Oil Painters of America - 2022 Western Regional Juried Exhibition

I'm honored that one of my paintings was accepted into the Oil Painters of America 2022 Western Regional Juried Exhibition.

The Southwest Gallery in Dallas will host the exhibition, which opens September 10th with a reception at the gallery, and runs through October 1st. Congratulations to all the artists accepted into the exhibition!

"Mosaic" • Oil on Linen • 15" x 30"

© 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.

Second Painting Workshop - Conroe Art League

Artist friends, the wait list for my sold out painting workshop at the Conroe Art League this November got long enough that we decided to add a second class.

This second workshop is already half full, so click here to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Conroe-Workshop-II

Join me November 11th - 13th in Conroe, Texas to explore the essential techniques for painting from direct observation. 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. Artists will learn about composition, value, texture, color temperature and accuracy in paint application.

Each day will begin 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 and pastels. 

“Of Earth And Sky” • Oil on Linen • 30” x 60” • 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 - "Contemplation" by Hovsep Pushman

As I prepare for my still life workshop next month at the Telfair Museums Jepson Center, I'm thinking about some of the still life paintings that have greatly inspired me. This week's #MuseumTourTuesday features one of my favorite still life painters, Armenian artist Hovsep Pushman.

Pushman's paintings fascinate me with the way in which he depicts a combination of three-dimensional and two-dimensional elements. Notice in this piece how he uses a wider value scale and sharper edges to differentiate the foreground objects from the flat artwork behind them. While the solid objects become the focal point of the painting, the artist adds enough interest and rich color into the painting beyond that the foreground and background are intricately linked, inviting us to explore the entire painting and suggesting that there is more beyond the frame.

Born in 1877, Pushman's family emigrated from to Chicago in 1896. Pushman then moved to Paris where he studied at the Académie Julian, returning to the U.S. in 1914. After moving to California in 1916, Pushman co-founded the Laguna Beach Art Association in 1918. After another brief stint in Paris, Pushman relocated to New York City in 1923. In 1940, he sued the New York Graphic Society for reproducing one of his paintings without permission. While the court initially decided against the artist, upon his death in 1966 the decision was reversed, and the law now states that the artist retains all rights. This ruling still protects us today. Thank you Hovsep Pushman.

Hovsep Pushman • "Contemplation" • Oil on Masonite • 27.25" x 20.75" • circa 1940

© 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.

July 2022 Art Newsletter - If the Sky Is Blue, Which Blue Is It?

If the sky is blue, which blue is it?

Sign up for my latest art newsletter on how to choose blues in order to maximize versatility: http://bit.ly/PSFA-Newsletter-Sign-up

"Cloudscape over St. Michaels" • 2019 Plein Air Easton • Oil on Linen  

• 18" x 24" • 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.

Portrait Study - Open Model Session

Here is my last study at a Coppini Academy open model session until they resume this fall. This one is a good balance of thick and thin paint. The hair is a thin mix of cobalt blue and cadmium red, laid in during the first few minutes of the session. The face and background are thicker paint. 

“Kyle Portrait Study” • Oil on Linen • 15" x 14” • 1.5 Hours

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 - "The Governess Cart" by Joseph Crawhill

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday post is not about a painting that I have seen in person, but rather one that I find very inspiring. While very different mediums, I've always been intrigued by the crossover of effects between oil and water based paints. Working with watercolor and gouache for over a decade early on in my art career has greatly influenced my approach to painting with oils.

Joseph Crawhill, with this piece at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, Scotland, is one of those artists who helped to solidify that connection between the mediums for me. My first assumption was that this piece was an oil painting, but it is actually gouache on linen. Many of the effects are similar to those achievable with oil on linen. I am particularly partial to the visible texture of the linen, and the way in which that texture interacts with the paint. This is another thing I strive for in my own work.

Unfortunately, Crawhill destroyed much of his own work because he was rarely satisfied with it. What remains shows his high level of talent and a love for animals, often working only from memory.

Joseph Crawhill • "The Governess Cart" • Gouache on Linen
• 05 mm x 369 mm • circa 1894-1900

© 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 Painting Workshops - Booth Art Academy

Artist friends, all of my 2022 workshops are sold out, but if you would like to paint with me in 2023, you can sign up now for my classes at the Booth Museum’s Booth Art Academy next spring.

Join me in Cartersville, Georgia for my Painting Without Borders workshop on May 1st - 3rd, or my Painting Dynamic Animal Portraits class on May 4th - 6th.

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

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

No matter your favorite subject, my approach to painting is the same. Choose a class and paint what excites 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.

“Dining at the Swan” • Oil on Linen • 18” x 24" • Private Collection

“Kobe” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 16" • 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.

Portrait Study - Open Model Session

I really worked at trying to capture the subtle variations of last night's model at a Coppini Academy open session. The number of colors within human skin, or in anything for that matter, never ceases to amaze me. The more you look, the more you see.

“Dustin Portrait Study” • Oil on Linen • 14" x 18” • 1.5 Hours

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 - "Self-Portrait" by Sir William Orpen

For today's #MuseumTourTuesday, here is a self portrait by Irish artist Sir William Orpen at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

I love the bold choice of yellow as a background color, similar to a piece I featured earlier this year by František Kupka. Orpen portrays himself in front of one of his own works, "Sowing New Seed," a political observation on the state of the arts in Ireland. He is known for a series of self portraits in which he often depicts himself in the act of painting or in costume.

 

Orpen was a very successful portrait painter, promoted by the likes of John Singer Sargent. In 1915, he was commissioned into the British Army Service Corps and painted throughout the battlefields of WWI. In 1952, some 20 years after the artist's death, the director of the Tate Gallery criticized every aspect of Orpen's work, causing most of his paintings to be pulled from display. The artist was largely forgotten in the UK until a major retrospective in 2005 reestablished his place in British and Irish culture. The ebb and flow of popular painting never ceases to amaze me.

 

Sir William Orpen • "Self-Portrait" • Oil on Canvas • 48 3/8" x 35 3/8" • 1913

 

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.

Bosque Arts Center 2022 Bosque Art Classic

What a great way to close out the week. I was honored to learn yesterday that four of my paintings have been accepted into the Bosque Arts Center's 2022 Bosque Art Classic juried art show and sale.

This will be my fourth year at this great event, which celebrates its 37th year this September.

“Dama De Rojo” • Oil on Linen • 15”x30"

“Gift of the Great Spirit” • Oil on Linen • 12”x16"

 

“Orange Tabby Cat Study” • Oil on Linen • 12”x16”

“Barney” • Oil on Linen • 9”x12"

Painting 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.

Portrait Study - Open Model Session

We had some dramatic lighting at last night's open model session at the Coppini Academy. I could just barely make out the model's eyes, but it gave the head some great form.

“Caesar Portrait Study” • Oil on Linen • 14" x 18” • 2 Hours

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.