realism

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Art

Towering Charcoal Portraits of Women by Clio Newton

Artist Clio Newton has been hard at work on a series of larger-than-life portraits of women portrayed entirely with compressed charcoal. The towering drawings can reach nearly 8 feet tall and capture near photographic detail of her subject’s faces, hair, and bodies. Several of the new portraits will be on view in an upcoming show at Benjamin Eck Galerie in Munich titled ‘Realism‘ that opens September 14, 2017. You can read an interview with Newton on Quiet Lunch and see more of her recent work and studio photos on Instagram. (via Supersonic Electronic, Gaks Designs)

Art

New Paintings of Birds Set Against Colorful Glitches by Frank Gonzales

“Cactus Wren and Nopalito” (2016), acrylic on panel, 12″ x 12″, all images via Frank Gonzales

Set behind abstract drips and multi-colored streaks are the realistic works of Frank Gonzales (previously), bright acrylic paintings that capture birds in moments of rest on top of tree branches, flowers, or prickly cacti. The additional marks bring colors that are often not found in nature, pairing them with birds that have subdued feathers shades like owls or larks.

Gonzales sources his visual information from reference books and images he finds on the internet, pulling them together to create compositions that might never occur in nature. “One image will spark another and the process takes shape from there,” says Gonzales on his website. “I find this way of working to be both exciting and uncertain. My various marks and color glitches mimic this uncertainty resulting in visual stillness and movement.”

You can see more of Gonzales’ mixed flora and fauna paintings, as well as take a look into work in progress, on his Instagram.

“Azure-Winged Magpie & Totem” (2016), acrylic on panel, 16″ x 20″

“Speciman” (2015), acrylic on panel, 20″ x 24″

“Double Horned Larks” (2016), acrylic on panel, 12″ x 12″

“Sacred Source” (2015), acrylic on panel, 8″ x 8″

“Magpies and Mother in Law’s” (2015), acrylic on panel, 16″ x 20″

“Buff Bellied Hummingbird and Hellebore” (2015), acrylic on panel, 12″ x 12″

“Mirando al Futuro” (2015), acrylic on panel, 36″ x 36″

Art

Paintings of Birds Sprinkled with Color by Frank Gonzales

Artist Frank Gonzales refers to his process as a cross-pollination of elements, a mixture of realism and artificiality expressed through acrylic paintings of birds perched atop plants and crystaline formations. “I like to construct and deconstruct during the process, leaving traces of my journey in the end results,” Gonzales says. His careful depictions of wildlife are somewhat reminiscent of Audubon’s style, but the colorful drips of paint and other surreal elements gives each painting a fresh, illustrative feel.

Gonzales most recently toured around New Mexico with Santa Fe Exports and he has a number of prints and original paintings available through several galleries. You can also follow his work on Instagram.

Art

Realistic Stacks of Old Newspapers, Cash, and Comic Books Carved from a Single Piece of Wood by Randall Rosenthal

Cuban Cigar Box, 2013

Hush Money 22, 2013

The subject of Randall Rosenthal’s artwork at times seem inconsequential. Stacks of old newspapers and magazines, a comic book collection in a cardboard box, envelopes stuffed with various stacks of currency. And then you discover that you’re really looking at only two things: a single piece of Vermont white pine and skillfully applied acrylic paint. These are the only materials Rosenthal requires to mimic the look and feel of flimsy newsprint, worn trading cards, translucent pieces of tape and deteriorating cardboard boxes. What’s all the more amazing is that he doesn’t work from a photograph or model, but instead creates each object as he goes, using only an image in his mind as a guide.

After graduating from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in the late 1960s Rosenthal opened his first exhibition of surrealist paintings, a direction he pursued until the late 80s. His focus then shifted to architectural design and next into the realist sculptures he creates today. You can read more about his process and inspiration in this recent interview in rh+artmagazine.

See much more of Rosenthal’s work over at Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, and he’s been updating this message board thread at Sawmill Creek since 2011 to show some of his ongoing progress with different projects.

Art

Realistic Birds Made from Paper and Watercolor Paint by Johan Scherft

At the age of 14 Johan Scherft made his first papercraft bird which he colored with a pencil, modeled after the flying paper models of english artist of Malcolm Topp. His self-created models along with his drawings gained him admittance to the royal academy of arts in The Hague where he perfected his painting and sculptural techniques. Nearly 30 years later the Dutch artist has become a master of the medium creating a wide variety of objects including dinosaurs, animals, boats, and especially birds. Scherft uses a computer to aid in the initial steps of creating the paper blueprints but everything else is done by hand, a painstaking process that can take several days and occasionally up to a full month to complete.

If you want to explore a bit more head over to his Facebook page and read a bit more about his process on My Modern Met. Scherft also keeps an active YouTube channel where he’s filmed numerous tutorials; don’t miss his solar-powered hummingbird.

Art Design

It’s Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper

Bergère / 2012 / Various papers / 26 x 26 x 36 in.

A dusty old chair, a wrinkled pair of jean shorts, or the classic shape of a wooden Eames chair, common items you might encounter every day without giving them a second thought. But try to sit on that worn Corbusier bench or wear that pressed white shirt and you might be shocked as they tear or disintegrate before your very eyes because, amazingly, they are made almost completely with paper by Los Angeles-based artist Vincent Tomczyk. Via his artist statement:

My art centers on objects to stimulate visceral connections. These compositions represent biographies of people, experiences and interpretations of intangible ideas. Although my work can be categorized as realism, my intention is to distill the emotion of an object, then through expression, reconstruct it into my view of its essential self – free of function. […] As an artist working primarily with paper, my art requires me to be part craftsman and part engineer. I learned a lot about how to construct things by working at my father’s side, in his workshop. I’m compelled to produce work that is visually poetic by using a medium that defies perceived limitations.

Tomczyk tells me that he doesn’t do much sketching before he embarks on each artwork, but spends his time formulating ideas in his head and developing a list of needed materials and measurements. The objects are carefully crafted by hand, all of the colors you see are hand-painted and he never relies on any sort of digital printing. Translation: these take a lot of time. The jean shorts alone with functional pockets and realistic textures took over 100 hours.

If you want to see more, Tomczyk has a solo show opening May 4th, 2013 at Gallery 825 in LA and you can also see many more of his paper works on his website. If you enjoy this kind of realism, also check out Randall Rosenthall’s wood carvings.

Shirt & Tie / 2010 / Mulberry and various other papers / 23 x 30 x 4 in.

Wallet / 2011 / Paper, nylon thread / 4 x 3 x 0.5 in.

Paper Museum Bench / 2013

Americana, paper jeans / 2011 / Paper, canvas, silk and nylon thread / 15 x 9 x 11 in.

Americana, paper jeans / 2011 / Paper, canvas, silk and nylon thread / 15 x 9 x 11 in.

Paper Eames Chair LCW / 2012 / Various papers, hand painted / 22 x 23 x 28 in.