a bit about my style and where i find inspiration.

i’ve spent a while now fascinated by classic art and art history. after looking at enough art from the french impressionism era, i think i finally became fed up with all the absurd amount of beauty that i wanted to give it a try myself. in that way, i prefer to use simple materials and colors in my process. oil, linseed oil, and canvas. my five colors used are titanium white, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, french ultramarine and burnt umber. from here i believe i can produce the greater range of colors in a very natural palette. it also means that by using the same five colors, my work will feel unified across all pieces. if they could do it, i figure i can as well. besides, five is already enough to feel over-encumbered. i’ve only been painting for a few years, but i am very happy and content with what i have produced.

my inspirations:

John Singer Sargent is my favorite artist. he has such a wonderful ability to paint in both astounding detail and a restrained looseness. i once spent a few hours staring at “Madame X” in person, and left not understanding very much. his work feels astoundingly real, yet just vague enough to feel a bit ethereal. its a heck of a tightrope to walk.

Edgar Degas finds a grounded beauty in his subjects. ballet, theater and dance became a fascination for me after seeing it through his works. he can represent beauty in every day life with finality and purpose.

John William Waterhouse has cleared so many paintings of such great emotion that it leaves me in awe. just a handful would be enough for me to love his works, yet he has finished so many pieces that even now i keep finding new work of his to love. he has a remarkable talent for capturing deep and powerful emotions. i’ve seen whole television drama’s with less interest than just one of his works.

Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh are two more artists that, while far beyond prolific, are still wonderful studies in color theory and use. they may be some of the most popular artists, but it does not diminish how great their works are.

among others these are some of my favorites. just looking at their work is enough to learn on for the rest of my life. techniques, color use, composition, emotions, etc.

don’t ask me about modern and abstract art. no thank you.

doodles:

a lot of my efforts lately have been in pen-drawn image recreation. focusing on photographs and art pieces i enjoy, i spend a lot of my off time trying to draw what i see by eye. the foundation of any painting is drawing ability, so it’s important to get better in this area. faces and figures are not easy, so that’s my current pursuit. i also enjoy the simplicity of the medium. all mistakes are final, so it pushes me to be intentional and more sure of my actions. i’ve had a lot of drawings go bad from overdoing a shadow or messing up a nose. it’s do or die, and i think a healthy avenue when learning to represent what we see on paper. in all that time spent practicing, i’ve come to find that i have quite a lot of drawings that i think look pretty good! so i’ve taken the time to upload them some of them here. it’s more of a “flavor” page, affectionately titled, “doodles.” however the goal of the site is to exhibit my interests, so i thought it worthwhile to include them.