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The Essence of Light and Silence

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Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “Mezzogiorno,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 30 x 60 cm (11.8 x 23.6 in.)

Matteo Massagrande, a native of Padua, has become both an outstanding contemporary Italian painter and a seminal artist of the figurative representational movement in European painting. His works are exhibited alongside the art of such masters as Lopez Garcia, David Hockney, and Vincent van Gogh.

The cornerstone of his artistic credo is to establish continuity between the past and the present, integrating the time-honored values of art history with the innovative endeavors of modern painting and its tendency towards experimentation. His work is a continuation of the purest tradition of Venetian painting, in which, for centuries, color and light have remained the most important means of expression.

Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “Tre porte,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 60 x 90 cm (23.6 x 35.4 in.)

Massagrande artfully manipulates the diverse possibilities inherent in material. The scratched, cracked surfaces of his works made a few years ago were reminiscent of antique frescos, while the powerful chiaroscuro of the latest paintings produces an extremely exciting facture that makes the humblest crack in the plasterwork, the tiniest patch of flaking paint, monumental in effect.

A dominant effect of Massagrande’s painting is silence, the capturing of motionless moments in the present while simultaneously referring back to the past and looking forward into the future. While the foreground is frozen in a “lifeless” timelessness, the lush vegetation of the background hints at the possibility of movement and change.

Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “Sera,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 70 x 100 cm (27.5 x 39.4 in.)

The interlocking rooms and corridors, the backlit interiors, and the diverse geometric patterns of the floor tiles are reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch painting. He combines the linear perspective and strict space-construction of Renaissance painting with an early 20th-century modernist treatment of space.

He uses both cold and warm lights, which now bring out, now blur, the sharp contours and, radiating from all directions, make the colours glow. All these effects create a rhythm for the painting as Massagrande harmonizes the manner in which Vermeer and the Venetian masters treated light with the heritage of 20th-century Italian painting.

Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “La persiana,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 40 x 70 cm (15.7 x 27.5 in.)

What Matteo Massagrande performs is a systematic series of painterly experiments, probing into space, color, perspective, and light. Every one of his works is marked by the desire to articulate an original visual system that stems from classicist principles. This is the ultimate value of his painting and full expression of his artistic philosophy.

Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “ Villa,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 60 x 60 cm (23.6 x 23.6 in.)
Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “Il portone,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 40 x 70 cm (15.7 x 27.5 in.)
Contemporary artists - Matteo Massagrande - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Matteo Massagrande, “Bryant Park,” 2018, oil and mixed media on board, 150 x 100 cm (59 x 39.3 in.)

View his work in person during the fine art exhibition, “Matteo Massagrande: The Essence of Light and Silence,” which is on view at Pontone Gallery (London) through January 6, 2019.


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647 Entrants, to 10 Finalists, to $50,000

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Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Daniela Kovacic

Ten finalists were recently announced for the $50,000 Bennett Prize, the largest art award offered solely to women painters.

The 10 were selected from among 647 entrants, a number that greatly surpassed expectations of 350 entries for the inaugural year. Endowed at the Pittsburgh Foundation by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, this first-of-its-kind prize is designed to propel the careers of women artists.

“The response has been incredible — exceeding our best hopes — and the paintings submitted for consideration are stunning,” said Art Martin, a juror and director of collections and exhibitions at the Muskegon Museum of Art, where finalists’ works will be presented beginning May 2, 2019. The $50,000 winner will be announced at the exhibition opening. An exhibition of the finalists’ works will travel following the Muskegon Museum of Art opening. Stops in the Pennsylvania cities of Pittsburgh and Reading are planned, and more venues will be added.

The 10 Bennett Prize finalists are:
Dorielle Caimi, Santa Fe, NM
Jennifer Campbell, Washington, DC
Kira Nam Greene, Brooklyn, NY
Mary Henderson, Philadelphia, PA
Aneka Ingold, Tampa, FL
Stefanie Jackson, Athens, GA
Daniela Kovacic, Evanston, IL
Rebecca Leveille, Amherst, MA
Jenny Morgan, Brooklyn, NY
Carrie Pearce, Peoria, IL

Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Rebecca Leveille
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Mary Henderson
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Kira Nam Greene
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Jenny Morgan
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Jennifer Campbell
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Dorielle Caimi
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Stefanie Jackson
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Carrie Pearce
Contemporary artists - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Aneka Ingold

A four-member jury, which includes renowned realist painters Maria Tomasula and Andrea Kowch, selected the finalists, who will each receive $1,000 to participate in the exhibition. The winner of the Bennett Prize will receive $25,000 annually for two years to allow her to devote the time necessary to mount a solo exhibition of figurative realist paintings, which will open at the Muskegon Museum of Art in 2021 and then travel the country.

The Bennett Prize spotlights women artists who are or seek to become full-time painters but have not yet reached full professional recognition. The prize is also designed to allow the public to learn more about the creative vision of talented women painters working in the increasingly popular style of figurative realism.

“More people should be seeing the important figurative realist paintings that women are creating. These painters have much to say at a time when we’re struggling to understand human differences, including gender and race,” said prize benefactor Bennett.

Bennett and Schmidt, of San Antonio, Texas, endowed a $3 million fund at the Pittsburgh Foundation to ensure the prize will be awarded every two years in perpetuity.

“When we first announced the prize and the exhibition surrounding it, we knew there was a need for more support for women artists, but we had no way of knowing just where this project might go,” Schmidt said. “This level of interest has given us the assurance that the Bennett Prize and exhibition can be sustained and grown, helping give voice and support to figurative women painters around the country for years to come.”

The Bennetts collaborated with the Pittsburgh Foundation in part because of its experience funding local artists and artists of color through its Investing in Professional Arts and Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grant-making programs, which the foundation runs in collaboration with the Heinz Endowments, also based in Pittsburgh.

Maxwell King, Pittsburgh Foundation president and CEO, acknowledged the crucial role of the prize in elevating the work of women painters. “The Bennetts recognize the need to encourage more women to take their rightful place in the art world. Their vision and their partnership with the Pittsburgh Foundation exemplify the very best ways in which community foundations help donors develop and implement life-changing ideas,” King said.

Schmidt and Bennett are among the country’s top collectors of figurative realist art and are committed to seeing that talented women painters receive long-overdue recognition.

“There should be as many paintings by women as men in museums, commanding the same prices and critical esteem,” Schmidt said. “Our goal is to help make that happen.”

Also recognized as part of the Bennett Prize jury process are ten honorable mentions:
Bryony Bensly, Lunenburg, MA
Shiqing Deng, Brooklyn, NY
Michelle Doll, Hoboken, NJ
Jessica Gordon, Davidson, NC
Sasha Gordon, Somers, NY
Sylvia Maier, Brooklyn, NY
Nora Martin-Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Felicita Norris, San Jose, CA
Rebecca Orcutt, Brooklyn, NY
Natasha Young, Kealia, HI

More information about the Bennett Prize is at www.thebennettprize.org.
More information about the Bennetts and their art collection is at www.thebennettartcollection.com.


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Plunge: Multi-Media Portrayals of Water

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Seascape paintings
Laurie Meyer, “Thank You, Sur,” 16 x 20 in.

Water: The dictionary defines it as “a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid.” But water is also a powerful and dangerous force; a way to cool off in the hot summer; a tourist’s bait; free; exclusive; undersupplied; taken for granted; a necessity for living.

Contemporary abstract paintings
Sandy Ostrau, “Patch of Green,” 24 x 24 in.

In this group exhibition, artists take their inspiration from the complex element of H20. Seascapes captured with oil, abstract paintings influenced by the movement of liquid, portraits of water and its various containers, and more will be featured in this multi-media display. Artists include Laurie Meyer, Sandy Ostrau, Diane Eugster, and Susan Colwell, in addition to 3D glass artist Dylan Martinez.

Paintings of Water
Diane Eugster, “These Three Things,” 14 x 14 in.

About the subject, Meyer states, “I am a Pisces — born to live near the water. I don’t have to always see it, but simply knowing the ocean is a few miles away soothes my soul. Water is inherently clear, and it’s the natural surroundings, land, light, and sky, that give it color. For this show, I have studied the color of water in various lighting scenarios from here and from my travels. Both calm and energized, water is the ultimate force.”

Contemporary sculpture
Dylan Martinez, glass sculptures

An opening reception celebrating the exhibition’s theme will be held on Friday, December 7, coinciding with the Charleston Gallery Association Art Walk event. The exhibition runs at Meyer Vogl (Charleston, SC) from December 7 to 28, 2018.


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A Relentless Pursuit

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Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Patricia Griffin, "Wilhelm," oil on linen, 60 x 48 in.

Wildlife paintings and article by Patricia Griffin
(www.patriciaagriffin.com)

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Wildlife artist Patricia Griffin

There is a tingling sensation throughout my body when I witness an animal in its native habitat. I travel from the Arctic to the Equator in relentless pursuit of this experience. It occurs in the last strongholds of our diminishing wildlife.

I am a wildlife painter, photographer, researcher, naturalist, and conservationist. I use my work as a billboard for awareness — a vehicle for the awakening of the human soul to the necessity of protecting and preserving that which does not speak a human language.

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Patricia Griffin, “Norse,” oil on linen, 40 x 30 in.

Sixty percent of wildlife has disappeared since my birth in 1967. There is an urgency in my work. I hike, swim, ski, drive, fly, and boat to the areas that have been preserved by forward-thinking leaders and activists. I study the diets, footprints, scat, behaviors, history, and environment of the animals I paint. I observe them with a quiet, meditative calmness, and patience that has taken me years to develop. I am intoxicated by their untamed presence, and in awe as they enter my view. The elation that pulses through my veins is not contained within me, and my aura expands out to greet that of the animal I am experiencing.

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Patricia Griffin, “Daisy,” oil on linen, 60 x 20 in.

I strive to capture the subtle glance of a species comfortable with my presence, the recognition of our forms existing in a shared space. The moment the windows of our souls connect is essential to the art I create. The rewards for my perseverance are great; the witnessing fuels a continuum of an experience from the animal to oil paint — an everlasting, archival documentation of an observation preserved for humanity on linen. I am the conduit, the interpreter, the observer, and the medium. I recreate my reality in a way that embodies a connection to the animal kingdom on an intuitive level, to be perceived by viewers as their own awakening to the animal spirit — the totem that exists within, to draw strength and knowledge beyond the human existence.

Oil painting is the declaration, the testimony, that fuels my choices of composition, light, and shadow. Layer upon layer of luscious color creates atmosphere surrounding form, with strokes that bring a moment into perpetual life, the wild extracted into vibrating painting on linen. The resulting image is a window to a broader understanding of shared, universal consciousness.

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Patricia Griffin, “Tracker,” oil on linen, 72 x 48 in.

The work I create is collected internationally, represented by galleries, shown in museums, and published in books. The sale of my work has allowed me to contribute 10 percent of the proceeds to a broad platform of conservation efforts.

My commitment to conservation started in first grade with a crayon drawing, in a contest for wildfire awareness. I can still see the drawing in my head: Smokey the Bear, in his quintessential hat and blue overalls (what he wore in the 70s), standing with a shovel in hand next to a blackened, burned-out tree with flames at the base, a puff of smoke reaching to the sky, and the cream color of construction paper. I won first place and received a bobblehead Smokey, a blue ribbon, and some papers of accomplishment. All gone now, except my memory, the message, and my blue ribbon standard, to protect all that is wild from human degradation.

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Patricia Griffin, “Balthazara,” oil on linen, 60 x 48 in.

I began donating close to home, to the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. In 2004, I acquired the Wesley Church, a 1900s brick building whose rafters house one of the largest brown bat maternity colonies in northeastern Pennsylvania. The protection of this particular bat species is significant, as they have only one or two pups a year. The church’s peaked roof and rafters, and hot summer temperatures, act as an incubator for hundreds of developing pups. The colony at Wesley Church can consume more than three quarters of a million mosquitoes each night. Students from both Pennsylvania State University and East Stroudsburg University research and collect data on site.

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Patricia Griffin, “Successors,” oil on linen, 72 x 48 in.

In 2012, I joined Artists For Conservation (AFC) as a Signature Member. Their vision is “to lead a global artistic movement that inspires individuals and organizations to preserve and sustain our natural heritage by uniting the talent and passion of the world’s most gifted nature artists.” Currently, two of my paintings are traveling in the Silent Skies Mural project. “Silent Skies” is an international collaborative super-mural mosaic, featuring all 678 endangered bird species in the world; 160 AFC artists from 15 countries participated in the project. The 100-foot installation formed the artistic centerpiece of the 27th International Ornithological Congress in August 2018 in Vancouver, BC. After the Congress, the mural is touring internationally.

For the last six years, it has been an honor to be an invited to participate in the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), the largest event of its kind in the nation. SEWE promotes wildlife and nature conservation and preservation. Over 40,000 attendees come to see artists, exhibitors, and wildlife experts from around the world.

In 2015, I purchased a twenty-acre plot of wetlands (otherwise available for development), to preserve the skunk cabbage, an essential early spring diet for a mother black bear who returns yearly with her cubs in April to feed.

Wildlife paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Wildlife artist Patricia Griffin at the Tetons

Recently, I was a participating artist in the Sketch for Survival 2018 exhibition and auction, sponsored by Explorers Against Extinction. The Sketch for Survival touring exhibition and auction consisted of 26-minute sketches and other signed artworks, all of endangered species. Profits from the auction are donated to African parks, to help establish a program for safeguarding elephants and other iconic species against poaching.

I will continue to use my work as a billboard for awareness — a vehicle for the awakening of the human soul to the necessity of protecting and preserving that which does not speak a human language.


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Winter Luxury Estates: A Fine Art Auction

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Fine art auctions - Jasper Johns
Lot 59: Jasper Johns (New York, b. 1930), “Flag (Moratorium),” 1969, offset lithograph, signed and numbered 159/300, wove paper size: 20 x 28.5 in. Estimate $12,000 – $18,000

Vogt Galleries of Texas presents “Winter Luxury Estates” auction on December 8, 2018, featuring a collection of contemporary art, estate jewelry, and fine silver.

The auction will include American prints and original fine art including works by Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Alexander Calder, Al Souza, Victor Vasarely, New Mexico artist Miguel Martinez, New Orleans artist John Clemmer, a regionalist painting by Georges Schreiber, and works by Texas modernist Ralph White.

Fine art auctions - Miguel Martinez
Lot 136: Miguel Martinez (New Mexico, b. 1951), “Pilgrimage to Chimayo,” 1994, pastel on paper, 30 x 40 in. Estimate $1,500 – $3,000

Lot 59, Jasper Johns’s 1969 masterwork “Flag (Moratorium)” lithograph (shown at top) is presented with a pre-auction estimate of $12,000–18,000. This piece, published by the Committee Against the War in Vietnam, still resonates with collectors today and has recently achieved record auction prices in New York.

Fine art auctions - Robert Rauschenberg
Lot 58: Robert Rauschenberg (New York/Florida, 1925–2008), “Quarry,” 1968, 277/300, print on paper, 34.5 x 26 in. Estimate $1,200 – $1,800

Lot 58 is Robert Rauschenberg’s 1968 lithograph “Quarry,” another collectible piece from the American Postmodern period.

Fine mid-century and modern design pieces by Don Shoemaker, Georg Jensen, Gio Ponti, and others are featured. Estate jewelry highlights include a 4.15 ct. fancy yellow diamond and platinum ring, watches by Cartier, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, many other pieces of diamond, platinum, and gold fine jewelry; many modernist pieces: flatware; a large collection of Lalique and Daum sculptures; French crystal service ware by Baccarat and Saint-Louis; a selection of Mexican and American sterling silver.

Fine art auctions
Lot 154: Ralph White (Texas, 1924–2004), “Transformation,” 1971, acrylic on canvas, sight: 48 x 48 in. Estimate $1,000 – $1,500
Fine art auctions
Lot 56: Alexander Calder (New York, 1898–1976), “Beastie,” lithograph, 19.75 x 25.5 in., frame: 20.25 x 26.25 in. Estimate $300 – $600
Fine art auctions
Lot 31: 4.15 ct. Fancy yellow diamond platinum ring GIA, 160 round brilliant cut diamonds approx. 0.90 ctw. Estimate $45,000 – $55,000
Fine art auctions
Lot 21: Georg Jensen (Denmark, mid-20th century), ”Cactus” Kaktus 39-piece sterling silver flatware set, marked: Georg Jensen Sterling Denmark, total weight: 48 ozt., 1,488 grams. Estimate $3,000 – $4,000

This auction features live online bidding, along with live in-house, written absentee, and live telephone bidding. The auction will begin at 12 noon Central time at Vogt Auction Galleries (San Antonio, Texas).


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Featured Artwork: Sara Jane Reynolds

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Sunlit Susans
18 x 24 in.
Oil on canvas
$1200
Available at Reinert Fine Art

For artist Sara Jane Reynolds, inspiration springs from the beauty and richness of the landscape. As a plein air painter, Sara Jane carries her easel and paints into the marshes and islands of South Carolina’s low country. She also is often found in gardens close to her island home.

Growing up in Pasadena, California, Sara Jane’s parents helped to foster her love of art and the outdoors. Her father was a civil engineer/architect and her mother a musician, poet and painter. Every summer, her family spent time in Yosemite National Park hiking, climbing, and exploring the wilderness of the great Western range. The visual impact of the valleys and vistas left an indelible impression on Sara Jane and helped her relate to the core of artists and writers who journeyed there. “I developed a deep love of nature, self-expression and a strong passion for our great country. On canvas I write love letters in gold and green,” says Sara Jane.

Sunlit Susans is from a series called Flowers from my Garden.

The climate in Charleston supports an amazing variety of colors and varieties that bloom from the middle of May through September, which provides endless inspiration for her artistic expression. Sara Jane enjoys gardening and has created a large garden of roses and hydrangeas, as well as camellias, lilies and herbs around her island home.

“I also frequently paint next door at our neighbors who have a farm with 2000 or more of every variety and color of hydrangea—lace-caps and mop-heads galore!”

Sara Jane is represented by Reinert Fine Art in Charleston, South Carolina.

Professional Organizations
Oil Painters of America
California Art Club
American Impressionist Society
Women Painters of the Southeast

Visit the gallery and Sara Jane’s website to see more of her paintings. Also follow her on Facebook or email her to visit her studio on John’s Island or to discuss a commissioned work.

East/West Visions: Scott Christensen & Quang Ho Oil Paintings

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Oil landscape paintings collection - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Quang Ho, “Quince Blossoms,” oil on linen, 32 x 34 in.

This exhibition brings together two of the country’s top landscape painters, highlighting both the similarities and differences in their styles of oil paintings. Both artists will serve as Featured Artists for the 2018 Southeastern Cowboy Festival & Symposium, delivering the keynote address and workshops during the week.

Oil landscape paintings collection - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Quang Ho, “Heavy Laden,” oil on panel, 48 x 60 in.

Born in Vietnam in 1963, Quang Ho immigrated to the United States in 1975 and is now a U.S. citizen. He first showed interest in art at age three and had his first one-man show as a high school sophomore in Denver. A National Scholastics Art Awards Scholarship allowed him to attend the Colorado Institute of Art.

He graduated in 1985, winning the Best Portfolio award among his graduating class. Art dealer Mikkel Saks took Ho’s work into his gallery and successfully promoted his art. Today, Ho is regarded as one of America’s great artists, with art in major corporate and private collections around the world.

Oil landscape paintings collection - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Quang Ho, “Autumn Woods, WV,” oil on linen, 60 x 80 in.

Working mostly in oils and occasionally in watercolor and pastels, Ho’s subject matter ranges from still lifes and landscapes to interiors, dancers, and figurative works, but he says the subject is of little concern.

“Subject matter is not really important to me,” Ho says. “I can find visual excitement all around me — from a knot on a tree or graceful limp of a flower wilting, to a juxtaposition of a few simple shapes and colors . . . inspirations are inexhaustible. The real essence of painting is the dialogue between shapes, tones, colors, textures, edges, and line. Everything else follows, including light, form, concepts, personal beliefs, and inspirations. One day I may be interested in a color statement, and the next maybe a relationship of simple shapes; with every painting, there is a singular visual thought to be completed.”

Oil landscape paintings collection - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Scott L. Christensen, “Swiss Trail,” 2018, Oil on canvas

Growing up in rural Lander, Wyoming, Scott Christensen’s first exposure to art was watching his wheel­chair-bound grandfather paint. “What I remember best,” Christensen says, “is the smell of paint in that house.”

When Christensen fractured a vertebra in a college football game, he could have easily wound up in the same position. However, by the time he healed, he had decided to give up his first love and concentrate the intense energy and consuming passion he had devoted to sports onto art.

Oil landscape paintings collection - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Scott L. Christensen, “October,” 2018, Oil on canvas

His studies included experimentation with numerous painting styles, viewing works by his friend Dan Gerhartz and closely studying the works of Swedish painter Anders Zorn and Russian artists Isaac Levitan and llya Repin. He also turned to the works of Sir Alfred East and Edgar Payne for inspiration, men who were quite inventive in arranging the most important elements of a scene.

Christensen explains how he uses their example as he approaches trying to capture the essence of a location: “Maybe you’re standing in a place where the sky and the mountains are very dramatic; the trees have incredible color and the water is vibrant. You have to decide what you want your painting to be about, then have the discipline to render that element most important, and then paint everything else to support it.”

Oil landscape paintings collection - FineArtConnoisseur.com
Scott L. Christensen, “Prairie Storm,” 2018, Oil on canvas

Christensen was the 2000 winner of the Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy Museum, the highest honor in Western art. His work can be found in many of America’s most famous museums, such as Gilcrease, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Denver Art Museum, the Kimball Art Museum, and the Autry Museum. Christensen works his magic in Victor, Idaho, in a craftsman-style studio that connects to an elegant exhibition space where collectors are welcome to visit.

“East/West Visions: Scott Christensen & Quang Ho” is on view at the Booth Museum (Cartersville, GA) through January 20, 2019.


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Featured Artwork: Gina Klawitter

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Solstice
88 x 55 x 8 in.
Bas relief: Molded fabric, acrylic paint
Available through the artist

“At the start of my Sculptural Paintings project with Colorado Ballet, I was inspired by seeing iconic black and white photographs of legendary American choreographer and dancer Martha Graham performing in a long, white, swirling dress,” recounted artist Gina Klawitter. “The flowing shapes made by her dress’ fabric were as mesmerizing as Martha’s movements.”

Solstice began as a reflection of those simple, powerful photographs. Gina first cast the artwork’s bas relief structure with Colorado Ballet dancer Arianna Ciccarelli, who is also an emerging choreographer. After removing and priming the form, Gina washed on, then wiped off transparent black paint from the figure and folds. As she stepped back after hanging the art on her studio wall, Gina was struck by its overall appearance of a figure dancing in a still winter night. Tiny spots of white, untouched by the washed black paint, twinkled through the folds. “It was that moment that the title Solstice came to mind,” says Gina. “The Winter Solstice marks a time of quiet reflection, and also a celebration of daylight growing longer. Solstice conveys a calm, spiritual sense of eternity.”

Solstice is a companion piece to Nightscape, which was also inspired by a black and white Graham male dancer photograph. Nightscape is featured in Fine Art Connoisseur’s “Today’s Masters: Go Figure” essay and was selected for Arvada Center Galleries’ biennial “Art of the State” 2019 exhibit.

Gina Klawitter is a seasoned commissioned artist and former art and creative director now emerging into galleries and exhibits with her innovative Sculptural Paintings. You can see her ongoing, rotating exhibit by appointment at Colorado Ballet’s Armstrong Center for Dance.

View more of Gina’s work and learn about upcoming shows by visiting her website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Featured Artwork: John D. Cogan presented by the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

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Shadow and Showers
48 x 36 in.
Acrylic on canvas

John D. Cogan is one of the 25 featured artists who participated in the 10th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art September 8-15, 2018, painting plein air on the South Rim of the Canyon. An exhibit and sale of their work opened at Kolb Studio on September 16. The exhibit and sale will be open daily through January 21, 2019.

Cogan of Farmington, New Mexico strives to capture the splendor of the landscapes of the American Southwest. After studying physics at Rice University, he soon made painting his lifelong vocation. Working almost exclusively in acrylic, his focus is on color and the transient effects of light, with strong attention to detail.

The Grand Canyon has been Cogan’s favorite subjects and he has painted it hundreds of times in all seasons and weather. He has participated in all ten of the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art events. His 2012 studio painting Out of the Depths won the purchase award that year, becoming part of the permanent collection of Grand Canyon Conservancy. He was awarded “Best of Show” in 2015. He has also spent time on the North and South Rims as Artist in Residence.

In addition to the plein air work created during the event, all the CoA artists submit a Grand Canyon themed studio painting. Speaking of his painting Shadow and Showers, Cogan says:

“The Grand Canyon is not only about geology and the Colorado River, it is also about the atmosphere and its weather. Even on a perfectly clear day, the sky sneaks down into the canyon causing the far walls to turn lighter and bluer. As the sun rises or sets, it inflamed disk paints the temples and buttes multi-shades of orange and red. And when the storms come, the rains sink below the horizon and the shadows of clouds float over the land, enveloping the Canyon in mist and mystery.”

For more information please visit:
https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/
or contact Kathy Duley [email protected] or 480.277.0458.

Featured Artwork: Beth Bathe

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Man At The Wheel
16 x 20 in.
Oil on panel
$2100
Available from the artist

Participating in annual plein air competitions, Beth Bathe has the honor of painting in many wonderful locations throughout the United States. Man At the Wheel is a painting of a landmark, bronze sculpture of a fisherman overlooking the harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Honoring those lost at sea, the monument bears the inscription of Psalm 107:23, which reads, “They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships 1623-1923.”

Beth was a featured artist in the 2018 February/March issue of PleinAir Magazine. Her representational paintings have been described by art critics as “evoking nostalgia, like that of an old sepia toned photograph, often with just touches of color.”

Curiosity about the medium Beth works in is often the first question of many viewers. “Is it watercolor, is it oil?” they ask. Beth’s answer: “Somewhat both!” She works with Cobra Water Mixable Oil Colors in a limited tonalist palette, using both brushes and a handful of unconventional tools, such as squeegees and cotton swabs.

A Virginia Commonwealth University graduate, Beth is highly influenced by American regionalist painter Andrew Wyeth. She refers to much of her subject matter as “the vanishing landscape.” The paintings depict the beauty of a time gone by in buildings, barns and old towns.

When not at home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Beth is often on the road, crisscrossing the country, teaching workshops and painting primarily en plein air in high-profile juried and invitational competitions such as Southwest Plein Air, Texas; Plein Air Easton, Maryland; Door County, Wisconsin; and Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

Gallery Representation:
Charles Fine Arts, Gloucester, MA
Crystal Moll Gallery, Baltimore, MD
South Street Art Gallery, Easton, MD
Vermont Artisan Designs, Brattleboro, VT

View more of Beth’s work online, and follow her on Facebook.

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