Johanne Mangi: According to Johanne every day that involves paint is a perfect day. Although she is passionate about painting animals, particularly dogs, she insists that it is more about the feel of the paint and its possibilities that causes her excitement. She’s never without an idea of what to paint. Her dogs, gardens and surrounding woods filled with wildlife are constant sources of inspiration.
To see more of Johanne’s work, visit:
Website
FB
IG @mangijohanne
Gallery
Heather Arenas: Central to Heather’s Museum Series is ‘Dot,’ a recurring motif paying homage to Heather Arenas’ grandmothers who played a pivotal role in kindling her artistic passion by exposing her to a range of art forms and instilling an appreciation for the old masters. In her work, Heather often features paintings by esteemed artists she deeply admires, such as John Singer Sargent and Edgar Degas, but will also use her own work as the piece featured.
To see more of Heather’s work, visit:
www.heatherarenas.com
www.instagram.com/heatherarenas
www.reinertfineart.com
How did you get started and then develop your career?
Brenda Boylan: I can remember as long as I was conscious of my surroundings, I always made things with my hands. I knew I was and wanted to be a career artist…but where to start? I was accepted to Cal Poly State and earned a BS in Applied Art and Design. I worked in the Sports apparel industry, yet it was an unfulfilling career path. The need to develop my creativity was partially filled by oil painting courses in the evenings. I soon discovered pastels, then plein-air painting, and began to meet so many other artists “in the field.”
How do you find inspiration?
Brenda Boylan: Plein-air painting is wonderful, exciting, challenging, and adventurous. I thrive on the camaraderie of those whose lives are centered upon artmaking. I also create in my private studio to focus on large urbanscape and landscape pieces. I find inspiration whenever I am, indoors or out, but the criteria is the same: “How is the light affecting the subject?” I could be riding along in the rain and find an incredible spark of color and glow that begs to be painted. Viola’!
To see more of Brenda’s work, visit:
Website
J Louis’ solo exhibition of figurative art opens Friday, September 15th, 2023 at Principle Gallery (Alexandria, Virginia) with an Opening Reception 6-8:30 pm.
From the gallery:
American artist J Louis is best known for his oil paintings of female figures, focusing on the exquisite strength and alluring complexity of women through saturated color, flattened space, and texture.
His technical painting skills, his eye for capturing an expression that portrays an intimate story, and his material experimentation are combined to create a dynamic harmony between emotion and design. He is fascinated with moments of human connection and that fascination exhibits itself in his work through cleverly posed subjects, use of texture, and color amid abstracted space.
The figures in his paintings are always in contemplative and often curiously surreal poses. They conceal and reveal the environment, dissecting it through perspective, gesture, and form. They act as guides through the painted space; their elongated anatomy highlights divides or unites the composition.
J Louis was born in 1992 and earned his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. He currently lives and works in New York City. This figurative art exhibition is on view from September 15 through October 10, 2023.
View more figurative art gallery exhibitions here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
Caravaggio Paintings on Loan
Art Institute of Chicago
Through December 31, 2023
From the Museum:
Two rarely loaned paintings by Caravaggio join works by his devoted followers in this intimate exhibition highlighting both the grand spectacle and intense influence of Caravaggio’s extraordinary work.
Whether for his large dramatic canvases or his larger-than-life persona, the name Caravaggio evokes images of turmoil and violence, both sacred and profane. Born in Milan in 1571, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio entered the robust Roman art scene around 1592 and, over the next 14 years, developed an original and captivating painting style that attracted eminent patrons and passionate followers, thrusting him into the public eye. The artist became equally known for his wild behavior; a street brawler, Caravaggio was familiar with the shady underworld of taverns and their clientele, whom he frequently depicted in his work.
Caravaggio’s followers, known as the Caravaggisti, embraced the stylistic hallmarks of the painter’s intensely naturalistic work. Like their trailblazing idol, they used models from real life, boldly depicting their quirks and flaws in dynamic compositions whose turbulent movement was revealed in dramatic extremes of light and dark. The themes and individual artistic approaches of Caravaggisti often depended on their direct or indirect relationships to Caravaggio—some knew the artist personally, while others knew him only through his work.
The artist ultimately fled Rome in 1606 to escape a death sentence for murdering a man in a street fight. He spent the rest of his short career working in Naples, Sicily, and Malta before his death in 1610. Much like the artist’s life, the taste for Caravaggism burned bright but fast: by the mid-17th century, painters in Rome had moved on to new styles.
This focused installation, a rare opportunity to see Caravaggio’s works in person, showcases the captivating drama of his artistic vision and the magnitude of his influence on artists like Baglione, Buoneri, and Manfredi—both of which forever altered the narrative power of painting.
View more art museum announcements here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
The Eiteljorg Museum’s Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale returns to Indianapolis September 8-9, 2023, attracting fans and admirers of Western American art and many of the country’s top Western artists.
Now in its 18th year, Quest for the West generates excitement and support for Western American art, allowing artists to reconnect with longtime collectors and meet new ones. Guests engage with the artists in an intimate setting and marvel at the diverse display of portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and sculptures. Since its inception in 2006, Quest has generated more than $17.5 million in art sales, with artists receiving nearly $13.2 million.
The Quest show will open to the public on Sunday, September 10, where it can be viewed at the museum through Sunday, October 8. Any unsold art will remain for sale through the run of the exhibition.
This year’s Quest for the West will be significant for another reason: It will be the first Quest for the Eiteljorg Museum’s new president and CEO, Kathryn Haigh. In May, Haigh took over the reins of the Eiteljorg, succeeding longtime Eiteljorg President and CEO John Vanausdall, who retired June 30.
“As one of the Eiteljorg’s iconic events each year, Quest for the West has played an important role in increasing awareness of the Western American art genre.” Haigh said. “It has also been vital to raising the Eiteljorg’s profile nationally, helping support the museum and build on our renowned collection.
“I look forward to experiencing my first Quest for the West, which brings together friends, collectors, and artists from all over the country who are passionate about Western art. I am grateful to the Western Art Society, artists, patrons, sponsors, and the hard-working museum employees and volunteers who make this unique event so memorable,” Haigh said.
Art and Artists. Newly created artwork by 50 contemporary artists of the Western American genre will be shown and sold during Quest. Familiar artists returning include Robert Griffing, George Hallmark, Heide Presse, Mark Kelso, Dean Mitchell, Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, and others. This year’s Quest welcomes four new artists: Luke Anderson, Dave LaMure Jr., Rich Loffler, and Ezra Tucker.
Main Art Sale. On Saturday, September 9, pre-registered Quest attendees can participate in a fixed-price, luck-of-the-draw sale. Absentee bids also are accepted. Quest is not an auction; instead, a bidder whose name is drawn gets the first right to purchase a particular work of art. If the bidder passes, the next person whose ballot is drawn has the opportunity to buy it. This process continues until a lucky bidder accepts and becomes the happy new owner of the artwork. The bidding period is filled with suspense and excitement for bidders and artists alike.
Miniature Art Sale. Before the larger Saturday sale, the Quest weekend of art viewing and bidding kicks off on Friday, September 8, during a Friday evening reception and miniature art sale. Many Quest artists create smaller works of art, appealing both to first-time and experienced collectors who seek smaller pieces at lower price points. Buyers can take miniature art purchases home that evening.
Art Awards. Artists compete for special awards presented during a Saturday, September 9 awards banquet following the main art sale. The acclaimed Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award goes to a work that The Western Art Society purchases for the museum’s permanent collection.
Meet Quest special guest Jim Hatzell. Telling tales from the open range and the TV and silver screen, special guest Jim Hatzell will delight opening weekend audiences September 8 and 9. Pre-registered guests attending Friday evening’s Quest for the West reception will hear entertaining stories and insights from Hatzell. On Saturday afternoon following a luncheon at the museum, Quest attendees will enjoy stories and anecdotes told by this artist, photographer, and movie and TV film crew veteran.
Hospitality. Guests will enjoy delicious dining experiences all weekend in the museum’s beautiful Allen Whitehill Clowes Sculpture Court, which was expanded in 2022. Pre-registered attendees also can enjoy weekend programming honoring the artists and other activities, including a luncheon September 8 and a tour of the architecturally magnificent Scottish Rite Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis.
For more about Quest for the West, including a complete list of artists, an early look at the art, opening weekend registration or absentee buyer information, visit quest.eiteljorg.org.
Quest for the West is presented by The Western Art Society and Avis Foundation, Inc.
View more fine art auctions and sales here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
Western Art On View
“Eric Bowman: More to the Picture”
Opening September 9, 2023
Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles, California
From the gallery:
We are very excited to host Eric Bowman’s largest solo exhibition to date. “More to the Picture” features 15 new paintings, more than half being large-scale works. We invite you to join us in person on September 9th in our downtown Los Angeles gallery for the opening reception and sale. A live artist interview will be conducted prior to the sale between Bowman (interviewee) and Logan Maxwell Hagege (interviewer).
Bowman has been a professional artist for nearly 30 years. His career began as an illustrator and quickly turned to fine art after a painting trip with fellow artist, Tim Solliday. Bowman’s stylized paintings were sought after for a long time by landscape enthusiasts, but the artist never shied away from painting figures throughout his career, whenever they could help enhance a scene.
About eight years ago his illustration background led him to start toying with new scenes – this time placing the figures into his stylized landscapes. We, at Maxwell Alexander Gallery, had known of Bowman’s work for years, these new paintings were on a whole new level — and we instantly made the call to start representing his work.
At the time, unknown to the public, we were in the early stages of moving our gallery to a much larger location in Downtown Los Angeles. We timed the addition of Bowman’s western art to our roster to allow for his work to shine on a larger stage – and thus started the string of four consecutive sold-out solo exhibitions.
Fast forward to today, this is Bowman’s fifth solo exhibition and his most major in his 30+ year art career. In the last eight years, Bowman has become one of the most sought-after painters in the Western art genre. He has been featured in every major museum invitational, graced the cover of multiple publications, and he has received special honors including the Great American Cowboy Award at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Prix de West invitational.
View more western art exhibitions here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual who creates bas-relief portraits.
The award-winning sculpture of the bronze and bas-relief portraitist Eva-Maria Wohn (b. 1955) lies in an expressive space somewhere between representation and abstraction. This Chicago-based artist is most comfortable in ambiguous areas, where lines are not fully drawn and meaning is not completely spelled out.
“My art is about the feelings and stories in between,” she shares. “I’m fascinated with how people can make us feel, in spite of how we want to feel. It’s that momentary, involuntary emotion right before we struggle to regain our public face that I try to convey in my work.”
Self-taught and self-represented, Wohn prefers an independent approach to the vocation she is now fully dedicated to. As an adolescent, she demonstrated natural artistic talent and inclination but was encouraged to pursue a more practical career path.
Wohn had a life-altering epiphany in her 40s, however, while working in the Middle East and witnessing the harsh living conditions, hostile regimes, and scarce resources that artists endured. “The world is full of artists who are prohibited from expressing themselves,” she says. “I realized at that point that the only thing standing in the way of me being an artist was me.”
Wohn returned home and hurled herself headlong into learning to sculpt, spending years studying, practicing, and developing her skills. For the sculptures she creates today, she prefers the classic clay-to-bronze method for the vast range of emotional expressiveness it offers.
“Bronze is magnificent,” she observes. “It’s cold and brutally honest. In my portraits, I manipulate the clay into features that are instantly recognizable with emotions not totally clear — somewhere between laughter or fear, curiosity or sadness, joy or pain. I want observers to bring themselves to my portraits and know that I’ve left enough room to see what they want to see, or perhaps what they need to see.”
Most recently, Wohn has developed a penchant for representational bas-reliefs as seen in “The Missing Piece,” illustrated above. “Bas-relief is perfect for allegory, serious or absurd, and allows a sculptor to be a storyteller in greater detail,” the artist explains. “I love chasing the highs and lows in a piece, knowing that the smallest twist of the tool can make or break a line. And I especially like that I can play with scale in a much larger format than with sculpture in the round. My goal is to create bas-relief in a way that I hope refreshes an art form that some find staid or old-fashioned. For me, it has been immensely freeing.”
Connect with the artist and see more of her bas-relief art at evamariawohn.com.
View more artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
Fifteen new floral paintings celebrating the understated beauty that blooms in the field, meadows, and wood.
Orleans, Massachusetts
August 19–September 8, 2023
Collins Galleries will soon present “Carmen Drake: Wall Flowers,” an exhibition of recent still life paintings by a North Carolina-based artist who closely studies the flowers she grows herself.
Artfully arranged and subtly illuminated, these blooms seem so real we might touch them, yet Drake avoids the traps of photorealism by infusing her scenes with a palpable sense of atmosphere.
View more fine art gallery exhibitions here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
The Cape Ann Museum (Gloucester, Massachusetts) is presenting “Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape,” an exhibition organized by guest curator Elliot Bostwick Davis to highlight, for the first time, this artist’s formative relationship with Gloucester and Cape Ann. The exhibition is on view through October 16, 2023.
Though he had painted five oils there in 1912, Hopper (1882–1967) had reached a career impasse by 1923, when he was 41 and supporting himself not as a fine artist, but as an illustrator and etcher.
Returning to Gloucester that summer — exactly a century ago — he met his future wife, Jo Nivison (1883–1968), who was more successful as an artist.
The exhibition recasts her not just as his muse, but as the driving force behind his creation of the distinctive style we admire today.
The couple revisited Gloucester until 1928, and it was there that Edward produced the watercolors that earned his first acclaim.
On view are 66 paintings, drawings, and prints borrowed from the Whitney Museum of American Art and 27 other lenders. Fifty-eight are by Edward, seven by Jo, and one by their teacher Robert Henri.
