April 2021 Art Newsletter - When Right Feels Wrong

When you are having trouble with a painting, it's usually not the thing you think is wrong that is the actual problem.

Sign up for my latest art newsletter to find out how context can make right look wrong in your work, and what to do when it does: http://bit.ly/PSFA-Newsletter-Sign-up

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Western Art - "Amor a la Vida"

As Kimberly and I are finally beginning to travel again, I remember how commonplace it once was for us to wander into large groups of people at outdoor events, responding to the energy of the crowd. Concerts, parades, and festivals all seem so distant at the moment, but I'm hopeful that we will see normalcy begin to return in the near future.

One of my most ambitions paintings yet, this scene is from a 2019 Dia De Los Muertos parade in Dallas, Texas. I wanted to capture the combination of figures, colors and patterns all coming together to create a sense of a celebration of life.

 

"Amor a la Vida" • Oil on Linen • 48" x 38" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Painting and reference photos by Saunders Fine Arts.

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Andrew Sheldon - Art Project Documentary

I was honored to be asked by my artist friend Andrew Sheldon to be a small part of a documentary he is making on a very powerful and compelling art project that he is working on.

We talked yesterday in his studio in Atlanta after Kimberly and I had the chance to view his project in person. It is deeply moving, just heart wrenching, in fact.

 

It means a lot to me that Andrew has shared such personal work with me, and that he has trusted me to be a sounding board for his artistic process as he grapples with traumatic experiences through his art, making work that depicts historical events that are a reflection on all of us.

 

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - "Frisette" by Gustave Jean Jacquet

Today's #museumtourtuesday features a wonderful dog portrait painted by French artist Gustave Jean Jacquet (1846-1909).

Jacquet studied with the renowned painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and much of his work is reminiscent of that of his mentor. This portrait, however, is very different. The painting is very textural, with every brushstroke visible even though the paint application appears to be very thin. Best of all, there is an intensity to Frisette's gaze that rivals that of any societal portrait of the time.

 

"Frisette" • Gustave Jean Jacquet • Oil on Panel • 13" x 9.5" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Olmsted Linear Park Award - Olmsted Plein Air Painting Invitational

My thanks to the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational judges for giving "Deepdene Escape" the Olmsted Linear Park Award last night.

My thanks also to everyone who worked so hard to make the invitational happen, especially during such challenging times. It's a pleasure to have the opportunity to capture any part of a beautiful city like Atlanta on canvas.

 

 

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Community PaintQuick Judging - Olmsted Plein Air Invitational - Atlanta, Georgia

I was honored to be asked to judge the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational's Community PaintQuick Competition today at Ansley Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Congratulations to First Place winner Millie Gosch!

 

This painting is incredibly confident in its approach. Everything, from the value contrasts, the color temperature contrasts, and even the textural contrasts, draws the viewer in to the focal point, the house. Beautifully executed.

 

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 Painting - "Joey"

Our gift to our wonderful housing hosts for the Olmsted Plein Air Painting Invitational in Atlanta.

This is Joey, the sweetest, softest, happiest seven-month-old puppy, who always came to greet us when coming or going. We thought about trying to lure him into the truck with us when we leave. 

 

“Joey" • Oil on Panel • 9" x 12” • One Hour • Private Collection

Reference and painting photos by Saunders Fine Arts.

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

This week, Kimberly and I encountered the largest maple leaf hydrangea we have ever seen. The flowers were spent, but the huge leaves themselves are quite beautiful, and at a certain time of day the sunlight shines on them, creating the perfect presentation. It's almost like the leaves have stepped out onto a stage.

 

This painting will be available tomorrow during the Olmsted Plein Air Painting Invitational's Awards & Collectors Soirée at Druid Hills Golf Club.

 

"After the Blooms Have Fallen" • Oil on linen • 12" x 16"

• Available at http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Olmsted-Gallery

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - "Le Saint Andre" and "West On Pell" - Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Gallery Stroll

I’m thrilled that two of my most recent paintings are headed home with collectors tonight after their debut at the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational's Pop-Up Gallery Stroll.

Click here to see my other paintings available online at Olmsted’s virtual art gallery: http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Olmsted-Gallery

 

"Le Saint André" • Oil on Panel • 18"x24" • Private Collection

 

"West On Pell' • Oil on Linen • 20"x30" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

2021 Olmsted Plein Air Festival - Pop-Up Gallery Stroll & Petite Plein Air Painting Reveal - Druid Hills, Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta artists and collector friends, I hope to see you today at the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational’s Pop-Up Gallery Stroll & Petite Plein Air Painting Reveal.

I and the other invited artists will be painting this afternoon in one of the city’s most beautiful private gardens in the historic Druid Hills neighborhood.

Click here for more information, and to purchase entry tickets:

https://www.olmstedpleinair.com/calendarofevents/garden-gallery-stroll

 

 

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - "Swan Descending, A Staircase" - Olmsted Plein Air Painting Invitational, Atlanta, Georgia

So pleased that my interior painting of the Swan House staircase at the Atlanta History Center sold today at the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational.

"Swan Descending, A Staircase" • Oil on Linen • 18"x24" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Painting - "Deepdene Escape" - Olmsted Linear Park, Atlanta, Georgia

I really love painting in secluded forest settings, especially ones that feel that way even though they are actually in the midst of a bustling metropolis, like the Deepdene in Olmsted Linear Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

This piece is coming soon to the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational.

 

"Deepdene Escape" • Oil on linen • 14" x 18" • www.OlmstedPleinAir.com

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - "Landscape at Fontainebleau Forest" by Abbott Handerson Thayer

For #MuseumTourTuesday, here is a landscape by Abbott Handerson Thayer that I'm finding particularly inspiring. The painting is simply stated, and yet the colors create an atmosphere where one can almost smell the forest.

I've been plein air painting this week in the Deepdene of Olmsted Linear Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to give visitors the experience of a remote forest, despite being in the heart of historic Druid Hills in Atlanta, Georgia.

The feeling is similar to Thayer's piece, and I couldn't help but have this in the back of my mind as I worked.

 

"Landscape at Fontainebleau Forest" • Abbott Handerson Thayer • Oil on Cardboard
• 21.5" x 18" • 1876 • Private Collection

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Honorable Mention - 30th Annual Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition

My thanks to judge Jeffrey R. Watts for giving my painting of the Louis Bar in Amsterdam an Honorable Mention Award at the 30th Annual Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition.

The show is open at the California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido, California through May 16th. If you can’t make it to the exhibition in person, you can view the show online at www.oilpaintersofamerica.com.

 

"Bars & Bikes, Amsterdam" • Oil on Linen • 18" x 24”

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

2021 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Virtual Exhibition Gallery

I’m so happy to be back in beautiful Atlanta for the 2021 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational.

Here are some of my newer paintings that are already available online at Olmsted’s virtual art gallery:  

http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Olmsted-Gallery

Click on the link above for more information about each piece.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

2021 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational - Atlanta, Georgia

I’m honored to have been invited to the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational again this year.

This will be my third time at this great event, and I’m really excited to be able to participate in person this year, now that I am fully vaccinated. This will be the first plein air event Kimberly and I have been able to travel to in more than a year.

Here are some of my previous paintings for Olmsted.

"Dining at the Swan" • Oil on Linen • 18"x24" • Private Collection

"Swan Descending, A Staircase" • Oil on Linen • 18"x24" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

"Midnight SkyView" • Oil on Linen • 14"x18" • Available at www.patricksaunders.com

"The Ins and the Outs, Atlanta" • Oil on Linen • 20"x24" • Private Collection

"Deep Down in Deepdene" • Oil on Linen • 9"x12" • Two Hour Quick Paint • Private Collection

"The Swan Dappled" • Oil on Linen • 14"x18" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - The Woman's Club of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas

Texas artist friends, my June painting workshop at The Woman's Club of Fort Worth sold out quickly, so they have decided to add another class.

This second workshop, June 7th - 9th, is already almost full thanks to those who signed up for the waiting list for the first one, so register now at this link to claim your spot in my second class: 

 

http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Fort-Worth-Workshop-II

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - Austrian Painter Olga Wisinger-Florian

Today for #museumtourTuesday, I have a painting to share that I can't find a lot of information about, but it's so inspiring to me that I have to share.

 

Olga Wisinger-Florian was an Austrian painter. She grew frustrated with her progress as an artist, and trained to become a successful concert pianist, until at the age of 30, a hand injury forced her to return to painting. She went on to find great success as a painter. I always find it interesting that so many artists spread their creativity across multiple disciplines.

 

This floral is a masterful example of her work. I'm fascinated by large groupings of flowers, and Olga handles this one beautifully. Loosely painted, and yet everything reads perfectly. The choice of painting the flowers completely in shade, yet emphasizing their shape with the sunlit clouds in the background, creates a sense of drama and atmosphere. 

 

• Olga Wisinger-Florian • 1844-1926

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

Cityscape - "Le Saint Andre" - Paris, France

Strolling around the Latin Quarter one evening, Kimberly and I came across Le Saint Andre. The neighborhood is a blend of the old and the new, and that's exactly what Kimberly and I found Paris to be.

 

Visually, the scene holds an exciting interaction between the patrons, the signage, the multiple light sources and the various architectural structures, all melding together into something that captures the energy of the Left Bank after dark. 

          "Le Saint André" • Oil on panel • 18" x 24" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Reference and painting photos by Saunders Fine Arts.

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.

30th Annual Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition - California Center for the Arts

The 30th Annual Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition show opens today at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, CA. The exhibition runs through May 16th.

I'm honored that one of my Amsterdam paintings of the Louis Bar was juried into this anniversary show.

 

Art collectors can see the entire exhibition in person at the museum, or view the show online at www.oilpaintersofamerica.com.

 

                                  "Bars & Bikes, Amsterdam" • Oil on Linen • 18" x 24"

  

Reference and painting photos by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - "Betty"

I bet that most artists who have pets around the studio will relate to this story.

We've always invested in comfortable beds for our best friends, and Betty was no exception. She and her brother Barney would hang out with me as I painted in our Brooklyn apartment. 

 

Barney would lay on his bed, but Betty, not so much. Betty had decided that the cheap red rug that sat at the base of my easel was her bed of choice, and she staked her claim No one else was allowed on it except for her. Not even me. I had to move my easel to accommodate the princess, and of course, I had to paint Betty in her favorite spot.

 

"Betty" • Oil on Canvas • 30"x40" • 2010 • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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 - "Family" by Sergey Ivanov - State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Today's #MuseumTourTuesday features Russian artist Sergey Ivanov.

Yes, I know it's spring, and I'm sharing a snowy painting, but the colorful nature of the figures' clothing grabbed my attention this morning.

 

Sergey's paintings were often focused on the lives of Russian peasants. During the late 19th Century, many were forced to relocate to outlying areas in an attempt to ease overcrowding in villages. Sergey depicts the beauty of these people despite the hardship of their lives.

 

Notice the richness of color not only in the clothing, but also the faces of the figures.

 

"Family" • Sergey Ivanov • Oil on Canvas • 152 x 239 cm • 1907

• Collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2021. 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.