Pet Portrait Demonstration - Day Three - Ellis County Art Association Painting Workshop

My pet portrait demonstration from a photograph this morning on the last day of my painting workshop at the Ellis County Art Association.

“Shelter Cat Study” • 12” x 16” • Oil on Linen • 2 Hours

© 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 - Ellis County Art Association Painting Workshop

My floral demonstration from life this morning on day two of my painting workshop at the Ellis County Art Association.

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

© 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 Painting Demonstration - Day One - Ellis County Art Association Painting Workshop

My landscape demonstration from a photograph this morning on day one of my painting workshop at the Ellis County Art Association.

This is a lovely memory of our time spent in Telluride in 2015 for a plein air festival, where Kimberly photographed a stand of quaking  aspens at sunrise.

“Aspen Study” • 12” x 16” • 2 Hours

© 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 Yellow Scale" by František Kupka

For today's #MuseumTourTuesday, I'd like to share one of my favorite paintings that Kimberly and I encountered on our visit to The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston last week.

Czech artist František Kupka's self-portrait is known for its exploration of yellow, but I am struck more by the expressive and fluid brushwork. The paint becomes a character, just as important as the artist's own depiction. Kupka's earlier works featured a much more academic approach, but his paintings continued to evolve, and he went on to become one of the founders of the abstract art movement in the early 20th century.

 

"The Yellow Scale" • František Kupka • Oil on Canvas • c. 1907 • 31" x 29 1/4"

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.

January 2022 Art Newsletter - Through Thick & Thin

Is it better to paint with a thick, luscious brushstroke, or to let your paint flow in glowing, thin glazes of color?

Sign up for my latest art newsletter about exploring a combination of both approaches.

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

"Enter the Garden" • Oil on Panel • 16" x 20" • 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.

Honorable Mention Award - Oil Painters of America Fall 2021 Online Showcase

My thanks to juror Stuart Fullerton for awarding my painting an Honorable Mention in the Signature Division of the Oil Painters of America’s Fall 2021 Online Showcase.

 

"Amor a la Vida" • Oil on Linen • 48" x 38" • 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 - "The Breakfast Table" by Solomon Joseph Solomon

Continuing the breakfast theme from last week's #MuseumTourTuesday, but this week it's an interior by British painter, Solomon Joseph Solomon.

This painting depicts the artist's wife Ella and their daughter reading the paper in the comfort of their breakfast room. The room is lush and busy, with multiple patterns in the fabric of the furniture and the numerous paintings adorning the walls. Despite this, our attention moves directly to Ella, due to the dark value and simplicity of her black attire. This is an excellent example of using texture, or the lack thereof, to control the composition.

 

Solomon pioneered camouflage for tanks and airplanes during World War I, and I have to wonder if this experience translated into his use of textures and patterns in his paintings.

 

This piece is a part of the permanent collection of the Ben Uri Gallery & Museum in London.

 

"The Breakfast Table" • Solomon Joseph Solomon • Oil on Canvas 

• 26 1/5" x 19 1/10" • 1921

© 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.

Cityscape Paintings - San Francisco, California

Kimberly and I are looking forward to returning to the West Coast this spring. It's been way too long. Here are a couple of paintings from our time spent living in San Francisco. It's a city where you'll find an interesting composition around every corner.

The first piece depicts Ross Alley, which is now home to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Company. The second piece is the corner of Sacramento & Grant. Early morning could be surprisingly peaceful in the area.

"Ross Alley" • Oil on Canvas • 24"x36" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Entry

Laguna Plein Air Painters Association

2016 Signature Impressions Show

Featured

Southwest Art Magazine, September 2018

 

Reference and painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts

 

"Back From the Bazaar" • Oil on Canvas • 24"x36" • Private Collection

Third Place

Oil Painters of America

Fall 2017 Online Showcase

Entry

American Impressionist Society

2017 National Juried Exhibition

Featured

Southwest Art Magazine, September 2018

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 Art - "Strength In Numbers"

My latest painting is from a visit Kimberly and I made to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden last spring. I often find myself painting flowers in the midst of winter.

I was drawn to the way the light was shining through the flowers, and reflecting off of the numerous water droplets on the petals and leaves. I've always found tulips on their own to be rather simplistic as flowers, but in large numbers they become far more interesting to me.

 

"Strength In Numbers" • Oil on Linen • 15" x 30" • Available at PatrickSaunders.com

 

Painting and reference 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 - "Breakfast Time" by Hanna Hirsch-Pauli

Another wish list painting for this week's #museumtourtuesday. This one combines three of my favorite things - the outdoors, dappled light, and breakfast!

Hanna Hirsch-Pauli was a Swedish painter who studied in Paris during the late 1880s. She exhibited work in the Paris Salon in 1887, received a medal for her work at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, and exhibited at the Palace of Fine Arts. Her work was also in the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

 

What drew me to this painting more than anything else is the dappled light on that table cloth. Notice all of the color just around the edges of the brightest areas. Of course, everyone has their own opinion - one critic commented on this very same part of the painting in 1887, saying that the artist probably used the cloth to clean her brushes.

 

While the tablecloth is clearly the star, don't miss the way the light spills across both the bench in the lower right corner and the chair on the left. The beauty in those is the juxtaposition of the warm light versus the cold blue of the sky reflected in the wood.

 

This painting is part of the collection at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden.

 

"Breakfast Time" (Frukostdags) • Hanna Hirsch-Pauli • Oil on Canvas 

• 91cm x 87cm  • 1887

© 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.

Signature Member Status - Portrait Society of America

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Portrait Society of America awarded me Signature Member status this week. A great way to start the new year.

Here are some of my favorite portraits.

 

 

"Of Earth And Sky" • 2020 • Oil on Linen • 30"x60" • Private Collection

"Betty" • 2020 • Oil on Panel • 9" x 12" • 2 Hours • Private Collection

Entry, 2021 Bosque Arts Center Bosque Art Classic

"Neil Reflected" • 2019 • 14"x18" • Oil on Linen • Private Collection

Winner, Best In Show 

Riverside Art Center "For the Love of the Moon" exhibit in honor of Neil Armstrong and the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, July 3rd - August 3rd, 2019, in Armstrong's hometown, Wapakoneta, Ohio

"Weathered" • 2020 • Oil on Linen • 18" x 24" • Private Collection

"Ari Portrait Sketch" Coppini Academy of Fine Art • 2017 • Oil on Linen • 12"x16" 

• Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

 

Southwest Art Magazine, September 2018

"Awaiting" • 2020 • Oil on Linen • 24"x30" • Private Collection

Entry, Oil Painters of America 29th Annual National Exhibition
RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

Entry, 2021 Bosque Arts Center Bosque Art Classic

"Dama De Rojo" • 2020 • Oil on Linen • 15"x30" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

 

Gold Medal Winner, Oil Painters of America 2020 Juried Salon Show

“Orange Tabby Cat Study” Coppini Academy of Fine Art • 2021 • 12" x 16" • Oil on Linen 

• 1.5 Hours • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

"Amor a la Vida" • 2021 • Oil on Linen • 48" x 38" • Private Collection
Runner-up, Southwest Art Magazine 2021 Artistic Excellence Competition

"War Dancer" • 2019 • Oil on Linen • 20"x24" • Private Collection

Winner, Certificate of Excellence
Portrait Society of America 21st Annual International Portrait Competition

Featured, Oil Painters of America
28th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils
Illume Gallery of Fine Art, St. George, Utah

Honorable Mention, Southwest Art Magazine 2020 Artistic Excellence Competition

© 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 Sky Painting Workshop - Sky Ranch Studio - Petaluma, California

West Coast artist friends, my painting workshop in Sonoma County, California next spring sold out fast, so I have added another one.

This new class is also filling quickly, so click here for more information, and to sign up:
https://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Petaluma-Workshop-II

Join me March 8th - 10th at the Sky Ranch Studio in Petaluma, California 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.

© 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 - "Peonies and Head of a Woman" by John Peter Russell

I'm starting off this year's #museumtourtuesday posts with a wish list painting. I first encountered this piece by John Peter Russell decades ago in a book on Australian Impressionists. It's one that I've always hoped to view in person, and it is a part of the National Gallery of Victoria's collection.

 

What I find so intriguing about this piece is the artist's consistency of approach. Russell did not in any way alter his method of paint application in the face versus the flowers, and the textural quality of the paint remains the same throughout the work. This consistency of approach is something I always strive for, and this painting, despite my never having viewed it in person, is one of the major influences on my own work. It has remained in the back of my mind ever since I first viewed a reproduction of it.

 

John Peter Russell moved from Sydney to Europe in the late 19th Century, where he painted with the French Impressionists. A lifelong friend to Vincent Van Gogh, Russell painted the artist's first known portrait in 1886. Henri Matisse actually credited Russell with introducing him to Impressionism.

 

© 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.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 

"Colliding" • Oil on Linen • 9" x 12" • 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 cont