December 2022 Art Newsletter - Stop Watching Paint Dry

Do you feel like you're waiting forever for a layer of paint to dry so that you can paint over it? Are you afraid you might end up with the dreaded "mud?" With a few key changes to your working method, you can create a painting from start to finish in one session, and you'll never have to watch paint dry again.

Sign up now for my latest art newsletter to get great tips on painting alla prima: http://bit.ly/PSFA-Newsletter-Sign-up

"Colliding" • Oil on Linen • 9” x 12” • 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 - "Lingering Snows" by Willard Leroy Metcalf

Here is my final #MuseumTourTuesday post for 2022, featuring another beautiful piece from the Telfair Museums collection by American artist Willard Metcalf.

In my opinion, Metcalf captures a true sense of light on the landscape better than all others. I've yet to see one of his pieces that doesn't give me the feeling of being there, in the scene. This one's a plein air painting as well, which is surprising for such a large canvas.

Notice those bands of warm and cool colors that create a vibration within the landscape. I feel that the artist makes the small patch of snow in the upper right the focal point, not just based on the title, but by linking it to the light patch of reflected cloud on the river, through both value and scale. He also surrounds this small area of snow with some of the warmest and most saturated colors in the hills, calling attention to it with color temperature contrast.

"Lingering Snows" • Willard Leroy Metcalf • Oil on Canvas • 40 1/8" x 45 1/4" • c. 1924

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.

Happy Holidays!

We wish you a wonderful holiday weekend, and a happy new year!

"Patterns In Blue & Green" • 12" x 16" • Oil on Linen • www.PatrickSaunders.com

Reference and 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.

In Progress Detail - Cityscape Painting

Here's a detail of a new piece I'm working on. This is a scene from a trip abroad Kimberly and I took earlier this year to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

In Progress Detail • Oil on Linen • 12" x 12"

 

© 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 - "Le Domino Rose" by John Humphreys Johnston

It's always a treat to come across a painting or an artist that you are not yet familiar with. Today's #MuseumTourTuesday is a piece that I first encountered on a recent visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This is an acquisition that happened since my last visit to the museum. I've done a bit of research online, and found only a handful of paintings by this artist, John Humphreys Johnston, all of which are beautiful.

This particular piece is all about the color of the robe, as evidenced by the title. The artist's handling of the fabric is impeccable, and the colors in the hair and the flower perfectly balance out the composition.

Born in 1857, Johnston worked as an apprentice to American painter John La Farge before heading to Paris to further his studies. 

"Le Domino Rose" • John Humphreys Johnston • Oil on Canvas • ca. 1895 • 64.5" x 52.5"

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.

First Place - Artists Network 39th Annual Art Competition

I was honored to learn that my painting "Strength In Numbers" won First Place in the Artists Network's 39th Annual Art Competition. The piece is featured in the January 2023 issue of Artists Magazine.

My thanks to judge Carol Marine for the award, and her gracious comments - "This is the one painting that I kept coming back to, again and again. It has everything – great color, compelling marks, depth – I could go on."

 

"Strength In Numbers" • Oil on Linen • 15" x 30" • 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.

rica #opasignaturemember #artistsnetwork #artistsmagazine

Art Review - "The Artist's Hand" and "Study of Two Hands" by Nicolai Fechin

Today's #MuseumTourTuesday features some excellent charcoal drawings of hands by Nicolai Fechin. These were on display during our recent trip to the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House. I hadn't seen these before, and I found them inspiring. I just love the way Fechin combines both the hard lines from the point of the charcoal and the softer shading from the sides. The resulting loose strokes balanced by those sharp lines creates a feeling of movement similar to his paintings.

"The Artist's Hand" • Nicolai Fechin • Charcoal on paper • ca. 1934-1955

 

"Study of Two Hands" • Nicolai Fechin • Charcoal on paper • ca. 1940s

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.

SOLD - "School of F.I.S.H." Nocturne Cityscape Painting

So happy to learn that this painting I did for a Hindes Fine Art show celebrating the San Antonio River Walk has gone home with a new collector.

As I posted before, this piece was done as a bit of a love letter to our new hometown. It may look surreal at first glance, but if you live here or have visited, you've probably come across this scene.

Philadelphia artist Donald Lipski created 25 of these seven-foot-long hand-painted fiberglass resin sunfish. They are lit from within and hang over the river walk near the San Antonio Museum of Art.

I learned a lot from this painting, a particularly challenging one. Not only is it a busy scene with numerous lights and surface textures, but the form of the focal points, the fish sculptures, does not come from them being illuminated by a light source, as is usually the case with most subjects. Rather, the fish are the light source.

"School of F.I.S.H." • Oil on Linen • 18" x 24" • Private Collection

Reference and 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 - 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.

 

Floral Demonstration Painting - Day Two - Conroe Art League Painting Workshop II

My two-hour floral demonstration from life this morning on day two of my second painting workshop at the Conroe Art League.

“Sunflowers Study” • Oil on Linen • 9” x 12” • 2 Hours • SOLD

© 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.

Landscape Demonstration Painting - Day One - Conroe Art League Painting Workshop II

My 90-minute landscape demonstration painting from a photograph this morning on day one of my second painting workshop at the Conroe Art League.

 

“Aspens Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 16” • 90 Minutes • SOLD

 

© 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 - "An Artist in His Studio" by John Singer Sargent

It's always a treat to revisit paintings that inspired your journey as an artist. A few weeks back, Kimberly and I were able to get to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston again, where this piece by John Singer Sargent is part of the permanent collection. I first saw this painting decades ago during a Sargent retrospective in St. Louis.

I was immediately struck by the directness of the paint application. Sargent never blends paint on the canvas. He created the transitions within the folds of the sheets by subtle gradations of value in paint strokes. This was a breakthrough for me as a young student. The painting feels so much more deliberate and solid. Every stroke feels intentional.

The painting depicts Sargent's friend and fellow painter, Ambrogio Raffele, and it's far more interesting than a traditional portrait. With the figure pushed off to the side, and the painting and rumpled bed taking up the bulk of the image, it suggests to me how artists live with their art 24/7. This was the first oil painting by Sargent acquired by an American museum.

"An Artist in His Studio" • John Singer Sargent • Oil on Canvas
• 1904 • 22.12" x 28.37"

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 Three - Conroe Art League Painting Workshop

My 90-minute pet portrait demonstration painting from a photograph this morning on day three of my first painting workshop at the Conroe Art League.

“Boston Terrier Study” • Oil on Linen • 14” x 18” • 90 Minutes • 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.

Floral Demonstration Painting - Day Two - Conroe Art League Painting Workshop

My 90-minute floral demonstration from life this morning on day two of my first painting workshop at the Conroe Art League.

“Gerbera Daisies Study” • Oil on Linen • 9” x 12” • 90 Minutes • 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.

Landscape Demonstration Painting - Day One - Conroe Art League Painting Workshop

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

“Marina Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 16” • 2 Hours • SOLD

© 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 - "Russian Sketch" by Nicolai Fechin

Last week, Kimberly and I returned to Taos, and once again visited the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House. It was a nice surprise to view a number of Nicolai Fechin's paintings that we had never seen before.

This painting is so different in tone from his other works, but the execution is unmistakably Fechin. It's such a playful piece, and there are so many interesting small details to discover. Whimsical, and somewhat abstract, the bright reds lead our eyes through the work.

This painting is on loan to the museum from a private collection, and I can't find any background information on the subject or history of the work.

 

"Russian Sketch" • Nicolai Fechin • Oil on Canvas • ca. 1910s

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.

Still Life Demonstration Painting - Plein Air Painters of New Mexico

It was nice to be back in Taos this week. Here's a still life demonstration I did Friday afternoon for the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico's 14th National Juried Members Exhibition. 

My thanks to all who came out to the Wild Sage Gallery to spend a part of their afternoon with me.

“Pumpkins & Daisies Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 12” • 90 Minutes

© 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.

Plein Air Painters of New Mexico 14th National Juried Exhibition

I was honored to judge the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico’s 14th National Juried Members Exhibition this year.

The Awards Show at the Wild Sage Gallery is this afternoon until 6:00 pm, and is open to the public. If you are in the Taos area, please join me in celebrating the winners, and all of the juried artists in the show.

Cityscape Painting - "School of F.I.S.H."

This one is a bit of a love letter to San Antonio, our new hometown. It may look like something surreal at first glance, but if you live here or have visited, you've probably come across this scene.

Philadelphia artist Donald Lipski created 25 of these seven-foot-long hand-painted fiberglass resin sunfish. They are lit from within and hang over the San Antonio River Walk beneath the highway overpass near the San Antonio Museum of Art.

I learned a lot from this painting, a particularly challenging one. Not only is it a busy scene with numerous lights and surface textures, but the form of the focal points, the fish sculptures, does not come from them being illuminated by a light source, as is usually the case with most subjects. Rather, the fish are the light source.

This painting will be available for sale at Hindes Fine Art as part of a special November art show celebrating the city's iconic river walk. A reception for this gallery show on Nov. 6th at 6 p.m. is open to the public.

"School of F.I.S.H." • Oil on Linen • 18" x 24"
• Available at Hindes Fine Art

Reference and 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.

Art Review - "Les dahlias, jardin du Petit Gennevilliers" by Gustave Caillebotte

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday features a piece by French painter Gustave Caillebotte at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I was immediately struck by the tension between the foreground floral and the house beyond. They compete for dominance, and yet I feel that the dahlias ultimately win out due to all of the subtleties within the leaves and flowers. Even so, the lines of the path and the greenhouse connect the two areas of the painting and keep the eyes exploring the entire composition.

It's interesting to note that this is a study for a slightly larger painting at the National Gallery of Art. The other painting adds in a figure and dog along the path, and I find that this addition makes the composition a bit overwhelming.

Born in 1848, Caillebotte was an attorney and an engineer. His sizable allowance and a family inheritance allowed him to paint without any pressure to sell his work - the dream of all artists. He supported his fellow artists by funding impressionist exhibitions and purchasing their works. He even covered the rent for Monet's studio. Due to his strong patronage of the arts, Caillebotte himself was not recognized as a significant painter until the 1960s.

"Les dahlias, jardin du Petit Gennevilliers" • Gustave Caillebotte 

• Oil on Canvas • 45.5" x 34.8" • 1893

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.

October 2022 Art Newletter - In Praise of Orange

Do you absolutely need orange on your palette? No. Can it make your work as a painter easier? Definitely!

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“Luminescence” • Oil on Linen • 12”x26” • 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.

2023 Plein Air Painting Workshop - Outdoor Painters Society

Texas artist friends, I’m pleased to announce that I will be judging the Outdoor Painters Society’s 2023 Plein Air Southwest competition next spring, and will teach a plein air painting workshop during the event.

This class is already filling fast, so click here for more information, and to sign up: https://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Galveston-Workshop

Join me May 9th - 11th in Galveston 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.

“Riverbend Breeze” • Oil on Linen • 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 - "Reflections" by William Merritt Chase

Last week, Kimberly and I were able to get to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It's been more than a decade since we last visited, so it was wonderful to once again see such an excellent collection. While the Sargent paintings are the star, and I'll feature many of those in upcoming posts, there are also a number of paintings that are less well known but equally impressive. Today's #MuseumTourTuesday post features a painting by American artist and teacher, William Merritt Chase.

"Reflections" • William Merritt Chase • Oil on Canvas • About 1892

 

Always the clever character, Chase plays with the idea of a portrait, placing his wife's visage in the mirror and using the title both literally and as an indication of her own inner thoughts.

Notice how the artist frames the figure in the golden color of the window drapes as well as the wicker chair. The face of his wife is lit as if by the most talented Hollywood lighting expert, making it clear that Chase's influence went well beyond painting. As for the skill with which the chair is rendered, I can only say "wow!" I've included a few close-ups for a better view of these details.

 

"Reflections" Detail • William Merritt Chase • Oil on Canvas • About 1892

"Reflections" Detail • William Merritt Chase • Oil on Canvas • About 1892

Born in 1849, William Merritt Chase studied in New York before relocating to St Louis, Missouri, where wealthy collectors recognized his immense talent and arranged for him to study in Europe. Returning to New York, Chase opened his own studio, instructing some of today's most famous painters, including George Bellows, Howard Chandler Christy, George Ennis, John Marin, Georgia O'Keefe and Joseph Stella. The Chase School, which he founded in 1896, is now known as the Parsons School of Design.

 

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.