Archive for the ‘Oils’ Category

Congratulations Shaun Downey!

Friday, August 13th, 2010

It’s been a while, but I had to come back to congratulate Shaun Downey (previously posted about here), his painting “Blue Coca” has been included in the BP Portrait Award Competition exhibition, and on top of that is being used as the main advertising image for the competition!  I can easily see why, this is a stunning portrait that seems to reveal a great deal about the subject while simultaneously suggesting an inner life that remains mysterious.  Great work!

Image taken from the the star article about Shaun’s work, August 1, 2010.

Samuel Michlap

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Working in the film industry has clearly influenced the brilliant lighting and colour choices Samuel Michlap makes in his paintings.  He has some great concept art on his blog too, where you can see how his painting is influencing him as a production designer and art director.

On a separate note, it has been an eye opening month for me, being away from PaintBlog.  I missed the daily routine of discovering and sharing a new painter every day, but I also discovered that I had many more hours available to work on my own paintings.  I have been very disappointed with my output this past year and a half, and have come to the realization that I have to narrow my priorities, which unfortunately means much less PaintBlog, and much more painting.  PaintBlog will remain, but my posting will be limited and somewhat sporadic from here on out, which hopefully will mean my work will be less so.  Thank you to everyone who has read and supported the blog these past years, and I look forward to sharing more work with you in the future, both from other artists, and my own.

Mike Shankman

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Mike Shankman’s paintings are relics of an aftermath, the debris left behind after powerful and destructive forces have toppled what once stood.  His images are both desolate and visceral, and I like them very much. Enjoy!

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Chloe Early

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

There is a fantastic, dream-like quality to Chloe Early’s canvases.  Urban super-structures give way to polar ice caps while bathing suit clad tourists lounge in the soft glow of unreal skies. This isn’t just another day at the office my friends, this is something much much better.

Thanks to The Jealous Curator for bringing Early to my attention!

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Jean Moiras

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

I tend to use texture in an incredibly minimal way when I paint, but I love finding artists like Jean Moiras who use texture in a such a bold way.  It’s a good thing I’m only looking at these paintings online, if I were standing in front of Moiras’ work in a gallery I’m not sure I would be able to resist the urge to reach out and touch them.

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Lisa Birke

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Filled with comments on and references to art history, mass consumerism, environmental issues, social stereotyping and much more, Lisa Birke’s paintings verge on sensory overload. Spend a little time within the dense visuals though and you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

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Jeff Bellerose

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Being the fan that I am of cityscapes it probably won’t come as much of a surprise when I say that I am loving these urban landscapes by Jeff Bellerose, and I have All the Art Out There to thank for making the introduction.

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Anthony Velasquez

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

There is a softness and warmth to Anthony Velasquez’s finely detailed still life paintings that has won me over in a big way. I would complain about the limited number of works available for viewing on his site, but this is clearly a case of quality over quantity, and I can’t complain about that.

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Laurel Hausler

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

The longer I look through Laurel Hausler’s portfolio, the more amazed I am at the fine line she walks between control and abandon, order and chaos, reality and fantasy.  The fact that she manages to maintain an equilibrium between these contrasting elements time after time is incredibly impressive.

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Chelsea James

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Some paintings strike me because of their technical brilliance, others I love for their powerful use of colour, and many I fall for simply on the basis of subject matter.  Of course, in the case of Chelsea James’ work, I can say there is a bit of all those elements, but more than that there is a pure gut feeling that simply tells me I’ve come across something incredible today.

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