Erwin Blumenfeld

Erwin Blumenfeld,

This mans photography astounds me. He was so far ahead of his time as a photographer and as an artist. He had an originality admired by many famous people including Henri Matisse and Cecil Beaton. He didn’t have digital photography, he didn’t have photoshop, he didn’t ‘airbrush’ his models and he didn’t store his images online or even on a hard drive, none of that was available until years after his death. His photography involved dark rooms, chemistry and double even triple exposure. He used cameras that didn’t automatically adjust shutter speed etc, all the settings were adjusted manually by himself. There are not many people around today who could rival his work even with all the modern technology available.
 

 

 

 
As usual there is a good write up in good old wiki;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Blumenfeld


This is an excellent documentary in four parts. It takes a while to watch the whole thing but just watching little bits shows the variety and originality of his work  He was a pioneer in fashion film and the last video shows some of the first fashion film to be shot.

 

Seaside art

this is a Seaside bedroom from here

http://williamtheartist.net/childrens_boys.html

and another one from here

http://www.ulianka.com/childrenmural.html

And this is a vintage book cover by Sarah Noble Ives (1864–1944), "At the Seaside" from ABC of Objects, 1930s.

http://www.nevillefineart.co.uk/feat_rl.shtml

paintings by Rebecca Lardner - Born 1971

After school Rebecca attained BA Hons degree in Graphic Design specialising in illustration at Liverpool University. Since graduation has worked as a professional artist and illustrator. In 1995 she designed, made and installed 24 animated windows for the prestigious Brown Thomas in Dublin for the Christmas lights in 1995.

In 1998 she travelled to Southern India to paint a mural for the Russ Foundation before travelling to continue her painting. Her work has been publicised world-wide through her illustrations and publications and her limited edition prints reach outlets throughout Europe and America. She regularly exhibits with leading galleries in the UK and her delightful naive paintings are bought by collectors worldwide.

these are by Roos Schuring

http://www.dailypainters.com/artists/artist_gallery/2519/Roos-Schuring

 
These are by Edward Henry Potthast

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Henry_Potthast

 (Cincinnati, 1857 – New York, 1927) American Impressionist Edward Henry Potthast is best known for sunny beach scenes, filled with sparkling surf and high-keyed details such as balloons, hats and umbrellas. He was born to a family of artisans in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 10, 1857. At age twelve he became a charter student at Cincinnati’s new McMicken School of Design. He studied at McMicken, off and on, for over a decade. From 1879 to 1881, his teacher was Thomas Satterwhite Noble. Noble, a portrait and figure painter, employed a dark palette and a rich, painterly technique derived from his instruction under French artist Thomas Couture. Potthast made his first trip to Europe in 1881. After a visit to Antwerp, where he studied with Polydore Beaufaux and Charles Verlat, Potthast proceeded to Munich perhaps on a visit that had been prearranged with Noble, who was also in Munich in the early 1880s. Munich and its Royal Academy strongly had long been a destination for Cincinnati artists. Potthast and Noble had been preceded by fellow Cincinnatians John Henry Twachtman, Robert Blum, Joseph De Camp, and Frank Duveneck, who alternately taught in Munich and Cincinnati.

Mark Sherridan English music hall comedian and singer. Recorded this record in 1909.

Brain Painting

( first  posted on Blogster in May)
Its almost not Sunday any more but; this is something I’ve been saving for today. I think it’s utterly amazing. I read in the newspaper about a paralyzed woman, Heide Pfutzner who ‘paints’ through the power of her thought, there was a picture of one of her paintings in the newspaper. I couldn’t find pictures on the net and had to resort to scanning this one ( hence the poor quality).
Information from

http://phys.org/news/2013-05-brainpainting-frees-paralyzed.html

This  article is worth reading and the video explains how it all works. The amazing this is that this woman really is an artist. The reporter had a go and this was the result. I find this particularly interesting because to me, it seems to mean that artistic ability actually lies in the mind and has very little to do with what your hands can or can’t create.

‘’Heide Pfutzner is getting favorable recognition as an artist who has produced skilled, accomplished abstract paintings with their colorful shapes in electric-like blues, reds, pinks, and yellows, Her admirers not only appreciate her art but her determination as a paralyzed woman who paints by way of thoughts. These thoughts are translated into pictures by a computer. She is able to express herself creatively through brainpainting, where a computer system can translate an artist's thoughts into images. With use of a brain controlled computer system, the person's brainwaves translate into instructions as to which colors, shapes and brushes will be put to use for the finished piece.

Pfutzner was a former teacher in Germany; she fell ill in 2007 and was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease in the U.S. The disease left her paralyzed, able only to move her eyes. Her daughter made some contacts, whereby her mother was eventually introduced to the University of Wurzburg's BCI program. "They developed a special brainpainting program for me," she said, "and we've been a good team ever since."

Read more at: 
 http://phys.org/news/2013-05-brainpainting-frees-paralyzed.html#jCp

Lesley Mclaren, Scottish artist.

( first posted on Blogger in April)

 This artist looked very familiar to me. I couldn’t remember if I posted her work before, and then I decided I liked it so much I’d post it any way even if I had posted on her before. Her subject matter is (as you know) close to my own heart, it’s The Scottish landscape in all its glory with the added bonus of little animals and birds dotted around.. I could happily hang any of these on my wall.

Following information from here

http://www.scottishartpaintings.co.uk/artist-lesley-mclaren.asp

 

  

Scottish Art and Artists at Red Rag Gallery

Artist: Lesley McLAREN

Lesley McLaren was born in Glasgow in 1959. She attended Exeter College of Art achieving a BA(hons) in painting.

 

Inspiration for Lesley McLaren contemporary paintings comes from the Scottish countryside. Whilst travelling Lesley collects images in her sketch book and on camera. Back in the studio she seeks to recreate the essence and drama of beautiful Scottish countryside. 

 

The result is superb paintings reflecting memories and feelings, where Lesley has often allowed the more dramatic elements of a scene to develop through the language of paint. The finished painting is a little like the end of a little journey. She describes every painting as "the creation of an exciting new world - one which journeys on from reality" Her own web site isn here

http://www.lesleymclaren.co.uk/

Abstract Art

( previously posted on Blogster in April)

First thing to say today is that I’m a little fragile, which is a very unusual state of affairs for me to find myself in. It was my official retirement night out yesterday and well; what can I say?, we had a ball. 

This morning is not so much fun. I may not make it around the tour until later, maybe even tomorrow, in fact I didn’t make it around Vickies Song Saturday tour yesterday because the big night out started earlier (and finished later) than I anticipated. 

But; I’ve had this idea in my head ever since that conversation with Nemo that went something like; ‘’………….Abstract art isn’t really my thing’’,
‘’no it’s not really my thing either’’.
And before collapsing on the sofa for my much needed PJ and DVD day, I wanted to post this.
 
I know nothing about abstract art. I have discovered it’s not as easy as it looks which prompted me to explore a little further. I’ve been wandering around the net this morning looking at images of famous abstract paintings and trying to find some that appealed to me. If I were to hang abstract paintngs on my wall, I guess this selection is more or less what I would choose. 

The more I looked and the more I read, the more attractive some of these paintings became. I’ve not added any text of my own, that’s because I don’t know enough to write anything meaningful but; I did find some of these links very informative and would recommend you wander over to them and do a bit of reading.

I liked this introduction;
 

from
http://wwar.com/masters/movements/abstract_art.html


 Art History: Abstract Art: (1910 - )
Abandoning the late 19th century European idea that art should imitate nature Abstract art does not strive to create accurate representations of any forms or objects. Artists employing the style take an object and either simplify or exaggerate it by altering its color shape and form. Abstract art developed before the twentieth century abstract patterns have roots in ancient history showing up in early decorations for textiles and pottery.

Abstraction reached its pinnacle as an accepted form of fine art in the twentieth century. Wassily Kandinsky was the original abstract artist producing the first completely abstract work of art in 1910. Two years later he wrote a theory on abstract art called On the Spiritual in Art. In this publication he emphasized the general theory among Abstract artists that art should portray the spiritual realm and not just the visual world. Abstract Art encompasses many different styles including Cubism, Neoplasticism, Expressionism, Futurism, Fauvism and Abstract Expressionism.
More informative links;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_art 

Kandinsky
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/


This is a Blog about abstract art and there is a video that I couldn’t see because ‘‘it’s not available in your country’’, hopefully you will be able to see it and tell me all about it. 

http://www.rodjonesartistblog.com/why-do-abstract-artists-paint-abstractly.html