Many artists view the creative process as a meditative practice that calms the nerves and provides clarity and a great sense of fulfillment. For painter Sergio Roffo, that feeling of serene sanity is often achieved with brush in hand and beauty in mind.
 
1991 proved to be a pivotal year for artist Sergio Roffo, who uprooted himself from the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to a nautical village about 22 miles south. Immediately captivated by the marshes, brackish rivers, and coastal views, Roffo “went from painting cityscapes to coastal landscapes literally overnight,” he says. Flash forward 25 years, and today we find Roffo established as one of the nation’s preeminent painters of coastal views and represented by several major galleries across the Eastern Seaboard.
 

Sergio Roffo, “Through the Channel,” oil on mounted linen, 12 x 24 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016

Sergio Roffo, “Volvo 65 Cup Race,” oil on panel, 12 x 20 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016

 
For Roffo, a painting’s subject often “depends on which gallery I’m painting for at a particular time” he says. “A gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, may be interested in a painting with shrimp boats as its subject, or perhaps a gallery on Nantucket Island may seek a sunset dune scene.” Focusing on each painting individually, Roffo also paints scenes that capture his attention during moments when nature reveals her profound beauty. Recalling the painting of “Towards Big Sur Carmel, CA,” Roffo writes, “I was driving on US1 towards Big Sur and I saw this scene looking towards my right. I had to stop and paint this sublime beauty of a view. The contrast of light and shadow on the rocky cliffs and atmospheric perspective posed a great challenge for me. I immediately set up my easel and finished a small study that I later enlarged in my studio. I tried to incorporate as much detail as possible on location.”
 

Sergio Roffo, “Moored in Calmness,” oil on linen, 30 x 40 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016

Sergio Roffo, “Burning Mist,” oil on linen, 30 x 40 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016

Sergio Roffo, “Light on the Dunes,” oil on mounted linen, 10 x 20 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016

Among Roffo’s chief artistic goals are to “convey to the viewer the illusion of reality from my use of light and color.” He suggests, “A good example of this is within the painting ‘Afternoon Light on the Marsh.’ I was able to capture that great sense of golden light streaking across the marsh.” In addition, painting affords Roffo an opportunity to achieve a sense of sanity in his life. “I have no idea what I would do if I couldn’t paint,” the artist says. “We artists aren’t happy when we aren’t painting. Ultimately, I hope to communicate to my audiences a feeling of calmness and serenity when they view my work. I hope they can relate to a sense of time and place in their lives. My message is trying to convey to the viewer the spirituality and sacredness of my work and to indicate the harmony of nature through color and light.”
 

Sergio Roffo, “Afternoon Light on the Marsh,” oil on linen, 30 x 48 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016

Sergio Roffo, “Path to Shore,” oil on linen, 18 x 30 in. (c) Sergio Roffo 2016
 

Viewing works such as Roffo’s magnetic “Through the Channel,” the inner luminance and masterful use of light warm the soul in ways that recall early American painters from the Hudson River School. Among Roffo’s major influences are Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Church, and Fitz Henry Lane. Recalling his artistic journey, Roffo writes that it’s been “very fulfilling and self satisfying. It takes an extreme amount of discipline and hard work to become a successful artist. Making pictures is a wonderful thing but the business of art is, of course, entirely different. Did I mention trying to balance your domestic life and spending quality time with your family? It’s very challenging indeed, but once you achieve that balance, there’s nothing in the world you’d rather be doing. I intend to be doing more of the same in 5 years: painting with passion and maintaining that life balance. Stay healthy, eat well, drink well, and be happy.”
 
To learn more, visit Sergio Roffo or http://www.facebook.com/SergioRoffoArtist
 
Roffo is also an elected Associate Living Master (ARCALM) by the Art Renewal Center.
 
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.
 

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“Iron Resolve”
Oil on canvas
8 x 20 ft.
$175,000

 www.celebrateart.com
 
About the artist:

Santiago Michalek was born near Buenos Aries, Argentina.  His artistic ability presented itself early in life, following the influence of his grandfather who introduced him to drawing.  Santiago warmly recalls how, as a child, he and his grandfather drew horses while sitting on the veranda of his childhood home.  Those intimate moments sparked a lifelong passion in Santiago, who has been advancing his craft as an artist and a painter ever since.
 
In 2003 Santiago started his own business, restoring vintage models of Volkswagen beetles and buses.  He successfully turned his hobby of tinkering and love for VWs into a profitable business with multiple restoration projects.  He also began to notice that VW owners shared a certain common quirk, each was completely devoted to Volkswagen vehicles, often passionately so.  This fierce devotion resonated with Santiago, whose fondness for VW;s compelled him to be a master on the vehicles, with a near encyclopedic knowledge of their makes and models throughout the car company’s history.
 
Santiago’s love for the beauty and design of the VW has spilled over into his passion for all modes of transportation.  His interpretation of how planes, trains and automobiles have influenced our lives and how the cold, steel machines are a rich part of our history resonate with the viewer.  His paintings are bold, yet filled with warmth and a connection to the emotion that is connected to the passage of time.
 
“Iron Resolve” depicts the resolve of the train engineer in the face of a boulder that has found its way to the path of the train track.  There was no way that this team of train workers was going to let this boulder stop their progress. 
Santiago resides in Utah with his wife and three children.  His works can be seen at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, AZ, which draws visitors from around the globe.
 
The Celebration of Fine Art is a unique art experience which gives the visitors the opportunity to watch 100 artists in their working studios January 16- March 27, 2016 in Scottsdale, AZ.  Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.  Visitors will enjoy strolling through the 100 artists’ studios under the 40,000 square foot exhibit space.  Artists are on-site creating, allowing the visitor to watch them at work, discover what inspires them and the techniques used to create the works of art.  Come to Scottsdale to see more of Santiago’s works in person and discover the stories behind each work of art.  
  
 www.celebrateart.com
 
 

Only two weeks remain for your chance to celebrate 150 years of exceptional representational works at Cavalier Galleries. Where?
 
Open now but only through February 29 at Cavalier Galleries’ Greenwich, Connecticut, location is an exciting exhibition that celebrates 150 years of American representational paintings. Titled “American Paintings: 150 Years of Exceptional Representational Works,” the exhibition juxtaposes outstanding paintings by contemporary artists against those of previous generations and centuries.
 

Frank Corso, “Bragg Hill Farm at Sunset,” 2015, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in. (c) Cavalier Galleries 2016

 
Among the historical artists included are George Bellows, Mary Cassatt, George Inness, Reginald Marsh, Jerome Myers, J. Alden Weir, and Andrew Wyeth, while the contemporary painters represented are Jenness Cortez, Joel Carson Jones, Sarah Lamb, Joseph McGurl, Edward Minoff, Paul Oxborough, Peter Poskas, John Terelak, Douglas Wiltraut, and Li Xiao.
 

John Terelak, “Valley Light,” 2015, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in. (c) Cavalier Galleries 2016

 
Cavalier Galleries writes, “Juxtaposing historical pieces with contemporary works, this special collection of truly masterful paintings and drawings not only shows the important influence that Representational art has had on American life — documenting historical scenes and subjects from a time before photography — but demonstrates how Representational art continues to be a mainstay among many of the world’s greatest painters today. Though Figurativism’s traditional role may have changed since the advent of Abstractionism — its antithesis — as well as photography and digital media, this important genre will never fall out of favor. Artists will always continue to paint what they see in personal ways that put their own ‘spin’ on a subject, landscape or street scene — making each painting distinctive. “Representational paintings can depict the real world or fantasy, but they are always defined by each artist’s individual style and technical skill, and viewers understand and appreciate this.”
 

Andrew Wyeth, “Farm Horse,” 1954, watercolor on paper, 21 x 28 1/2 in. (c) Cavalier Galleries 2016

 
“American Paintings: 150 Years of Exceptional Representational Works” opened on January 14 and will be available through February 29. To learn more, visit Cavalier 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.
 

Tory Folliard Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, recently opened a group exhibition of two supremely talented painters. Who and what can you expect?
 
The stunning details and beauty of nature — both big and small — come to the fore during “Old Souls,” a group exhibition of Wisconsin painters Katie Musolff and Andy Fletcher. The show, which opened on February 13 at Milwaukee’s Tory Folliard Gallery, is the debut exhibition for both artists at the gallery.
 
Musolff’s watercolor and gouache paintings, part of a series entitled “River Journal,” read like a biologist’s field studies. Against a stark white background, Musolff harnesses the beautiful plants and animals she finds along the Mississippi River and arranges them in an even and organized fashion. With an astute and keen observational eye, Musolff meticulously records the objects with watercolor and gouache, achieving remarkable detail. As the gallery suggests, the works “concentrate on the beauty and grace of her surroundings while embracing the remains of the organic world.”
 

Katie Musolff, “My Spring Collection,” watercolor on paper, 31 x 23 in. (c) Tory Folliard Gallery 2016

 
In contrast to Musolff’s detailed renderings are the expansive landscapes by Andy Fletcher. Working in oil, Fletcher composes his landscapes to “explore man’s changing relationship with the land,” as the gallery writes. “His paintings evoke feelings of nostalgia as they celebrate the family farm and an older, more sustainable way of farming.”
 
“Old Souls: Katie Musolff and Andy Fletcher” opened on February 13 and will hang through March 12. To learn more, visit Tory Folliard Gallery.
 
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 view now through March 12 is a delightfully colorful and expressive exhibition in Vero Beach, Florida.
 
The personally expressive and vividly colorful paintings by Edward Noott and Claudia Seymore are on view through March 12 at the esteemed J.M. Stringer Gallery in Vero Beach, Florida. Seymore, former president of the historic Salmagundi Club in New York City, is well known throughout the country for her exquisite still life paintings . Her work has been featured in over 150 juried exhibitions and she’s won countless honors, including best in show and first place awards. Of her work, Seymore writes, “My goal as a realist painter is to portray the limitless beauty of color in every object, as well as in the interaction between objects, their shadows, and the surrounding space. Working only from life, I attempt to establish a tranquil mood and impression of serenity both by the lighting itself and by the choice and arrangement of chosen elements. I use a wide variety of antiques, ceramics, glass, fabrics, fruit, flowers, and other natural objects, many of which have a special meaning for me.”
 

Claudia Seymore, “Dogwood and Friends,” oil on linen, 20 x 24 in. (c) JM Stringer Gallery 2016

 
Also included in the show is Edward Noott, himself an accomplished artist. With work that is undoubtedly inspired by Monet and the Impressionists, Noott’s pictures displace a gorgeous vibrancy, active surface, and carefully composed scenes. Noott writes, “My satisfaction is winning the technical and emotional battles encountered in painting a picture which creates a feeling of harmony and optimism. Now I am also looking for a light that reveals the luster and texture of materials and creates a real space around them. Color has become more descriptive and less interpretive, light has become more solid. The goal I have set for myself as an artist is to present and personalize beautiful and inspiring places. Using the painterly qualities of tone and color, my aim is to interpret the subtleties and nuances of time and place to create lucid and harmonious paintings at home and abroad.”
 

Edward Noott, “On the Island of Capri,” oil on linen, 40 x 48 in. (c) JM Stringer Gallery 2016

Edward Noott, “The Japanese Bridge at Giverny,” oil on linen, 42 x 42 in. (c) JM Stringer Gallery 2016

 
“Elegance in Contrast: Edward Noott & Claudia Seymore” will remain on view through March 12. To learn more, visit J.M. Stringer Gallery.
 
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.
 

Allan Stone Projects in New York City is pleased to be presenting an exhibition showcasing artist self-images.
 
Opening on February 25, “Tête à Tête: Portraits in Dialogue” is a tantalizing show that will feature a number of outstanding portraits and self-portraits at Allan Stone Projects in New York City. As it includes a number of varying styles, mediums, and eras, visitors are sure to discover much to delight the eyes.
 
Among the traditional examples will be selections from expressionist and modernist artists as well. Included in the exhibition are Robert Arneson, Balthus, Bo Bartlett, William Beckman, Willem de Kooning, John DeAndrea, George Deem, Richard Estes, Arshile Gorky, John Graham, Susan Hauptman, Elizabeth King, Franz Kline, Diana Moore, John O’Reilly, Guy Pène du Bois, Stephen Cornelius Roberts, David Alfaro Siqueiros, James Weeks, and Jack Whitten.
 
The gallery suggests, “The exhibition will place portraits and self-portraits from various styles, mediums, and eras in close dialogue with one another highlighting the different approaches taken by artists in this genre. Self-portraits have been a means of self-examination and discovery for many artists throughout the history of art. The genre is a study of what it means to be human. It can be an historical account, a personal characterization or a memory. Portraits are representational but not necessarily realistic. This exhibition will illustrate a diversity of portraits from the objective, to the abstract, to the symbolic.”
 
“Tête à Tête: Portraits in Dialogue” opens on February 25 and will be on view until April 23.
 
To learn more, visit Allan Stone Projects.
 
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 Glasgow shipping magnate Sir William Burrell amassed one of the finest private collections of art in the world, there was one particular lesser-known artist who continually captured Burrell’s attention.
 
Although not a household name today, Joseph Crawhall (1861-1913) was extremely popular in the heart, mind, and collection of Sir William Burrell, a marvelously wealthy shipping tycoon who tirelessly collected art throughout his life. All told, Burrell collected no artist more extensively than Crawhall, amassing over 140 examples of the artist’s work.
 

Joseph Crawhall, “The Flower Shop,” ca. 1894-1900, (c) The Burrell Collection 2016

 
In an extremely rare opportunity, The Fleming Collection in London is now playing host to an exhibition of this collection of Crawhall’s paintings for the first time in 25 years. “Born in Northumberland, Crawhall has always been identified as a leader of the radical group of young Scottish painters, the Glasgow Boys, who revolutionized landscape painting in the 1880s,” the gallery writes. “In his maturity Crawhall won national and international acclaim with his watercolors and gouaches on linen of animals and birds. Crawhall is sparsely represented in the large national collections and few outside Scotland have heard of him, yet during his lifetime he exhibited alongside Degas and Whistler, the latter declaring the painter ‘the truest artist of the Glasgow men, and, as far as I know, the best in England.’”
 
“Joseph Crawhall: Masterworks from the Burrell Collection” opened on February 4 and will remain on view through March 12.
 
To learn more, visit The Fleming Collection.
 
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.
 

As many museums, galleries, and other art institutions race into the technological and digital age, the public reaps the benefits. Yale University’s Center for British Art recently added 22,000 images to its digital library — which is available to the public. That brings the total number to….
 
Sixty-nine thousand. That’s how many high-resolution images are now available to the public via Yale University’s Center for British Art, and they include some of the most exquisite and beautiful works ever to emerge from the British Isles. Works by William Blake, Thomas Rowlandson, Joseph Mallord William Turner, and countless others are included in the collection.
 
The images come in a variety of formats for use in different ways. From display-sized jpegs to ultra-high-resolution TIFF files, the online collection is sure to satisfy and embellish any project.
 
Interested in beginning your digital journey through the collections? Visit the Yale Center for British 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.
 

On view publicly for the first time at the Cantor Arts Center on Stanford University’s campus are selections from Kirk Edward Long’s extraordinary collection of Mannerist prints.
 
On the campus of a university known for its top-tier academics comes an equally Ivy League exhibition at the Cantor Arts Center. “Myth, Allegory and Faith” is a captivating show that brings to the public selections from the Kirk Edward Long Collection of 16th-century Mannerist prints. With over 180 works, audiences may need two or three visits to fully appreciate the historic show.
 

Antonio da Trento, “Narcissus,” ca. 1529, chiaroscuro woodcut (c) Kirk Edward Long Collection 2016

 
The Kirk Edward Long Collection is one of the most extensive private collections of Mannerist prints in the world, and many of the selections have never been exhibited in public. Visitors will be treated to a host of engaging subjects, styles, and printmaking techniques that are sure to delight. The institution writes, “The exhibition familiarizes visitors with the development of the Mannerist style in Italy, traces its dissemination through Europe, shows its adaptation for both secular and religious purposes and follows its eventual transformation into the baroque style at the end of the century. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Cantor Arts Center is co-publishing an illustrated catalogue of Kirk Edward Long’s entire collection of 700 works with essays by 10 scholars and 146 entries discussing individual works and suites.”
 

Hendrick Goltzius, “Apollo,” 1588, engraving, (c) Kirk Edward Long Collection 2016

 
“Myth, Allegory and Faith: The Kirk Edward Long Collection of Mannerist Prints” opened on February 10 and will be on view through June 20. To learn more, visit the Cantor Arts Center.
 
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.