Visual Language CFAI.co Vol 1 No 3

International Voices

cfai.co

May 2012 Volume 1 No 3

Cover Artist Nancy Medina www.cfai.co/nancymedina

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May 2012 Volume 1 No 3 Š cfai.co

Art by Sandra Reeves Cutrer http://www.cfai.co/sandracutrer From the March Art Challenge

Nancy's love of art and gardening originated on her childhood farm in Scurry, Texas, where her parents were organic gardeners. Her earliest memories are of standing barefoot beneath 10 foot sunflower stalks in her family's garden. Nancy studied art history and illustration at the University of London and oil painting and color theory at Texas A&M University. Today she resides with her husband and their 3 pugs in Flower Mound, Texas, where she paints daily from Flower Mound Art Studio.

Nancy has worked professionally in design and publishing for over 20 years. Her original oil paintings have been featured in print and Web publications and on the covers of magazines.

Nancy is a member of the prestigious Daily Painters Gallery, the original international gallery of 150 artists who produce new daily works of art for collectors across the globe. Her work is represented by galleries in Texas and California. She is a featured artist and art instructor for the Dallas Arboretum, which has used her paintings on the covers of their promotions and awarded her in their annual juried Garden Gallery competitions. When she is not in the art studio, Nancy is a volunteer for Dallas Fort Worth Pug Rescue, the largest pug rescue charity in the nation. www.cfai.co/nancymedina www.NancyMedina.com

Cover Artist Nancy Medina

The great American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "The Earth laughs in flowers...." Texas artist Nancy Medina, CAE, has found a way to express that statement through her art. She is an award-winning artist whose oil paintings are in homes and private collections around the world.

Nancy is known for her bold, impressionistic backyard flowers and large container gardens that are immediately eye-catching. Described by American Art Collector as "...one of today's best floral and botanical artists," Nancy is one of the most collected artists in the US.

Features this month

h in Visual Language

New Artists on CFAI.co

www.cfai.co/jimmylongacre

www.cfai.co/janerobinson

www.cfai.co/donnabland

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www.cfai.co/sherifarabaugh

www.cfai.co/marymansfield

www.cfai.co/margaretbednar

www.cfai.co/hyecoh

www.cfai.co/lindareedy www.cfai.co/charlesbaughman

/ www.cfai.co/sallyfraser

www.cfai.co/janerobinson www.cfai.co/beverlykoldon

www.cfai.co/carolmyer

New Artists on CFAI.co

www.cfai.co/brainsommers

Cfai.co Masthead

Visual Language Magazine Staff

CFAI.co Newsletter

Editorial

Editor -in-Chief Diane Whitehead Executive Editor Laurie Pace Managing Editor Kimberly Conrad Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Associate Editor Lisa Kreymborg Feature Contributor Clint Watson FASO Feature Contribuotr Robert Genn The Painter’s Keys

Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace Executive Editor Diane Whitehead Managing Editor Nancy Medina Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Feature Contributor Robert Genn Blog Editor Kimberly Conrad Associate Editor Lisa Kreymborg

Advertising

Membership

Contact Kimberly Conrad

Director Kimberly Conrad Associate Director Lisa Kreymborg

Website Web Design Studio 412 Design Quality Assurance Lisa Kreymborg Daily Collectors Feed Lisa Kreymborg Juried Shows Diane Whitehead Art Challenge Laurie Pace Workshops Lisa Kreymborg Colors on My Palette Diane Whitehead In the News Laurie Pace Membership Kimberly Conrad

Marketing and Development Director Laurie Pace Senior Director Diane Whitehead Senior Director Kimberly Conrad Junior Director Lisa Kreymborg

Finance

International Blogs

Director Andy Whitehead Senior Director Diane Whitehead Junior Director Kimberly Conrad

Editor Kimberly Conrad Junior Editor Lisa Kreymborg

Board of Directors Kimberly Conrad, Laurie Pace, Diane Whitehead, Debbie Lincoln, Mary Jo Zorad

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

May 2012 Vol 1 No. 3

Robert Genn’s Studio Book

Wonderful Faces April 3, 2012 Dear Artists,

Last Friday I saw the Norman Rockwell exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Having seen it twice before in other cities, this time I concentrated on the stylistic changes throughout the artist's lifetime.

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was the best known illustrator of what is often called America's Golden Age. The butt of jokes by many critics, his popularity continues to rise. Unlike a great deal of art in public galleries these days, Rockwell's work is still connecting. The gallery was jammed with a cross-section of age and ethnicity. Apart from popularity, Rockwell may be one of the more interesting and valuable studies for artists.

From his first Saturday Evening Post cover (May 1, 1916--a rich kid pushing his baby sister in a buggy while bully-boys jeer) when he was 23 years old, to his last (Dec 14, 1963--a portrait of the recently assassinated JFK), Rockwell painted 332 Post covers. Following these in chronological order is an education in the growth of capability, the progress of style, and the transformation of the artist.

In the earliest covers we see the eagerness of a young, growing mind--often wooden gestures and overworked, theoretical faces. By his twenties and into his thirties we begin to see the well-defined personalities of his subjects. We also gain a new understanding of the power of symmetry, silhouette, vignette and devices like legs and arms as vehicles of expression. Sophisticated colour and fine, painterly surfaces begin to appear.

Strokes become caresses of painterly love. Finally, in later life, we see Rockwell tightening up, become more photo-dependent, less stylish, less sensitive to colour and less confident of his craft.

More than anything, we see an artist taking a lifetime to find out what he does well (faces in profile, expression of human nature and character, for example), and what he doesn't do so well (wide-angle scenes, crowds and overly complex busyness). Some of the middle-period magazine illustrations such as Checkers, (1928) and a Colgate toothpaste ad (1924) rival the masters in characterization and gesture. We've illustrated these and others at the top of the current clickback.

Best regards, Robert PS: "I paint life as I would like it to be." (Norman Rockwell) Sign up for Robert’s letters on his site.

Read this letter online and share your thoughts on talking about your work. Live comments are welcome.

Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge.

PaintersKeys.com

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When the next edition comes out you will receive it in your email each month. http://www.visuallanguagecfai.blogspot.com

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

May 2012 Vol 1 No.3

Suzy Pal Powell

SuzyPal.blogspot.com

www.cfai.co/suzypalpowell

Submit your Portfolio for admission to CFAI.co All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

Colleen Sanchez www.cfai.co/colleensanchez

ColleenSanchez.blogspot.com

New York

GretchenKellyArt.blogspot.com

http://www.cfai.co/gretchenkelly/

Delilah Smith www.cfai.co/delilahsmith

Delilah-Smith.com

New York A Taste of Spring 30 x 40 inches

http://www.cfai.co/gretchenkelly/

Sallie-Anne Swift

Australia, California

SallieSwiftArt.com

www.cfai.co/sallieanneswift

Commissioned Paintings hanging in client’s home in Australia.

https://www.facebook.com/SallieSwiftArt

Nancy Standlee

www.cfai.co/art-challenge-march-2012/

cfai.co

A R T

C H A L L E N G E

March Winner Best of Show The Art Challenge “Nourishment”

Nancy Johnson Standlee, a native Texan from Arlington, loves working in a variety of water media and collage, both torn paper and hand painted paper, and mixed media.

She uses some watercolor in her illustrated journals. She has a background of working with textiles and batik. Nancy is a founding member of the Texas collaborative painting 8 member group, Canvas by Canvas.

She says: “Painting has been a faithful companion on this creative journey and a tool for an introduction to an amazing group of people who travel beside me.”

www.cfai.co/nancystandlee

A R T

C H A L L E N G E

cfai.co

C H A L L E N G E A R T cfai.co

First Place March Art Challenge “Pomegranates�

Sheri Farabaugh

www.cfai.co/art-challenge-march-2012/ www.cfai.co/sherifarabaugh

A R T

C H A L L E N G E

Second Place March Art Challenge “Grapes”

www.cfai.co/art-challenge-march-2012/ www.cfai.co/rebeccazook

cfai.co

Rebecca Zook

C H A L L E N G E A R T

Third Place March Art Challenge “Suntini�

cfai.co

Pat Meyer

www.cfai.co/art-challenge-march-2012/

www.cfai.co/patriciameyer

A R T

Honorable Mention

www.cfai.co/carolpeterson

www.cfai.co/art-challenge-march-2012/

cfai.co

www.cfai.co/sherijones

www.cfai.co/carolpeterson

C H A L L E N G E

www.cfai.co/diannafritzler

Colors On My Palette cfai.co

Judy Crowe www.cfai.co/judycrowe

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’? When I was a kid, I drew a lot and even did a few pastels in middle school. I also loved drawing the dresses for my barbie dolls with flowing skirts and lacey things. Actually 'playing' with the dolls never interested me but drawing their dresses and clothes was the most fun! When I got to high school I joined the choir which took up most of my time. I actually wanted to become a singer but then college, marriage, kids, etc came along and I got a real job as a sales representative. I always admired artists and by the time we moved to Houston, I had dabbled in a few oils but only to the extent that I could do when I wasn't busy with job and family. After our move though, my company did not have an opening for me. I began to take a few lessons from well known Houston artist Lindy Daly. I credit Lindy for giving me inspiration and my love and passion from painting was born. So, I started later in life. I did not 'feel' like an artist until I started getting some recognition for what I was doing by family friend and entering a few local art competitions. Now, I feel it would be hard to do anything else.

www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/judy-crowe/

Colors On My Palette

cfai.co

www.cfai.co/judycrowe

Colors On My Palette cfai.co

Judy Crowe www.cfai.co/judycrowe

www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/judy-crowe/

Colors On My Palette

cfai.co

Colors On My Palette

Carol Nelson

cfai.co

www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-nelson/

Colors On My Palette

cfai.co

Colors On My Palette

Carol Nelson

cfai.co

www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-nelson/

www.cfai.co/carolnelson/

Colors On My Palette

cfai.co

www.cfai.co/carol-nelson/

Kay Crain www.cfai.co/kaycrain KayCrain.com

KayCrain.com

c

CLMcNallyFineArt.com

CL Mc

c

cNally

www.cfai.co/carollynnmcnally

David Larson Evans www.cfai.co/davidlarsonevans

Logan Bauer

DavidPaints.com

www.cfai.co/loganbauer

LoganBauer.com

Sally Fraser

www.cfai.co/sallyfraser

http://sally-fraser.artistwebsites.com/

cfai.co

Art Review Hall Groat II

Art Review by Hall Groat II

www.nyartguide.net/groatii/index.html Running Whitetail Oil on Canvas

by Diane Whitehead

www.cfai.co/dianewhitehead

The Hermit (Il solitario) John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)

Painter Hall Groat II, professor of fine and media arts at Broome Community College, teaches foundation courses in painting, drawing, color theory, and computer graphics. Groat earned a master of fine arts degree in painting and drawing from City University of New York at Brooklyn, a bachelor of arts in art history, minoring in studio art at Binghamton University, and attended graduate and certificate programs at Buffalo State College, Syracuse University, and Savannah College of Art and Design. He also attended summer sessions at Chautauqua School of Art, Chautauqua, NY, and Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vt.

by NY Art Critic Hall Groat II

www.nyartguide.net/groatii/index.html

Hall Reviews the work of Utah Artist Diane Whitehead Utah-based artist, Diane Whitehead, gives new meaning to the expression “prolific painter”.

Whitehead states “Animals are my muse”, however her adventuresome paintings explore diverse themes, ranging from boldly painted and vivid colored floral and landscapes to heartfelt interpretations of wildlife and the human figure. Her depictions of animals within their natural environments are poignant and perhaps socially relevant based on increasing threats to wildlife due to natural disasters such as forest fires and drought. The sense of empathy expressed in her work is also quite refreshing based on how frequently Mother Nature is exploited these days. In a 24 by 24 inch piece entitled Running Whitetail, Diane portrays two deer dynamically leaping into and across the picture-plane before a row of dark forest trees. The deer are completely enveloped by the landscape through the same visceral and fluid paint handling that visually unifies the forms. Running Whitetail is handled in a manner that is conceptually quite similar to the Hermit that was painted

by American artist, John Singer Sargent in 1908. Sargent’s piece, included in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts two deer and a hermit totally immersed within a rocky forest. Both wildlife and the natural are represented ambiguously as one.

The lush, saturated colors that Diane uses lend themselves to a dramatic sense of light—both directional and resonate. Within her poetic landscape called String Lake Landscape, the bright sun is depicted streaming through a row of trees forming rhythmic cast shadows within the irregular forest terrain, while illuminating the tall yellow-green grass along the water. The warm juxtaposed against the cool spots entice the viewer through color vibration. Then there are other pieces such as her still life of cantaloupe called Fancy Fruit that possess more of a resonate light quality whereby the light emanates from all areas as if there exists an internal glow within all forms. Common to all of her work is this uncanny sense of light that interweaves and expresses metaphorically the profound resilience of nature. This is the content of Diane’s work.

www.cfai.co/dianewhitehead

cfai.co

Diane Whitehead is indeed a prolific painter to investigate during your travels out west.

You won’t be disappointed!

Art Review Hall Groat II

Contemporary Fine Art Review

cfai.co

State of Art Texas

TEXAS

Spring Gift by Sheri Jones

artistsoftexas.org

Blue Rain Iris Painting by Nancy Medina

Trans Pecos Vista #1 by Sally Fraser

Three's a Crowd by Sandra Reeves Cutrer Watercolors by Liana Yarckin

artistsoftexas.blogspot.com

Daughter of Israel

by V Kohn

Birch Tree

by Niki Gulley

Figurative Painting

by Nancy Standlee

Little Slice Of Color

by Kay Wyne

Enigma - by Abstract Artist Filomena de Andrade Booth

Clementines by Tempy Berg-Gilbert

cfai.co

Flower and Buds by Linda Bein

State of Art Texas

Road to Big Bend

by Linda Popple

Colorado

cfai.co

State of Art Colorado

artistsofcolorado.org

Summer Glade by Carol Nelson

Malibu Cliffs by Carol Hein

Lee’s Ferry by Pam Holnback

Cow Study by Tracy Wall

Tools by Kelli Miller

Pink Dress by Janice Warriner

DailyPaintersofColorado.blogspot.com

Endurance Dave Reiter

Autumn Glow by Barbara Churchley

Single Rose by Martha Kisling

Cypress and Poppies by John K Harrell

DailyPaintersofColorado.blogspot.com

cfai.co

Sunset Meditation by Astrid Paustian

Spring Time Serenade

by Dianna Fritzler

State of Art Colorado

Soul’s Dream

by Kit Mahoney

Cheri Homaee www.cfai.co/cherihomaee

CheriHomaee.com

Carol McIntyre

www.cfai.co/carolmcintyre

PaintingHarmony.com

Susan Santiago

www.cfai.co/susansantiago

SusanSantiago.net

Amy Whitehouse

www.cfai.co/amywhitehouse AmyWhitehousePaintings.blogspot.com

Carol Engles

www.cfai.co/carolengles

CarolEnglesArt.blogspot.com Autumn Oaks, oil, 6x12

Daily Painters

DailyPainters.com

Diane Whitehead

Becky Joy

cfai.co

Malibu Cliffs by Carol Hein

David Larson Evans

Felicia Marshall

Monique Straub Blooms by Kimberly Conrad

Debbie Lincoln

DailyPainters.com

Kay Crain

Suzanne Berry

Joe Mancuso

Tom Brown

Connie Chadwell

cfai.co

Nancy Eckels

Daily Painters

Deb Kirkeeide

Kay Smith

www.obra-de-gonzalez.com www.cfai.co/anthonyagonzalez/

Anthony A.

. Gonzรกlez

AnthonyAGonzalez.blogspot.com/

Barbara Churchley www.cfai.co/barbarachurchley

Barbara Churchley is an award winning artist who captures the moods of the landscape one canvas at a time in an expressive style all her own.

barbara@barbarachurchley.com www.barbarachurchley.com Signature Member, www.cfai.co Signature Member, www.pleinairartistscolorado.com Signature Member, www.i-p-a-p.com Associate Member, www.waow.org Associate Member, www.oilpaintersofamerica.com

Alegria #2

Alegria #1

Alegria #3

Annie O'Brien Gonzales www.cfai.co/anniegonzales AnnieOBrienGonzales.com anniego@mac.com

Elaine Monnig www.cfai.co/elainemonnig

ElaineMonnig.com

www.cfai.co/elainemonnig

www.cfai.co/patriciameyer

Pat Meyer www.cfai.co/patriciameyer

PatMeyer-artist.com

Carol Hein CarolHein.com

CarolHein@sbcglobal.net

www.cfai.co/carolhein

Sheri Jones www.cfai.co/sherijones

SheriArt.net SheriArt.blogspot.com

Melody Cleary MelodyCleary.com

www.cfai.co/melodycleary

Originals or fine art prints at Fine Art America Notecards at Zazzle Facebook page "Melody Cleary - Oregon Artist"

www.cfai.co/carolhein

Becky Enabnit Silver BeckyEnabnitFineArt.com/

AarRivergallery.com

www.cfai.co/beckysilver

Nancy Medina NancyMedina.com

www.cfai.co/nancymedina

NancyMedina.com

Ione Citrin

ArtbyIone.com

California

www.cfai.co/IoneCitrin/

IONE CITRIN

www.cfai.co/diannafritzler

Dianna Fritzler

"Celebration" 36" x 18" x 2"

$1200

DFritzlerStudio.com

Nancee Jean Busse

www.cfai.co/nanceejeanbusse

NanceeJean.com

The Artist's Magazine's 28th Annual Art Competition 7500 entries; 30 winners "Under the Surface" Acrylic 30x30 Honorable Mention, Still Life Category

Brad Rickerby www.cfai.co/bradrickerby

BradRickerby.com

Svetlana Novikova www.cfai.co/svetlananovikova

www.SvetlanaNovikova.com

Art by Paula Peacock cfai.c Featured Artist Januar

Blossoming Trees

Autumn Oaks, oil, 6x12

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Jane Robinson www.cfai.co/janerobinson

JaneRobinsonAbstractArt.com

Judy Nocifora www.cfai.co/judynocifora

JudyNocifora.com

"A Breath of Spring" Original Works in Oil

by Judy Joy Nocifora Studio

Lynn Rushton www.cfai.co/lynnrushton

Forces of Love.

LynnRushton.com

Gabriele Bitter www.cfai.co/GabrieleBitter/

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GabrieleBitter.com ArtistsofGermany.blogspot.com

Kimberly Conrad cfai.co/kimberlyconrad

Pouring Color into your life.

KimberlyConradFineArt.com

www.cfai.co/kimberlyconrad

Mary Jo Zor www.cfai.co/maryjozorad ZoradArt.com

rad www.cfai.co/maryjozorad

Diane Whitehead

Art Out West DianeWhitehead.com ArtOutWest.blogspot.com

www.cfai.co/dianewhitehead

Texas Contemporary Western Illustrator

Debbie Lincoln www.cfai.co/debbielincoln

DebbieLincoln.com

Laurie Justus Pace www.cfai.co/lauriepace

Laurie Justus Pace

ELLEPACE.COM

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Once upon a time....

COMING SOON

Art Tells the Story Watch for our first collectors book due out in early fall 2012.

Follow us on our blog:

ArtTellsTheStory.blogspot.com

www.cfai.co/lynnruston

Submit your Portfolio for admission to CFAI.co All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

March 2012 Volume 1