Gallery

On these Gallery pages of my site, there are several styles and many subjects. As you will see there are many 'genres' that interest me. I am always curious about painting different subjects and you will find a wide variety in my collection.

Colour inspires me, always it is my first consideration. Having grown up in the tropics, I was surrounded by beautiful tropical birds, one of my favorite places to visit were the bird sanctuaries on the island. To hear their calls in the wild, to see the flocks feeding high up in the tropical rainforest and to experience their beauty up close as domestic pets is inspiration alone. To me painting the colorful plumage of birds reminds me of my childhood. Birds have also inherited ancient symbolism, and being raised on a very Christian island, the symbol associated with birds is that they are an image of the soul. There is such artistic beauty in them, from the simplest ones to the most exotic of species.

Landscapes, which historically were known as 'view painting' did not hold much interest for art collectors in earlier centuries. Landscape painting was not considered of any great collectible value, however during the seventeenth century or what is known as the 'Golden Age' of the Dutch Masters, Landscape painting was given credence by recognized artists of the day. During the early nineteenth century, the English artist John Constable made a major contribution in making the rural landscape a popular art form for all artists to pursue. What appeals to me most about painting landscapes is the treatment of light. I am always fascinated with the play of natural light at different times of the day, so you will find several landscapes in my collection of work.

The designs in the following galleries, one through galleries four are images of my work portfolio. These paintings are some of the designs that I teach from at my studio. As you can see, the subjects and topics as well as styles are diverse, I enjoy painting and teaching most subjects and topics and am always experimenting with texture, colour and mood. I enjoy all genres of painting.

'Genre' or 'Genres'

What does the 'word' mean?

What is the difference between 'genre' the singular and 'genres' the plural when we use the 'word' in reference to art? This has lead to confusion when we refer to this word in the context of art. So it is helpful to know where this all got started. When we refer to the 'genres' (plural) of painting, historically these were referred to as the different categories in a hierarchy of subjects or topics. That is to say that during the late 16th to the 17th century - artists and the ownership of 'art' by 'patrons' of art, were held to a social measure or as status, depending on the category of painting that the artist participated in or that was commissioned by a patron. An artist who painted historical works was at the top of the food chain and they were highly respected, some were considered the artists to the kings and the Church. These artists were considered celebrated because of their knowledge, next in the lineup was the portrait artist, then came 'genre painting', followed by still life and on the very bottom of the food chain so to speak was the landscape artist.

People have asked where inspiration for painting comes from, the simple truth is, and it comes from everything and every place we visit. I am a firm believer in teaching artists to be independent thinkers. I teach with the premise that most artists who paint with me, will be one day be designing their own material to paint so why not get them off on the right foot immediately. The goal of this article is to jolt your thoughts and show you the endless possibilities of material to paint from. With your camera, you can collect as many photos as you please and combine the results in any way you please. These potential subjects surround us in our daily lives and most are everywhere we look, but unless we look at them through an artist eye, we will only see them for what they are, and not as possible art. Remember, this material will be edited, composed and fine tuned, all in an effort to create our own paintings, rendered with our individual style. One doesn't have to repaint the photographs exactly as they are or you might as well enlarge the photograph and frame that. However, armed with a camera, we have at out fingertips the ability to capture on canvas the images that mean something to our personal brush.

We are inspired by shape, colour, mood and form. If we study and observe things around us, we'll be inclined to see the details that make the view or objects interesting. In reality, when we work on developing a keen eye for detail, we begin to look beyond the detail and create little paintings, putting together our ideas and thoughts to come up with interesting compositions. My family used to think I was crazy, as we drove along the highway, I'd be the one with my head out the window, looking up at the clouds, the colours, pointing out special greens in leaves, hill tops, the way the light bounced on and off water, played off the roof tops and on and on and on... get my point? I could never understand how you could have your head stuck in a book while all these wonderful inspirations were flying by at mock speed! Each new view could be a potential painting, I'd say.

In reality, we're always looking for more. A better painting, a prettier composition, a more interesting set. A new challenge for our brush. It is this need to be challenged, that is the moving force behind our search for fresh subject matter. 'Challenge' is what makes us creative people tick. The entire process of hunt, find and create, is all part of this healthy addiction we call 'painting' I hope these suggestions, simple as they are, will help you in exploring new subjects to paint.

Subjects to Paint ~ Always design and paint from your own original photographs. This way, you will never have to worry about infringing on someone else's copyright. It will be your own material and you can develop it as you please. Let's begin by breaking down our potential subject matter into categories and then we'll have a better idea of what our paint brush and heart really desires us to paint. We can't load the film and take off like wild photographers shooting pictures of just anything. We must have a plan, but first, a prerequisite to our plan, is to have an idea to develop.

Our topics can be divided and sub-divided many times into different categories with different subjects. The following lists will give you some sense of topics that we can expand on. You may want to add your own thoughts and ideas to these. The sky's the limit, when you see the endless source for your ideas. I have taken three categories and given you suggestions on them all. When I conducted a painting survey a few weeks ago, the top three picks for categories of topics to paint was Portraiture, Landscapes and Still Life. These are the three that I will explore for now.

As I list the topics I will also add a few suggestions of where I think you might look for this new material.