About the Artist

I am a native of Fort Myers, and a graduate of FSU in Fine Art and Minors in Art Education, Marketing, and Art History. I paint with oils and specialize in the academic painting technique in landscapes and portraiture.

 

What is Academic Art?

The Academic Method was the technique was used by most Renaissance painters and favored by Michael Angelo, Rafael and Ingles. It involves staring with an under painting, that would only portray the values of the subject. Some artist use blue/gray tones, or green/gray, and some use brown, as did the Venetians’ artist and Rembrandt. When the artist is satisfied with the under painting and the likeness, he then applies the color and many transparent layers called glazes. This gives the painting depth. I’ve studied this technique in Italy and in France, and successfully completed many reproductions. Un like the Music Masters that left us detailed writen down notes with instruction, the art world must copy masters work to unlock their secrets. The Academic Method fell out of love with artist as the camera developed. Modern art and all of it” Isms” (cubism, Surrealism, Dadaism) created a vacuum of subjective paintings techniques. The Technique was all but lost when artist where led to paint subjectively, (what they felt), rather than objectively (what it represents) in the 1950’s thru 1970’s. There is nothing wrong with Subjective painting, every painting has some subjectivity in it, but passed down technique where lost. There is now a movement by artist to teach and bring this style back, I hope my work helps understand why.

What are some or the Artist accomplishments?

Painting official copies of masters from the originals in The Louvre twice as the masters once did is my most cherished accomplishment. Being part of the Louvre Salon De La Copyist Show in Paris was a Milestone in 2012. I am proud of my reproductions and what they have taught me, but I’m not featuring any of them here. They where on view September 2015 with the SWF Portrait Society at the Bern Davis Art Center and hope to have them on view again soon. This is my first show as a featured artist and I am featuring my work not my copies.

 

Why do you choose to use this painting Technique?

We see with our eyes in a way that is called Binocularly,(two lenses). The camera sees Monocular, (one lens). It takes two lenses to create depth perception. The simple act of photographing the subject flattens the image, reprinting it yet flattens it again, and values often change. Therefore I would implore you see the originals in person to understand why I paint with this technique. My job is to take a two-dimensional canvas and make it look 3-D by the art of illusion. I do use impressionistic techniques, but only when it deals with light, as light is ever moving and changing.

 

What is the subject and message of this show?

The subject of this show is light, weather it be the mornings soft light, nigh noon, backlight, or evening dramatic light, the light is the common key. My hope it that I have recreated the depth so you can enjoy the moment that I have captured and chosen to share.