Aviation artist, William S. Phillips delights Gallery One collectors

Kristi and Bill Phillips

On Saturday, April 14, William S. Phillips and his lovely wife, Kristi, returned to Gallery One in Mentor. Bill’s background as a firefighter and in the Air Force gave him lots of common ground with his collectors who share the same experiences. They’d gather at the signing table to meet him and get lost in long conversations. In his lecture, Bill spoke about his career as well as the Doolittle Raiders’ reunion he was en-route to at Dayton’s Wright Patterson Air Force Museum. See more images of the show on our site and watch the short clip from his lecture on the video bar at right.

 

 

As one of the world’s top aviation artists, William S. Phillips was commissioned by the Royal Jordanian Air Force to developed 16 major paintings, many of which now hang in the Royal Jordanian Air Force Museum in Amman. The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum presented a one-man show of Phillips' work. He was chosen to be a U.S. Navy combat artist and was awarded the Navy's Meritorious Public Service Award and the Air Force Sergeants Association's Americanism Medal. In 2005, the USPS released his pane of 37 cent stamps - American Advances in Aviation. Another dimension to Bill’s talents lies in his nostalgic landscape scenes. He even created his own idyllic community, Phillips Bay, where picturesque and romantic images abound. In 2004, he was selected as Artist in Residence at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim — another indication of his versatility. Three of Phillips' works were chosen as part of the top 100 in Art for the Parks, and one painting received the Art History Award from the National Park Foundation. Two coffee table books of his works have been published. 

 

We look forward to Bill and Kristi’s next visit. Until then, visit GalleryOne.com to view his complete collection of prints and books.

Introducing new giclée canvases by Michael Dumas

The art of Michael Dumas is characterized by masterful drawing and an unusual sensitivity to the subtleties of light, detail, form, color and composition. His is a unique style that is instantly recognizable. 

Dumas is attracted to subjects that express the simple harmony of the everyday. His extraordinary paintings of typical sights, such as common sparrows, celebrate how exquisite the ordinary truly is. Subjects also include rural themes and people, revealing an intimate connection based on direct experience. “There is something precious and ultimately profound in the simplest act of being,” he said.

Dumas’s familiarity with the wilderness and its creatures has been reflected in his art ever since childhood, when, day after day, he would draw the chickens his aunt and uncle kept next door. Even then, he was demonstrating his intense desire to know things in a deeper sense by drawing them, aware that his drawings were a measure of how well he understood the world around him.

“There are innumerable things one can choose to paint,” said Dumas, whose preferred medium is oil. “But the underlying purpose of creating has to do with conveying something about why those objects inspire attention in the first place. The greater the connection, the more insightful the work will be, the more truth it will reveal, not just about the thing painted, but about the artist as well.”

Michael is best known to Gallery One collectors through his participation in our annual Masterworks in Miniature show where he is a four-time winner of our Master Palette Award. His originals are always much anticipated and well received as are these very affordable hand signed giclées. Read more about them by clicking their titles.

Casual Balance

Grist Mill

Gypsy

Silence in the Shadows

Kinship

A special introductory offer will run through May 5. Buy three Dumas giclées and select a fourth giclée free.

What you need to know before purchasing a Thomas Kinkade

Or, how to avoid buying a fraudulent Kinkade. . .

Thomas Kinkade's book - click to order

When an artist is as popular as Thomas Kinkade (it is said that he is the most collected artist of all time), fraudulent companies rush to cash in. And the internet is helping this along.

Consider that Thom is the most collected artist in Asia...and yet the Thomas Kinkade Company reports that they do not sell to Asia.

And consider that the printing technology of today makes it easy to replicate Thomas Kinkade works, have them appear in a Google search and sell them as authentic to unsuspecting collectors. 

Even authentic works, sold by unauthorized dealers, can be bad buys. While the Kinkade customer service/warranty system is perhaps the best in the business, the Kinkade company works exclusively through authorized dealers. So if you purchased a “problem” work from an unauthorized source, you are probably stuck. Even if you have a Kinkade that is faded or otherwise not perfect, you must work through an authorized dealer to have your problem(s) corrected. Most often, an unauthorized dealer would not even recognize damages such as fading or premature aging. 

Many situations can lead to damaged canvases. Did the canvas hang where there was smoking or undue dust? Has Thom’s signature or have the numbers...faded? Is the canvas itself in good condition or does it show the ravages of time?

What about the Certificate of Authenticity? Is it an authentic certificate? Is there a copy of a bill of sale from the original purchaser to the unauthorized dealer? If not, perhaps the work was stolen.

If the canvas is highlighted, was it highlighted by an authorized Thomas Kinkade Master Highlighter, and is there a genuine certificate of highlighting with proper information from the Kinkade Company? 

Fortunately, it is easy for the collector to avoid problems by working exclusively with a knowledgeable authorized dealer. The Thomas Kinkade Company authorizes very few galleries. And only the cream of the gallery crop are designated as Thomas Kinkade Signature Galleries. To remain an authorized Thomas Kinkade Gallery, a gallery must adhere to solid business practices. And the gallery must be staffed with trained and knowledgeable personnel. Appropriate pricing, attractive displays, adequate signage and business integrity are basic requirements.

You can call the Thomas Kinkade Company at 800-366-3733 to check on a gallery or to make certain that a Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery is in good standing. You want to be certain that you are spending your dollars wisely.
Of course, art fraud is not limited to works by Kinkade. Several years ago, the Greenwich Workshop and authorities were able to halt distribution of unauthorized works by Bev Doolittle. Gallery One in Mentor, OH recognized and halted sale of several falsified Bateman works. Fraudulent works by Pino, Peter Max, Bateman, Philippe Noyer and Doolittle, among others, have been spotted by knowledgeable dealers and reported to artists and publishers.

So choose your gallery with care. Feel free to call fine art publishers to check on their authorized art dealers. Don’t just rely on an internet search. Oh...and always trust your “gut.”

Thomas Kinkade - In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we bring you news of the untimely death of our artist and friend, Thomas Kinkade. As those of you who met Thom during his Gallery One appearances know, he was a kind and charming man...and one of the greatest art talents of our time. The "Painter of Light" was adored by many as evidenced by the fact that 1 in 20 homes in America have a Kinkade image hanging on their walls. He was a loving and devoted husband and father to his wife Nanette and his four daughters, Merritt, Chandler, Winsor and Everett. All of us at Gallery One extend our sincerest heartfelt sympathy to each of them.

In his own words, "I try to create paintings that are a window for the imagination," ... "If people look at my work and are reminded of the way things once were or perhaps the way they could be, then I've done my job." He wanted to offer people a cozy, idealized view of the world. Many times the works had a biblical theme. This offered his collectors further comfort and support at times of stress or sorrow. He was not ashamed to put his beliefs into his art. This endeared him to his fans, but not necessarily the art critics.

Thomas Kinkade lectures and sketches at Gallery One

Thomas Kinkade unveils Christmas Chapel I

Thom had most recently visited Gallery One on October 17, 2009 during his "Share the Light" tour. It was a weekend of valuable information and excitement for all. On the 16th, to preview the event, Felicia Zavarella Stadelman lectured about the influence of Norman Rockwell on Thom's paintings. During Thom's lecture, he drew a pencil sketch which was auctioned off for charity afterwards. To the delight of his fans, he unveiled his newest release, Christmas Chapel I. He finished at the signing table by greeting his collectors and personally signing their art.

Thomas Kinkade greets collectors and signs their art

A special Thomas Kinkade tribute complete with art, memorabilia and films is in progress now at Gallery One. We will continue to represent his works at our Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery, Mentor OH. We have been in contact with our order processing friends at Kinkade Headquarters and they have assured us that they are working overtime to expedite Gallery One orders. See the COMPLETE KINKADE FINE ART COLLECTION at http://www.galleryone.com/artframing/kinkade.html.