Willard Leroy Metcalf

I found out about Willard Leroy Metcalf's work today as I was looking at the website for Vose Gallery! Then I found a nice short Biography on a blog called Best American Art.

His compositions are so dynamic, his warm colors reflect his spiritual relationship to his art. He was interested in capturing something he called "Summerland". Here is a quote from Best American Art.

Metcalf's vision of "Summerland"—a world of perpetual sunshine and perfect repose was not just another pretty concept; instead, it epitomized his spiritualist concept of the afterlife.

I can identify with the Summerland concept, or at least it's mood. When I really feel like I captured what I am trying to get at in a painting, it feels a lot like the feeling I get going out to the river on a perfect summer day...

One mother thing I admire in Metcalf's work is that he really contriols the color, instead of letting the subject in front of him make all the descisions. I guess that is something I am working at; learning to put in colors that are right for the painting, verses what colors are directly in front of me.

Other sites I found images from are:
The Athenaeum - Amazing image archive on this site!
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
The Metropolitan
The Art Institute of Chicargo

Scott Lloyd Anderson

Scott Lloyd Anderson's work has inspired me to look at my environment for unusual compositions, for movement, and for balance.

Robert Lemler

I came across Robert Lemler's work as I was surfing the web for landscape painters. Something I noticed about his work is that he has an interesting sense of design. I really find the still life on the top to be exciting. I like the idea of composing a still life off of a notion of limited color palette. I also like the view point from above, which makes for composition that can float a bit more.

Pierre Bonnard

Creating a blog about images that inspire me, would always have to start with the artist Pierre Bonnard. His colors and his brush stroke are so tender.

Here is a link to "Olga's Gallery" where you can find many paintings by him as well as tons of other historical artists.