Theater works.

Cavalier was a perfect tenor who sang with the New Haven Chorale, and loved singing opera. His acting career continued throughout his life with his most current works being the portrayal of various saints and popes for Eternal World Television Network programs, most recently The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing in 2018.

During summer stock theater on Peaks Island, ME off of Kennebunkport, he met the actress Cecelia Mary Mack, whom he married. The couple resided in New Jersey when Cavalier was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as part of the “Bloody One” unit. Posted in Germany, he was a radio broadcaster for the Armed Forces Radio Network with co-host Nick Clooney from 1953 to 1955. Returning home from war, he and Cecelia moved to Norwalk, CT where he began his foundry career, raised a family of five children, and was a member of St. Matthew’s Church. In 1987, he moved to East Haven, CT where he lived on Pequot Street for over two decades before moving to Georgia in 2018.

In addition to foundry life and acting, Cavalier also was a documentary filmmaker. In the late 1970’s, his company Cavalier Productions produced two films about art collector Joseph Hirshorn: The Collection that Became a Museum and the award-winning Life of Joseph Hirshorn.

A self-made renaissance man and passionate entrepreneur, Cavalier also owned a Vermont dairy farm and planted and managed a vineyard on his lakeside home in Benson, VT where he made wine. A die-hard New York Yankee fan, he never missed a game on TV, he was also a devoted Patriots fan. Athletic and health conscious, a lover of the outdoors, dogs, music, boating, and fishing, Cavalier led a remarkably active life.

He is survived by his five children: Michele Cavalier McMahon, Cathy Cavalier, Chris Cavalier, Ronald Cavalier Jr. and Jane Cavalier Lucas of Weston CT; son-in-law Scott Lucas and daughter-in-law Debranne Cingari of Weston, CT; grandchildren Melanie McMahon Ives and husband Regan Ives, Justin Lucas and wife Phoebe Dean, Halle Lucas, Daniel Lucas, Breanna Suden, Madison Suden; great-granddaughter Emma Michele McMahon Ives; and loving dogs Maggie and Buster.

A small celebration of life will be held in his honor post-COVID in Norwalk, CT. If you would like to share condolences with the family, please contact Jane Cavalier Lucas at [email protected]. Donations to honor Ron’s life can be made to The Best Friends Animal Society https://bestfriends.org.

Contemporary Realism: East of the Sun

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Contemporary realism - FineArtConnoisseur.com
NIKITA BUDKOV (b. 1995), East of the Sun, 2019, oil on panel, 40 x 30 in., available from the artist

There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.

NIKITA BUDKOV (b. 1995), a Russian-American painter currently residing in California, works in a style he calls “contemporary traditional and magical realism,” motivated by his pursuit of the mystical and beautiful. He is also inspired by music, so his paintings are titled after songs that have significant meaning to him. In 2019 Budkov presented an exhibition called “The Songbook,” which showcased a range of paintings inspired by his favorite genres of music. “Music is an eternal companion on my career journey,” the artist says of this passion that rivals his love for fine art.

Growing up in Zvenigorod, a suburb of Moscow, young Budkov found himself drawn to classic fairy tales, science fiction novels, and comics, all of which helped develop his creative imagination and illustrative abilities. Drawing in pencil became a constant in his life, and he eventually made his way to the Moscow Architecture Institute with the intention of becoming an architect. A trip to the U.S. as an exchange student, however, shifted Budkov’s path toward traditional fine art. He enrolled at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, studying there with the Repin Academy-trained painter Leon Okun and eventually graduating with top honors. Budkov subsequently became a member of the California Art Club, where he has been guided and counseled by established artists, primarily club president Peter Adams, through its mentor program.

Like some of his compatriots who trained at the great academies in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Budkov makes paintings that demonstrate his abilities in classical drawing and form construction, and also in more expressive and impressionistic approaches to color and light. His work reveals a sensitivity to his surroundings and to people’s situations, similar to the sensitivity found in the best storytelling and songwriting.

Budkov’s painting “East of the Sun” (above) is a portrait of a young woman holding a simple arrangement of flowers in one hand and a key in the other. There are subtle nuances in both the technical execution of this scene — the colorful variations of light in the hair are worth a close look — and in the symbolist usage of sunlight, flowers, and key. Having titled it after an obscure song based on the Norwegian fairy tale East of the Sun, Budkov explains that the painting is loosely based on a story about a beautiful girl in love with a white bear, who is actually an enchanted prince. “Later in the narrative, the woman goes on a quest to find and save the bear from a troll-witch residing in a castle that is located ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon.’ As the sun sets in the west, her hair catches the last beam of light,” exactly what we see here.

Contemporary realism - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Budkov’s “Mean Machine, Portrait of a Strongman Victor Blud” won the “Best Artist Under 30” category for the August/September 2019 PleinAir Salon. “Mean Machine’ was a collaboration with a famous Russian Old School strongman Victor Blud as a part of my series of strongmen and athletes paintings,” says Budkov. “In the background I depicted a ‘Combat Between Dares and Entellus’ (175 AD) from Getty Villa to show a connection between generations of athleticism and aesthetics.”
“Some Kind of Monster, COVID 19,” oil on board, 18 x 24 in., showcases essential and not so objects
“Floods, March 2020,” oil on wooden panel, 9 x 12 in. This painting is inspired by the current pandemic and symbolizes the long lines at grocery stores.
“Old Mornings Dawn, Paramount Ranch,” oil on canvas panel, 24 x 20 in.
“Ascension (Excalibur),” oil on panel, 26 x 36 in. “This is a commission I painted about Arthurian mythos,” says Budkov. “You may see Arthur and Merlin on a boat. The hands in the lower left corner are of Lady of the Lake.”
“Towards the Light,” oil on canvas panel, 18 x 14 in.

 

Connect with Nikita Budkov: www.nikitabudkov.com

Related Article > Painting of the Week: “Mean Machine” by Nikita Budkov


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Christopher Benson: Grand Gestures

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Contemporary oil paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
"The Falcon," oil on linen, 54 x 54

On view at Evoke Contemporary is an exhibition of contemporary oil paintings by Christopher Benson. Preview the works here, and visit EvokeContemporary.com for a virtual gallery visit of the exhibition, titled “Grand Gestures,” as well as “Lee Price: Repose.”

Contemporary oil paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Road to Nowhere,” oil on linen, 60 x 40
Contemporary oil paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Seated Figure with iMac,” oil on linen, 40 x 30
Contemporary oil paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Big Sky,” oil on linen, 12 x 15
Contemporary oil paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“The Basin,” oil on linen, 54 x 54
Contemporary oil paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Anti-Social Media,” oil on linen, 50 x 44

For more details: EvokeContemporary.com


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Pleasant Reminders

Featured in Fine Art Connoisseur
Above: "Some Little Talk of Me and Thee There Was," HARRY WILLSON WATROUS (1857–1940), c. 1905–09, oil on canvas, 27 x 42 in. Permanent Collection of The National Arts Club, New York City. Featured in the May/June 2020 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur

From the Fine Art Connoisseur May/June 2020 Editor’s Note:

Fine Art Connoisseur magazine May/June 2020
On the cover: SEAN CHEETHAM (b. 1977), “Boss of the Plains” (detail), 2016, oil on paper, 21 x 15 in. (overall), private collection

Pleasant Reminders

A few weeks ago, I was happily reminded of two special places we visited last October during Fine Art Connoisseur’s tour of Provence and the French Riviera.

I was glad to learn that “Van Gogh and the Olive Groves” is being organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. This will be the first exhibition dedicated to the series of 15 paintings of olive trees that Vincent Van Gogh created in 1889 while he was a patient at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Olive trees near the asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence where Vincent Van Gogh stayed; photo: Elaine Gaskell deSpoelberch

Our jolly group of art lovers visited that still-functioning facility, Saint-Paul de Mausole, and we found it quite touching to see where this troubled genius sought refuge after an especially severe psychotic episode. We were especially moved to walk through the lush olive grove that still grows nearby. The dark, writhing limbs of olive trees are always fascinating to admire, but seeing these particular ones shed new light on Van Gogh’s famous pictures, which possess their own writhing energy.

The Villa Kérylos at Beaulieu sur Mer

To open in Amsterdam in June 2021, then in Dallas that October, the new exhibition will reunite Vincent’s 15 paintings for the first time while highlighting the new discoveries about techniques and materials that have emerged during this project’s multi-year collaborative research phase. I look forward to seeing it next year.

I was further delighted to learn that, this May, New Vessel Press will publish the novel Villa of Delirium, written by Adrien Goetz, who teaches art history at the Sorbonne in Paris. The house in the book’s title is the unforgettable Villa Kérylos, which our Fine Art Connoisseur group visited last October in Beaulieu sur Mer, a chic seaside enclave east of Nice on the French Riviera.

Designed and constructed by the wealthy Parisian archeologist Théodore Salomon von Reinach, this fabulous summer retreat replicates an ancient Greek palace, but with all the modern conveniences money could buy in the early 1900s.

The novel’s narrator calls the house “an act of delirium; above all, an optimistic act, proof that one could reset time as one could reset a clock and resist the outside world.” That imagined narrator is the son of a servant from a nearby mansion; adopted by the Reinachs, he survives the Nazis’ confiscation of the villa and murder of several Reinach grandchildren. Goetz’s 320-page book has been translated from the French by Natasha Lehrer and will intrigue even those who have not yet visited the Villa Kérylos.

I remain grateful for the memorable adventures offered during Fine Art Connoisseur’s 10 previous trips to Europe, and now I am looking forward to the autumn of 2021, when we will explore Vienna, Berlin, and Dresden.

Fine Art Connoisseur magazine May/June 2020Download the May/June 2020 issue here, or subscribe to Fine Art Connoisseur today so you never miss an issue.


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An Artistic Odyssey

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Realism portrait paintings
"The Golden Necklace," 48" X 36," oil on canvas

Portrait Paintings > From the West Coast to the East Coast and back, accomplished artist John Rowe has done just about everything to establish a successful career. Supporting a family through major commissions as an illustrator, Rowe continues his epic journey by exploring more deeply how fine art can communicate what words cannot.

The story of artist John Rowe’s career reads like Homer’s Odyssey — filled with triumph, love, deception, failure, and so much more. Like many before him, Rowe’s journey into art began when he was a child. The artist recalls how he had trouble putting down the pencil — how he was constantly observing the world and musing on how to represent it on paper. As a budding artist, Rowe’s formal training began at Cal State LA, where Al Fiori encouraged him to go to Art Center. Rowe recalls, “My first attempt at a student loan fell through, so I worked two full-time jobs to raise tuition and work my way through school. After school, I sold my belongings and took a Greyhound bus to New York City with $600 to my name.”

Contemporary art
Rowe’s work on view at Winn Slavin gallery in Beverly Hills

In the “City That Never Sleeps,” Rowe found himself pushed into roles that didn’t provide the creative outlet he desired, so he took the plunge and resigned his job at an ad agency and began painting full-time. The move proved pivotal for Rowe, who relocated to Los Angeles and was quickly noticed by Disney for his illustrative talent. He writes, “Over the years I have been lucky enough to be able to support my family through commissions from Disney, the United Nations, and National Geographic. I was the president of the Society of Illustrators in Los Angeles for a few years as well. I’ve had lots of fun as a guest artist on cruise ships and learned a lot from many talented people. I feel like I am finally learning how to paint decently and my current work just might have something to offer. Mostly I am very grateful to be able to do what I love and have so much fun making art.”

Oil portrait paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
John Rowe, “Baby Study,” oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. (c) John Rowe 2017
Contemporary still life paintings
“Space Time, 24″ X 24,” oil on canvas
Figurative Art
“Acceptance,” 36″ X 36,” oil on canvas
Figurative Art
“The Flame,” 48″ X 60,” oil on canvas

The range of Rowe’s work is stunning — and inspirational. While many artists hone their skills on portraiture, landscape, still life, and figurative subjects, Rowe has done it all, from book illustration to movie posters, traditional subjects, and beyond. “I never set out to create artworks in such a wide range,” he says, “but I was very determined to earn my living creating art and accepted almost any project that would accomplish that at the beginning. The wide variety of work I was offered defined its own path. Besides, everything in life is so interesting. To me, everywhere you turn, there is wonder and amazement worth studying, worth painting, worth thinking about. Over time I have been letting the subjects that hold my interest the least go and used personal works to evolve in directions that are meaningful to me.”

Oil portrait paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
John Rowe, “Her Gift,” 2015, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in. (c) John Rowe 2017

Rowe’s recently completed “Her Gift” is a terrific — and gorgeous — example of his new direction in portrait paintings. Before a soothing solid background, the viewer is presented with two subjects: a brown and dark-haired mother tenderly grasping a pale-skinned infant. Albeit simple in subject, the piece bursts with emotional and interpretive potential. The piece has a very special meaning to the artist, made palpable through his description.

He writes, “The painting of my wife and our foster child — who has since been returned to his family — is still very close to me. I watched my wife over months give her love and strength and protection to this child. Tears, joy, fierce protection, devotion, sleepless nights — all while knowing she might never see him again but that he would carry the sense of being loved unconditionally into his future life and it would become a foundation for him. We had taken classes to learn about how those first relationships can lay a groundwork for the core of who you become. I wanted the differences in hair, skin, and ethnicity to be apparent and for the emotional connection between her and the baby to be strong enough to make that completely irrelevant. I wanted to leave the viewer with the feeling of profound love that only a mother can have for her child.”

“We did a photo shoot at my studio, and I combined several different shots together,” he says. “I closed her eyes to give the composition a feeling of peace and began painting. To me one of the most important parts was her hand. Each finger held the baby differently: from the talon-like security of her thumb and forefinger gripping him, to the gentle touch of her ring finger and pinky left floating in space, half touching and half letting go, as she would eventually have to do. I painted my wife’s face out of focus so other mothers could relate to her and not become too specific. The child’s fine hair was represented as real as possible so the viewer could relate to the fragile nature and delicate features of a baby.”

Oil portrait paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
John Rowe, “Make-up,” 2015, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in. (c) John Rowe 2017
Oil portrait paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
John Rowe, “Stephanie,” 2015, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. (c) John Rowe 2017

Rowe hopes to continue producing portrait paintings such as “Her Gift” for gallery spaces into the future. After spending a long career creating illustrations for major publishers, Rowe endeavors to create artworks that are meaningful to his viewers and collectors. He concludes, “I think if I am able to do that from time to time during the rest of my career, that is what would make me happy.”

Realism portrait paintings
“Tara,” 48″ x 36,” oil on canvas

To view more works, including contemporary portrait paintings, visit John Rowe.

Article originally written by Andrew Webster

This article 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.

Friday Virtual Gallery Walk for May 1, 2020

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Friday Virtual Gallery Walk

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.

Small Series: A special series of 12" x 12" original paintings by Debra Ferrari, Oil and Acrylics on Canvas; Ferrari Gallery.
Small Series: A special series of 12″ x 12″ original paintings by Debra Ferrari, Oil and Acrylics on Canvas; Ferrari Gallery

 

The Herdsman by Robert Duncan, Oil on Canvas, 22 x 28 in.; Trailside Galleries.
The Herdsman by Robert Duncan, Oil on Canvas, 22 x 28 in.; Trailside Galleries

 

Discovery by William Berra, Oil, 30 x 30 in.; Pitzer’s Fine Arts
Discovery by William Berra, Oil, 30 x 30 in.; Pitzer’s Fine Arts

 

Acoma Bouquet by Brad Price, Oil, 40 x 30 in.; Pitzer’s Fine Arts
Acoma Bouquet by Brad Price, Oil, 40 x 30 in.; Pitzer’s Fine Arts

 

Gabriel (Youth Approaching a Well), by Anthony Baus, signed and dated 2019, Oil on Linen, 32 x 46 in.; Robert Simon Fine Art
Gabriel (Youth Approaching a Well) by Anthony Baus, signed and dated 2019, Oil on Linen, 32 x 46 in.; Robert Simon Fine Art

 

Farmyard Friends by John F. Herring, Jr. (circa 1820-1907), Oil on canvas, 12 x 18 in.; Rehs Galleries, Inc.
Farmyard Friends by John F. Herring, Jr. (circa 1820-1907), Oil on canvas, 12 x 18 in.; Rehs Galleries, Inc.

 

Bed Hare by Lucia Heffernan, Oil on panel, 15 x 15 in.; Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc.
Bed Hare by Lucia Heffernan, Oil on Panel, 15 x 15 in.; Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc.

 

Optimist by Stuart Dunkel, Oil on panel, 5 x 7 in.; Tree’s Place Gallery
Optimist by Stuart Dunkel, Oil on Panel, 5 x 7 in.; Tree’s Place Gallery

 

Lone Star State by Mallory Agerton, Oil, 24 x 36.; Gallery 330
Lone Star State by Mallory Agerton, Oil, 24 x 36.; Gallery 330

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.

High Desert Dreams: Pastel and Oil Landscape Exhibition

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"White Tank Spring"

At the core of artist Christine Debrosky’s work is the celebration of the seasons, in a dance of sunlight and shadow. She is delighted to present her pastel and oil impressions of the many hued and textured desert Southwest, comprising more than 70 works in an online exhibition at christinedebrosky.com.

“Clear Cool Creek”

Enchanted with the Arizona’s azure skies, crimson canyons and beautifully varied desert flora she has been painting the environs en plein air and in her Clarkdale studio since moving to the area 11 years ago.

“Saffron Aspen”

She has exhibited her work across the United States and Europe winning numerous awards and recognition for her light filled impressions, which have been hailed as “ tranquil yet stirring, “ and “evocative of nature’s solace“ in such prestigious venues such as the American Impressionist society, L’Art du Pastel en France, and the Pastel Society of America. Several of her paintings are currently in an exhibit in Montlucon, France, as an invited guest.

“Deep Vermillion Shadows”

During the pandemic, Christine has been posting daily images, video clips, and the stories behind the paintings from the exhibition on Facebook and Instagram.


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Featured Artwork: Robert Goldman presented by the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

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A Moment in Time
Oil
40 x 30 in.

The 12th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art will recognize the achievements of 23 artists who have successfully interpreted the canyon,
both in plein air and studio work.

During Plein Air at Grand Canyon from September 12-19, visitors can watch the artists at work painting at Grand Canyon National Park. Their work will be exhibited at Kolb Studio at the South Rim September 20, 2020 through January 18, 2021.

In addition to the plein air work the artists do during the event, they also submit
a studio painting for the event catalog. Of his studio painting A Moment in Time Arizona artist Robert Goldman says:

“For the artist, the Grand Canyon presents a uniquely dramatic geological and pictorial wonderland which contains all the elements necessary for a work of art.
Certain times of day such as dawn or dusk are the icing on the cake and can provide a truly sublime and compelling image which cannot be conveyed by a photograph. Such was the case with my painting A Moment in Time which depicts dramatic Yaki Point at sunset. I felt the need to add some shots of light on the cliff face, with the full moon ascending as the sun was setting.”

Goldman won PleinAir Magazine’s Best of Show award for the body of plein air work he completed during the 2019 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art.

On Saturday September 14th from 8:00am to 10:00am Goldman and the CoA artists will be participating in a Quick Draw along the South Rim with an auction of their work starting at 11:00am at Bright Angel Trailhead.

The Celebration of Art exhibit and sale opens at 11:00am on September 20, 2020, and will be open daily through January 18, 2021, at the historic Kolb Studio at the South Rim of Grand Canyon. Admission is free and open to the public.

Please visit https://www.grandcanyon.org/get-involved/events/celebration-of-art/
or contact Kathy Duley at [email protected] or 480.277.0458 for more information.

Featured Artwork: Deborah Allison

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Finding the Calm
Oil on linen
22 x 12 in.

“I thought I was stressed then! Life has certainly taken some turns since starting this piece and what was stressful last year is nothing compared to the present. So perhaps, the painting is timely, even though the subject is from the past. Peace is timeless.

As a response to the stress and drama I was experiencing, I selected some images from the years I’d lived in Europe. There is something about ancient architecture, with its grace and strength, which inspires a deep peace within. This sacred space, the Chapter Room of the Abbey de Fontenay, with the rhythmical arches and balance of natural and manmade lighting, became the perfect subject in which to immerse myself. Using traditional oil techniques, including a detailed drawing, color underpainting and final form painting, all while listening to Gregorian chants, this work became a meditation piece. It is my hope that the peace that I felt while working on this painting shines through and bestows on the viewer a quiet moment in this crazy world.”

Finding the Calm was most recently in Allison’s exhibit People and Places on display at Holder Dane Art Gallery in Grapevine, Texas. Though Allison is generally known for her finely expressive portraiture, she balances her human portraits with “portraits” of spaces and landscapes, endowing each with a serene quality, evoking a sense that the viewer is part of the piece. As a resident artist at Holder Dane where she exhibits and paints and teaches, Allison is open and available to speak with visitors to the gallery generously sharing her knowledge and insights.

Inspired by the depth and dimension of art while in living in Paris, Allison began her training with private art teachers, quickly turning to teaching on European painting holidays. These experiences have been rounded out by numerous painting and portrait workshops along with intensive study with Anthony Ryder at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe.

Allison has had work accepted into and displayed at national and regional juried shows with Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society of America – Texas, Pastel Society of the Southwest, American Artists Professional League, Hunting Art Prize as well as numerous group and solo shows.

View more of Deborah Allison’s work on her website, and connect with her on Facebook.

Featured Artwork: Carmen Drake

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Nasturtiums
24 x 18 in.
oil on linen panel
Available thru artist at [email protected]

Since childhood Carmen has had a passion for art and a love for nature. In 1984 she attended the Paire College of Arts until she moved to North Carolina in 1986. With a child on the way, she put her focus on family and filled any extra moments with creating decorative pieces and custom work for a boutique shop, Rosemary Etc. of Pinehurst, NC.

In 2003 she decided to combine her love of art and antiques and opened C.R. Drake Mercantile, a shop specializing in primitive antiques, reproduction furniture and her artwork. In 2008, she received the Special Operations Fund Scholarship making it possible for her to attend the Academy of Classical Design and study with D. Jeffrey Mims. She continued her education at the atelier as a student teacher for nearly three years before studying under the direction of Paul S. Brown.

Carmen resides at Oak Hollow Farm which is sited above the waters of Wads Creek just south of Carthage, North Carolina. Here she finds inspiration for her paintings by surrounding herself with antiques, flower gardens, farm animals and nature. Carmen hopes to translate the emotional and physical connection she has with her subject, finding beauty in an overlooked wildflower or a castaway antique umbrella.

She works from life in her North light studio, the 1901 original homestead to the property that she and her fiancé renovated. Not only does the studio serve for creating her paintings, she also offers lessons and hosts nationally known artists such as Rob Liberace, Colleen Barry, Michael Klein, Amaya Gurpide and Katie Whipple for workshops.

Carmen has shown her work in Ann Long Fine Art, Charleston, SC; East Oaks Studios, Raleigh, NC; Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena, CA; and Collins Galleries, Orleans, MA.

Recent awards include Best Floral in the 2019 PleinAir Salon and Still Life Finalist in the 2019 Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition.

To see Carmen’s work and to keep up with current events:
Facebook: Carmen Fine Art or Oak Hollow Studios
Instagram: carmendrakefineart
Website: www.carmendrakefineart.com

Collins Galleries, Orleans, Cape Cod, MA

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