CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK, PART II

After spending 4+ hours in blustery, freezing cold, I took my study sketch painting of Rockefeller Center back to my Studio. I used this as the basis for my final Studio Masterwork. I also spent a great deal of time in extensive research to understand the architecture of Rockefeller Center, as well as the traditions of the Christmas Tree. I am honored to have the opportunity to paint a commemorative image of the 75th tree!

The final artwork involved a complex construction of perspective to allow the viewpoint to exist in believable space. The actual view as presented in this piece would be hard to achieve by any means other than pure artistic license.

I believe that the icon of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is an international symbol of hope. Given the universal cry for change during an election year, I think hope is what everyone needs a little bit more of. The wonderful thing about art is that it sits above political divisions and can help to unify people of all belief systems.

My hope is that you are blessed by this image, and that it brings a sense of light and hope to your holiday season.

CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

Nanette and I make an annual pilgrimage to New York City each year - I love to paint in the city; there is such a hum of vibrance - of life - on the streets of The City That Never Sleeps.


I have painted in New York many times - Times Square (live on Good Morning America!) and then the skyline, in support of the relief efforts for 9/11. I have painted in all conditions and during all seasons. Many times I’ve painted on the street, bundled in my well-worn painter’s gear during a snowstorm and was routinely tossed coins by passers-by who mistook me for a busker.

Painting at Rockefeller Center last winter was exhilarating! It was windy, the temps in the low 30's. Skaters were out in full-force, and even without the dark of nightfall, the tree was breathtaking. My family has always looked forward to the lighting of the Rock Center tree, and I have always wanted to bring this excitement to a holiday image. I love to paint on location for the passion of capturing the moment, and the love of creating an on-the-spot location painting that then fuels a finished studio oil.


It has been pure joy this weekend to unveil my newest release, Christmas in New York , to friends, collectors and colleagues. The icon of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is an international symbol of hope; given the universal cry for change during an election year, I think hope is what everyone needs a little bit more of.



Christmastime in New York has become a universal holiday and a time for light and color. I believe this painting is an appropriate marriage between the “Painter of Light” and the “Season of Light”.

PAINTER OF LIGHT, PART II

In the end, it was my fascination with the Luminists - many of whom became known as the Hudson River School - that shaped what has become a personal style I call Romantic Realism. They too were consumed with capturing the effect of light on the world on their canvas. In every image I paint, there is the light - the ever-present, comforting, compelling light that symbolizes all that is good and pure and worth loving - God, home, faith, hope. Light is symbolic of so many things that define my very nature, and I have always felt compelled to share it...

I'll be traveling this fall around the country to visit galleries and friends - I'm calling it the Share the Light tour - and I look forward to spending time with my collectors and sharing two new releases just in time for the holidays. I hope they will enlighten and inspire you this holiday season.

PAINTER OF LIGHT

I’ve often said that light is more than a visual aspect of perception, it is a defining component of the spiritual identity of humankind. All creeds, nations and cultures revere light and seek it out. No culture reveres darkness. Campfires in primitive culture, and later gaslight, and eventually electric bulbs have illuminated the darkness of our lives. There is something spiritual in the way a family or an individual takes comfort in light. Families gather around the hearth and share stories; an individual sets the mood in a room by turning on a favorite lamp and cozying up with an interesting book. Centuries of artists have celebrated the irresistable allure of light in many genres - from the artists of the Age of Enlightment in the late 18th century, to the Luminists of early 20th century. There is even an Italian word for the use of light in art - chiaroscuro - defining the bold contrast of light and darkness in art.

Simply put: there is something compelling about light, and it goes beyond the mere physicality of seeing. Would you agree?

ACADEMIC MASTERS, PART II

Here's a nice collection of Ivan Shishkin's work, courtesy of YouTube.

ACADEMIC MASTERS

I subscribe to the catalogs from several auction houses and I’m always amazed at the vast amount of talent that continues to go largely unrecognized today. When the advent of photography revolutionized the arts in the late 19th century, there was an entire generation of academic artists who adopted photographic techniques to allow greater realism in their work. These Masters orginated from all over the European continent, including Norwegian artists, British masters, and the French Academy painters. The Italian tradition was still going strong, as represented by Boldini and other Masters, and Russia was surging ahead with a pool of talent that seemed limitless. If you want to see some of the greatest art ever produced, seek out these obscure Master Artists. One artist, Ivan Shishkin, stands out in my mind as one of the great unheralded Masters from the past century. Though he is well known in Russia, his work has, until recently, escaped notice in the minds of most scholars from the American and European traditions. It is sad to say, but when the Impressionists and the other painters of the emerging Modernist movement took center stage, a lot of great talent was swept into the corners and largely ignored. Seek out these artists and you will discover great talents who have not only influenced me but have inspired an entire young generation of artists seeking influences from the past.

IT WAS AN HONOR

It was a lovely day at Disneyland, the “happiest place on earth.” The highlight of the day last week , however, was not unveiling my long-awaited release at a joyous ceremony with my Disney friends, colleagues and collectors at the park, but rather meeting Marge Champion – the original model who inspired Walt’s “Snow White”. She is absolutely charming – a dancer in her younger days and still to this day! The first thing she said upon seeing my rendition of Snow White Discovers the Cottage was: “You got my hand and stance just right!”
I spent the morning signing canvases with Marge – if there are any of you reading this blog who were present that day, thank you. I thank everyone, for your excitement over what, to me, has been one of the most engaging creative projects I have ever embarked upon. So many of you have offered wonderful suggestions and creative ideas that I can hardly wait to get started on the next image in this new series, Timeless Disney Moments.

Marge is celebrating a birthday today, by the way - she is 89 years young! Happy Birthday, Marge. Your vibrance and zest for life is an inspiration to us all.