ADMIRATION FILE: Vladimir Volegov

Vladimir Volegov is so talented, so much light and movement in his work.

Watch how he painted this painting below.

His working process and the end result is so inspiring, I admire his art. 

Admiration File: John Singer Sargent

I remember a good friend of mine admiring John Singer Sargent and studding his paintings and processes when we went to Art College/University together eight years ago. At the time I was too wrapped up in my own studies looking at John Wolseley, Rosalie Gascoigne and Fiona Hall to take the time to look at Sargent. I'm kicking myself now, I wish I had taken the time, because he was a painting genius and there is so much to be learnt from his methods and techniques.  Here are some of his beautiful paintings.

Ena and Betty, Daughters of Asher and Mrs. Wertheimer (detail), 1901

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1893

 Alice Vanderbilt Shepard, 1888

 

Head of an Italian Woman, 1878 

 

Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler (or Mrs John Jay Chapman), 1893

 Garden Study of the Vickers Children, 1884  

Emily Sargent, year unknown 

Here are some interesting points about Sargent's painting technique that you may find helpful, I know I did.

• John Singer Sargent would do a lot of sketches of a subject, either in pencil or watercolors, before he started an oil painting.
•  Sargent almost always drew from life and rarely used photographs.He would place his easel right next to the model and walk back and forth between the easel and a set point that was far enough away to simultaneously see both the painting and the model in totality. In doing so, he was able to see the canvas and the model in the same light, at the same angle of vision, and at the same distance.
• He taught his students that first, it was important to accurately draw the masses of the painting in the right place -- before putting in any fine features or details. By that statement, he meant that an artist should work to get the basic structure right -- before focusing on the details. Draw and paint like a sculptor. Always look for big masses, angles and prominent planes.
• When it comes to painting, Sargent would use a lot of thick paint with a large paint brush. He would say, ″You do not want dabs of color, you want plenty of paint to paint with.″
• Sargent worked mostly with half tones before finishing a painting with the dark tones and highlights.
• He would walk away from his easel to look at this painting from a distance and step back to the easel for each brush stroke that he added This is because you will be looking at your painting the way your viewers do. If the whole painting is done while you are only one foot away, the perspective of the painting will often be distorted.
• John Singer Sargent never hesitated to be a tough critic of his own art. He had the ability to detach himself from his paintings and was able to look them from a more objective point of view. He was also known to erase entire paintings at times, if he was not satisfied with the outcome.
• Sargent learned from the old Masters – from artists like Frans Hals, he learned when to simplify and what to leave out of his paintings. When you copy a painting, you learn how the painting is composed and how to mix the colors you want to match the palette of the artist.1

and some more helpful points to note.

• John Singer Sargent used fine plain woven canvases toned with mid-tone cool gray—particularly for portraits.
• He used paints directly from tubes to mix the exact colors he wanted. His palette varied, but he regularly used cadmium yellow, vermilion, Mars red, Mars yellow, Mars brown, rose madder, sienna, ivory black, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, viridian green, and emerald green. He used a copious amount of paint medium: linseed oil for dark colors and poppyseed oil for lighter colors.
• Sargent mixed flesh tones using a palette of ivory black, rose madder, and viridian green with lead white. Lead white was common at this time, but for safety reasons, I would not recommend it nowadays.
• Evidence indicate that John Singer Sargent used small (¼ inch or ½ inch) brushes. Studies further confirm that he saved the boldest strokes for last. I conclude that he started with big brushes, then moved to smaller brushes in the middle stages of the painting, and then finished them off with big brushes again. 2

References
1. http://www.explore-drawing-and-painting.com/Sargent-John-Singer.html
2. http://www.explore-drawing-and-painting.com/John-Singer-Sargent.html

Further Readings
http://classicartblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/john-singer-sargent-1856-1925.html 
Booklet on John Singer Sargent's teachings. Click here and get a glimpse.
http://www.explore-drawing-and-painting.com/oil-painting-technique.html 
http://stapletonkearns.blogspot.com/2010/11/sargents-edges.html
See previous link love for some great videos on Sargent



I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!


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Admiration File: Ethel Carrick and E Phillips Fox

Click above image to view other images from the exhibition on Flicker

A couple of weeks ago I went to the latest exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery 'Art, Love and Life: Ethel Carrick and E Phillips Fox' and was blown away by the paintings.  The brushstrokes, colours and light in the paintings on display were so inspiring.  If you are in the Brisbane area I would strongly recommend you see the paintings in the flesh yourself because they are amazing and so painterly! 

'The ‘Art, Love and Life: Ethel Carrick and E. Phillips Fox’ exhibition tells the story of an artistic marriage and partnership, one of the most significant in Australian art. Both were painters of modern life at the turn of the last century, and the exhibition will explore the inflections of life and society in their work, from bustling scenes of markets and beaches, to intimate views of families, women and children'. - http://qag.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/current/ethel_carrick_and_e_phillips_fox

I so want to go and see the show again, it was that Spectacular. 

After seeing the show I wanted to get the book too!

Maybe on my next visit                   

By the book online here:

http://www.australianartbooks.com.au/books/products/art,_love_and_life_ethel_carrick_and_e_phillips_fox

When I go to an exhibition I often pick a 

favourite piece

  and this one is it.                    

 E Phillips Fox 

Loves me, loves me not c.1909 

Gift of Sir J Winthrop Hackett, 1910 

Collection: Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth 

Photograph: Bo Wong

The work below is a piece by Ethel Carrick Fox that is at Mossgreen.
Click on the image to see more info.  You could buy this one if you have  
$66,797.50 just laying around.

If you are keen to see more images of the show, please head on over to http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/3032-art-love-and-life-ethel-carrick-e-phillips-fox or you can download the free iPhone app, view the exhibition installation on Flickr, watch the opening weekend talks on YouTube or get updates on exhibition programs on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Weekend All!



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Admiration File: Scott Burdick

This post has been a little while coming, I've had it in mind to share with you the brilliance of Scott Burdick's work all week and now that I have a bit of time to tell you his artwork, I will.

I discovered Burdick's work on Youtube and did a link love post of one of his videos last week. His work has inspired me and in sharing it with you, I hope it inspires you too. Here is a few of my favourite works. Don't you just love his use of colour and lush paint marks?

"Tiffany's Hat" 2010, oil, 16" by 24"

Detail of "Tiffany's Hat"

"Megan" 2008, oil, 20" by 18"

Detail of "Megan" 

 "Andrea In Red" 2007, oil, 11" by 14"

"Andrea In Red" oil, 11" by 14"

Scott Burdick was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1967.  "Today, Scott and Susan (also an artist) live in a rural area of North Carolina. Surrounded by forests and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, their house is a perfect resting place after the many trips they take throughout the world in search of subject matter to paint" 1.

He is a realist painter who has a love for capturing beauty using lush gestural brush strokes.  Burdick's work is marvelous, he is highly skilled in his practice.  I admire his wonderful use of colour and how his applies the paint to form an image that captures a moment in time and the essence of what makes something beautiful.

"His ideas for paintings come from everywhere. "What makes a subject attractive to me are the same things that attract us all. The beauty of a young girl, the character of a weathered face, the solitude of a farm at sunset, or even the story itself behind someone or something that makes it interesting." Scott believes it is the job of the artist to recognize this when it happens, analyze why, and use his technical skills to convey the feeling to someone else. He notes that some paintings are as simple as stopping at the sight of something interesting, while others may take more time to research than to actually paint."  1.

And here is Scott's Artist Statement: "I see painting as both a way of exploring the world and then as the vehicle of sharing those discoveries with others. I travel to find subjects to paint as much as paint so I can travel and expand my horizons. Through this unique language, one can say things that are impossible with words." 1.

These two videos showcase Burdick's work.  I keep watching them over and over again.


Scott Burdick 1aParte
by Dars77  http://youtu.be/CcSNIG9S0fo




Scott Burdick 2aParte
by Dars77  http://youtu.be/mjDQtFowkXU




On Burdick's website there is a section on frequently asked questions, the one below I'd like to share with you because it is great advise, something that I agree with and is what I'm focusing on in my practice at the moment.

"Q: After your schooling, what did you do to become popular? Was it mainly applying to shows, or trying to get articles written in magazines? Or was it because of the shows publicity that magazines discovered you?  I am currently an art student, and there really doesn't
appear to be a lot covered on this aspect of art.

A: To be absolutely honest, I think that the key to popularity as an artist is mainly devoting yourself to your craft and improving your paintings. Everything else will follow from that. "Popularity" is a fickle thing and something you cannot control. Don't try and change your style or subject matter to simply get into shows or magazines that you think will help you. In the end, the most important thing is that you are happy with your work."

I could not talk about Scott Burdick without sharing his four part Youtube video series on beauty in art. It is well worth spending the time to listen to. It really struck a cord with me, I found myself nodding in agreement to what he was saying. I won't ruin it for you, but I will tell you that he talks about beauty, skill, traditional art, modern art, art institutions, museums and the contemporary art scene.


BeautyPart1.Mov
by ScottBurdickArt  http://youtu.be/qGX0_0VL06U




BeautyPart2.Mov
by ScottBurdickArt  http://youtu.be/fIVaTCRyblM




BeautyPart3.Mov
by ScottBurdickArt  http://youtu.be/TMA1rn7q7t0




BeautyPart4.Mov
by ScottBurdickArt  http://youtu.be/byRaMfoiJP4





 Also here is a great interview:  http://www.tlchicken.com/view_story.php?ARTid=3176 



Happy weekend all!



1.  http://www.scottburdick.com/biography_scott_burdick.htm

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Admiration File: Carol Marine

 Carol Marine is an artist based in Bastrop, Texas, United State.  She says she loves to paint, and you can tell this just by looking at her beautiful images. What I love most about her work is the descriptive brush stokes, beautiful lighting and lush colours.  Marine paints a range of subjects including people, environments, still lives and flowers.

 Jacob

 

Dappled Apple Snack 

 Intimidating 

Carnations and Apples

Marine is a painting genius in my opinion and has inspired me deeply with her painterly images. She is a true testament to the fact that painting does not have to be highly detailed (every small detail painted) to be realistic. Her gestural brush marks are skillfully laid down with great observation and purpose and she captures her subjects wonderfully. Her work has so much depth and volume to it.

 Wanna Piece of Me?

I came across Marine's work on Daily Painters last week and have been captivated by her pieces ever since.  Please go and check out her blog where she sells her smaller works (Daily Paintings). If you are anything like me you will spend some time hopping from link to link, oohing and awwing at her work.

 Grape Reflections

 Yellow Girl

Also check out Marines larger works at: Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX, Windrush Gallery in Sedona, AZ, Riverbend Fine Art in Marble Falls, TX, the Corse Gallery in Jacksonville, FL or Galeria Gardner in San Miguel, Mexico.

Tea and Memories

Lastly go and have a look a her video demos which show time lapses of her painting an image from start to finish, truly inspiring. 

 "Yellow Bell" 6x6in.
Daily Painting Demo, Time-lapse.

http://youtu.be/zUQrTOxc2Mw

"Healthy Competition" 6x6in.
Daily Painting Demo 2, Time-lapse

http://www.vimeo.com/15454601

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