Take a Closer Look

"Kevin's Nasturtium"
Oil on Linen, 35 x 25 cm
(c) Sarah Spackman

I must confess to a renewed crush on still life paintings. What is it that we love about still life paintings? Perhaps it is that they show us the beauty in ordinary objects. Or that they teach us to observe things more carefully. A great still life painting shows you something you have never seen before, about an object that you have looked at often. It awakens a delight in the everyday.

"Autumn Pears"
Oil on Board, 25 x 30 cm
(c) Sarah Spackman

Not only have I been working on a new still life series of my own, I have been basking in the wisdom of some of my favorite (living) still life painters. These painters lavish so much love and attention on their subjects that you can practically feel it. There is something almost reverent in their attitudes toward their subjects--no matter how commonplace those subjects may be. 

"I Saw Three Figs"
Oil on Board, 20 x 25 cm
(c) Sarah Spackman 2017

One wonderful still life painter that I have recently "discovered" is Sarah Spackman, a British painter. Sarah's compositions are simple, but arresting. I have read that all of the objects in her still life paintings have been given to her, or acquired for certain specific qualities. It is clear that she feels a very personal connection to all of these objects. 

I have also become a fan of Erin Lee Gafill. Erin is a Californian, and my favorites among her beautiful still life work also feature simple things--fruits, citrus, simple vessels. Her paintings almost cry out: "Slow down, pay attention--you're missing out on the beauty around you." 

(c) Erin Lee Gafill, 2019

Both Spackman and Gafill are what I'd call "painter's painters". Their application of paint is juicy and deliberate. The color relationships in their paintings are carefully observed, and scrupulously mixed. It's clear that their perception has been carefully honed. Faithful readers know that perceptual painting is my true love, so you can see why I am so enamored of their work. These paintings speak of time spent, lovingly, with their subjects, deep in observation.

(c) Erin Lee Gafill

I'm illustrating this post with paintings by Spackman and Gafill. I hope I'll have some of my own new still lifes ready for a future post...

Manet and Modern Beauty

"Moss Roses in a Vase"
Oil on Canvas, 22 x 13 5/8
Edouard Manet, 1882

It's the last week of the exhibit, and I'm afraid I am going to miss it. The Art Institute of Chicago has mounted what by all accounts is a magnificent show that features Edouard Manet's late works. Manet was undoubtedly a catalyst in the art world, moving away from the old-school "salon" style of painting (think large, formal, multi-layered paintings of historical and biblical subjects) and entering a new, modern style of painting (think scenes of contemporary life, loosely painted, often alla prima in one session). Manet was a truly a pioneer in making modern urban life an acceptable subject for fine art.

"Jeanne"
Oil on Canvas, 29 1/8 x 20 1/4
Edouard Manet, 1881

The Chicago exhibit is entitled "Manet and Modern Beauty", and runs until September 8, 2019. It focuses on later works, from the years shortly before Manet's death in 1883. Among them are lovely portraits of finely dressed women--feminine beauty in all its glory. The painting just above, "Jeanne", was a hit at the Paris Salon of 1882. But then it passed into private hands and faded from view. It was eventually purchased by the Getty Museum for $65 Million. Today it is the star of the Chicago show.

"Flowers in a Crystal Vase"
Edouard Manet, 1882

The show also includes a number of small floral works. I love these! They tell me of an eye for beauty in the simple things, and a sensitivity to beautiful color relationships. Manet painted these works during a time of difficult health struggles and acute physical pain. As written in the IRIS publication of the Getty: " Fresh, intimate, and unapologetically pretty, the late work demonstrates his defiant embrace of beauty and pleasure in the teeth of acute physical suffering."

"The House at Rueil"
Oil on Canvas, 36 9/16 x 28 15/16
Edouard Manet, 1882

If you miss the exhibit in Chicago, there's another chance to see it in Los Angeles at the Getty -- opening October 8, 2019!