Artist Spotlight: Nadine Robbins

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On View: American Realism Today

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Fine Art Today

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November 18, 2022

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David Kessler (b. 1950), "Surface Calligraphy," 2005, acrylic on abraded aluminum, 72 x 48 in., collection of Neil Jenney

New Britain Museum of American Art
New Britain, Connecticut
nbmaa.org
Through January 1, 2023

In 2018, the New Britain Museum of American Art presented a retrospective devoted to the great realist painter Neil Jenney, who was born in 1945 only 30 miles away in the Connecticut town of Torrington. Now Jenney has returned to guest-curate an intriguing exhibition, “American Realism Today,” that encompasses more than 50 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by 21 artists.

Among those represented are Leonard Dufresne, Kathleen Gilje, Susan Grayson, Tim Hoffman, Larry Kagan, David Kessler, Victor Leger, Robert Lobe, Joseph McNamara, James Prosek, Faith Ringgold, Sally Ross, Donald Sultan, Ky-young Sung, Alison Elizabeth Taylor, and Mercer Tullis — as well as Jenney himself.

In his introduction to the project, Jenney is quick to highlight the enormous impact on 20th-century realism made by Ivan Karp (1926–2012). After serving as the first art critic at The Village Voice and then as the Manhattan dealer Leo Castelli’s top lieutenant, in 1969 Karp founded his own influential gallery (O.K. Harris).

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

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Late Afternoon in Spain

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Fine Art Today

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November 18, 2022

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Luis Azon, “Late Afternoon in Spain,” 52 x 52 in., oil

We’d like to congratulate Luis Azon for winning Overall First Place in the September 2022 PleinAir Salon, judged by William A. Suys.

“This painting allows me to be quietly lost in a space while I hear activity all around,” William said of ‘Late Afternoon in Spain.’ “I’m able to separate from viewing a surface to sensing a feeling of atmosphere while mentally passing in and among groups of people engaged in their individual worlds as they become part of a unified environment.”

“For those who are considering entering your work and would like a broader explanation of my basis for judging,” Bill added, “I’ll leave you with an excerpt of a little essay I added to an early self-portrait, entitled ‘Self-Thoughtrait’. Though basic, I believe the concept holds true:

“When a viewer encounters ‘craft’, you may view and appreciate the surface and shape, but the relationship goes no further. When you meet with ‘ART’ you break beyond the surface and become personally involved. Outstanding work—whether subjective or abstract, painting or sculpture—takes on a life and spirit of its own. The artist may have developed the piece based upon something seen every day or upon something purely abstract and esoteric, but because of profound concept and execution, the finished piece goes beyond its components of shape, color, and finish. The most successful work has the ability to compel the viewer into its environment and to touch their thought or emotions in a unique and timeless way, and the best work will stay fresh and compelling forever.

“But…because ‘ART’ is a two-part connection, success varies with each pair of participants. One viewer might feel transported by a romantic Fragonard, and wonder why Rothko wasted a perfectly good canvas, while another is moved by ‘Guernica’, but scoffs at ‘Gassed’.”

View the rest of the PleinAir Salon winners at pleinairsalon.com.

About the PleinAir Salon:

In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online art competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the annual Salon Grand Prize winners, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition. The competition rewards artists with over $33,000 in cash prizes and exposure of their work, with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir Magazine.

Winners in each monthly competition may receive recognition and exposure through PleinAir Magazine’s print magazine, e-newsletters, websites, and social media. Winners of each competition will also be entered into the annual competition. The 12th Annual Awards will be presented live at the Plein Air Convention & Expo in May 2023.

The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. Enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.

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Friday Virtual Gallery Walk for November 18th, 2022

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Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries

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Fine Art Today

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November 11, 2022

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Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries - Thomas Cooper Gotch, Alleluia, exhibited 1896, oil on canvas, Tate — Thomas Cooper Gotch, "Alleluia," exhibited 1896, oil on canvas, Tate

“Dreams and Stories: Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries” brings together paintings, works on paper, ceramics, and more created by British artists working during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to explore how this period was central to the development of modern art – in particular, to the evolution of Surrealism, the international movement that united the worlds of dream and fantasy with everyday life and flourished following the First World War.

Dreams and Stories: Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries
On view through February 26, 2023
Watts Gallery

Gallery view of "Dreams and Stories: Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries" — Gallery view of “Dreams and Stories: Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries”

Featuring 38 paintings by artists including Frederick Cayley Robinson (1862-1927), Simeon Solomon (1840-1905), William Shackleton (1872-1933), Thomas Cooper Gotch (1854-1931), Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919) and more, the exhibition will show how these artists continued to work in the Pre-Raphaelite ‘style’, and how they found in it a way of responding to new fields of study such as psychology which, for the first time, gave insights into dreams and the subconscious.

Although less familiar today than other artists from this era who sought to radically break ties with their predecessors, “Dreams and Stories” seeks to re-establish the role of these Modern Pre-Raphaelites in the evolution of modern art. Drawing from new research by Dr. Alice Eden, the exhibition will reveal how looking back allowed these artists to move forward and explore the modern world.

Frank Dicksee, "Harmony," 1877, oil on canvas, Tate — Frank Dicksee, “Harmony,” 1877, oil on canvas, Tate

The Pre-Raphaelite movement began in 1848 when a group of seven young, male artists formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to counter the formulaic and vapid art they saw around them. To bring true beauty back to British Art they looked to artists working before Raphael in the Middle Ages. The intensity of religious devotion and the pure, bright colors used by these Medieval artists led the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to believe that the works these historical artists produced had greater integrity than the art of the 19th century.

The original group disbanded after a few years but over the next decade their style, sentiment, and subjects altered British Art and gained followers. This led to a second wave of artists who explored the ideas of color harmonies and the “art for art’s sake” in which art could just be beautiful without needing to teach the viewer anything.

Walter Crane, "Love's Altar," 1870, oil on canvas, William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest — Walter Crane, “Love’s Altar,” 1870, oil on canvas, William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

By the 1880s a new set of artists including Frederick Cayley Robinson, Evelyn de Morgan, and Marianne Stokes (1855-1927) continued the style, finding in it a way of responding to contemporary themes. In their paintings, the past and the modern world collide, with modern objects like airplanes, streetlamps, and sewing machines appearing within mystical landscapes or ecclesiastical interiors. Familiar fairy tale imagery is suffused with a sense of the surreal, reflecting new interests in psychology and Spiritualism. Saintly representations of women are reconsidered alongside the emergence of the modern woman and the Suffrage Movement.

Frederick Cayley Robinson, "In a Wood So Green," 1893, oil on canvas, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Warwick District Council — Frederick Cayley Robinson, “In a Wood So Green,” 1893, oil on canvas, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Warwick District Council

The exhibition includes works by both G F Watts (1817-1904) and Mary Watts (1849-1938). G F Watts moved towards Symbolism in his later works showing similar interests to the Modern Pre-Raphaelites including enthusiasm for the unexplained. In 1884 he joined Society for Psychical Research. Formed in 1882 to conduct scholarly research into human experiences that challenge science including hypnotism, séances, telepathy, and paranormal activity, the Society is still active today.

Mary’s work is represented by her snake pot which was one of the first designs she created for the Potters’ Arts Guild, staffed by the people of the local Compton community, to be sold in Liberty’s. Visitors can extend the exhibition beyond the gallery by exploring Mary’s ceiling tiles at Limnerslease celebrating world religions and nature, and her remarkable designs for the chapel which capture the essence of the Modern Pre-Raphaelites.

Marianne Stokes, "Candlemas Day," c.1901, tempera on wood, Tate — Marianne Stokes, “Candlemas Day,” c.1901, tempera on wood, Tate

For details, please visit www.wattsgallery.org.uk/whats-on.

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

> Sign up to receive Fine Art Today, our free weekly e-newsletter

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“Herb Lore” – New Works by Luke Hillestad

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Fine Art Today

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November 11, 2022

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contemporary realism by Luke Hillestad — Luke Hillestad, "Pages of Vervain (Verbena hastata)," oil on linen, 26 x 32 in.

Contemporary Realism Art on View:
Herb Lore: New Works by Luke Hillestad
Copro Gallery, Santa Monica
copronason.com
Through December 3, 2022

Herb Lore: Painted tales of ritual healing flowers, mushrooms, and vision-bending poisons.

From the organizers:

Story is the ark of memory, and through illustrated lore, we recall the ways in which our ancestors used these common herbs and weeds; from healing rituals to magical rites, for spiritual protection and vision quests. Together with his herbalist wife, surrounded by the prairies where these herbs grow, Luke Hillestad took oil to hemp and flax to craft this series over long pandemic months.

Luke Hillestad, "Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)," oil in linen, 51 x 34 in. — Luke Hillestad, “Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca),” oil in linen, 51 x 34 in.

Luke Hillestad paints mythological dreamscapes interweaving poetic darkness and glow, from his home studio in rural Minnesota. His works have been featured in the collections of galleries, patrons, and museums worldwide, including France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and in the US in New York and Los Angeles.

Luke studied classical guitar and painting at University, and apprenticed master painter Odd Nerdrum at his studios for nine months in Norway and Paris. He worked as a land surveyor, before making painting his full-time career in 2006.

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, contemporary realism art workshops, and more.

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Master Artists Gather for Contemporary Realism

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Cherie Dawn Haas

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November 11, 2022

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We recently celebrated our third annual Realism Live online art conference, hosted by Eric Rhoads and Peter Trippi, featuring many of today’s greatest artists in the field of contemporary realism. (See the full recap at our sister site, RealismToday.com)

Prior to the actual event, Trippi modeled for Michelle Dunaway’s portrait painting demo in his NYC home. For Realism Live, we were able to watch the footage of the session while Peter and Michelle discussed her process, including how crucial the initial setup is when it comes to light, shadows, and more. Michelle said, for example, that she prefers to start from the focal point and work her way out. After the demo, she took questions from everyone watching.

Michelle Dunaway, with her recent portrait of Peter Trippi

Wow, what a day. Getting up at 4.30am for the 5am start was fun, lol. (Having to work afterward not so much) 😀 But what an awesome lineup! Such variety! Excellence! Inspiration! And tutoring that’s easy to follow! To see the other attendees’ inspired works is also so encouraging: again, such awesome variety and beauty. For this Beginner, the day was exciting… and I’m so thrilled to anticipate the next few days. Thank you, all, (tutors and attendees!) for sharing your knowledge and skills. – Ali McHattie

“This is a conversation with some very special people who matter a great deal in the world of contemporary realism and I’m thrilled to have them with us,” said Trippi in his introduction to the roundtable with Leona Shanks, Analisa Shanks, and Alexander Shanks.

They shared an informal discussion about the incredible legacy left by the great artist Nelson Shanks, who was the husband of Leona and the father of Analisa and Alexander.

In a special moment of the day, Trippi presented renowned artist Juliette Aristides with the Fine Art Connoisseur Lifetime Achievement Award. Juliette then led a figure painting demonstration live on camera (she advises that it’s a good idea to start with some type of drawing first, to take the time to study, and to make excellence your goal.)

Juliette also took the time to answer each of the questions that came up during the demo itself, such as how her paints stayed on her vertical palette (Answer: it’s oil paint, so it sticks easily).

Juliette Aristides receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award - contemporary realism artists — Juliette Aristides receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award

In a rare presentation, master landscape painter Clyde Aspevig (aka “land-snorkeling* possibillionist”) emphasized how we can see the interconnections and importance of art, and much more. He shared stories from his life, including that, to him, landscape painting is a celebration of life, saying, “I never looked back on the idea that I could not be an artist.”

After his talk about key moments and favorite books, Clyde went on to give a painting demonstration for us. He explained that while many of us have fears when we face a blank canvas, we should think “this canvas should be afraid of me.”

*Clyde credits his wife for this term, which she came up with while they were exploring the flora and fauna of Sedona, Arizona

In another session, Trippi led an informal dialogue with two leaders in the field of realism: Sharon Sprung and Mario Robinson. Their fascinating discussion covered “where we are” as a realism community today.

Mario Robinson and Sharon Sprung contemporary realism artists — Mario Robinson and Sharon Sprung

The above is just a fraction of the many art workshops, presentations, and conversations with today’s master artists. In addition, there was a faculty auction, nightly paint-along sessions, and cocktail hours.

“This morning I painted along with Cornelia Hernes’s still life. It has been the most gratifying thing I have done in a while. Every one of the instructors has offered so much information and encouragement. Thank you, Eric Rhoads and all who have put this incredible Realism Live together for all of the great artists out there who crave to become better painters.” ~ Attendee during Day 3 of Realism Live, the online art conference for contemporary realism

Coming soon – Watercolor Live, January 2023!

Prophets, Priests, and Queens

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Fine Art Today

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November 11, 2022

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After the worldwide success of his illustrated publication The Life of Christ, the French artist James Tissot returned to the Holy Land in 1896 to begin a series of more than 370 illustrations, painted in watercolor and gouache, depicting stories from the Old Testament.

James Jacques Joseph Tissot painting — James Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836–1901), God Appears to Noah, c. 1896–1902, gouache on board, 9 x 4 3/8 in., Jewish Museum, New York City; gift of the heirs of Jacob Schiff

Utilizing religious and scholarly sources, his own travel experiences, and his unconventional imagination, Tissot decided to illustrate every episode. After his unexpected death in 1902, the images left unfinished were completed by artists he trusted.

These remarkable works have long been at New York City’s Jewish Museum, and now the Brigham Young University Museum of Art has borrowed 129 of them to conserve and display for the first time in four decades.

Also included in BYU’s exhibition (titled “Prophets, Priests, and Queens: James Tissot’s Men and Women of the Old Testament”) are several previously unlocated oil paintings related to the Old Testament.

Exhibition Details:
“Prophets, Priests, and Queens: James Tissot’s Men and Women of the Old Testament”
Brigham Young University Museum
Provo, Utah
moa.byu.edu
through December 31, 2022

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

> Sign up to receive Fine Art Today, our free weekly e-newsletter

> Subscribe to Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, so you never miss an issue

WAOW: East Meets West

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Fine Art Today

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November 11, 2022

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Jan Delipsey (b. 1953), "Sun, Sand & Stone," 2022, oil on panel, 14 x 22 in.

Women Artists of the West’s 52nd National Exhibition
Cynthia McBride Gallery
Annapolis, Maryland
waow.org and mcbridegallery.com
Through January 7, 2023

The nonprofit organization Women Artists of the West (WAOW) has mounted its 52nd National Exhibition at Cynthia McBride Gallery. The organizers have titled it “East Meets West” to underscore the extraordinary diversity of talented WAOW members working on both coasts, in between, and even beyond America’s borders. The jury has selected more than 140 two- and three-dimensional pieces in various media and styles, encompassing landscapes, cityscapes, figures, florals, still lifes, and animals.

WAOW was founded in 1971 in Norco, California, by a small group of women seeking to network as professionals and promote their careers through exhibitions and advertising. Their first show was held in Palm Springs, and WAOW has subsequently exhibited far beyond California.

Today it has approximately 350 members residing in more than 30 states. Particularly central to the organization’s life is mentorship, and indeed many members share their expertise with each other via activities scheduled throughout the year.

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

> Sign up to receive Fine Art Today, our free weekly e-newsletter

> Subscribe to Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, so you never miss an issue

Friday Virtual Gallery Walk for November 11th, 2022

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Fine Art Today

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November 11, 2022

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As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the artwork below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.

Nest, Loren DiBenedetto, oil, 12 x 12 in; Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Midnight Melody, Lucia Heffernan, oil on panel, 10 x 10 in; Rehs Contemporary

Polo Action #1, William Petty, oil on canvas, 9 x 12 in., Signed; Rehs Galleries, Inc.

Hollywood Haze, Nancie King Mertz, pastel, 11.75 x 9.50 in; Nancie King Mertz

Changing Season, Laurie Hendricks, oil on canvas, 24 x 18 in; Laurie Hendricks

The Forging Jove Wang, oil, 24 x 36 in, 2022. LPAPA Gallery ‘Artist in Residence’ Solo Exhibition: Jove Wang The Great American West Nov. 3-28.

Downwind, Sandy Scott, bronze, 17 x 19 ½ x 10 in; ArtzLine

Gallery On King, Rick Reinert, oil on canvas, 48 x 36 in; Reinert Fine Art

Shadia, Nanette Fluhr, Oil on Linen, 16 x 12 in; Nanette Fluhr Fine Art,

Orange, J Russell Wells, oil, 24 x 40 in; J Russell Wells

A Night Out in Manhattan, Vincent Giarrano, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.; Susan Powell Fine Art

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 served, and availability is limited.

About the PleinAir Salon:

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