A special artistic treat awaits visitors to Haynes Galleries in Thomaston, Maine, later this month. How do demonstrations, manicured gardens, a new landscape book, and superb paintings sound?
 
Anyone with a passion for outstanding landscape and a magnetic personality behind it should book Haynes Galleries in their calendars this month. Plein air painter and landscape master Roger Dale Brown returns to Haynes’ walls on August 19 through September 24, but that’s just the beginning. In conjunction with another solo exhibition by the lovely Zoey Frank, Brown will present a number of new works, both large and small, produced during recent travels around the country.
 

Roger Dale Brown, “Basking in the Last Light,” oil on canvas, 20 x 40 in. (c) Haynes Galleries 2016

 
Both exhibitions will open on August 19 with a free reception from 5-7:30 P.M. In addition, from 3-5 P.M. Brown will share his passion for painting during an exclusive painting demonstration among the groomed gardens of Haynes Galleries. “Brown will narrate as he works so guests will experience his passion for painting first hand,” the gallery reports. “He will discuss his travels and painting trips as well as how he picks his scenes, what makes for an interesting and engaging composition, and his painting process.”
 
The exhibition was inspired in part by the recent release of Brown’s new book under the same title: “A Passion for Painting.” On August 20, Brown will also be available to sign books and field questions about his journey. “‘Roger Dale Brown: A Passion for Painting’ is a chance to see iconic vistas and unfamiliar scenery captured on canvas delicately and with care” the gallery continues. “But it is also a chance to experience the beauty of the landscape as Brown sees it, through the eyes of one of the premier plein air artists working today.”
 
To learn more, visit Haynes Galleries.
 
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.
 

A half-life-sized version of this incredible sculpture was deemed 2014’s most creative sculpture in the world. When is the world premiere of the life-sized version? Tomorrow, in fact.
 
Considered one of today’s best living sculptors, Paige Bradley displays a nearly flawless command of figurative sculpture. “Form and Figure” — an exhibition that will showcase new works by Bradley and Mark Yale Harris — opens tomorrow, August 12, at Canyon Fine Art in Santa Fe.
 
Among the most anticipated works to be shown is the first-ever life-sized version of Bradley’s 2014 sculpture “Expansion” — which was ranked the world’s most creative public sculpture that same year. The incredible work displays a lone female figure in a meditative posture — legs crossed, arched back, and arms extended outward from the body. Cracks in the sculpture reveal an inner light meant to represent the light of the sitter’s spirit. “‘Expansion, Lifesize’ has been a dream of mine since 2004, when I placed the original, smaller version in a Brooklyn park” writes Bradley. “As ‘Expansion’ was lit up, photographers literally began running to it and feverishly taking photos as the sunlight turned to dusk. Now that Canyon Fine Art has helped me create a life-size version of her, I feel like my dream of having this sculpture placed somewhere exciting is closing in.”
 

Mark Yale Harris, “Awakening III (Monumental),” bronze, 48 x 39 x 21 in. (c) Canyon Fine Art 2016

 
Not to be overshadowed by Bradley’s unveiling of “Expansion, Lifesize” are the stunning sculptures of Mark Yale Harris. Harris’ works are, stylistically, much more simplified as his forms are reduced to basic geometric shapes. They will undoubtedly provide a fascinating contrast with Bradley’s anatomically convincing works. Further, Harris’ works will also showcase wildlife subjects in addition to the figurative, giving the show diversity and exceptional range.
 
“Form and Figure” opens tomorrow, August 12, at Canyon Fine Art in Santa Fe and will be on view through September 9. To learn more, visit Canyon Fine Art.
 
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.
 

Although the average person might immediately think of towering Himalayan mountains when thinking of Tibet, the nation is also the birthplace of Buddhism — making it culturally invaluable and ripe for a skillful brush.
 
Buddhists from all over the globe travel to Tibet each year as part of pilgrimage to the various culturally significant monasteries scattered throughout its rocky lands. In addition to the pilgrims, native Tibetans have preserved an ancient culture often revealed through spectacular dress, spiritual ceremonies, and performance that — unfortunately — continues to display the modern world’s effect year by year.
 

Huihan Liu, “Curiosity,” oil on canvas, 12 x 9 in. (c) Trailside Galleries 2016

 
In 1987, artist Huihan Liu, a native of southern China, made the first of a number of visits to the rooftop of the world and was instantly taken by the culture and hospitality of the local residents. After 29 years, “I can’t tell whether I go back in order to paint, or I paint in order to go back,” Liu admits. Whichever it may be, the artistic products are undeniably beautiful and will — for years to come — help preserve the historical culture of this small nation.
 

Huihan Liu, “Tibetan Saddle,” oil on canvas, 12 x 16 in. (c) Trailside Galleries 2016

 
Ten outstanding works produced from Liu’s travels to Tibet are the subjects of a solo exhibition this month at Trailside Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. “Huihan Liu: Journeys to Tibet” highlights not just the rich traditions and dress of native Tibetans, but additionally Liu’s masterful ability to harness this spirit in his works. Using feathery and expressive brushwork, the paintings have a timeless appeal and dream-like aura that lends itself to tradition. Mostly figurative in subject, a diverse range of dress, color, age, and narrative are explored in the various paintings.
 

Huihan Liu, “Pilgrims Making Wishes, Lhasa,” oil on linen, 30 x 24 in. (c) Trailside Galleries 2016

 
“Huihan Liu: Journeys to Tibet” opened on August 1 and will be on view through August 31 at Trailside Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. To learn more, visit Trailside Galleries.
 
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.
 

It seems hard to believe that incredibly valuable works of art are still being discovered among piles of family storage or — in this case — in a bric-a-brac stall in a French flea market. But should it be?
 
Whenever cases of art discovery surface in mainstream news, there always seems to be a degree of disbelief. How could a masterpiece by that artist be lying out in the open, for anyone to discover or purchase? However, while museum-goers and gallery enthusiasts have the pleasure of seeing many of the greatest works of art in person, the fact remains that many lay undiscovered — especially since so many works were stolen by the Nazis during World War II.
 
The most recent eye-opening discovery emanates from Sarrebourg — a small town in eastern France, where a retired French archaeologist was browsing various stalls in the local flea market. An engraving caught the man’s discerning eye, and experience told him of the work’s potential value and historical significance. As he examined the work, a faded stamp on the verso of the print confirmed his suspicions: Staatsgalerie.
 
As it turns out, the engraving discovered is the work of the king of printmaking, Albrecht Dürer, who was born in 1471 in Nuremberg, southern Germany. Titled “Maria Crowned by an Angel,” the print had been missing since World War II and presumed lost. As only an honorable person can do, the buyer donated the print anonymously back to the Staatsgalerie, where museum curators are still determining how to properly display it. Experts agree that the print is in outstanding condition and was likely produced circa 1520. Not bad for, reportedly, just a few euros at a flea market.
 
To learn more, visit ArtNet.
 
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.
 

In this ongoing series for Fine Art Today, we take a longer look at the history and features of a soon-to-be-available artwork of note. This week: Wojciech Gerson, “Dawn.”
 
A beautiful original from the hand of one of Poland’s most celebrated 19th-century artists heads to auction Saturday, August 13 in Sopot, Poland. A longtime professor of the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Wojciech Gerson (1831-1901) was among the foremost champions of the Polish school of Realism during the mid-19th century.
 
Unfortunately, original works by Gerson are rare — making the opportunity to own or even view one incredibly exciting. During World War II, the Nazis apparently stole a large quantity of his works, which remain unrecovered to this day.
 
Available for purchase this week is the artist’s compelling “Dawn” — a beautiful image of a single female subject. Framed within a dramatic vertical format, the bare-chested subject raises her arms above her head as her entire body appears to be pulled or drawn by an unknown source to the viewer’s left. Although the piece undeniably shows its age, Gerson’s Romantic roots are evident in the striking pose and in the euphoric relaxation that falls over the woman’s face.
 
Auction estimates are between $57,000 and $62,000. To view the full catalogue, visit Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny.
 
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.
 

Fine Art Today and Streamline Publishing Inc. join a chorus of praise and admiration as a fine art icon celebrates his 90th birthday.

Tomorrow, August 5, fine art icon and renowned portraitist Everett Raymond Kinstler will celebrate his 90th birthday. From all of us at Streamline Publishing, we wish you the happiest of birthdays!

Born in 1926 and a native New Yorker, Kinstler began his famed art career at age 16 drawing illustrations in comic books and paperbacks during the “Golden age” of comic book artists. After studying at the Art Students League in New York, Kinstler transitioned to portraiture and quickly became one of the most sought-after artists in the country.

Everett R. Kinstler, “President Gerald R. Ford, Official White House Portrait,” oil, 34 x 40 in.
(c) Everett R. Kinstler 2016

Although Kinstler would continue to paint landscape and watercolor, portraiture remained his staple as esteemed clientele were eager to employ his extraordinary eye. Among the more than 1,200 portraits are figures such as Peter O’Toole, Paul Newman, John Wayne, John D. Rockefeller III, Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and many more. In 1999, Kinstler received the Copley Medal from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, its highest honor.

Everett R. Kinstler, “Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss),” oil, (c) Everett R. Kinstler 2016

Here’s to continued success and good health! Cheers!

To learn more, visit Everett R. Kinstler.

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.

On July 28, Creighton Block Gallery had the pleasure of hosting the first annual Big Sky Art Auction, which saw a number of notable consignments and robust total sales.

Nearly 50 outstanding artworks headlined the first annual Big Sky Art Auction at Creighton Block Gallery in Big Sky, Montana, this past weekend. Although final sales for individual artworks were not made available, organizers report that over 75 percent of the available lots sold. 

Particularly noteworthy is the auction’s overwhelming support of the local community. A percentage of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Spanish Peaks Community Foundation, the Moonlight Community Foundation, and the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter. 

Among the notable consignments was R. Tom Gilleon’s “Poia” — a beautiful and powerful portrait of a Native American. Set against a royal blue background, the use of fiery red and orange hues in the subject’s visage enliven the work with a compelling spirit and individuality. 

To learn more, visit the Big Sky Art Auction.

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.
 

It’s never too early to get excited about the Oil Painters of America (OPA) Eastern Regional. What lovely works can you see in person?
 
Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Eisele Gallery is overjoyed to be the chosen host of the OPA’s Eastern Regional Juried Exhibition this September. The exhibition opens September 9 and will be shown through October 8, as artists, collectors, enthusiasts, and more will converge to view the latest and greatest works of oil painting in the country.
 

Angela Campbell, “Keys Twilight,” oil, 26 x 40 in. (c) OPA 2016

Karla Mann, “Spring is Here,” oil, 8 x 10 in. (c) OPA 2016

Jeff Morrow, “The Designer,” oil, 24 x 30 in. (c) OPA 2016

Jenny Buckner, “It’s a Hard Life,” oil, 12 x 24 in. (c) OPA 2016

 
An opening reception will be held on Friday, September 9, at the gallery. Nearly 700 artworks were submitted to the Eastern Regional Exhibition and of those only 110 artists were selected to be part of the show. The organization writes, “Total awards for this year’s Eastern Regional Exhibition are expected to exceed $15,000, including $4,000 for Best of Show award.”
 
To learn more, visit Eisele Gallery or OPA.
 
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.