Top Influences - Favorite Artists
Some people have asked me where I draw my artistic inspiration from. This is a hard question, since I've been an art-lover all my life; and am an avid collector. I've gone through a number of phases in my own artistic development moving from still-life, to outdoor (plein-air), ocean-surf scenes, and a brief dabble in portraits. My mother and grandmothe were also artists, so I probably also have it in me - so to speak.
Well, it's a hard question, but a fair one. After looking around the house and noticing once again the various styles represented in my collection, I began making a list. This is by no means all inclusive but does draw somewhat a line around a set of contemporary artists. These are mostly figurative artists; meaning they paint people primarily. Women more specifically. Except two - whose lines I am especially drawn to, and you'll recognize them in the list if you're familiar with their work (one's from the Yunnan-school in China, and one I've met before). Anyway, I made my list and there should be no surprises here:
- Itzack Tarkay
- Isaac Maimon
- Jiang TIeFeng
- Leroy Neiman
- Aldo Luongo
- Don Hatfield
- Howard Behrens
- Vladimir Volegov
- Steve Barton
- Fabian Perez
If you were to take a Maimon and a Tarkay, overlay the lines of Jaing, and add the body forms of the rest of them - you might end up with something close to what I'm doing in the Lapithea series! Or maybe not. Maybe the painting phase I'm going through right now is a form of artistic-yoga - or just something that makes me happy. In any case, if you asked about it then here is your answer. By the way - if you are not familiar with the artists listed above, definitely look them up. These are established contemporary artists whose work is of investment quality, and there is an active market in collecting their originals. Maybe they will become some of your favorites too!
