Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Father Douglas (Venus or Olympia)






Father Douglas
Venus or Olympia
acrylic on canvas
24 x 36"



Although I enjoy painting and drawing landscapes, I have chosen dogs as my primary subject matter, for dogs are a subject used since cave drawings.  Dogs were a popular subject in hunt scenes from the renaissance through to the genre paintings of the Impressionists and continue to be a popular subject for contemporary artists.
I have now come to comprehend that an artist must truly love or hate their subject in order to paint with conviction.  It is only when this emotional unification exists between the artist and subject can the artist truly paint with the passion necessary to create their art.  I strive as I paint and draw with confidence and an adventurous spirit for this bond.
The images I present to you are of works I have created using one of my favourite models.  The second work is a painting in acrylics on Mylar.  This work based on the paintings Venus de Urbino by Titian and Olympia by Manet presents a light-hearted look at the theme of Art History.