12 Oct 2019

My Favorite Roses by Daniel J. Keys

by | posted in: Art DVD Reviews, Daniel J. Keys | 0

Here is another great video, my friends. Daniel Keys is an exceptional young master artist and once again he shares his knowledge of painting with us!
This video shows Daniel painting a yellow rose study. He got me at the yellow rose as they are my favorite flower. I give a way a bouquet of yellow roses to the collector every time i sell a painting.

Daniel starts out telling us what palette, brushes and paints he uses. This is a voice over video which i really like. It gives the artist and the viewer a look at the entire painting from a distance when thinking is clearer and the artist is not so caught up in the painting to be distracted from the painting by talking.

He first lays in the large shapes telling us when to use warm and cool paint and talks about edges. He describes the colors he is using and why. He describes the brushes he is using and why. Flowers are such a complicated thing to paint but Daniel has been painting flowers for a long time and knows their structure. I especially liked the way he explained the background and the leaf colors as well.

A little tip that I can give you is to take notes! The video is too large to download on my iPad so I watched it on my computer and took notes in google docs. I then print these notes and keep them in a binder along with other videos I have watched. I find this has been so helpful when I want to refer to an artist, his palette, his thoughts etc.

Daniel Keys “My Favorite Roses” is very much worth the price. You can find the download on his website at www.danieljkeys.comwww.danieljkeys.com

Sharon A. Morley
www.sharonmorley.com
October, 2019

4 Sep 2019

Painting Light & Atmosphere by Joseph McGurl

by | posted in: Art DVD Reviews, Uncategorized | 0

Painting Light & Atmosphere by Joseph McGurl is a must have for any serious plein air landscape painter. This DVD starts out with Joseph McGurl painting on site in the mountains.  It is fabulous! He explains what he is doing at all times and you can see this master painter in action, along with his thought process and what brushes and techniques he uses.

One thing that really stood out for me was all the different effects you can get simply by using different brushes and McGurl uses quite a few of them. I imagine the Old Masters did the same thing with what ever they had.

McGurl then takes you inside his studio to make a larger version of his study. He does not keep strictly to his study, he can choose to change things around. Again, you see this Master plein air painter at work and each and every brushstroke. He tells you the paints and mediums he uses and when and why he uses each one.

Another thing is that Joseph McGurl does not use photographs! He paints from life on site and takes that back to his studio to make a painting. He may touch up a few things on his study but does not want to hinder the freshness of painting outdoors and the feeling that the studies have.    This is so much different from other painters who rely on photographs for their landscape paintings.  He has so many studies and has been painting outside so long, he knows what the atmosphere will do and also can take parts from each of his studies to make a new painting.

The interview with Eric Rhoads is very enlightening.  He asks good questions which McGurl answers openly and honestly.

I have been plein air painting for almost 20 years and found this DVD to be so helpful and insightful!  I highly recommend this DVD.  I watched it in 1/2 hour increments and took pages of notes while watching it.  You can purchase this video at Liliedahl Art Instruction Videos.  This video is definitely worth your time and money!

Sharon Morley
www.sharonmorley.com
September 4, 2019

10 Apr 2019

Daniel Keys “Observations”

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Daniel Keys has been an inspiration to me for quite some time.  I have watched his DVD’s and read articles on his work for the past 10 years or so.  I was very excited when he released “Observations” which is a slide show that Daniel narrates along with slides of his work.
In this work, Daniel explains what, in his opinion, makes a good painting.  Drawing, Value, Edges, Color and Composition.  He is a remarkable teacher and this slide show is so good.  Having taught art for over 15 years, I know those things are true.  The way Daniel teaches about value in depth is not something I have heard before.  He analyses a few of his paintings to demonstrate his points.  It is an EXCELLENT slide show and he has it on his website for $16.00.  The slide show is a little over 1 hour and packed with knowledge.  I enjoyed it very much.  I take notes in google docs while I am watching the video to refer back to then I watched the video again.  We are so lucky to be living in a time where we can see and listen to master artists explain their paintings and their concepts.

You go to his website, www.danieljkeys.com to download this slideshow. He allows 5 downloads per order.  I must say, I have a new iPad pro and a new iPhone and even though it downloaded on both devices; the slide show stopped playing after a few minutes.  Maybe my internet is not strong enough, I am not sure.

I then downloaded it to my computer and it played pretty well.  I highly recommend this slide show and any other videos by Daniel Keys.

Sincerely,

Sharon A. Morley, APS-ME
www.sharonmorley.com
Artist/Art Teacher

23 Jul 2018

Fine Art America for every artist

by | posted in: Fine Art America | 0

Fine Art America is a website that I have been using for some years now to create prints, greeting cards, and many other things like phone cases, blankets, shower curtains etc.  I first started with Fine Art America and the cost was $30.00 per year.  This cost is so affordable for every artist and photographer.  The ideal is that you upload your information and good quality photos of your artwork.  (They will tell you if the quality meets their standards when you upload your image.)  Now you can share your artwork in print form with your patrons, friends and family.

You then get to choose how much profit you will make on each item.  They have a template to use as your standard pricing so you do not have to select profits on every image that you upload.

Fine Art America has also have teamed up with ABC/DISNEY!   You can select whether you want your artwork displayed on ABC/Disney as well.

You also get an email campaign newsletter that you can customize and send by email to your patrons.   You may also upload the campaign to social media like Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, etc.  It is simple to use, you just type what you want to say in one column, and they code it to show up exactly as it will on your finished product.  You also get statistics of who opened the email and who didn’t.  Uploading your email addresses is simple as well.

As if that isn’t enough, you also get a website included with this same subscription!!

I highly recommend Fine Art America  to anyone who is starting out in this wonderful adventure of art and to those of us have been in it for some time.  I just sold another print on FineArtAmerica.com of Santorini, Greece.

Santorini, Greece matted to 16×20 Available Pastel

 

They do not sell your original work but link to your website.  I have sold prints and original paintings by using FineArtAmerica.com

Please feel free to ask questions and I will do the best I can to answer them!

Sharon Morley

www.sharonmorley.com

 

 

10 Mar 2018

Cesar Santos “Painting the Figure” is out!

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

I received my copy of Cesar Santos “Painting the Figure” yesterday and was able to watch the first 2 segments on transferring the drawing and painting the underpainting.

Cesar is a great instructor and this dvd starts where his figure drawing dvd left off.

Cesar begins with an in-depth segment on how to photograph your figure and how to transfer your drawing. I have seen this approach before but Cesar shows you step by step all the while telling you what he is doing and why.

He then starts painting the underpainting with 2 colors plus white. This is a different approach from his portrait painting video. He begins immediately to show form using very few values. Just mesmerizing!

I watched this video and took notes -pages and pages of notes. What a great teacher as well as a master painter.  He is just so authentic and likeable!

Definitely an awesome addition to any serious painter’s education!

Art is not something one does;

it is a life one lives…

Sharon Morley

Www.sharonmorley.com

16 Oct 2017

Cesar Santos’ “Secrets of Figure Drawing” is Out! 

by | posted in: Cesar Santos, Figure Drawing, Secrets of Figure Drawing, Streamline Art Video, Uncategorized | 0

Cesar Santos Latest DVD is out! 
The DVD that I have been waiting for since the Cesar Santos Portrait drawing is now available.  “Secrets of Figure Drawing with Cesar Santos.”  I have had the DVD since the day it came out and have just finished it due to my busy schedule.     It has so much information that it probably should be watched a little at a time as I have been doing.

Cesar is a master artist; the contemporary portrait/figure artist that I look up to the most.  This DVD really delivers so much knowledge on the figure that it makes you want to study anatomy on the same level that Cesar has.  He does recommend books for study that he studied when he attended Angel Academy in Florence.  One book Cesar refers to is  “Artistic Anatomy” by Paul Richer which I find is very helpful and have started learning from it.

While you are watching Cesar draw, you know he is a master.  Cesar knows all the anatomy of the figure and uses correct names but it is not overboard, Cesar is way too cool for that, he simply states the part as he is drawing.  You do understand that it is important to draw from life and use the correct names of the bones and muscles.

Cesar starts the DVD by showing how to photograph the model and then proceeds to draw from a model that he photographed.  (There is also a little bit about the ethics of using photographs in the video).
He then does a quick sketch of the model to get the feel of the lines and the placement on the page.  Next, Cesar does a contour drawing of the model.  His precision is outstanding!  He uses Nitram Charcoal.  – the same type he used at Angel Academy.  He uses B for the block in and HB for the rest of it (I think, it does not actually tell you when he is using which charcoal stick). I had the Nitram Charcoal and I bought the  Nitram Sharpening Bloc which I love.  Cesar has made his own sharpening block, but for the price; I think it is worthwhile to buy it.

When Cesar starts laying down tonal values, he brings the model to life.  He is so articulate and meticulous in his drawing and shading.  When you look at the model’s right knee in the drawing, it has a life of its own.  The hands, feet, head, they could all be little masterpiece paintings in themselves.  I often times tell my students that each part of your drawing should stand on it’s own, well, Cesar is the master at that!

The interview with Eric Rhoads is awesome.  It is a casual interview but that is what Eric is so good at; he asks good questions and the artist feels at ease talking with him.  (I have watched many of his interviews).  I learned so much about Cesar but also his thinking process and I think everyone should definitely watch this, he is a true master and a true inspiration!!.

Other materials Cesar uses are sponges to soften, kneaded eraser, stumps,  soft and bristle brushes to achieve the softness or hardness and tone quality in the drawing.  I am only half way through the DVD but I highly recommend it. Get this DVD!!

You can watch the trailer and buy the “Secrets of Figure Drawing by Cesar Santos DVD” here (which I do not get compensation for from Streamline Art Videos) – I just want everyone to know how good the DVD is!

I hope this helps someone else on their journey

Sharon A. Morley APS-ME
November 29, 2017

 

17 Jan 2017

Workshop Schedule 2017

by | posted in: Essex Art Center, Uncategorized, Workshops | 0
A photo from the Saugus Library, Color Your World in Pastels! Workshop
Saugus Library Color Your World in Pastels!

Learn how to paint:  which workshop is right for you?  Here are the new workshop for 2017!  Sign up early; some workshops close a few weeks before the date shown:

February 23, 2017 6:00 – 8:00 PM  Shute Library, 781 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149  Color Your World with Pastels!  Workshop Call the Shute Library to sign up at (617) 394-2308.  Teens and adults welcome, no experience or materials needed.  http://www.noblenet.org/everett/shute.html

March 11, 2017 10:00 – 12:00 PM   Holbrook Public Library, Holbrook, MA  2 Plymouth Street, Holbrook, MA 02343  Color Your World With Pastels!  Call Holbrook Library to Register.  Materials Included- no experience necessary!
781-767-3644  http://holbrookpubliclibrary.org/
April 22, 2017  10:00 Am – 12:00 PM  Sunderland Public Library, 20 School Street, Sunderland, Massachusetts 01375 – (413) 665 2642  Color Your World With Pastels!  Call the Sunderland Library to Register.  Materials Included- no experience necessary!  http://www.sunderlandpubliclibrary.org/

Saturday, April 29, 2017  10:00 – 2:00 PM  Essex Art Center 56 Island St., Lawrence, MA  Color Your World with Pastels.4 Hour intensive class- Materials Included.    Call Essex Art Center to Sign Up.  978-685-2343

Saturday, June 3, 2017  10:00 – 2:00 PM  Essex Art Center 56 Island St., Lawrence, MA  Go Outside and Play!.2 Hour intensive class  Setting up for success when you go outside to paint!  Tips on how to set up, materials etc.  Oil, pastel, watercolor and gouache.  .    Call Essex Art Center to Sign Up.  978-685-2343

No experience is necessary for any of these workshops or for my classes.  This is a relaxing time for you to explore what each medium does, how to use it, what the good materials are and why.  You may ask any questions.  This is not a drawing workshop so you need not already know how to draw.  These workshops are about exploring the pastels or oils and paying little attention to drawing.  You can follow along with me to do a simple painting, or you can bring a photograph that you took to work on.  (Please bring an easier photo as time will not permit an in depth painting tutorial).

I hope to see you at one of the workshops or classes!

 

Classes

Private, Semi Private and small group classes are held at my studio or at a location TBA.  Currently class times are Thursday 9am-11 am.  and 11:30-am – 1:30 PM  Please email me  at morleytstudio@aol.com or call me at 978-273-8925 to register or for any questions.

6 Oct 2016

New Workshops Added!

by | posted in: Classes, Essex Art Center, Workshops | 0

Merril Farm in Fall c Sharon A. Morley (2)
Merrill Farm in Spring  11x14 Oil on linen

The New Workshops added in October and Novemeber are:

I have two workshops coming up at Essex Art Center, Lawrence, Ma. 1)  October 22, from 10AM-2:00 PM   Color Your World in Oils!  This is a 4 hour intensive workshop where you will learn how to oil paint even if you have never touched a paint brush before!  I will explain the materials to use and why, how to use these materials, and then you will get to paint using all the materials that I supply. I will also touch on how to frame and oil painting.

The second workshop will be held at Essex Art Center, 2) Friday, November 18, 2016 from 10:00-2:00 Pm.  This is Color Your World with Pastels!  A four hour intensive workshop where you will learn how to paint with pastels, which ones to buy, and then we will have time to experiment with a painting using materials that I supply.  I will also touch on how to frame pastels (and photos).  I do not sell any products, I just tell you the ones I find work well.

No experience necessary!  You just have to show up and let me do the rest! 

This is the perfect time to start painting as the holidays near. I have found that painting makes me happy, reduces stress, and someone may want your lovely paintings as a gift!  Please  email me at morleystudio@aol.com for further information.  Please sign up at Essex Art Center, 56 Island Street, Lawrence, MA 01840   www.essexart.com  or call 978-685-2343 HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY, 10 AM - 6 PM

I have other workshops listed on my website  https://sharonmorley.com/classes-and-workshops/  I hope to see you soon!

Methuen Life -Sharon Morley – By Paricia Bruno April 2020

My Favorite Roses by Daniel J. Keys

Painting Light & Atmosphere by Joseph McGurl

Daniel Keys “Observations”

Fine Art America for every artist

Cesar Santos “Painting the Figure” is out!

Cesar Santos’ “Secrets of Figure Drawing” is Out! 

Workshop Schedule 2017

Learn to draw the head and hands with Andrew Loomis free book!

Color and Light by James Gurney Book Review

11 Jan 2016

Learn to draw the head and hands with Andrew Loomis free book!

by | posted in: Andrew Loomis, Art Book Review, Art books, Book Review, draw and paint | 0

Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis

 Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis

Head and hands are the most difficult of all drawing subjects but there is help!  Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis is a reprint of the 1956 book of the same title.

Andrew Loomis was an artist/illustrator who taught at the American Academy of Art in Chicago in the 1930’s.

His books are full of so much knowledge and humor.  His illustrations are impeccable and have taught me so much.  They are beautiful renditions of people as most illustrators of his time portrayed.  The book has helped me with lighting in my portraits.  There is an illustration for nearly every type of portrait lighting and I look to this book for beautiful rendering and form.

Drawing the Head and Hands starts with drawing the skull then moves on to drawing different parts of the face.  We then learn to develop complete  portraits of men, women and children in a variety poses and lighting situations..  The book finishes with a chapter on hand again, showing many different poses.

Drawing the Head and Hands is available online to read in your browser for free by going to archive.org

Other books by Loomis are:

  • Fun with a Pencil (1939). Reissued as a full facsimile of the original on April 5, 2013 from Titan Books.
  • Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth (1943). Reissued as a full facsimile of the original on May 27, 2011 from Titan Books.
  • Creative Illustration (1947). Reissued as a full facsimile of the original on October 12, 2012 from Titan Books.
  • Successful Drawing (1951). Republished in a revised edition as Three Dimensional Drawing (16 new pages with technical material on perspective replacing the pictorial gallery sections) and reissued as a full facsimile of the original on May 4, 2012 from Titan Books
  • The Eye of the Painter (1961).

I highly recommend any of his books as he is one of the greatest teachers of our time.  Please let me know what you think of any of the Andrew Loomis titles!  I hope this helps!

Sharon Morley, January 11, 2016

28 Dec 2015

Color and Light by James Gurney Book Review

by | posted in: Art Book Review, Art books, Art DVD Reviews, Book Review, Color and Light, James Gurney | 0

Color and Light by James Gurney

“Color and Light” by James Gurney is one of my favorite “go to” art books. As most of you know, James Gurney is the author/illustrator for the Dinotopia book series. In his best selling instructional book, “Color and Light” James takes us through many helpful scenarios of how to set up our objects (or people) and light them to make it easier to paint.   James discusses and illustrates the use of light on many subjects and how to portray that in paint.  He then shows many examples of how one would apply that knowledge.

In “Color and Light”, James takes us through many diverse color schemes and clearly describes how to apply this information so anyone can understand no matter the level of painting that you are at –  from beginner to advanced painter.

 

I highly recommend  “Color and Light” to anyone who is starting out in art and/or in  fantasy art. You will be delighted and enlightened and will refer to this book over and over again!  color and light

James Gurney  has a blog with extremely interesting facts and instruction. He demonstrates painting in goucahe  and watercolor and shows videos of everything from his paint box as he travels to sketching on location. You can find him in the streets painting watercolors or gouache buildings and in the farms painting some of the animals. His videos are short but informative and very much worth watching repeatedly.  He is a master artist who enjoys teaching art to all levels of students.  I just can’t wait for his new book, video, blog, or DVDs come out.  I am a subscriber of his channel.

I have attended an exhibit of James Gurney’s work and it is exquisite.  I liken it to the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum. Photos can never do justice to the real paintings.  James proves himself over and over again to be one the modern day masters.

James is also selling downloadable instructional DVDs for very reasonable prices. You can find all of his items on his website http://jamesgurney.com/site/

Sharon Morley, Artist,  December 26, 2015  www.sharonmorley.com

19 Dec 2015

Our Home at Christmas

by | posted in: Christmas Greetings, House Portrait, MA, Watercolor Painting | 2

Our Home at Christmas.  Merry Christmas to all!  I wanted to do something different with my Christmas Cards this year so I did a watercolor painting of our home.  Our house is white but when the sun is setting in the afternoon it casts a wonderful warn hue on the house.

Our Home at Christmas 11x14 Watercolor by Sharon Morley C2015
Our Home at Christmas 11×14 Watercolor by Sharon Morley C2015

 

The photo and reference sketch I worked from is from last winter’s snow (You must remember the 9 feet of snow we had here in Massachusetts!) I decided to make it really look like a starry night in December by painting the sky a little darker and showing the stars shining bright.  (They are really there every night but sometimes we forget to look up)

The Christmas tree is another of my artistic license items.  We do not have a pine tree there but I think it adds to the festiveness of the painting.  As artists, we sometimes have to listen to our hearts.  Somehow paintings have a life of their own and we just follow along with our brush.  This was just one of those paintings.  Even though I took the photo and then did my thumbnail sketch to see  where my lights and darks would be, the brush and the hand and the spirit dictated something a little different.  This is the fun things I can do when I am not working on commission.  I stick to pretty much the subject on commissions depending on what the patron wants.

 

I then photographed my work and took it into an editing program where I added words to it the image and made it my 2015 Christmas Card.

5x7 christmas card my house 2015 (2)

This is my Christmas card this year and I wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Creative New Year!  May 2016 be our best year yet!

Sharon Morley, December 19, 2015

 

 

 

13 Dec 2015

You can learn to draw and paint!

by | posted in: draw and paint, Follow your dreams, Inspiration | 6

Draw and paint.  You can learn it!  It is as simple as that.  The question is …. How much time are you willing to spend?

Draw and paint every day.

Sunflower, draw and paint
“Kissed by the Sun” 11×14 Oil on Canvas by Sharon Morley

 

I teach many oil painting and pastel painting workshops and have taught studio art classes for many years and the one thing I hear over and over again from my beginning students is “My drawing looks childish”.  “I have no ability” or better still, “I have not talent!”  “Talent!”… I love that word..  Yes, there are a few prodigies in every category in life but most successful artists are not “born” that way.  They are encouraged!

A child is taught the basic skills of learning to journey through this world,  We teach them everything from learning to read and write, knowing right from wrong, and all other sorts of necessary information.  Does a child sit down and write their name perfectly the first time?  No… there are three factors involved here.

1) They have to have instruction how to write their name. 
2) They have to WANT to write their name. 
3) They have to practice writing their name.

Those are the key factors in the success of anything!  I ask my adult students “How many of you expect to sit at a piano and play like Mozart?”  No one raises their hands.  Yet when it comes to  being an artist, they expect to be able to paint like the old masters!  Usually the artwork in museums that we adore is not the artist’s first attempt at painting.  It was years of practice with the highs and lows of trying, achieving and failing.  Then getting back on track and trying again.

People who draw well (or do anything well actually) are encouraged.  A child who is told he is a good artist at an early age will love to draw and paint.  They will do it more (practice) because they are praised for it and they like to do it.  The parents will get them art lessons so they excel faster.  And there is the cycle of success.

If you dream of being an artist or just becoming better at art, the key is to get instruction and practice!!

How many of you will become good artists?  All of you who persevere!   Do you have the will to follow your dream?

Sharon Morley, December 13, 2015

 

3 Dec 2015

Cesar Santos’ New DVD is out!

by | posted in: Art DVD Reviews, Streamline Art Video | 0
Cesar Santos, Streamline Art Video
Secrets of Portrait Painting with Cesar Santos

Secrets of Portrait Painting with Cesar Santos

I have just finished watching the new DVD “Secrets of Portrait Painting with Cesar Santos” and I must say it is the best portrait painting DVD on the market that I have found (and I have watched a lot of videos). Cesar Santos is a very likable guy who paints world class portraits.  In this DVD from Streamline Art Video, Cesar shows us step by step how he achieves a likeness in a subject, what paint colors & brands he uses, and how he sets up his palette and more..  Throughout his demonstration which is 20+ hours long, Cesar explains what decisions he is making and his ideas on what makes a painting go from a “good painting” to a “great painting”.  In this day and age where we have social media and we see a lot of one hour paintings and unfinished work or sketches, it is such a joy to see a portrait come to such a finished product.

I am also glad that the DVD is 20 hours because you can watch small bits of it at a time (It took me a couple of weeks to view the entire video) thereby absorbing the information that Cesar so generously gives out.

Cesar narrates as he paints through the entire video with such humor and passion that it is such an awesome experience to witness.  If you are interested in learning how to classically render a portrait, this is the only DVD that you need!  It is well worth the money (think about it as having a workshop in your home that you can watch time after time – and it still costs a lot less than most workshops).

This is a “Must Have” for any serious portrait painter.  An upadate..  4.1.16 I have used the methods of Cesar’s Portrait painting Dvd in my two newest portraits.  I feel I learned a lot about seeing values in portraiture in both Oil and Pastel.  Check out my portrait page and see”The Optimist-Mike Morley” ,  “Riley”  and “Gloria”.

Eric Rhoads Founder of Streamline Art Video,  Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, and many more ventures, has created a masterpiece DVD from a masterpiece artist. I have some other DVDs through Streamline Art Video and they are all fabulous-I will talk about them later.   Well worth the investment.  Has anyone else bought this DVD?  If so, I would love to hear your comments!

Posted by artist Sharon Morley December 3, 2015

 

25 Nov 2015

Class Distinctions: Dutch Paintings

by | posted in: Art Book Review, Art books | 0

Class Distinctions, Vermeer  Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer

I highly recommend Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer book which is the companion to the exhibit of the same name at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I have looked at the book each time I have visited the exhibit and the illustrations are good… This would be a delight to give or receive as a gift. I have noticed that the books from exhibits increase in value and I usually buy them. I have asked for this one for Christmas as it is a great inspiration to see how the masters painted.

One way we can use these high quality books is to copy the masters’ paintings to see what they did and if we can achieve the same effects as they did.  I have done this in the past but will start to do more.  How many people make this a practice?

You can see the book and order it here:

(I am an Amazon.com affiliate and do get a very small commission but that is certainly not the reason I recommend books)

21 Nov 2015

Dutch Masters at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

by | posted in: Art exhibits, Dutch Masters | 0

Dutch Masters

rembrandt, class distinctions, mfa, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, dutch masters
The Shipbuilder and his wife

The Dutch Masters   ... ahhh

Walking into the Dutch Masters show is like walking into Amsterdam in the 1600's.  You get a real sense of how everything was, the rich lives with the posh portraits with lots of color, the middle class with less color, and then the poorer people with very little to monochrome color.  One great thing to see is that no matter what class the people lived, they loved their dogs!  We see dogs in all classes of portraits from rich, to middle class to poor.  (Can you tell I love dogs?)  Actually, my husband pointed that out to me.

I went to see the Dutch Masters exhibit "Class Distinctions:Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer" at the MFA  for the second time (and I know I will go back again because I am lucky enough to be close!)  The exhibit is wonderful!  This painting "The Shipbuilder and his Wife" was my favorite and not just because it is on loan from the Queen of England!!  The colors in the man's face are just stunning.  The attention to detail in some places and and the looseness of brushstrokes in others is just awesome!  this is painting at it's finest as the forms are most important and are rendered exquisitely.  (Form is more important than color).  The Dutch Masters really knew how to turn the form and paint!  This is what we as artists should strive for.  

 

If you have been to the exhibit and have had the same reaction (jaw dropping) to this painting or others, please let me know!  If there is another painting you love, let me know that too!  I will be going back again, again, and again.. 

Posted by Sharon Morley, November, 2015