May 2021 Art Newsletter - Nice-to-Knows vs. Need-to-Knows

There is so much to learn about painting that the process can be very overwhelming.

Sign up for my latest art newsletter to find out how to set aside the "rules" in order to get to the heart of painting: 

 

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.

TWO SPOTS NOW OPEN - Driggs Plein Air Painting Workshop

Artist friends, two spots just opened up in my sold out plein air painting workshop in Driggs, Idaho on July 25th - 26th, just before Driggs Digs Plein Air.

Click here to register before they fill:
http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Driggs-Plein-Air-Workshop-2021

 

If you would like to paint plein air with me, this is your opportunity. I can teach you to paint any subject, from the most simple to complex, with one approach. This workshop is open to beginners as well as advanced artists. If you're a beginner, I can get you started, and if you are an experienced painter, I can take you to the next level. Acrylic and pastel artists are also welcome.

 

© 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 - "Into the Great Silence" by Carl Oscar Borg

Here is another painting in the Booth Western Art Museum's collection for today's #museumtourtuesday. Carl Oscar Borg was a Swedish immigrant who came to the United States in his 20s, where he was influenced by the American Southwest. He was a founding member of the California Art Club, and one of the first art directors for a major Hollywood movie studio.

This piece is incredibly solid in its execution. Every stroke is deliberate, and each one adds support to the forms of either the figure or the landscape. This piece also conveys Borg's love for Grand Canyon National Park through the emotional reaction of the figure, rather than the majestic views of the landscape itself. Borg's ashes were scattered in the canyon upon his passing in 1947.

 

"Into the Great Silence" • Carl Oscar Borg • Oil on board • 1922

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.

Group Photo - Heartland Art Club Painting Workshop

My first painting workshop in my hometown. My thanks to Daniel Fishback and Mary Drastal for making it happen.

I also want to thank everyone who came to my class at The Galleries at Heartland Art Club in Saint Louis, Missouri. Some of you came from as far away as Wisconsin, Colorado, and Michigan, and I really appreciate that.

 

Now remember, don’t be afraid to keep pushing those values.

 

 

© 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 Demonstration Painting - Day Three - Heartland Art Club Painting Workshop

My pet portrait demonstration this morning on the last day of my painting workshop at The Galleries at Heartland Art Club in Saint Louis, Missouri.

 

"Huey" • 12"x16" • Oil on Linen • 2 Hours • SOLD

 

 

© 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.

Floral Demonstration Painting - Day Two - Heartlant Art Club Painting Workshop

My floral demonstration from life this morning for my painting workshop at The Galleries at Heartland Art Club in Saint Louis, Missouri.

 

"Floral Study" • 10"x10" • Oil on Linen • 2 Hours • SOLD

© 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.

Landscape Demonstration Painting - Day One - Heartland Art Club Painting Workshop

My landscape demonstration this morning for my painting workshop at The Galleries at Heartland Art Club in Saint Louis, Missouri.

 

"Newnan Landscape Study" • 12"x16" • Oil on Linen • 1.5 Hours • SOLD

 

© 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 - "Hopi Sheep Herder, Walpi Arizona" by Marion Wachtel - Booth Western Art Museum

Here is another gem at the Booth Western Art Museum for this week's #museumtourtuesday.

After studying with the great William Merritt Chase, Marion Wachtel focused primarily on portraiture, but transitioned to landscapes after moving to California.

 

This piece captures the subtle colors of the Arizona desert. Notice that flow of the sheep, which merges them into a single shape as they move back in space within the image. 

 

"Hopi Sheep Herder, Walpi Arizona" • Marion Wachtel • Watercolor on paper • 18" x 24" • c. 1903

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.

SOLD - "Gerbera" Floral Study - Olmsted Plein Air Painting Invitational

This piece is on its way this morning to a new collector, thanks to the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational.

There are still some beautiful paintings available through Olmsted's online collectors gallery. 

Click here to see more:   

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/380455780/110-111/

"Gerbera" • Oil on Linen • 6"x8" • Private Collection

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.

Airstream Life Magazine - Globetrotter Gallery

 My thanks to Airstream Life Magazine editor Rich Luhr and writer Jo Steigerwald for including me in their summer issue as one of the artists in the magazine's new online art gallery, www.globetrottergallery.com.

The article includes a painting I did of the Baked Potato, our first Airstream, a Bambi Sport 16, and the gallery has a plein air painting I did of our current Airstream, the Sweet Potato, a 25FB Flying Cloud.

© 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 - "Amor a la Vida" - Western Art Portrait Painting

I am so pleased to announce that my latest painting has found a home. Nothing thrills me more than a collector who finds the same joy upon viewing a painting as I experienced while creating it.

For me, a painting is a record of a personal experience, and for that to translate for others is one of my ultimate goals as an artist. This particular piece is the result of a great day Kimberly and I spent together at the Dallas Dia De Los Muertos parade.

I wanted to capture the feeling of that day in a painting, with the combination of figures, colors and patterns all coming together in a celebration of life.

 

"Amor a la Vida" • Oil on Linen • 48" x 38" • Private Collection

 

"Amor a la Vida" Detail • Oil on Linen • 48" x 38" • Private Collection

"Amor a la Vida" Detail • Oil on Linen • 48" x 38" • Private Collection

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.

Art Review - "Diamond A Cowboy" by James Reynolds - Booth Western Art Museum

Last week, Kimberly and I had the chance to visit the Booth Western Art Museum, which has a diverse and extensive collection of western art, so, for this week's #museumtourtuesday, I'd like to share one of my favorite pieces at the Booth.

James Reynolds was an American illustrator, working for most of the major film studios. In 1968, he left Hollywood behind and settled in Sedona, Arizona, focusing on western art. He went on to become the first artist to win the prestigious Prix de West International Award.

 

I was immediately struck by the sense of light in the painting below. Through the use of rich color and strong value contrasts, Reynolds masterfully captured the early morning sun. The painting just glows when seen in person.

 

"Diamond A Cowboy" • James Reynolds • Oil on Masonite • 1984

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.

Floral Sketch - Booth Western Art Museum

I have a piece in the collection of the Booth Western Art Museum!

Well, just a little doodle that I cranked out during a 15-minute break from my floral workshop this week at the Booth Art Academy. 

 

My thanks to Academy Manager Kent Mullinax for inviting me to leave my mark on a panel that will hang in the museum’s Members Lounge alongside the sketches of many great artists who have visited the museum over the years.

 

© 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.

Floral Workshop Artists - Booth Western Art Museum

I want to thank this very talented group of artists for painting with me this week at the Booth Western Art Museum's Booth Art Academy in Cartersville, Georgia.

 

We all painted flowers, but there wasn’t a floral painter in the class. We are all painters, and everything we studied applies to any and every subject. I think we were all surprised at the caliber of the work created over the course of three short days. Every single one of you worked hard and really excelled with your paintings, and we shared a lot of laughs in the process.

 

My thanks also to Kent, and everyone at the Booth Art Academy, for an absolutely first class teaching experience. Kimberly and I also got the chance to tour the museum this week, and we cannot recommend a visit to the Booth highly enough. We had such a great time that I am already planning to be back next year!

 

 

 

© 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.

Floral Workshop Demonstration Painting - Day Three - Booth Western Art Museum

My demonstration painting from life this morning, on the last day of my floral workshop at the Booth Western Art Museum's Booth Art Academy.

Today, with this demo, we experimented with shifting the focal point of a painting by developing areas of it on the fly. 

 

“Yellow Rose & White Hydrangea Demo”

• Oil on Linen

• 12”x16”

• 1.5 Hours

• SOLD

 

© 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.

Floral Workshop Demonstration Painting - Day Two - Booth Western Art Museum

My demonstration painting from life this morning, on day two of my floral workshop at the Booth Western Art Museum's Booth Art Academy.

Once again, my students challenged me to paint my nemesis, Gerbera daisies, and pink ones at that.

 

“Pink Gerberas Demo”

• Oil on Linen

• 9”x12”

• 1.5 Hours

• SOLD

 

 

 

© 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.

Floral Workshop Demonstration Painting - Day One - Booth Western Art Museum

Here’s my first demonstration painting on day one of my floral workshop at the Booth Western Art Museum's Booth Art Academy.

I didn’t get very far, because the great group of artists I’m working with are very inquisitive and had a lot of questions, but it’s a good start. I painted this scene from a photograph of a poppy field taken when Kimberly and I visited the Fort Worth Botanic Garden again last month.

I chose the image for my demo because I wanted the artists in this class to see that my approach to a floral painting is always the same, whether it’s a single flower, or a busy, complicated scene like this one. It’s all about painting shapes and colors, not things.

 

“Red Poppies Demo” • Oil on Linen • 12”x16” • 1.5 Hours

 

© 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 - Ralph McQuarrie Star Wars Concept Art

Because today is both #museumtourtuesday and #starwarsday, it's only fitting that I feature work by the great Ralph McQuarrie.

McQuarrie's concept art for Star Wars influenced my desire to pursue art more than anything else in my life. As a child, I was amazed that art could not only depict fantastic scenes of far away places, but inspire my imagination to consider so much more beyond the edges of the picture.

 

McQuarrie was responsible for the look and feel of the Star Wars universe, which was the first feature film he ever worked on. He went on to have an incredibly successful career, working on many other blockbuster projects beyond the Star Wars films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark and Cocoon, for which he won an Academy Award.

 

Yes, I am a geek.

 

May the Fourth Be With You.

 

 

 

In this concept art for Star Wars' iconic Mos Eisley Cantina scene, you can see the original designs for R2-D2 and C-3PO, as well as an early stormtrooper rendering.

 

 

McQuarrie envisioned lightsabers as a bit more ubiquitous in some early concepts. Even stormtroopers carried them.

 

This must have been a piece created after the film was green lit, as it features the later design of the Millenium Falcon.

 

This was the original concept for the Millenium Falcon, but was deemed too similar to a spacecraft from the TV show Space 99. It later went on to become the Rebel Blockade Runner featured in the opening of the film.

Painting Workshop - Tubac School of Fine Art

Arizona artist friends, I will be teaching a painting workshop this fall at the Tubac School of Fine Art.

Registration for this October 15th - 17th workshop is not yet open, but click on the link below if you want to be notified when it does.

 

http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Tubac-Workshop

 

 

© 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.