Video: Matisse Documentary by Alastair Sooke

click to view Matisse Documentary by Alastair Sooke   Part 1
This 60 minute video is quite good, very informative with a lot of new material and well worth your time.  I'm archiving it for future inspiration.

Here is Part 2 the Matisse video documentary, A Visit to Chapelle du Rosaire, Vence (near Nice), France.  When I saw photos of the Chapelle in books, I was a bit underwhelmed.  Seeing his stained glass backlit by the sun in this simple church quickly changed my mind. Enjoy these six pleasurable minutes of video.

New Oil and Giclee: Golden Moment Against the Reds

Here is a new oil I'm very happy with, GOLDEN MOMENT AGAINST THE REDS, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches.  It is currently exhibiting at Atherton Fine Art, Atherton, CA. This image is also available as a giclee on paper or canvas.

The upper part of this oil has a lot of paint application.  I was all about making the red and oranges sing, but at the same time, I wanted a poetic, delicate feel.  When I first started this oil, the foreground was dashed in with fairly thin yellow paint and it set the tone for a poetic work.  Only after the top portion was essentially done, did I add the reds into the lower foreground.  I wanted to keep that foreground delicate against the thicker paint application in the trees above.  Adding the yellow foliage at the top left was necessary to give more depth, appeal, and to balance the large amount of red forest. Afterward, I was pleasantly surprised at the overall effect of the glowing reds and golds.

New oil: Fall Remnants 48 x 60 inches

Here is a new oil, completed today, "Fall Remnants," oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches.

In the course of doing this oil, I found that as I was approaching the finish, I had limited my options in depth, color and contrasts.  With all my efforts, is was less than.... something.

This was a successful oil until I decided that it could be much better somehow. It all happened in the last painting session. I added a light aqua to the upper right, then heightened the golds in the sky.  I pushed off hard on the purple area in the trees and that in turn, made me want to shift the blues from left to right. So, to counter the purple and add more drama, I made the blues on the left much brighter, making more depth and much more interest.  I reduced the purples a bit for balance.

With all of that in the background, I heightened the oranges and added more greens to the sparse foliage.  Then finally, I repainted the entire foreground enriching the overall effect.

It all happened so very fast and all in response to the painting going to the higher level. All it took from me was the willingness and some risk-taking.  The end result is a richly colored and textured scene that I was happy to put into the world. I'm so glad I went along for the ride. 

Catalog: The Artful Home, Fall 2012

Happily, my oil "At the Meadows Edge" has been included in the Artful Home Fall Preview catalog, 2012. The oil is 40 x 40 inches, $5600 unframed. This image is also available as a limited edition giclee in three sizes, $300 - $790. You can contact them at 877-223-4600.

I've been working with Artful Home for over 10 years now and they have brought me success and great exposure. This catalog will be mailed out to over 300,000 households!

Details on the Artful Home site
Sign up for their catalog my mail or email or view it on your ipad.