ONE SPOT OPEN - Plein Air Southwest Plein Air Workshop I • TWO SPOTS LEFT - Plein Air Southwest Plein Air Workshop II

Artist friends, one last minute spot has opened up in my first sold out plein air painting workshop in May for Plein Air Southwest, and there are only two spots left in the second class, so sign up now to secure these spots before they're gone.

Click here for the one spot in the May 9th - 11th class:  

https://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Galveston-Workshop

 

Click here for the May 15th - 17th class:

https://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Galveston-Workshop-II

Join me in Galveston, Texas 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 and pastels.

"Crystal Cove Morning" • Oil on Linen • 14" x 18" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 Hungry Moon" by Frederic Remington

Today's #MuseumTourTuesday features a painting by American artist, Frederic Remington, from the currently closed Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa. The museum is building a new facility to house its collection, which I look forward to.

This painting is a masterpiece of design. The piece reads perfectly from across the room due to its strong values. I was immediately struck by the pea green color of the snow. There's a haunting quality to the painting, and critics have written that this painting suggests a fear of death. I don't get that sense. The element that pulls me back is the horse head on the right. The choice to crop the horse is deliberate, and suggests that there is something more to the story, whether it is the larger tribe or the prospect of the day and life beyond this night. They will survive this night, and there are travels yet to come. 

 

Also of note is how the texture of the paint adds a weight and a depth to the snow that might otherwise become a flat area within the painting. Interesting as well is that the most colorful spots of the piece are some tiny dots of red and yellow in the upper right sky.

 

"The Hungry Moon" • Frederic Remington • Oil on Canvas
• 29 5/8" x 35 5/8" • 1906

 Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

 

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 - Western Art Portrait

Another in progress of a piece currently on the easel. I shared an image of the face a few weeks ago, and mentioned that there was much more to do. I always find the face to be the simplest part. This sea of feathers, on the other hand, is easy to get lost in.

"In Progress" • Oil on Linen • Detail of a 20" x 24"

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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.

OVER HALF FULL - Summit Art Plein Air Plein Air Painting Workshop II

Artist friends, there are only a handful of spots remaining for my second plein air painting workshop at the Summit Art Plein Air Festival, so sign up now to secure yours: 

https://bit.ly/patrick-saunders-workshop-kansas-city-II

Join me June 9th - 11th 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.

“A Window On Bentley's Backyard” • Oil on Linen • 18” x 24" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 - "Mounted Warrior" by Harvey Dunn

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday features a painting by American artist Harvey Dunn from the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.

Born in South Dakota in 1884, Dunn studied in Delaware under the great American illustrator and teacher, Howard Pyle. After only two years of study, Dunn went on to establish his own studio, with his work appearing in all of the major publications of the time.

This piece is a great example of the storytelling and painterly quality associated with the students of Pyle, known as the Brandywine School. Other notable members included N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover and Norman Rockwell.

Like many of his contemporaries, Dunn is known to have attacked the canvas, painting quickly, instilling an energy into his brushwork that suggests life and movement in the subject.

"Mounted Warrior" • Harvey Dunn • Oil on Canvas • 1911

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Portrait Study - Open Model Session

Here's a quick portrait study from Wednesday's open model session at the Coppini Academy. I painted this over an older painting, which gives the board more texture. And yes, her hair was green - perfect for the week of St. Paddy's Day.

“Study of Devin” • Oil on Linen • 9" x 12” • 90 Minutes

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 Painting - Texas Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets have popped up all around San Antonio. Spring has arrived!

"Gift of the Great Spirit" • Oil on Linen • 12" x 16” • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 - "Pontiac Club, Canada" by Frederic Remington

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is an uncharacteristic piece by a famous painter. Known for his dramatic and action packed paintings of the American West, Frederic Remington created this more subtle and serene painting in the final year of his life.

It's clearly a plein air work, and benefits from his years of learning which elements are necessary in a painting. There's not a gratuitous brush stroke in the entire piece. It's simple, elegant and sublime, without the need to tell a dramatic story, as most of his more famous works do.

While this piece is part of the collections of the Frederick Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, New York, I was able to view it while it was on loan to the Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Pontiac Club, Canada" • Frederic Remington • Oil on Board • 12" x 16" • 1909

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 - "Gratitude" Floral Painting

My thanks to Hindes Fine Art for sending this floral painting home with a new collector. I also received a lovely message from the buyer. It means a lot to me when a collector feels the same connection to a subject that I did.

“Gratitude” • Oil on linen • 10” x 20” • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Portrait Study - Open Model Session

Here's Wednesday night's piece from an open model session at the Coppini Academy. Bailey was an excellent model. Sharp facial features give his face a sculptural quality.

“Study of Bailey” • Oil on Panel • 11" x 14” • 90 Minutes

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 - Western Art Portrait

Starting a new one this week. Much more to do, but I'm happy with the start.

"In Progress" • Oil on Linen • Detail of a 20" x 24"

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 - "Cener Bridge in Winter" by Edward Redfield

For today's #MuseumTourTuesday, I'd like to share a write-up from my monthly newsletter about a painting by American artist Edward Redfield. The newsletter format allows me to go a bit deeper than a social media post. If you like what you read as you click through the images, be sure and sign up at the link below to receive information about upcoming workshops, events, painting tips and more.

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

This piece is an excellent study of dynamic brushwork. Redfield exhibits an absolute control of the medium and a discipline in paint application that should be the envy of any painter. He never mixes or blends his paints directly on the canvas, and the result is that every single stroke is decisive and intentional. His brushstrokes are so well defined that they are reminiscent of a Roy Lichtenstein pop art painting in their almost stylistic appearance. I'm not at all suggesting that this should be considered any kind of a gimmick, but rather a side effect of the artist's confidence in approach.

Redfield combines his mastery of paint application with a solid composition, subtle value changes and contrasting color temperatures to create the illusion of depth in the painting. While the warm colors suggest the low sun raking across the landscape and the faces of the buildings, it is not the high intensity orange that we are accustomed to seeing in many sunset depictions. While relatively warmer than the shaded areas, this more subdued color temperature change portrays the light of the scene while retaining the feeling of the cold of the day.

Everything works together to create a composition which guides the viewer through a truly masterful painting. Texture, value, color temperature, clearly defined edges - all leading us down the road without disregarding the beauty of the journey.

 

"Center Bridge in Winter" • Edward Redfield • Oil on Canvas

• 33.75" x 50" • c. 1920 • Collection of the Telfair Museums

Unlike Lichtenstein's graphic strokes, there exists a beautiful variance in color and value within the strokes themselves. This suggests that Redfield charged his brush with paint that was not completely or perfectly blended on the palette surface. Notice how the strokes on the lower half of the image above contain both a warm blue as well as lavender within the same stroke.

 

"Center Bridge in Winter” Detail • Edward Redfield • Oil on Canvas
• 33.75" x 50" • c. 1920 • Collection of the Telfair Museums

It should also be noted that these brushstrokes are not uniform in shape or in size. Notice the way the foreground grasses are painted in the detail above. The shape, color and texture vary depending upon the landscape before him. While it appears that the grasses were painted after the snow beneath them, the paint cuts right through the underlying brushstrokes, connecting the forms and not giving the impression that one is atop the other, but rather intertwined.

 

"Center Bridge in Winter” Detail • Edward Redfield • Oil on Canvas
• 33.75" x 50" • c. 1920 • Collection of the Telfair Museums

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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 Dance" - Live Painting A Wedding

I was asked to live paint a wedding near Houston last month, and this is a detail of the completed piece.

I find that live painting an event can be both exciting and stressful. There's the energy of the event, but also the knowledge of how important this moment is for the couple and their families. Luckily, I was able to draw upon all of my wife's experience as a wedding photographer for information about what to expect, and how best to prepare. 

 

I set up early in the reception hall, prior to the guests’ arrival, and decided on my overall composition based on the layout of the room. I know that a lot of seasoned wedding painters will begin rendering the details of the hall prior to the start of the event, but I chose not to. I didn't start painting until the reception began, after the sun had set and the room was full of people. This way, I based my painting on the correct values and colors from the start, giving it a more consistent feeling of an evening event.

 

For three hours, I painted and repainted various guests throughout the room, but most of my attention went to the bride and groom as the focus of the piece. I had a steady stream of wedding patrons who wanted to chat and learn more about what I was doing, but I never found any of them to be a distraction, as everyone was very respectful.

 

"First Dance” Detail • Oil on Linen • 8" x 8" Detail of a 16" x 20"
• Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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.

Filling Fast - Summit Art Plein Air Festival Painting Workshop II

Artist friends, my second plein air painting workshop for the Summit Art Plein Air Festival is filling fast, so sign up now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/patrick-saunders-workshop-kansas-city-II

Join me June 9th - 11th 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.

 

“Warm Chairs, Wet Patio” • Oil on Panel • 9” x 12" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Portrait Study - Open Model Session

Here's last night's piece from the open model session at the Coppini Academy. Tara wore earbuds to listen to music during the session. I always find an interesting twist in the connection between a classic oil portrait and modern accoutrements. 

“Study of Tara” • Oil on Panel • 16" x 20” • 90 Minutes

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2023. 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.