All posts in Fine Art

January 31, 2022

“Landscapes,” Photography by Fabrice Poussin

Artist’s Statement: There is something grand to be said about solitude. Although it is not perhaps the ideal state most seek, it is nonetheless a privileged place in which to rest. When the noise stops and the silence of a pristine world sets in, things merely change within. Imagine inhaling the thinning air of high altitudes, of the desert, or the thicker atmosphere of one’s backyard. There is life in every particle if you take the time to slow down and abandon the humdrum of the city where it may appear everything is. It is quite unfathomable for many to understand the possibility offered by a solitary journey to where few venture. These images are an invitation to join and commune with something much larger than the daily unwanted duties of a busy human life. …

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December 31, 2021

“Painting with Morris,” Visual Art by Morris Wiener

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement: My seventh grade teacher, Miss Steinberg, told us that since we would be graduating into high school the following year, we should all have some idea of what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. She informed us that the following day, each one of us would be asked to come up to the front of the classroom and briefly explain what we wanted to become and why. Well, I don’t believe that anyone was too pleased with that . . . I certainly wasn’t. Not because I didn’t know “what,” but rather, I didn’t know “how.” How am I going to explain to a group of pretty tough guys and girls (most of them played baseball, badminton or basketball) that I wanted to be an artist? Somehow, I got…

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November 30, 2021

“Street Close-Ups,” An Art Exhibition by Ron Hartley

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement: I like to photograph things imbedded in urban asphalt or found on the sidewalks and by-ways of city streets. I love the grungy texture of street art; grunge being an inevitable by-product of the human species that speaks to the human condition like wrinkles to an elderly face. Someone tosses an empty soda can that gets crushed and rusted with time, a fallen leaf lays like a shipwreck marooned on a strange landscape, a white traffic line cracks up in a time-lapse of years, an oil slick fades in a time-lapse of minutes and I try to find my way there. Sometimes “there” can be in the middle of heavily trafficked streets where I practically risk my life trying to photograph such things like they were pieces of the Maltese Falcon. If the…

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October 31, 2021

Edward Michael Supranowicz — Digital Paintings

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement: I do not believe in formal artist statements. Art should speak for itself, and the artist should maintain a respectful distance and silence. I work intuitively and compulsively, probably believing that there are archetypes that are shared among us all, but amenable to being expressed in one’s own individual style. I have been doing digital paintings and drawings for the last 10 or so years. It is a good fit to my personality and nature, being able to go forward, then back, then back and forward, and not having to worry about wasted canvas. And digital work allows for sharing work with more than one person rather than just one person “owning” a painting. *** Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He…

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September 30, 2021

Barbara Potter — Musician Photographer

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement: Photographed on a local lake front. I wanted to try a wide-angle lens before purchasing it. I rented a 14-24mm and it did not disappoint! It allowed me to get very close to my subject, so you hopefully feel like you are right there listening to them play like I did! Eight images were used from this session for the vinyl record album and cd cover insert but this image was not chosen by the record label. It was my favorite from the session. My client was taking a break when I noticed the two reflections in the mirrors and got this shot. This image was shot in my client’s den . . . a very small den, which made it extremely challenging. The original portrait was very colorful. Purple velvet jacket, burgundy chair and peach color…

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August 31, 2021

Peter Jarvis: Realism, Art and Process

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement: My inspiration lies in the topographical drawings and watercolours of the 18th and 19th centuries. My work is objective and realistic and true to the Italian term, veduta esatta meaning “exact view.” My passion for and belief in the sketchbook as a means of understanding subject matter is central to the success of my watercolours. The very nature of the sketchbook in its portability and mobility on location means it is innately suitable in this pursuit and as a precursor to more finished work: it is immediate and intimate and requires the minimum of materials. The activity of drawing on location plays an integral part in my understanding and appreciation of the notion of place: placing oneself as the central reference point during location drawing. This knowledge and experience also enables me to work from photographs alone when it is…

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August 3, 2021

Kimberly Brooks — Paintings from History

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement:I work in series, diving into subjects from many different angles of observation, history, and memory. I strive for a result that descends from the clouds in my mind like lightning to the earth, to light a night sky or occasionally set a tree on fire. I painted for years in my head before I ever held a brush. So I have therefore been painting all my life. And as a way of speaking, it suits me. The first time I showed my work so many years ago, I felt so exposed, I blushed. I paint both abstract and realistically, always hovering in between, in search of something new. *** Kimberly Brooks is an American artist and author of The New Oil Painting (Chronicle Books). She is known for her portraits and landscapes in…

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June 1, 2021

Rebecca Hosking — Multitalented Creative

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art, Writing

Photo above: Elephant Camp, Chang Mai, Thailand Editor’s Note: This month’s featured artist is also a very talented musician and poet. Check out Rebecca Hosking’s diverse creative endeavors below. Not All Witches Belong to a Coven Not all witches belong to a coven. Put aside the stereotypes. Expand your mind and think outside of the box. Mother nature lives inside all of us. She is the mother of the earth. Her medicine lives in the plants that feed off the dirt. Get your feet wet, dabble, and expand your mind. Not all witches wear black clothing or dance naked in the garden just before dawn. This woman lives alone. She lives among her dreams, works hard like a graceful wave carrying life to the shore. She warms her skin with the sun and finds energy…

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May 3, 2021

Forensic Foraging Photography by William Crawford

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist’s Statement: The trite, trivial and mundane are often dismissed by today’s technology driven photographers. Images shot can unlock the beauty and intrinsic value hidden in most everyday things. Thus, an old fractured glass window found on a wrecked desert shack might better be presented as a compelling image. Such a transformational presentation can be achieved by applying basic photographic techniques: framing, lighting, coloration, saturation, contrast, etc. This precise application of seminal tenets can often transform the mundane into something pleasing. This process forms the essence of Forensic Foraging. Photographers today possess a plethora of powerful technical tools. High resolution sensors, potent post processing software, and cameras with such jacked up processors that they could, in a pinch, support the governmental operations of a small city. Many camera images today all but surpass the human capacities…

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April 1, 2021

Ann Privateer — Photography from Near and Far

Posted by Mike Rochester in Fine Art

Artist Statement: I took these photographs because they caught my eye. The vivid colors and my closeup technique make me stop and take a second look: blood orange, surprise clover–searching for a four leaf, shoes that sparkle, a fetal pistachio nut, and a pink pansy. From pin-hole cameras in elementary school to my very own Brownie camera for Christmas, I have been fascinated with taking photographs practically my entire life. So many cameras later, I now most often shoot with my Sony phone. Some of these photographs were taken in Paris, France and one in my kitchen after cracking open a pistachio nut which, to me, resembled a fetus. *** Ann Privateer is a poet, artist, and photographer. She grew up in the Midwest and now resides in California. Some of her recent work has…

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