Archives for Oil

The Studio of Jesse Powell

The Studio of Jesse Powell

September 19, 2016 | by

Last spring, California artist Jesse Powell moved his studio from Cannery Row to the Barnyard. Yes, you read that right. But, it’s not exactly what you might think. He spent eight years in a studio in the historic American Tin Cannery Building on Cannery Row in Monterey, California. That studio looked out on the Pacific Ocean from the third floor of the former home of one of the sardine canneries that had sprouted up during the 1920s and 1930s. The 12-foot-tall windows let in plenty of natural light, and the view was spectacular, but when a space opened up in
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Impressionistic Naturalism

Impressionistic Naturalism

July 19, 2016 | by

Matt Smith has been selling his paintings since the early ‘80s, when he was just 17, but when asked when he realized that he really was an artist, he laughs and says, “I don’t know that I am yet. I know I’m a painter, but I don’t know if I’ve graduated to really being an artist. I’m continually trying to improve and take it to the next level.” Smith’s paintings have earned him inclusion in several prestigious art shows, including the Prix de West and Masters of the American West, and are eagerly sought after by art enthusiasts from around
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The Quiet Side of the West

The Quiet Side of the West

July 19, 2016 | by

When it comes to subject matter, Wyoming-based painter Ann Hanson’s inspiration lies just beyond her studio door, in and around her hometown of Shell. Named not for the mega oil company, but rather for huge deposits of prehistoric Ammonite fossils, the tiny rural community (population 84) traces its earliest heritage to the traditions of the Crow Indians and later to the pioneer ranching families that settled in the beautiful Big Horn Basin. Inspired by these cultural influences, Hanson creates highly detailed vignettes of daily life that go beyond mere imagery to capture the heart and soul of today’s West. By
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‘My Thing is the City’

‘My Thing is the City’

July 19, 2016 | by

It’s Friday evening, dark and rainy, and you’re caught in a traffic jam in the city, grinding your teeth and muttering a few expletives after a long, tiring week at the office. While you’re fuming, standing outside, armed with his camera, is Mark Lague, a Canadian artist, who finds beauty and excitement in painting scenes such as the one in which you find yourself trapped. “I’ve always been attracted to the city thing, but mostly on a visual level,” Lague says. “I love to paint cars, traffic jams, and the architectural elements around it.” And he does so beautifully, injecting
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Trusting His Vision

Trusting His Vision

July 19, 2016 | by

By Utah artist James Morgan never for a moment questioned his destiny. He would be an artist. Yes, there were challenges along the way, but anything worth doing often comes with some trials, and he was not deterred—slowed down, maybe, but not deterred. Although he uneasily glosses over the time he spent working days at a piano factory (something he’d like to forget entirely) and nights at his easel, it’s clear that Morgan has earned his credentials. The rewards have been worth it. And Morgan admits that working in that piano factory got him over a financial hump, while he
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Following His Heart

Following His Heart

July 19, 2016 | by

For many people, “follow your heart” is a naively optimistic slogan on a motivational poster. For artist Mian Situ, it’s a proven life philosophy. “I have a daughter,” he says. “She’s in college, and she always talks with me about what she’s going to do. She’s in her junior year, and she still doesn’t know what she’s going to do. Every time she asks for my opinion, I tell her, ‘I can’t tell you what to do; you have to do what you like. Other people will tell you what has good earning potential, what will make you lots of
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The Stuido of Andy Thomas

The Stuido of Andy Thomas

July 19, 2016 | by

Andy Thomas was born and raised in Carthage, Missouri, and continues to live there today, creating paintings that have earned him membership in—and awards from—several prestigious art organizations, including the Oil Painters of America, International Masters of Fine Art, the Salmagundi Club, and the Portrait Society of America. His lifelong interest in art took a back seat to earning a steady income, however, after he earned a degree in marketing management from Missouri Southern State University in 1981 and spent 10 years working for a local manufacturing company. Although Thomas, who is primarily self-taught, painted in his spare time, it
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Striking a Balance

Striking a Balance

May 19, 2016 | by

When Jeremy Lipking was 19 years old, he moved from his family’s home in Southern California to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. He had spent a year taking art classes at a community college but wasn’t fully committed to it. What he really wanted was to be outside—hiking in the mountains, rock climbing, and snowboarding on the California slopes. At some point during all of that outdoor activity, an idea occurred to Lipking: If he were to become a landscape artist, he could make a career out of being outside. Jeremy Lipking Ghost Herd Oil 24″x30″ This piece was inspired
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‘It’s All a Challenge’

‘It’s All a Challenge’

May 19, 2016 | by

If the Muse were to visit Len Chmiel, one imagines that he might politely, but firmly, usher her to a chair in the corner of his studio and tell her, “You can watch quietly, but please don’t disturb me while I’m painting.” Chmiel is his own muse. He takes pleasure and pride in owning every phase of the artistic process, from ideation to composition, from blank canvas to finished product, from framing and naming to digitization. Len Chmiel Early to Rise Oil 28″x30″ “The scent of morning coffee, mingling with bougainvillea blazing out loud, rewards a sunrise stroll.” Len Chmiel
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Magnificently Mesmerizing

Magnificently Mesmerizing

May 19, 2016 | by

Romel de la Torre won his first art award at the tender age of 10. Although his parents had supported his interest in art—encouraging him to draw and sketch the world around him—it wasn’t until he appeared on a local TV program to receive his award that they began to think, “Maybe he’s got a talent here.” He did indeed. Since then, de la Torre has earned many awards for his paintings, including the grand prize and artist of the year awards from the Oil Painters of America and, in 2008, a gold medal and the People’s Choice Award from
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