Wes Karchut: Art and Craftsmanship.

Art Deco Dreams by Wes Karchut. Watercolor on paper.

"Concept. At the heart of every piece is a concept. A concept doesn’t have to be a grand statement. It can be as simple as the juxtaposition of two colors or shapes, or maybe an intriguing line, or a particular angle in a portrait," Wes Karchut.

Thus we have before us an unusual watercolor piece, one that covers a lot of ground thematically, as it plays upon on our ideas about time and place. We recognize in it the background designs that curve as beautifully as those silvery ones that sit atop the Chrysler Building that art deco wonder in New York City. The hair-do, the curves and shine of which are not unlike that in '30s drawings of fancy cars, is definitely of another era, as are the cut of the suit collar and the trio of tiny buttons. The final item that perfects this little piece of dejà vu is the blue bakelite bracelet with its small flat panels that circle the wrist of the hand that is so elegantly poised in a thinking (dreaming?) gesture. With these items, Karchut captures the mood of this early part of the 20th century when women began to emerge and dream very different dreams. It is that act of dreaming that brings this portrait forward in time, for we all have our dreams.

Dreams. Who has not looked upward with slightly unfocused eyes as if to see somewhere there the images that float in our heads as we create possibilities for ourselves, regardless of how easy or difficult the times we live in? All of this is captured in the skillful coordination of the colors and the movement of the lines in the suit and the background designs that present the dreamy-eyed figure. Something in her expression, a hopefulness perhaps, we don't see in the women of Edward Hopper, actually done in the 1930s. Of course the '30s was a distressed time, and Karchut, born on the other side of those times, can perhaps better represent hope, a key concept, that must have surely been present enough to see people through that difficult era.

"One thing I’ve learned is that watercolor requires a delicate touch and an infinite amount of patience. I liken it more to a performance art - one mistake and it’s over. I like that death-defying aspect," Wes Karchut.

Really? by Wes Karchut. Watercolor on paper.

Karchut says about this painting that he was fascinated by the challenge of doing a monochromatic piece, here a portrait of a model with a wonderful, quizzical expression, which is what drew the artist's attention. The challenge was not just to capture the expression but to do it as an exercise in tonality. In terms of a study in delicacy, this is definitely a wonderful item to analyze. Determining just how much of the darker tones to use to delineate the hairline, the end of the nose, the lips and the shadow under the chin, knowing when to use a light wash and when to leave the paper blank, and finally where to put a touch or two of a color variation (the eyes and around the chin), all show the craftsmanship that Karchut has pursued all his life. Here they come together as a wonderful piece of performance, a high wire act on a watercolor tightrope.

Karchut's subjects cover a wide range. Below we see his portrait of a Black Union Soldier from the Civil War period. The color blue is used not only as a way to represent the uniform of the soldier but also as a symbolic representation of what that war would have meant to a Black soldier. His face is awash in the color that represents not just the cause of maintaining the Union but for him also the freeing of his people. Karchut uses the fluidity of the watercolor in a way that lets the soldier emerge from it. Yet, that fluidity does not diminish the features of the soldier. His gaze is steady, his lips pressed shut, his jaw and chin firm, all of which indicate a quiet determination. He might have been one of the soldiers represented in the film, Glory. This is a person of quiet dignity, a man with a goal, someone for whom nothing is better than liberty.

Black Union Soldier by Wes Karchut. Watercolor on paper

The Arapahoe by Wes Karchut

Karchut was at one point exclusively a western artist, so painting the Native people was something that developed as part of that focus. Here, he says, it was the intensity in the eyes of this man that was the thing that captured his imagination. As one looks at this piece, yes, the eyes are penetrating. However, the planes of the man's face and the color variations in the skin are reminiscent of the craggy, colorful rocks and deserts that one finds throughout the western states. The curve of the nose and the deep lines on either side of a mouth with lips pressed into a hard line indicate someone whose life has weathered hard times. Yet still there is a fire and determination in the eye - true grit indeed.

"I am not a statement artist. My only aspiration is to communicate that special quality that attracted me in the first place - a special color combination, a light effect, a certain look or interplay of shapes. It’s my job as an artist to employ all of my skills to communicate that one special thing to the viewer," Wes Karchut.

Karchut does not limit his art to portraits of people. His artistic observation of animals has allowed him to capture the essence of their spirit also. In the Red Cardinal below, he says that there is something in the attitude of the bird that called forth a matching attitude in the brushwork. The feathered crest standing on end certainly gives the feeling that this bright beast is showing off. This piece became a favorite on Pinterest, being repinned more than 10,000 times! The jack rabbit in Running Hare 2 is dashing off somewhere at top speed. Only one of his feet seems to touch the ground, the other three aloft in his flight. The hare is so close to being airborne that it almost comes off the paper, with that one earthbound foot touching just a dash of violet to indicate any support. His muscular body is carefully shaped by the use of tawny colors, white, and highlights in a light red-violet. The tilt of its body seems to indicate that he is leaning into the wind as he makes his getaway.

Red Cardinal by Wes Karchut Watercolor on paper.

Running Hare 2 by Wes Karchut. Watercolor on paper.

Amaryllis by Wes Karchut. Watercolor on paper.

Here in something a bit reminiscent of Piet Mondrian's approach to painting flowers - taking one stem rather than a bouquet - Karchut's attention was captured by the beauty of this luscious, amaryllis stem with three red blossoms. The freshness of his touch with watercolor gives the piece a delicate serenity. It moves from the simple sturdiness of the stem, which is a smooth transition of colors from spring green to yellow-green to yellow, to the robust reds of the flowers with their greenish-yellow leaves and violet and gold stamen. The representation is botanically accurate, yet the softness of the approach with watercolor gives it an appeal that a strictly botanical study would not have.

Karchut says of his art, " You have to distance yourself from your art. I consider myself a craftsman more than an artist. I believe art is what happens after you’ve achieved the highest level of craftsmanship. And whether any given piece achieves art, I leave for others to decide." So that means us. If the overall purpose of art is to communicate, certainly these paintings say many things. Karchut's craftsmanship, as well as his eye for the interesting aspects of things he sees, certainly makes for art in anyone's estimation.

Karchut is represented by Saatchi Art. For more on Wes Karchut's art, you can go to these websites: weskarchutart.com and instagram.com/weskarchut

For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle

She also has an engaging art history blog that talks of painting and wine on ofartandwine.com

© Marjorie Vernelle 2020

#weskarchut #animalpaintings #portraits #watercolorpainter

Rita Scafidi: Alla Prima, the Art of the Moment.

Neil by Rita Scafidi Oil on canvas, 2020.

Rita Scafidi painted the portrait above of a young man named Neil. It was in a life drawing open studio where the scheduled model did not show up. When one only has two to three hours to work, one has no time to waste waiting around. This young man had come to draw but was asked to pose instead. Scafidi's sure hand and keen eye went to work to capture not just a face, but a mood and the mystery of a personality.

The strokes are rapid. The paint smears and blends on the canvas. Accidents happen, but with careful thought, they are made useful. Look, for instance at the lower left quadrant showing the chin and neck. The tendons in the neck come forth as a dash of light paint, touched by a ruddy orange, and shadowed by gray, the same gray that defines the chin. The highlights show brightly, dividing the face into two sides, allowing us to see one eye clearly, while the other fades to black as might be seen in a film noir movie. The coup de grace is that little dash of cream colored paint on the chin that takes a quick flip upwards toward the cheek. And there it is, a face, a mood, a moment, all as fleeting as time itself.

Alla prima is an Italian term for painting wet-on-wet, or simply adding wet paint to a surface of already wet paint. The French are more direct in their name for this style of painting, calling it au premier coup, or at the first stroke. It is painting that is immediate and in the moment, allowing for the artist to capture that valuable first impression. In essence this is a very fluid style of painting that requires a special kind of endurance as well as nimble thinking. One of the 20th century's most famous alla prima painters was Francis Bacon, who would throw the paint on the canvas by hand then work it as he willed for hours until he achieved the look he wanted. His paint often looked smeered rather than brushed, and when brushed, it flew across the canvas, defining, blurring and blending as needed. The way Scafidi handles the paint in the area of the neck and chin in the piece above is reminiscent of Bacon's style.

In theory painting alla prima sounds easy, but in practice even finding where to start can stymie more than a few. When asked where she starts her portraits, Scafidi says, "I look for the most beautiful line." She says of herself, "I don't have the patience that most artists have. I prefer a small quick study, then move on to the next idea." That may sound too hasty to produce good portraits, but Scafidi has developed another critical skill: the power of penetrating observation. In portraiture the first thing considered, certainly by the sitter for the portrait, is does the painting capture the likeness. Scafidi does that with amazing accuracy in a very few of the first minutes in a three hour session. She describes her process by saying, "I like to take a close look at a subject and discover a relationship, or experience the beauty that I might not see if I wasn't studying it close enough to draw it." When she says draw it, she refers to making a quick sketch in paint on the canvas to find that "most beautiful line," which then becomes the underlying structure of the painting. From there she moves on to a visual dialog with the model, the mood, and the paint.

Elizabeth by Rita Scafidi Oil on canvas, 2019.

Hannah by Rita Scafidi Oil on Canvas 2020.

Above we have Elizabeth and Hannah, two quite different pieces, reflecting not only different physical looks but distinct personalities. The strong features and direct gaze of Elizabeth are moderated by the way her portrait rises out of the background colors, shades of which are used to make the planes and shadows of her face. While Elizabeth presents a more direct posture, Hannah looks to the side, perhaps dreaming of something far from where she is. Once again the background color echoes in the coloring of the face and even as a hint in the eye color. It also forms a sharp contrast to the pink, red, and blue violet tones in the hair color, another indication of a different personality. Though different, each of these portraits shows a quality of soulfulness that captures the imagination of the viewer.

Mountains by Rita Scafidi Plein Air Oil on Canvas

Scafidi's adventures in art are not limited to the portrait. She takes on landscape, often through plein air painting (another method of painting in the moment). However, sometimes she simply chooses a palette of colors and "finds the painting." This rather Oriental approach is one I know from my own study with Chinese watercolorist, Cheng-Khee Chee (www.chengkheechee.com). It requires a deft touch based upon observation mixed with memory to create a plausible reality. Here blue, dark gray and white play off one another to create deep woods, mists floating on the waters, distant mountains with low hanging clouds, themselves touched by blue in the upper reaches of the sky.

The mists and clouds of a forest and river in the early morning can have the feeling of abstraction. It is only our knowledge of the look of mountains, rivers, and trees that immediately shapes areas of paint into landscape. Often, however, the beauty of a painting is in how the paint falls on the canvas. The artist can then shape it into an image or just add a few touches of texture and leave it alone, as done here in Lapis One of Diptych.

Lapis One of Diptych by Rita Scafidi, 2018.

While Scafidi makes choices in her work, she accepts accidents and surprises as "extra fun." She likes to stretch her imagination to make something of these moments of chance.

The artist does not keep the joy of discovery in painting to herself. She has developed a YouTube following for her lessons in painting. Starting from the premise that anyone can draw and paint, she has devised a series of quick demonstrations that allow the student to follow along and end up with a piece of art. Originally designed as lessons for teachers to use, they have also been used in senior living facilities as fun and interesting activities that don't require a lot of preparation or previous experience on the part of the elder participants. The African Woman depicted here walks balancing the pot she holds with the tilt of her head and her hip, her graceful walk quickly and effectively captured.

So I leave you with a snapshot of the artist capturing the moment, looking for relationships of color, and working with happy accidents. Her final comment on the whole thing, "It's fun!"

To see Rita Scafidi's Youtube channel and to contact her, go to her channel, Rita,

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxYsKPhD3PVSyMqS9NMPg4Q

or leave a message for her at artvault@outlook.com

For another look at her portraiture, go to ofartantwine.com and click on

"A Brief History of the Portrait, from Ancient to Modern and Sémillon Wine."

For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle

She also has an engaging art history blog that talks of painting and wine on ofartandwine.com

© Marjorie Vernelle 2020

#ritascafidi #allaprima #ritayoutube #portraits #paintinglessons

A Brief Homage to Francis Bacon on St. Patrick's Day.

Francis Bacon, portrait by Reginald Gray, 1989

Well, it's St. Patrick's Day, and when I look at the work of the best-selling painter of Irish descent, whose Three Studies of Lucian Freud sold for $142,405,000.00, I am indeed GREEN with envy. So let's take a look at Francis Bacon (1909-1992), a School of London painter born in Dublin, whose lifetime total sales add up to $1, 711,336,388.00.

Back in the dark ages of my personal art awareness, I saw my first Francis Bacon exhibition, which was the second retrospective of his work offered by the Tate in London, 1985. Walking into a world of elegantly painted distortions, tortured figures, and screaming mouths (a comment perhaps on the power of words, especially lies?) was more than an amazement. I say that not just because of the disturbed faces, but also because of the beautifully handled paint that seemed rubbed on rather than stroked on by brush. However, his work also displayed random splashes, thrown paint or scrubbed areas, all of which created points of curiosity for the viewer. The artist once said, "...half of my painting is disrupting what I can do with ease" (Ades). This sounds like a painter who knew himself well and liked the challenge of throwing an occasional monkey wrench into his own work.

One of the things he seemed to do with ease was use beautiful colors, many of which are pastels. You can see that here, though in low resolution, in his Studies for a Self-Portrait (1979).

Studies for a Self-Portrait by Francis Bacon, 1979

The smooth glide of the paint, as though smeared, but smeared with a purpose, can be seen in the series above. The counterpoints to that soft smearing are the quite distinct shirt collar and the hairy eyebrows. His placement of a figure or a face in relationship to the space around it is also done in both usual and unusual ways. In this series, shown here almost as a triptych, the face on the left is placed to the far left, and the face on the right is placed to the far right, leaving even more space around the central image, placed squarely in the center of its canvas. It comes together in a less monstrous way than a combination of the right and left portraits, making a reasonable amalgam of the two distinct sides of one face. This was done, of course, by a man who claimed to have never liked his face.

Bacon is quite famous for his many portraits of Pope Innocent X which he did from 1949 to the mid-1960s. Lots to look at here, especially the use of that hellish purple on what seems to be a screaming, spectral entity. This play off of Diego Velasquez' famous portrait of Innocent X, is briefly discussed in this article by Phaidon publishing https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2013/february/08/the-truth-behind-francis-bacons-screaming-popes/

Comparison of Diego Velasquez' Pope Innocent X, 1650, and Francis Bacon's portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953

Since this is a brief homage and his long career produced so many works, I'd say the best way to see Bacon's work online is to go to his website: www.francis-bacon.com click Art, then click Paintings to see a decade-by-decade collection of his work, starting in the 1920s.

And with that I hope that St. Patrick is well honored by this homage to Ireland's great painter.

So what artist would you honor on St. Patrick's Day or some other holiday? Log in and tell us.

Quote taken from article by Dawn Ades for the Tate Gallery's Second retrospective https://francis-bacon.com/bacons-world/exhibitions/francis-bacon-tate-london-1985

Francis Bacon, a portrait by Reginald Gray, is in public domain. Studies for a Self-Portrait by Francis Bacon from Wikipedia, and the comparison of the two portraits of Pope Innocent X (Phaidon) are used for informational purposes only in accordance with Fair Use Policy.

#francisbaconartist #irishpainters #portraits #lucianfreud #francisbacon

For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle

She also has an engaging art history blog that talks of painting and wine on ofartandwine.com

© Marjorie Vernelle 2019