Euan Uglow

I painted for the first time in 1997. I was sixteen years old, and incredibly lucky to have Rick Weaver (whom I will touch on in a future post) as my teacher.  He is an excellent educator and an incredibly talented artist. Rick taught me about color and form and light and shadow. He also introduced me to the work of Euan Uglow, an artist who's strong, elegant, and clean work reminds me daily of why I paint.

Uglow was born in the early 1930s and was a part of the  20th Century British Realist Painters school who's members include such extraordinary names as Lucian Freud, William Coldstream, David Hockney, Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, Peter Blake, R.B. Kitaj, and Leon Kossoff. 

He taught at Slade School of Art until his death in 2000 and is best known for his work in the figure. His compositions are ostensibly simple, but belie a complex geometry. Planes are articulated precisely, edges are sharply defined, and colors are differentiated with great subtlety.

His method of painting was meticulous and his paintings took months and often years to complete. The surfaces of his paintings are checkered with many small horizontal and vertical markings. These are the remnants of plum lines, the coordinates he used to verify two dimensional relationships against against three dimensional reality.

Among the artists most influential to Uglow are Matisse, the Venetians, Cezanne, Poussin, and Ingres.
All images copyright Euan Uglow.

The Paintings of Mary Beth McKenzie

A few years ago someone remarked that my style of painting reminded them of the paintings of Mary Beth McKenzie and I very much appreciated the compliment!  Mary Beth McKenzie is an accomplished oil painter who's work is owned by many public institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institute, the Brooklyn Museum, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Butler Museum of American Art, the Museum of the City of New York, the National Academy of Design and the New-York Historical Society.

She also teaches at the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy of Design, what I wouldn't give to take a class from her and pick her brain!

Her application of paint and the use of color to build form reminds me of the landscapes of Cezanne. Contributing to the quality and solidity of her shapes is incredibly careful measuring. I love how she leaves the traces of plum lines. They serves as a window into her painting process and constant reminders of her hand.

All images copyright Mary Beth McKenzie.

  

The Paintings of Keinyo White

I'm excited to share with you the beautiful paintings of Keinyo White. I am particularly drawn to his work in watercolor, a medium not often associated with the figure, let alone contemporary gallery quality art.

White's paintings give just enough information and are never over-worked. His seamless combination of line and form is especially impressive.

And his portraits walk that impossibly fine line - they capture  the personality and qualities of the sitter while not compromising the intention and hand of the artist.

http://www.keinyowhite.com
http://www.keinyowhite.com/blog

All images copyright Keinyo White.