Portrait Study - Coppini Academy of Fine Art

I haven't made it to a Coppini Academy of Fine Art open model session in a few months, so it was nice to be back last night. Dual lighting made this session particularly interesting. Extremely warm light from the left illuminates most of the head, and a cooler light from the right adds a nice contrasting rim.

“Josh” • Oil on Panel • 16" x 16” • 90 Minutes

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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 - "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent

It was a treat to view two oil sketches of the figures from John Singer Sargent's painting "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" recently at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Kimberly and I saw the final painting at the Tate during our 2019 trip to London, making the chance to see these sketches all the more interesting and informative.

The completed painting is a masterpiece, but the oil sketches are no less beautiful in their immediacy. Also interesting to note is the more extreme lighting, especially on the face of Polly Barnard, the figure on the right.

The final piece was painted at the home of fellow painter Francis Davis Millet, who incidentally perished with the sinking of the Titanic. The models, Dorothy and Polly Barnard, were the daughters of illustrator Frederick Barnard, chosen for their hair color. Sargent worked for a number of months on the painting, for only a short period each evening, when the light was just right.

“Sketch for ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’” • John Singer Sargent 

 • Oil on Canvas • 1885

“Study for ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’” • John Singer Sargent • Oil on Canvas
• 1885 • 28.5” x 19.5”

“Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose” • John Singer Sargent • Oil on Canvas

• 1885-1886 • 5’9” x 5’1”

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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 FOUR SPOTS LEFT - 2023 Booth Art Academy Painting Workshop

Artist friends, one of my two painting workshops at the Booth Art Academy next May is already sold out, and the other class only has four spots left, so sign up now to secure your spot.

https://bit.ly/patrick-saunders-booth-museum-workshop-2023

Join me in Cartersville for my Painting Without Borders workshop May 1st - 3rd. No matter your favorite subject, my approach to painting is the same, so you are free to explore whatever moves you. Beginners as well as advanced artists are welcome, as my workshops are highly tailored to each participant. I can meet you where you are and help you get where you want to go as a painter.

“Paper Lantern” • Oil on Linen • 9"x12" • Available

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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.

2023 Plein Air Painting Workshop - Summit Art Plein Air Festival

Missouri artist friends, I’m pleased to announce that I will be judging the 3rd Annual Summit Art Plein Air Festival next summer, and will teach a plein air painting workshop during the event.

Click here for more information:
https://bit.ly/patrick-saunders-workshop-kansas-city

Join me June 12th - 14th in Kansas City to explore the essential techniques for painting from direct observation, en plein air. 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. I will demonstrate in oil paint, but artists are welcome to use acrylic.

“Good Morning, Church Road” • Oil on Panel • 14”x18" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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 Violin Maker" by William H.W. Bicknell

Today's #MuseumTourTuesday piece is one that I was unfamiliar with until a recent visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Located in a busy corridor just past the museum's entrance, this is an easy one to miss, but I'm glad I didn't.

William Bicknell studied at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, and is known more for his etchings than his paintings, yet this piece is as masterfully done as any of his contemporaries. It feels more like an American master illustration from the 1940s than a piece from the 1880s.

The figure is beautifully painted, but it's the background which I find fascinating. This artist skillfully conveys all of the tools and clutter throughout the violinist's workshop without over-rendering a single item. There is so much going on to the right of the figure, and you can sense that Bicknell had fun painting it all, but it never takes away from the central focus of the figure. This is accomplished through the tight control of value contrast within the background and the color saturation in the red of the violin that the figure holds.

"The Violin Maker" • William H. W. Bicknell • Oil on Canvas
• 1888 • 40.25" x 50"

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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.

November 2022 Art Newsletter - Oil and Paint

Oil paint is expensive, but that doesn't mean you want to be stingy with the amount you're willing to squeeze out onto your palette.

Sign up now for my latest art newsletter to learn how to save unused paint for days, weeks or even longer:   

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

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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 - "Early Spring in Holland" by George Hitchcock

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday features a painting from the Telfair Museums collection by American artist George Hitchcock.

The piece conveys the graphic beauty of the tulip gardens through its use of broad strips of color. What I appreciate most about the painting is that Hitchcock is not content to stop at simply large masses of color to represent the flowers. He takes the image further, breaking apart the masses in the foreground areas to clearly define the floral shapes, not in a simple stylized pattern, but in a much more natural and realistic depiction. This not only creates a more pronounced sense of depth in the image, but also gives the flowers individuality and variety.

 

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Hitchcock graduated from Harvard Law School in 1874 before moving to Europe five years later, and then turning his full attention to painting. He studied in London, Paris, and Düsseldorf before settling in Holland.

 

"Early Spring in Holland" • George Hitchcock • Oil on Canvas
• 37 7/8" x 51 1/4" • c. 1890 - 1905

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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.

Saturday Caturday - "Opal"

This portrait of our cat Opal was created almost 20 years ago. One of the first pet portraits I ever painted, Opal went on to be the subject of a number of my paintings.

It's interesting to look back on the evolution of my work alongside the evolution of our lives in general, as the two are so closely intertwined. The room depicted in the painting was in our first home in a suburb of Kansas City. Opal decided that this back bedroom was her own private sanctuary. I have great memories of both the house and her adventures throughout.

As we've just moved into a new home in San Antonio, I look forward to building new memories and creating new paintings in a new studio alongside our new companion, Mellow, a dachshund/terrier mix. Paintings of her are sure to follow.

"Opal's Room" • Oil on Canvas • 16" x 24" • 2003 • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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 - "Nest" Floral Painting

My thanks to the Peninsula Gallery for finding this floral painting a home with a new collector.

This piece means a lot to me, as it symbolizes the period Kimberly and I spent in lockdown during the pandemic. We hadn't stayed in one place for that long in almost a decade, and we actually enjoyed nesting for a bit, so to speak, in my temporary studio space. This painting is not only representative of that feeling of home, but also a kind of closure on our months of quarantine. Now that we're back to traveling and making art, we still get to have that feeling of home in beautiful San Antonio. 

"Nest" • Oil on Linen • 24" x 30" • Private Collection

Painting and reference photos by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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 - "Eleanor" by Frank Weston Benson

 Last week, I shared a painting by John Singer Sargent that had a profound influence on my growth as a painter. This week's #MuseumTourTuesday piece had just as profound an impact. Frank Benson's work relies on an exaggerated balance of warm and cool colors to create not only a sense of light, but also form and composition.

In this piece, also from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the warm lights vibrating against the cool shadows in Eleanor's dress create a sense of volume. It would be natural to expect all of the shadow areas to be cool in temperature as well. Yet the face and hair are warmed by reflected light from the lower right, causing them to stand out and bring our attention directly to them. This masterful depiction of reflected light in order to control composition rivals the work of Benson's contemporary, Spanish artist Joaquín Sorrola.

"Eleanor" • Frank Weston Benson • Oil on Canvas • 1907 • 25.25" x 30.25"

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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.

Pet Portrait Demonstration Painting - Day Two - Conroe Art League Painting Workshop II

My two-hour pet portrait demonstration painting from a photograph this morning on day three of my first painting workshop at the Conroe Art League.

 

“Labrador Study” • Oil on Linen • 14” x 18” • 2 Hours • Available

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2022. 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.