Archives for Oil

‘I Want to Surprise Myself’

‘I Want to Surprise Myself’

May 22, 2014 | by

Cross-pollination. It’s a term Colorado-based oil painter Michael Lynch uses to describe his big break into full-time art. That was more than 35 years ago, when he hooked up with other representational artists who reassured him that there was a place for such art amidst the transition to modern art. By then, Lynch already had explored trendy college art programs before settling on a degree in political science from Regis College in Denver, Colorado. He’d entered the workaday world, even considering a career as a lawyer, but his leanings were always toward representational art. Michael Lynch China Cove Oil 6˝
Read More

For the Love of Oils

For the Love of Oils

May 22, 2014 | by

Thankfully, there are men and women who eagerly, although admittedly somewhat fearfully, stand in front of blank canvases and gather their courage—and summon all of their skills—to transform them into wondrous works of art. Before they reach that point, however, they have settled on a medium that they feel is best suited to them and their subjects. The artists we feature here have found, for the most part, what they need in oil paints. Nancy Howe Heliotrope Oil 18˝ by 24˝ “I paint because this is the ‘gift’ I was given, the means for me to grow, appreciate, and navigate
Read More

The Studio of Dennis Doheny

The Studio of Dennis Doheny

May 22, 2014 | by

Driving down a typical residential street in Santa Barbara, California, you wouldn’t guess that a treasure lies hidden in that white stucco house—the one with the salmon-colored trim and Spanish-tiled roof. Pull into the driveway with the attached two-car garage. Can you see it? No? Park behind the family vehicles, and make your way around to the back of the garage; you’ll see it then. Dennis Doheny Gates of Heaven Oil 36˝ by 42˝
Read More

Infinite Possibilities

Infinite Possibilities

March 22, 2014 | by

Jeffrey Legg’s still life paintings are stunning. The colors, the textures, the strategic lighting all combine to create paintings that have earned a myriad of honors. Last year alone, Legg walked away with several awards, including the Donors Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of American National Juried Exhibition, Best of Show Award at Plein Air Rockies, and the Artists’ Choice and Best Quick Draw Painting awards at Weekend in the West. Jeffrey Legg (Colorado) Luminous Progression Oil 12″ x 16″ “The light pouring across the forms and the subtle gradations has always interested me.” Jeffrey Legg (Colorado) Copper
Read More

Pleasing the Eye, Gladdening the Heart

Pleasing the Eye, Gladdening the Heart

March 22, 2014 | by

That inspirational verse, taken from his church’s sacred writings, is a rallying cry for Joshua Clare. Seldom constrained by subject matter, the Utah oil painter might choose to paint a barnyard scene, or perhaps capture the evening glow of a desert setting. In his mind, however, he is aiming beyond the elements of art to deliver a specific feeling to the viewer. Joshua Clare (Utah) San Juan Range Oil 36″ x 48″ “Ridgeway, Colorado, and the surrounding area is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s incredibly beautiful. This view of the San Juan Range was painted from
Read More

Fine Art and Freedom

Fine Art and Freedom

March 22, 2014 | by

It’s been an interesting ride for Michael Dudash, an award-winning illustrator who, early in is career, occasionally spent nights locked in a cadaver room at the University of Minnesota, as he sketched illustrations for a medical magazine. Those days are long behind him, and today Dudash is a fine artist, who paints everything from portraits and landscapes to still lifes and Western scenes. C. Michael Dudash (Idaho) Sheriff, A Deputy, A Day’s Catch Oil 28″ x 42″ “As with a lot of my work, this painting tells a story by only telling part of the story. The viewer has to
Read More

Simplicity and Truth

Simplicity and Truth

March 22, 2014 | by

While a passion for simplicity might seem to be a bit of a dichotomy for someone born and raised in the vibrantly active Southern California beach community of Torrence, 38-year-old landscape painter Glenn Dean emphasizes this is the quality he strives for, both in his personal lifestyle and most decidedly in the creation of his dramatic Western landscapes, which portray nature in its most basic forms. Glenn Dean (California) Land of Titans Oil 30″ x 30″ “I’m drawn to the big, simple shapes found in the canyons of the Southwest. I liked the monumental silhouette of this mesa in the
Read More

The Art of Breaking Rules

The Art of Breaking Rules

March 22, 2014 | by

Dan Bodelson is a rebel. Not a James Dean kind of rebel, not a rebel without a cause, but rather one whose focus is art. You see, so much about art, according to Bodelson, has to do with defying the rules—in essence, rebelling. “In fact, there are no rules,” he says. “Because, if someone says ‘You can’t do that and don’t mix that color with that [other one],’ the first thing an artist will go and do is just what you said not to. Dan Bodelson (New Mexico) Too Cold to Ride Oil 40″ x 30″ “I came across this
Read More

‘It is Still Magical’

‘It is Still Magical’

January 22, 2014 | by

Richard Schmid is a painter’s painter, an artist’s artist. The truth of that statement is evident not only in his magnificent paintings, which have garnered countless awards and are included in collections throughout the world, but in the popularity of the books he writes and the workshops he conducts. Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1934 and currently living in New Hampshire with his wife, Nancy Guzik, a talented artist in her own right. Richard Schmid (Vermont) Nasturtium Sketch Oil 9” by 12” “Nasturtiums, like pansies, beg to be painted, because they lend themselves so readily to simple, bold brushwork and
Read More

A Lifelong Journey

A Lifelong Journey

January 22, 2014 | by

Lindsay Scott is a naturalist artist, or an artistic naturalist. Either way you slice it, she knows her subjects: wildlife and nature. As is often the case with wildlife artists, a love of nature, a penchant for accuracy, and a natural artistic ability form their careers. Scott’s ease with the natural world is evident in many ways, and her impressionistic/realistic art is a direct descendant of her passion for wildlife and accuracy. Her success as an artist, on the other hand, is a result of tenacity, ability, and confidence. Lindsay Scott (New Zealand) Bravado Oil 60” by 34” “This how
Read More