Steve Atkinson 9-14-09
September 14th, 2009
Lanternman Falls - field study - 9″x12″ Oil on Canvas
One of the things you will often hear in conversations with great artists is that they were formerly illustrators. It seems to be a natural transition. Illustrators are often better trained in the basics of representational art than many University art graduates are. Steve Atkinson work shows a very clear understanding of value, color, drawing and composition. I’m glad that he made the jump from illustration to fine art and I think you will really enjoy observing his work through the links I’ve posted below.
What I like about “Lanternman Falls” a field study.
- Simplification - I live in the woods in Alabama and have painted green woodland scenes many times… and I think I’ve burned everyone. It is very difficult subject matter because it demands great simplification. If you put all that you see in the picture the eye goes insane trying to determine what it is looking at. Steve does a fantastic job of squinting down and painting only the essentials of the scene.
- Color - Not only is there a need to simplify the scene but there is also a need to simplify the color. When your looking at that many shapes, that many dabs of light, that many yellows, greens, reds, purples, blues…. which do you really need? Steve makes these choices without producing a picture that is overly dark and oppressive. I love it!
- Field studies - I just can’t help but respect a guy that calls his outdoor works “studies”. It shows a great appreciation for the time and effort it takes to create finished works. Don’t misunderstand me. This is a piece of art that I would love to have hanging on my wall but location pieces are qualitatively different from a piece you work on over several days.
- One more - I really like the feel of depth in this painting. As I browsed Steve site I see that he has this quality in a lot of his work. It is the result of really good composition ( a moving through the painting instead of across it) and his handling of the atmosphere of the air.
Look and Enjoy!
