Thursday, December 31, 2009

Julie Marton: Beaded Mosaic Vessels

Custom Dish-Charger
"Mucha's Halo" custom large decorative bowl 18x18"
Julie Marton creates one-of-a-kind decorative beaded glassware for ArtFinders. Several of her pieces shown here were custom items created to complement specific interiors.

Biography

Julie Marton’s glass art works are handcrafted in her studio in suburban Chicago. She is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After college, she began her career as an art consultant and went on to art gallery management. In 2000, after the birth of her first daughter, she began working for a Chicago area art, design, and architecture museum. As the museum’s program director, she had the opportunity to curate many exhibitions of regional, national, and international artists and artisans, as well as administer the museum’s annual national architecture awards and international design competition.
Throughout her career she has been creating and refining the method and design of her personal body of work, a unique line of embellished glassware.
Rubin Teal Vase
Her mission is to create inspirational, hand-embellished glass vessels that delight the viewer and are functional works of art. She perceives her work as "sculptural paintings" employing the varieties of colors, translucencies, and lusters intrinsic in glass beads to enhance the shape and volume of the glass vessel.
It is important to the artist that she reuse existing materials whenever possible. She has made it a point to give new life to secondhand glass vessels and vintage or salvaged beads. Only a percentage of each art work includes vintage beads, but Marton especially prizes the mellowed patinas of vintage beads and is constantly on the hunt for them.

Friday, December 11, 2009

New Arrival: "Do You Remember Me" #279 by Roy Fairchild-Woodward

We unwrapped this lustrous serigraph by Roy Fairchild-Woodward this evening. It's a large vertical serigraph on paper 39"x29". The serigraph is number 279 of a limited edition of 465 plus proofs. "Do You Remember Me" uses a warm, mostly neutral palette accented with sage green, coral, ivory, vellum, terra cotta, burnt sienna and some gold, bronze and copper metallics.
The serigraph features one of Fairchild's signatures, contemplative young women, surrounded by layer upon layer of symbolic, lush, and poetic imagery.

Let us know if we can custom frame "Do You Remember Me" for your home.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Portfolio: Private Residence


This is a series of photographs featuring art work that ArtFinders suggested, framed and placed for a private residence. This first painting by Luzanquis was perfect for over the Arts and Crafts buffet in their dining room.


This next painting is a crisp and colorful Mediterranean scene by the artist Hajto. The painting is so inviting and your eye travels up those steps to the cafe or strolls along the waterfront.

These two gems are detailed paintings of charming European village windows by Dvornik. In addition to being beautiful works of art, they look so wonderful in this room. Sometimes the right art work completes a room like the missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. That was certainly the case with these.


These are another set of two small but majestic autumn landscapes by Munoz. We were pleased that the homeowners chose to stack intriguing sets of two in these tall vertical spaces as seen above and below instead of going with the expected long vertical painting in each spot.
Above the set of two landscapes is another larger landscape by Munoz hung across from the staircase above the second storey entryway. The homeowners will enjoy a lovely continuity of view afforded by having three landscapes by the same artist in the entryway. The atmosphere created by these majestic, warm landscapes is a great way to welcome visitors and set a comfortable mood for the rest of the home.




What a comfortable and beautiful home!




Sunday, November 15, 2009

Dvornik a.k.a. Iouri Khamitov

Biography: Iouri Khamitov, nom de plume Yuri Dvornik, was born in 1947 in Vladikavkaz City, Russia. He attended the Moscow School of Art to study painting and art restoration. He worked as a restorer for a time "giving new life to old paintings." He also trained as an architectural designer. Dvornik's paintings are realistic in style and yet idealist in subject matter. There is no political struggle or turmoil illustrated in these paintings, only the serene streets themselves.

In 1976, he became a member of the Union of Russian Artists, the famed Soviet sponsorship that was highly sought after during the Soviet rule. Because of his opposition to the political system of the Soviet Union at the time, the KGB cancelled his membership and he was forced into artistic seclusion for 16 years. He was unable to show his paintings in any of the sponsored exhibitions.

To help support himself through this hardship he became a street cleaner in the streets of Moscow. He continued to paint using the new found pen name Dvornik, which in Russia means street cleaner. He used his experience as a street worker to create his new style and subject matter. The sunwashed streets themselves. Through the cleansing of his canvases and his identity, Dvornik's career began anew. He started selling his paintings and organizing shows in Izmalov Park. As perestroyka set in Dvornik became more involved with promoting shows to benefit the victims of Chernobyl and handicapped children throughout Russia. He has since had exhibitions of his work throughout Europe and in Greece.
Since his arrival in the United States, several galleries have sponsored this outstanding artist. This exposure has fostered the creation of an international private collector base. Dvornik has had solo shows in New York, the first in 1996. His shows have been well received by his ever growing audience.


Sunday, November 8, 2009

Iannicelli, Antonio

Above: "Positano" by Antonio Iannicelli, 39" V x 78" H, oil on canvas.
Biography--Born in Naples in 1952, Iannicelli lives and works in Castelvoltumo. As a boy, he showed a great inclination for painting and he cultivated it with love, taking the heaven, the sea and the people of Naples, as his teachers. He has staged about twenty personal showings in Italy and abroad and has participated almost uninterruptedly in the highest national art expositions. Winning numerous awards and prizes, Iannicelli's work is gaining admiration in Italy and beyond its national bounds into the United States and France. He excels, above all, in coastal Venetian views and landscapes, where he manages to render unusual aspects with expressive immediateness. Stylistically, his works reveal influence of the old Italian masters, but also portray his instinctive likeness to post-impressionists such as Cezanne. As a result, his works yield both classical subjects covered by the bold color schemes and lighting of a more modern era.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Trunk Shows at Toms-Price

We are having two trunk shows with Toms-Price Home Furnishings in October. We are showcasing art that complements a line of traditional French-style furniture. This weekend, Oct. 10, 11, 12 we are at the Lincolnshire showroom, 725 Milwaukee Ave. in Lincolnshire. Next weekend we will be at their Skokie/Old Orchard location on Oct. 17 & 18.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Andres Padilla


Andres Palacios Padilla was born in Peru in 1958. He studied at School of Arts of Lima 1979-1984 and Seminario Biblico Andino 1991-1993. Padilla, an accomplished abstract artist, was discovered at a young age by an instructor from the Seminario Biblico Andino in Peru. Recognized for having a unique talent and style, Padilla has always been willing to push his way through traditional means of brush stroke, and has, without fail, continued to amaze professors and collectors alike with his soft, unique, style of painting. By intricately mixing tones and layers of colour Padilla manages to create tranquil works that constantly attract and sooth the human eye. Texturally, Padilla uses a slightly hardened brush to intertwine his colours, a method that creates a sense of gentleness to his pieces, a gentleness that people continue to universally enjoy throughout Europe and North America. Padilla clearly delights in the emotion he manages to make audiences pull out of his pieces, emotion that his style deliberately evokes through its liberal use of colour and texture. Never afraid to try something new, Padilla continues to explore new methods of painting in his studio, constantly challenging traditional boundaries.

Exhibitions and Shows
1.-2000 “Salon de Actos E.N.B.A”
2.-2001 “Salon de Exposiciones Museo de Art Lima”
3.-2002 “Salon Andino Artes Plasticas” Ancash
4.-2003 “Salon de Exposiciones Peiro Peru”
5.-2003 “Salon de Exposiciones Banco Industrial”
6 -2004 “New York Art Expo”
7 -2004 “Atlanta Art Expo”
8 -2005 “Atlanta Art Expo”
9 -2005 “New York Art Expo”
10-2005 “West Coast Art & Frame Show, Las Vegas”
11-2006 “New York Art Expo”
12-2006 “West Coast Art & Frame Show, Las Vegas”


Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Victor del Castillo


Victor del Castillo was born in Lima, Peru, in 1968. At the age of three, a trip to El Callejon de Huaylas became his first source of inspiration. The rich and deep colors of the sky and landscape moved him to draw and paint a sketch. Despite his young age, the quality of the drawing was such that his parents were convinced he would become another Da Vinci.
At the age of 17, del Castillo joined the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Lima. After reviewing the different painting schools, Victor experiments and tries Impressionism, Fauvism, Abstraction and Informalism to end up at his graduation with realism.
His main subject, the still life, is given a special sense and sentiment by which the trivial elements become alive. It is as if every fruit he paints represents a state of the human soul.
Victor has participated in a long list of exhibitions and is being collected by serious and well-known art collectors.





Bartolome Luzanquis

Born in Cajamarca, Peru in 1963, Luzanquis emigrated to Piura, in northern Peru, where he apprenticed with the well-known master, Augusto de los Rios. After three years of very demanding work with De los Rios, he moved to Lima and worked in the atelier of Jorge Arriblasplata, a superb still life painter. He then rounded his education by joining the atelier of Ladislao Plasencki for two more years. Luzanquis has particpated in several exhibitions since 1990 and most of his paintings are collected in England and the United States.



Tuesday, July 28, 2009

William Benecke



Above: "Manarola on the Via Dell 'Amore" by William Benecke oil on canvas, 30x40"
Biography: William Benecke was born in November 1934 in Chicago, Illinois and passed away in 2001. He had his formal art training at the Art Institute of Chicago and went to work at first as an illustrator for several of the major studios in Chicago and also worked as a staff illustrator for the Chicago Tribune and the Sun Times.
At the age of 24, he went to Mexico and lived there for ten years during which time he painted and also had a gallery. Studying and sketching trips in the 70's and 80's brought him in touch with Paris, Strasbourg, Venice, Cote d'Azur, and the chateau region of the Loire Valley.
Whenever he returned home to the Midwest, Benecke found time to paint the vistas of Chicago and nearby picturesque locales. He has painted the bustling skyline on the Chicago River and lakefront as well as the laid back shores of Lake Geneva.

Monday, June 1, 2009

East Meets West: Tyler Museum of Art's Kimono Exhibit

Woman’s formal, long-sleeved kimono (uchikake); early Showa period, 1930s. Silk, figured satin weave (rinzu), opposing lines and floral roundels pattern; hand-painted, rice-paste resist outlining; gold leaf, silk thread embroidery; 70 x 49 1/4 inches (detail). The Jeffrey Montgomery Collection.

TYLER, TX.- The Tyler Museum of Art casts an eye to the Far East as the venue prepares for its major summer exhibition, Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan.

The exhibition, opening to the public Sunday, June 7, and continuing through Aug. 16 in the Museum’s North Gallery, spotlights an array of kimono drawn from the celebrated collection of Jeffrey Montgomery, an American residing in Lugano, Switzerland, who is recognized throughout the globe as a peerless collector of Japanese arts and crafts.

Montgomery’s collection is composed of more than 1,200 items, approximately 300 of which are textiles. This exhibition is drawn from that group, focusing on different varieties of kimono created in the late 19th- to mid-20th centuries.

Montgomery himself will be on hand to celebrate the exhibition’s opening during a members’ reception and preview scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, June 6. For more information or to inquire about TMA membership in order to attend, call (903) 595-1001.

“The Museum has been trying for years now to book this extraordinary exhibition, selected from one of the most stunning and dynamic collections of its kind in the world,” said TMA Director Kimberley Bush Tomio. “Summer seemed the ideal time for such a rich and vibrant celebration of the elegance and timeless beauty that the Montgomery Collection represents, and we’re particularly honored to have Jeffrey here to help us launch what I’m sure will be an extremely popular exhibition that appeals to visitors of all ages.”

The kimono featured in the exhibition represent one of the most dynamic periods in the history of Japan’s national costume, and also depict the last historical era of the “living kimono” – characterized as the time when kimono was being worn by the majority of the country’s populace. Yet the kimono never lost its appeal, remaining the traditional dress form from the early 20th century until the 1940s, as the garment took on, little by little, a more ceremonial meaning. Featured among the more than 60 pieces in the exhibition are formal, semi-formal and casual kimono, as well as haori jackets.

A collection of period photographs, on loan from the International Hokusai Research Center in Milan, Italy, accompanies the exhibition.

Article from: http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31194

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Silvia Tejada

Silvia Tejada was born in Pucallpa, Peru, in 1958. Despite her early artistic inclination, Tejada was forced to select a "more productive" field because painting was economically and socially risky. A victim of the circumstances, Tejada had to study conservation and restoration, a field related to the arts, but not her choice. Fortunately, she is married to a painter and, after more than 20 years, she has evolved into one of the best floral painters in South America.

To the critics, Tejada has that magical touch that painters like Fatin-Latour and Redon had. Her paintings show a nice, soft brushstroke that commands strength. Her colors are soft and angelical, but with character. These attributes did not come easy, however. It has been a hard and long struggle that more than once made her almost abandon her dream. Fortunately, her husband, the well-known impressionist painter Jose Lopesalcedo, convinced her to persist, and it has paid off.

Her exhibitons include important Salons like Museo de Arte de Lima and the Alianza Francesa.

Raffandre

Raffandre was born in the Venetian hinterland in 1945. His father, who was French, had a great influence on Raffandre in the arts. Consequently, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice with his father's encouragement. In this renowned city of art, where artists flock from all over the world, Raffandre came into contact with famous masters, under whose direction he embarked upon a severe artistic apprenticeship.


His particular aptitude for painting allowed him to learn over a fairly brief period of time, the techniques of drawing and of painting in watercolor before progressing definitively to oil painting. He later moved to Paris, where he was able to study the works of the Impressionists. He greatly admired this genre because he felt in touch with his volatile character, which was defined by his love of sun inspired colors. Raffandre was able to stay in Paris for several years, which had a significant influence on his painting and technique.

Raffandre's paintings received wonderful acclaim and were critiqued "…the foregrounds stand out softly from the backgrounds when observing one of Raffandre's paintings. The importance of color, studied and used in all its vast chromatic range, is clearly his main priority." Upon return to his native Italy, the combination of French and Italian styles made his paintings a unique and valuable contribution to the art world.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Custom Mirrors

If you cannot find just the right mirror to match your furniture, consider a custom mirror. ArtFinders has designed hundreds of mirrors over the years to complement furniture. After consulting with you about the style of your home,  furniture, size needed and intended placement, we provide several options and price points from which to choose.

Once your mirror has been completed we also expertly install it.

DESIGN TIP: If you are thinking about adding a mirror to a wall--make sure that it will be reflecting an attractive view. You don't want to be reflecting the view into say, a cluttered home office or up into the blank walls of a cathedral ceiling. Consider a piece of art for these areas instead.

The frames used for custom mirrors need to be stronger than the frames used for artwork. Mirrors are very heavy--so a flimsy molding will not support the glass.

The very heavy mirror above was made using a stack of three moldings. It was designed to complement the chest beneath it with an eye toward solid construction. Finally, it was expertly installed using anchors.

Portfolio

This print on paper by Roy Fairchild-Woodard was floated on a fabric matt that brings the color from the drapes (left) above the mantel. The glare normally expected from the harsh spotlights above is reduced through the use of a glare-reduction glass.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Portfolio: Custom Frame Designs

Above: Three-part stacked frame design.
Middle picture: Another three-part stacked frame with the central molding pulling color out from the painting to enhance the art/frame as a whole design.

Bottom: This Fairchild floral has a five-part frame with three mouldings and two layers of fillets. All of these frames were expertly crafted with archival materials by Masterpiece Framing.


Portfolio

This is an oil painting by Diana Mendoza "Carnaval Veneziano" above a lovely buffet in a dining room. Spring 2009. Framed with molding from the "Biltmore" series of frames from Larson-Juhl.

Helmut Kips


Helmut Kips was born on August 6, 1937 in Krefeld, Germany. His formal art training was accomplished at art academies in Italy, Austria, and Spain. For many years, he specialized in hunting subjects and has become well known for his ducks, hunters, wild boar and other subjects. Today, he has taken a new interest in painting night scenes of various European cities. The warm glow of the street lamps against the darkened sky gives a very dramatic effect to his paintings.
As a self-taught artist, Helmut Kips acceded at an early age to the demands put upon him by his talent for painting. He learned old techniques, internalized established theories and opinions, and invested to these his talent and emotional sensitivities. The resulting paintings completely and clearly carry his individual signature style.

Those who become acquainted with his pictures, feel the connection between the person and his work. His straightforward reproduction of nature is a demonstration of his aesthetics and technical skill-resulting in a classical balance, which moves the atmospheric element into the foreground.
Helmut Kips has traveled throughout Europe to study in Niederrhein, Northern Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and Portugal. He is exhibited in many galleries at home and abroad.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Art for Large Walls


Q: "We have a huge wall and none of the art that we've seen is large enough. What can we do there?"


A: There are hundreds of ways to activate a large, blank wall with art. Here are just a few suggestions:

Large-scale vintage posters-Many of the European vintage posters were printed in a very large format. The Taittinger poster seen here was printed at 47 x 69" inches. You can still invest in authentic vintage posters or there are now many very affordable reproductions on the market. These are nice because they have a nostalgic glamor and are graphic enough to be able to appreciate from a distance. Vintage movie posters work just as well.

Tapestries-Many tapestries are available in large sizes. It is also possible to group two or more similar tapestries on the same wall. More information on tapestries is available here.

Quilts-Like tapestries, quilts can be very large works of art. They can be very traditional or contemporary. They are a great way to warm up a big, blank space.

Vintage Kimono-In addition to being large and exquisitely hand crafted, a kimono will also add a dramatic silhouette against the wall that a rectangular work of art does not. We have more information on kimonos here.

Mural-Custom murals painted directly on the wall can be a great way to turn a boring wall into a showpiece. You also get to choose the colors and design. Disadvantage: You can't take it with you if you move!

Diptychs or Triptychs-Some artists create oversize works of art on two or three large canvases that "read" as a single piece. ArtFinders can also commission a special project like this from an artist of your choice.


These are just a few art solutions to activating a huge, blank wall. Call us if you need more suggestions or would like to see some ideas in your home.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Margarita Antillion

Margarita was born on the Baja Coast in Mexico. Her interest in art began at a very young age. Throughout her formal education, she knew that art was what she truly wanted to pursue. Her passion gained momentum over the years. She spent extensive time traveling the world upon completion of her formal education. Her artwork expanded in variety, topic and medium as she learned more about the world and what it had to offer her. Margarita felt compelled to give back in some way. Art was her way of repaying society and the world for all it had given to her. “My art now is a tribute to the human figure and movement, I call it, A Dance for Life.”

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Oleg Zhivetin's Paintings and Giclees

below "Serenade" Hand-embellished limited edition giclees printed on paper or canvas. 36"h x 48"w.

Oleg Zhivetin was born on March 8, 1964 in Tashkent, Capitol of the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, to a family of Russian painters. He started to paint at a very early age under the supervision of his father's severe and demanding eye. When he was nine years old he began an art program where he learned to work with watercolors. While still young, his family resettled in Moscow, where Oleg began his studies at age fifteen at the Moscow Academy of Art. At the academy he continued to learn how to paint and draw as well as study traditional subjects such as history, of which Oleg is extremely fond. He earned his Fine Art degree with honors, in 1982. Oleg decided to apply to the Surikov Art Institute, which is known by many to be the Soviet Union’s most prestigious school of art. Unfortunately, Oleg was not accepted to the school on his first try and this prompted him to go back to Uzbekistan to earn a degree in art education. He was accepted to the Surikov Art Institute after applying for a second time. Only those talented enough to gain admission to the Surikov were able to study under esteemed Soviet artists such as Yuri Karilov. Oleg eventually obtained the coveted Master of Fine Arts degree in 1990.

After graduation, Oleg grew beyond his academic focus of Dutch, Flemish, Renaissance old masters, and Soviet social-realism to develop a much more individualistic and contemporary style. Oleg decided to hire one of his neighbors to sell his art on the street in order that he could earn some money to live. The artwork began to sell after a few months, and eventually, his neighbor asked him if he wanted to go to America. Oleg was given a phone number to call to arrange for this opportunity. It turns out that the telephone number belonged to a man who was looking for exceptional artists to sponsor. Needless to say, the sponsor liked what he saw in Oleg’s work. This sponsorship allowed Oleg to work in the United States under a three-month visa. He arrived in California and took some of his paintings to a Russian art dealer.

below "Three Graces" Hand-embellished limited edition giclees printed on paper or canvas. 61"h x 32"w.

Within just a few months, he had been invited to his first one-man museum exhibition at the Mission San Juan Capistrano Museum in California, where he received positive reviews from the press and television. In 1991 Zhivetin experimentally created the first in a series of seven limited editions on canvas that he called, "Origigraphs.” Since then, Zhivetin has worked on extraordinarily complex paintings with the universal theme of love in his recognizable fractured color style. Numerous layers of paint achieve the richness and vitality of colors in his artwork. The sensuous lines and intricate patterns of the paintings are enhanced with the application of gold, silver or copper leaf. Oleg has perfected his fragmented imagery technique and his work elicits remarkably positive responses from his collectors. Oleg has made his home in both California and Russia over the years.

below "The Spirit Within Me" Hand-embellished limited edition giclees printed on paper or canvas. 32"h x 38.5"w.

Russian icon painting is a basic and profound point-of-reference in Oleg Zhivetin's work. The viewer will find religious imagery golden halos, Madonnas, angels, and saints. Other typical icons include hearts, musical instruments, books, celestial beings, and flowers, symbols of beauty, delicacy, and spiritual development. One of the most beautiful aspects of 'Oleg's painting is his skillful rendering of faces, hands and feet. Oleg's characters often communicate through the use of hand gestures rather than eye contact. Gestures are imbued with subtle meaning; a deep sense of shared experience is created through this control of body language.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Paintings of Marc Chapaud

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Biography

(Translated via Babelfish from French and edited by ArtFinders.)


Marc CHAPAUD was born in Paris in 1941. He studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Beaux Artes of Paris in 1958-59 Architecture section and 1960-61 Peinture section, which he left in 1962 after having completed several studio courses.


Solo exhibitions:

- 1958 first exhibition - Gallery of Colisée, Paris

- 1960: Gallery of the Harmony, Paris 1961 Gallery of Colisée, Paris

- 1963: Gallery d' Art, Castrate

- 1963: Hotel Alexandra, Touquet

- 1966 to 1969: 4 annual exhibits, W & J. SLOANE, Beverly-Hills (California, U.S.A.)

- 1969 Gallery Montparnasse 47, Paris

- 1973: International Fuji Art Gallery, Tokyo (Japan)

- 1994: Gallery Léadouze Paris 1996: Hénot gallery the Small rock 1998: Hénot gallery, Enghien-the-Baths 2003: Hénot gallery, Enghien-the-Baths

- From 1970 to 1988 he was an exclusive artist of Galerie Laurens, avenue Matignon in Paris, a themed exhibition, was carried out each year:

- 1973: Venice

- 1974: Bruges

- 1975: Paris

- 1976: Corsica

- 1977: The Sologne

- 1978 Amsterdam

- 1979: Brittany

- 1980: Villages of Provence

- 1981 Landscapes

- 1982: Japan

-1983: The Road Jacques-Heart

- 1984: Flowers and Gardens

- 1985 Streets of Paris with l' time of Victor-Hugo

- 1986: Rome and landscapes d' Italy

- 1987: Delft.


He has participated in many group exhibitions in various galleries in France and abroad: Paris, Brussels, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Los Angeles, Atlanta, in Louisiana, Ivory Coast, Enghien Bains, and with the principal Parisian salons. In addition to the Léadouze galleries of Cannes and Paris and Hénot d' Enghien les Bains where his works are presented permanently, Chapaud is also exhibited in Metz, Luxembourg, Brussels and Chicago.


What surprises when one discovers the works of Chapaud, is their simultaneous power, sensitivity and their technical virtuosity. Marc Chapaud became one of the leaders of the French realism school, thanks to his exceptional pictorial technique related to very beautiful “glacis” (French term meaning “smoothness” or “glossiness.”) The juxtaposition of architecture with water as one finds in Bruges, Prague, Saint Pétersburg, and especially Venice, evokes certain atmospheric memories within us that magnifies the dramatic effect and immanent emotions. The subtle colors, flood of silver-plated light, and his signature colors such as the translucent blues engage the eye and demand admiration. Chapaud conveys in his landscapes a calm power with the sensitivity of a romantic poet. He captivates us because his art engages us to divine the sublime and transcendent from an otherwise mundane and realistically portrayed scene. Marc Chapaud involves us in his vision of the world filled with softness and serenity.


Technical Virtuosity and the Profound Landscape. The love of architecture conveyed in his work is seen in the multitude of variations of light of the sun on stone. Witness of his time like the masters of the past, this Canaletto of the 20th and 21st centuries is a favorite of collectors. --Arts Magazine Monte Carlo 2000


Landscapes of light. It is undoubtedly initially the light which holds the attention of those who discover a work by Chapaud. A very particular luminosity made perceptible by a perfect pictorial technique.

Born in Paris in 1941 and educated at the l’Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Marc Chapaud is regarded as one of the leaders of the French Figurative School. Tireless traveller, he is unceasingly discovering new landscapes (Venice, Rome, Paris, Loire chateau…) But the sights that he chooses and immortalises on the canvas are never limited to a simple representation of reality. They are rather a significant and romantic interpretation. Facades, arches and other monuments collect the silver plated light and the subtle colors of his palette.

-L’Evènement des Arts de Bruxelles 2000


Instead of promoting only his homeland of France, this great painter made every land his fatherland. He is constantly studying nature and humanity, which he will only represent through our Creations--through the castles, the monuments, the streets and the canals. In times when society is immersed in tragedy, a song of love could be also a cry of despair projected upon viewing the beauties of the past. Civilization always obliges art to follow its decline. Only the best artists can escape from it not only under the terms of their genius, but also because their force and their gift enable them to dominate the world which surrounds them, and thus to rise above the unrest. Marc Chapaud testifies to the passage of time leaving a legacy to our children of peaceful landscapes.

-Arts Monte Carlo Magazine


Marc Chapaud, Poetic Technician. The reality of the things is never really real when it is about painting… If the work of Marc Chapaud, can be described as realism, he expresses all qualities of it, without being ensnared in the traps with which it can bind him. What surprises, when one discovers his landscapes of Tuscany or Venice, is the extreme precision with which he portrays the places that he paints, while preserving the smoothness and the softness which they conceal. To describe you do not want to “say” everything. The artist is someone who chooses, his subject, his composition, his light, his colors. It is in that by which an artist is recognized. However, something poetic always emerges through these formal contrivances to reveal his style. Chapaud can free himself with ease, with all of his emotions and set free his sensitivity. Thanks to his technique, Marc’s impulses are merely tempered and controlled never stifled. He is its master. To have the possibility of forgetting the constraints of an art allows him to devote himself entirely to its power of evocation, and to have free reign with his enthusiasms and his whims. It is the ability of having a sure footing, without thinking of it, in order to devote himself to transpose the poetry contained in each nuance, each light, each detail. Our contemplation of the work of the painter can then find all its pleasure there, without having recourse to an analytical or intellectual observation. Only the best can do that with such pure grace. The work of Marc Chapaud is a living testimony. Internationally recognized, he is obviously placed as one of the leaders of the French realism school. His landscapes will be cherished by art enthusiasts and collectors alike for centuries, a timeless pictorial heritage, because his vision is timeless.

-Patrice de la Perriere, Editor in Chief of l’Univers des Arts, October 2004, at the time of the Gallery Hénot d' Enghien les Bains Exhibition.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Roy Fairchild-Woodard

Below: "So Far Away" 22"h x 18" w, serigraph edition size 465

BIOGRAPHY-Roy Fairchild-Woodard was born in 1953 in Surrey, England.
He lives and works most of the year in his country home. This peaceful environment is fundamental to his well being and stability as an arti
st, although he travels throughout Europe to obtain new sources of insiration. He is particularly influenced by the painters of the Renaissance and he visits Italy in particular to study frescos, tapestries, and paintings and to see for himself the techniques with which they were executed.

His admiration for Egon Schiele and Gu
stav Klimt can be seen in occasional references of line and decoration but he has extended their techniques to produce something altogether bolder and contemporary.

After leaving school at sixteen to train as a technical illu
strator, he then took a degree in graphic design. Having completed his education he set up his own studio. He soon found it was difficult to make a living from his own work and supported himself and his family for several years by producing under the name Woodard, illustrations for record sleeves, advertisements and books, as well as decorative serigraphs and lithographs. He achieved considerable popularity with his suites of pastel colored figurative prints. Experimenting with different techniques he developed entirely new methods of achieving effects in serigraphy to obtain qualities of light and color that are now in general use.

He eventually gained sufficient financial security to be able to give up his commercial illustrations and return full time to his own painting and printmaking which he does under his family name, Fairchild.

As a printmaker he has found most favor with serigraphy where the rich, opaque colors of his work is furthered by the medium, although with his figure drawings he still prefers to translate into etchings.

ARTFINDERS' COMMENTARY-Fairchild prints have been longstanding favorites of our residential clients. They are sumptuo
usly layered and poetic works that provide an ever changing feast for the eye. They complement contemporary, transitional, and traditional decors. They have the ability to convey elements of elegance, whimsy, and contemplation--often within the same piece. Fairchild's timeless range of subjects, virtuosity with his medium (serigraphy) and themes make his work an ideal choice for collectors.

Middle Image: "Santa Maria della Salute" 24"h x 35"w serigraph on paper. Edition of 465.

Bottom Image: "Between the Lines" 30"h x 23"w serigraph on paper. Edition of 465.

Mendoza Revisits Mucha


In addition to her religious-themed works, Diana Mendoza also creates exquisite paintings with secular themes. Pictured here is an homage to Alfons Mucha featuring Mendoza's signature gold embossing technique.

With the three-part frame it measured out to be approximately 16"w x 28"h and a very charming little gem.

The finely crafted frame was constructed by Masterpiece Framing.

Haziza Sculptures


By the time Shlomi Haziza was fifteen years old, he was already an established artist. While other children were skipping sea stones, he was painting them, a hobby which launched his first venture, Rock Art. It wasn't long before his whimsically painted Rocks were attracting international attention.

Acrylic is the most sophisticated material Haziza has mastered to date. It is an unforgiving, but naturally exciting and expressive medium, with light-refracting properties that give it a unique dynamic. Haziza has spent years finding new ways to use color, metal powders and sculpting techniques to bring out the inner fire of acrylic and breathe life and emotion into every piece he makes.

Today, Haziza’s artistic vision is the basis for every design created by HStudio and his unique perspective and energy drives the company to grow and innovate, forming new concepts and ideas in the worlds of art, business, and design.