November 28th, 2009
Daniel Garber, Tanis, June-July-August 1915. Oil on canvas, 60 x 46-1/4 inches. From the Warner Collection of the Westervelt Warner Company, displayed in the Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
On the 23rd and 24th of November I taught an introductory course in pastel painting at the newly formed Jack Warner Art Institute, a division of the Warner Westervelt Museum of Art here in Tuscaloosa Alabama. The course was a survey of the use of pastel and was a preview of the upcoming six-week classes that I will be teaching at the institute. Jack Warner has put together one of the largest collections of American art in the country and it was an incredible experience teaching in a room filled with paintings by Sargent, Whistler, Chase, Casssatt, Innes, Henri and others. Information on the upcoming classes taught by Caleb O’Conner, Danny Rountree, Maureen Shots and Ruth O’Conner can be found by contacting the Westervelt Warner Museum.
The highlight of the first introductory session was the purchase of my demo painting by Mr. Warner. I cannot think of a higher honor and I am humbled to be recognized by such a knowledgeable art collector and art historian. His contribution to American art is unmatchable and I hope that when you visit Tuscaloosa you will take the time to come and enjoy his incomparable collection of art. You can also see a VIRTUAL TOUR of the museum on the website.
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November 2nd, 2009
In my opinion he is simply the best landscape painter in the country. Below you can check out his website (make sure and look at his studio - it’s every artist dream!) as well as connect with some available works.
Available Works
Scott’s Website
American Artist Interview
Posted in General, Oil Painter, Scott Christensen, landscape | No Comments »
October 21st, 2009
“Winter Morning” 30″x48″ Oil On Canvas
On Monday morning I was delivering a commission piece to the Bennett Galleries in Nashville TN. While waiting for the paper work I went upstairs to see what was hanging in the current show. There is nothing like seeing art in person. It tells you so much more than you can ever observe on a computer or in print and these paintings by Jason Saunders just took my breath away. Every piece in the show was worth posting on this blog and by following the link to his website at the bottom of this post you can see all of them.
What I like about “Winter Morning”
Values - All of Jason’s work has this. Solid values in a limited range which portray a wonderful sense of reality. I was amazed as I viewed his painting at how closely related the values were but yet maintaining the degree of difference needed to provide contrast. Jason really does this well.
Harmony - My guess is that Jason has spent a significant amount of time painting on location. When you paint out in nature, nature itself gives you some beautiful harmonies.
Color - You could say that this painting has limited color as well as limited values but all of the color swatches are accurate in there degree of difference which just makes these puppies sing! I can’t tell you howe much I enjoyed looking at his work and how much I learned from seeing how he handles the different aspects of painting. You should really stop by the Bennett Galleries and see what I mean.
Look and Enjoy!
Jason’s Website
Jason has some very reasonable workshops available!
Posted in General, Jason Saunders, Oil Painter, landscape, still life | No Comments »
October 5th, 2009
“Next Exit, Hill Street” Oil, 11″x14″
Maybe I rely to heavily on my own prejudices in deciding what is good art but it seems to me that when you can take my least favorite subject matter and transform it into a piece of art that I would enjoy looking at for the rest of my life, then you are an artist in every sense of the word. You have moved me beyond where I thought I could go. I am not a fan of urban landscapes but I am now a fan of the way Jennifer McCristian paints urban landscapes (as well as her other works).
What I like about “Next Exit Hill Street”
Soft edges - You can feel the haze in this painting. You can feel the depth in this painting. Much of this is due to the wonderful way Jennifer handles her edges and she does it without sacrificing her drawing in anyway. Just look at those light post!
Depth - The edges help to define depth in this painting but so does the the cooling of the values from front to back. With the exception of the sky there are only two major values after you pass the Highway signs….just a wonderful display of limited value and the use of color to define form.
Warm and Cool Colors - They are everywhere! This painting vibrates even with the limited capabilities of my computer monitor.
Look and Enjoy!
Posted in General, Jennifer McChristian, Oil Painter, landscape, urban | No Comments »
September 29th, 2009
16″x20″ Oil on Canvas
Sarah Lamb is one of a group of painters that have revived the academic methods of painting with incredible results. I cannot begin to fathom the patience and confidence it takes to paint like this but I am thankful that there are a few spots on the web where you can get a good indication of just how skilled Sarah Lamb is. Below I have posted two gallery links as well as a link to an American Artist article that will give you much more information on the quality of this painter.
Look and Enjoy!
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September 15th, 2009
I have limited posting time this morning so I thought I would hook you up with this painting demonstration by Scott Burdick. Scott is one of the nations top painters and he has also been very generous with his knowledge by taking the time to teach other artists. His website has a vast amount of information on painting, a full archive of his work as well as the work of Susan Lyon and some very interesting journals from their painting trips around the world. Take an afternoon and check out their site! By the way, I believe this painting is of the daughter of the artist Morgan Wiestling.
Look and Enjoy!
Posted in Demonstrations, Figure Painting, General, Oil Painter, Scott Burdick | No Comments »
September 14th, 2009
This artist / blogger has been sick for the past week. Sorry for the lack of posts. We’ll try and make it a great week!
-John Kelley
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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!
Posted in General, Oil Painter, Steve Atkinson, landscape | No Comments »
August 25th, 2009
Blue Hydrangea 8″x8″ Oil Painting
This will be a short post due to time constraints (I must paint!) but I love this little painting. Purple never seems to work (that’s what my galleries tell me) but how can you say this painting doesn’t work. It’s fantastic! Once again I am stunned at how well the painting is done at such a small size. Apparently M Collier at a high level for a very long time.
What I like about the painting “Blue Hydrangea”
- #1. Drawing - I don’t normally like very detailed realism but there is something about Collier work that attracts me and one of these things is the skill involved in the drawing.
- #2. Compositional depth - My eye moves through this painting instead of being stagnant.
- #3. Color - As I mentioned in the introduction purple can be a killer in paintings but not in this one!
Look and Enjoy!
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August 16th, 2009
Over the years, several home school families have asked me for recommendations for art education. I have always appreciated their desire to ensure that their children have a well rounded education that includes a basic knowledge and understanding of the skills needed to create top quality art. I am hoping that sometime this year I will be able to do a weeklong workshop covering the basics. This of course sometimes becomes difficult due to the wide variety of ages that an average family has. So until I figure that out I have provided a category on my “On The Easel Store” that provides some solid suggestions of books that would be helpful in home schooling. Due to issues of modesty, I have only included titles that would be non-offensive to all ages. There are books at the “On The Easel Store” that are more in depth but must be used with more discernment. I have not listed these in the home school section. I hope you find this helpful.
The store can be found at my blog: On The Easel
By the way the painting shown is a pastel done by John Kelley (me!) several years back.
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