Happy Birthday Rembrandt!

Today is the 407th birthday of Rembrandt van Rijn, one of my all time favorite classical painters.

Born July 16, 1606 in Leiden, Netherlands, Rembrandt is widely considered to be one of the most influential and important of all art history. Celebrate his genius today by enjoying a few of his works.

I have had several opportunities to view Rembrandt's works first hand as I have visited museums over the years and I never tire of studying  his brushwork, draftsmanship and technique. If you have never had a chance to see paintings from this master painter in person, I highly recommend a trip to any museum that houses his work. New York would be a fine choice.

I love to try to decipher the way he employed thick and thin paint. Rembrandt was arguably the godfather of modern oil painting in that he solidified many the patterns of classical patterns of oil painting that I learned in school and from workshops I have attended.

I particularly enjoy Rembrandt's effective use of light and dark value patterning and the way he leaves all the shadows transparent and relatively flat while building up thick opaque paint in the highlight areas. The early self portrait below, painted when the artist was only 25, is a great example of the transparent, flat shadow principle.

The portrait of Christ above shows the evidence of the very thick opaque paint he used in the highlights. This balance gives life to the painting. The light side carries all the detail and color while the shadow side carries the form and gives volume to the portrait. These are probably the two most important aspect of painting that I have learned from the Dutch master painter. Though I don't try to paint in the same manner as Rembrandt did, I know that studying his masterful works I can gain better understanding of what makes a truly great work of art and hopefully transfer those concepts into my own work. Happy 407th Rembrandt!

A Gift of Rockwell For Father's Day

A Norman Rockwell book. With all the Rockwell titles already on my studio shelf ( I own no fewer than ten Rockwell tomes), you'd think that another one would barely make a ripple on my excitement meter, but you would be wrong. It seems that every new Rockwell book I get, I find something new or the essay holds a new nugget that I had never before heard or thought about.

In short, Rockwell becomes fresh again for me as I see his work through the eyes of others. Telling Stories- Norman Rockwell- from the collections of George Lucas and Steven Speilberg is an enjoyable read not just for the many classic Rockwell paintings that are beautifully reproduced therein, but for the historical and cultural context in which writers Virginia Mecklenburg and Todd McCarthy places them.

I have read many books on Rockwell including his own autobiography but this one put Rockwell's work in a different perspective for me. One in which no previous book had quite been able to do. Time is always an effective filter and maybe it's just that enough time has passed and enough prejudices have been set aside that the public (including the art critic public) can now enjoy the real value of what Rockwell achieved in his more than sixty year career.

Rockwell's body of work represents an accurate snapshot of our culture on canvas done in what most would consider a brilliantly executed fashion. One cannot argue Rockwell's technical prowess (I have long considered his to be among the most finely crafted of any paintings I have seen) so it is nice to see he is getting his due as an artist and storyteller.

I truly believe that in another hundred years or two, when all the abstract expressionism and meaningless constructions that pass for contemporary art these days have faded from memory, Rockwell will still be enjoyed and lauded as one of the icons of twentieth century art.

I am also excited that at least the George Lucas portion of the collection in this book will eventually be on display for all to see as Lucas builds an new museum to house his art collection.

Get Telling Stories-Norman Rockwell here

Life Needs Art-Top Artist Profiles

Continuing with my end of year "best of" recap, here is a list of the most popular artist profiles I have posted in the past. Some of these artists are long past and a few we have lost just since I started the blog. These artists have all inspired me and their respective posts have been among my top view getters as well. In no particular order, here is a rundown:

1- Kazu Sano- We lost Kazu in 2011 just a couple of years after I had the chance to meet him. Best known for his Return of the Jedi Movie poster and work for National Geographic.

2- Walter Everett- Is perhaps one of the most under appreciated illustrators of the 20th century. I love the way he simplified his designs and used broad strokes of color. I did a previous post on Everett as well.

3- Leconte Stewart- A Utah landscape painter that may very well be the best "unknown" landscape painter in American history. He has long been one of my favorites due to early exposure to his work when I was young. A new book  on Leconte Stewart does justice to his art and legacy.

4- Robert Fawcett- Was a consummate illustrator and draftsman. I did a second post focusing just on Fawcett's drawing as well as a review of the new Fawcett book

5- Arnold Friberg- One of my earliest influences as a budding artist. Friberg's work mesmerized me as a boy. I recount the time I met him at our neighborhood art supply store just a year or two prior to his death.

6- David Grove-  Another artist that influenced me as a student. We also lost David earlier this year but his work lives on. A book on Grove's work was under my Christmas tree last week.

7-Ralph McQuarrie- As with many of my generation, Star Wars was the most mystical saga I had ever witnessed on film. The vision of artist Ralph McQuarrie is what I believe set Star Wars on a higher plane, one which filmmakers continue to shoot for.

8- Dale Nichols- Contemporary of Grant Wood and John Stuart Curry, Nichols never gained the same recognition as other Regionalist artists of his time. The current touring show of Nichols' work includes a terrific catalog of his paintings.

9- Maurice Sendak-  Where The Wild Things Are continues to be the benchmark for all picture books and it was an early inspiration for me as an artist. Sendak passed away not too long ago as well. Here is a nice volume on Sendak's picture book work.

10- Albert Dorne- Another phenomenal talent profiled here. Like Fawcett, Dorne was an extraordinary draftsman and character artist. Auad Publishing just released a great book on Dorne.

If you missed any of these posts, they are worth a look, or a second look if it has been a while. Thanks for spending time with me here on Life Needs Art- because it does.