Throwback Thursday - "Morning Spills Into the Cove"

For #ThrowbackThursday, here's a piece from 2018. This view of Dana Point Harbor from Harbor Point Park was painted plein air for the 2018 Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational. It went on to win multiple awards at the event.

This piece shows my approach to painting plein air on a hot day. Get out before dawn and finish by sunrise. That way, you can relax for the rest of the day.

 

"Morning Spills Into the Cove" • Oil on Linen • 18" x 24" • Private Collection

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Art Review - "Lisbon to Belem" by Fred Taylor

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday features a travel poster art by British artist Fred Taylor.

Taylor was a master of breaking even the most complicated images down to flat graphic shapes. I find this piece particularly striking in its use of color. The building is rendered in shades of orange, which contrast with the black used in the figures. Taylor then places a few spots of rich blue within the entrance to the building, vibrating against the orange and drawing our eye to the center of the image. Also notice that small bit of dark greenery in the top left, to balance the dark mass of the figures.

Born in London in 1875, Taylor studied in Paris at the Académie Julian. He worked extensively as an illustrator for railway and shipping firms, and insisted on traveling to the location to truly capture the feel of his subject matter. During WWII, he was employed as a camouflage artist. Taylor passed away in 1963. While I do not know the location of this particular work, many public galleries in Britain hold his paintings.

"Lisbon to Belem" • Fred Taylor • Gouache
• c. 1940s • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT - Baton Rouge Painting Workshop

UPDATE: SOLD OUT

Send an e-mail to contact@patricksaunders.com if you would like to be added to the wait list for this workshop.

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Only one spot left in one of my 2023 painting workshops - all others are sold out. Paint with me October 13th - 15th in Baton Rouge.

Click here for more information, and to claim that last spot: https://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Baton-Rouge-Workshop

Explore the essential techniques for painting from direct observation and photography. I can teach you to paint any subject, from the most simple to complex, with one approach. I will demonstrate the process of simplifying the subject and moving to finish as rapidly as possible, in order to add more energy and excitement to your painting.

Each day begins with a short lecture and full demonstration, followed by one-on-one instruction. My class is highly tailored for each individual, so beginners as well as experienced painters are welcome.

"Bombadil" • Oil on Linen • 12" x 16" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Waiting" - Western Art Painting

Sometimes you get a glimpse behind the scenes. This one gave me the sense that horses feel exactly like us at the end of a long day of work. After herding cattle all day, they too are ready to just go home. Technically, it was a challenge to get the sense that most everything is in the shade, while still keeping the colors rich.

"Waiting" • Oil on Linen • 15" x 30" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Painting and reference photos by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Art Review - "The Sunlit Room" by Carl Holsøe

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is an interior by Danish artist Carl Holsøe.

This piece has such a wonderful control of values. Notice how the values all around the window are light enough that they give the impression of the sunlight blasting out the scene. The tile floor in the foreground also reflects this strong light, differentiating it from the wood floor beyond, but also creating a sense of depth by contrasting so severely with the darks between the tiles.

Born in 1863 in Aarhus, Denmark, Holsøe studied under the great Peder Severin Krøyer. While he painted a variety of subjects, Holsøe is primarily known for his interiors.

 

"The Sunlit Room" • Carl Vilhelm Holsøe • Oil on Canvas

• 21.3" x 18.9" • 1922 • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

We all love color, but trying to match the colors of nature perfectly can drive artists to madness.

Sign up now for my latest art newsletter and read why the perfect color might not be as necessary as you think: 

http://bit.ly/PSFA-Newsletter-Sign-up

“Neil Reflected” • Oil on Linen • 14" x 18"  • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

SOLD - Dana Point Harbor Plein Air Painting

This piece has gone home with a new collector. It was painted at Dana Point Harbor in southern California. That sea of boats was a lot of fun to capture!

"Day On the Dock" • Oil on Linen • 12" x 16" • Private Collection

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Art Review - "Team and Wagon" by Nicolai Fechin

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is an oil sketch by the great Russian artist, Nicolai Fechin, that I find as inspiring as any larger, more ambitious composition.

Despite its small scale and economy of brushstrokes, the painting conveys so much detail and movement. All of this comes from Fechin's skill in simplification and confidence in paint application. It's a great reminder that loose paintings are not sloppy, but require well thought out strokes, perfectly placed. With just a few expert brushstrokes, one can say more than with a hundred haphazard dabs.

"Team and Wagon" • Nicolai Fechin • Oil on Canvas • 10" x 16"

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

SOLD - "Trails of Jupiter" Plein Air Painting

Happy to see this piece go home with a new collector. It's a plein air painting from one of my favorite tranquil spots in Florida, the Blowing Rocks Preserve on Jupiter Island. I've always loved the way the palm trees meld together into a protective canopy, creating a beautiful pattern of dappled light.

"Trails of Jupiter" • Oil on Linen • 16" x 20" • Private Collection

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

SOLD - "Paper Lantern" Floral Painting

My thanks to Janice at Hindes Fine Art for sending this floral painting home with a collector.

“Paper Lantern” • Oil on Linen • 9"x12" • Private Collection

Reference and painting photos by Saunders Fine Arts. 

 
© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Landscape Detail Demonstration - Day Three - Plein Air Southwest Plein Air Painting Workshop

Today’s demonstration for my second plein air painting workshop at Plein Air Southwest was all about finding interest in a simple, everyday subject. No big vista, no flowers, no figures, just simple leaves. Another challenge was to overcome the mass of greens, using color temperature, saturation, and chroma.

 

“Leaf Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 12” • 1 Hour

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.