Name that artist!

Shayna here. As Gallery One’s “Patrons of the Arfs,” Clancy and I rub elbows (and noses) with dozens of famous artists. To us, they’re just regular humans (only exceptionally talented). To our folks, they’re part of the family. But I digress. We know and love them, and once you get to know them as we do, you will too. So let’s all get better acquainted with this week’s ArtSmartz.

1. Imagine if you were a bee coming in for a landing on a gorgeous flower. This artist is known for magnificent close-up paintings of brightly illuminated flowers that give you that same perspective. This floral artist is the son of musicians who encouraged his artistic talents. As this artist says, "The light is the real subject of my work. The flower is the stage, the light is the dancer.” What is his name?
2. This talented Russian artist attended the St. Petersburg Academy of Art, one of the world’s most prestigious art schools. His portraits of flamenco dancers, musicians and the female form are dramatic and captivating. (You’ll get an “A” if you can name the artist.)
3.  His wildlife paintings come in ALL shapes and sizes – tall and narrow and short and wide. His love of all things wild also applies to his sense of humor and sense of style. He has an impressive collection of zany and colorful Hawaiian shirts. But when it comes to his subjects, he knows them inside out, having majored in art and minored in biology at Willamette University. Who is this wild and crazy guy?
4. This artist was best known for his watercolors of rural Amish scenes and landscapes of northeastern Ohio. He was especially drawn to winter scenes because he was able to see the structure of the trees and considered it to be a very meditative time of year. Despite his fondness for winter, he rarely used white paint in his watercolor paintings; any white was most likely the paper. Name this artist.
5. The work of this critically acclaimed fine artist is exhibited at Gallery One and galleries across the country. He is also a well-known actor whom Baby Boomers will remember from his 1950s hit TV show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (which also starred Bob Denver as his beatnik BFF, Maynard). Collectors love his renderings of cottages with inviting pathways bordered by flowers. Who is this artist?
6. Things are not always as they seem in this artist’s work. He combines architectural elements with illusions of perspective to give reality some magical possibilities. In his artwork, the imagination transforms clouds into snow-capped mountains; a quilt becomes an aerial patchwork of farmland. Name this artist, born in Toronto in 1959.
7. Born in Hollywood, this artist worked at Walt Disney Studios for more than twenty years as a background animation specialist. He worked on many short subjects and a dozen films including The Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh and Beauty and the Beast. After leaving the motion picture industry he became a fulltime artist, painting vibrant tropical rainforests, lush woods and the splendor of romantic destinations such as Giverny. What is his name?
8. This artist is considered by many to be the world’s top aviation artist. As a boy in California, he’d watch the Air National Guard F-86s taking off and landing at the Van Nuys Airport. Besides being an award-winning artist, he is an accomplished pilot who spent a tour of duty in the Air Force, including an assignment in Vietnam. In 2005 the USPS released his American Advances in Aviation stamps. In addition to aviation art, this artist is known for his nostalgic landscapes featured in the picturesque Phillips Bay series. Can you name him?
9. After completing an Army stint, this artist studied at the Art Center in Los Angeles on the G.I. Bill. He later formed a successful ad agency. His future wife introduced him to the simplicity of farm life in the San Fernando Valley. This was the artistic influence that led him to pursue primitive art, and he became known for his Americana Calendars. His colorful nostalgic art is still widely collected. Name the artist.
10. This artist was born in Shanghai. He came to the U.S. in 1987 and fell in love with the beauty of the land. The son of an art professor, he was educated in China and later earned his MFA at New York’s Pratt Institute School of Art and Design. A favorite subject is boats docked in the harbor. He has the remarkable ability to capture the light, atmosphere and mood of such settings. These, he believes, are similar in the U.S. and China, saying “Our similarities are greater than our differences.”

ANSWERS TO WEEK #8

1. 10+ faces
2. 10+ wildebeest
3. Sheep, horn, top, pan, bell, pocket watch. . .
4. 8 dandelions in bloom
5. 57 (counting the shooter)
6. Haberdashery, Johnson Shoes, Lugo Restaurant, Gentry Dance Studio, Paris Isabella Dress Shop, Drew’s Coffee, Main & Wright Street Car, Shirley’s Flower Stand, Morrison’s Ice Cream Wagon, Fire Station #1
7. Fish, two birds, a lady, a leopard, a frog, a soldier, two men
8. A burrowing owl, a pearl-spotted owl and a tawny owl
9. 22 gulls
10. In lower right-hand corner

It's all in the details!

Art – you can look at art again and again and spot hidden details you never noticed. That gave Shayna and me an idea. We thought it would be fun to go outside in camo and see if our folks could find us. It would have worked too, had we made it past this flowered rug. So we thought it would be fun to test your powers of observation and see how many details you can spot in the artwork described in this week’s installment of ArtSmartz. (If you get stumped, don’t go chasing your tail over details; we’ll post the answers next week.)

1. Speaking of camouflage, artist Bev Doolittle is famous for her art with hidden elements. In The Forest Has Eyes a lone rider has the feeling he is being watched. How many faces are hidden in the forest?
2. Robert Bateman traveled to Kenya where he saw a herd of wildebeests, just as the sun was setting. His painting, Wildebeest at Sunset was published in England, but many of the prints were destroyed in shipment to the U.S. Gallery One is lucky to have gotten this rare print. See if you can count how many wildebeest it depicts.
3. In Dean Morrissey’s giclée canvas, The Dreamer’s Trunk, we see the Sandman with his collection of remnants from children’s dreams, gathered for safekeeping. In his trunk are more than 100 such items. Name five of them.
4. Wildlife artist Carl Brenders paints details like no one else. In his giclée canvas Colorful Playground, two cottontail rabbits are surrounded by dandelions, a common flowering edible plant in Europe and North America. Five of the blooms have gone to seed; how many are fully opened?
5. Wiped Out by artist Jim Daly is a giclée canvas of three little boys shooting marbles while their dog waits patiently. How many marbles can you find?
6. Artist Lynn Kaatz’s colorful giclée canvas Main Street Town shows a bustling street scene. Name six of the establishments it depicts.
7. James Christensen is known for his imaginative artwork. His new giclée canvas, Old Man with a Lot on His Mind illustrates just a few of the life experiences in the memory of someone who has lived a long life. Name seven of the things that are on this man’s mind.
8. Whooo can correctly name the three different owl species in the giclée canvas entitled Kinship by Michael Dumas?
9. Artist Rowenna’s giclée canvas Sand and Sea beckons you to its inviting beach. How many gulls are there?
10. Artist Zac Kinkade’s limited edition print Noah’s Ark shows the myriad creatures safely ashore after the Great Flood. See if you can find the giant tortoise pair.

ANSWERS TO WEEK #7

1. Thomas Kinkade
2. Jim Daly
3. Citizens Band
4. Steve Hanks
5. Minstrel in the Mill
6. From Out of the Fifties – Rock and Roll
7. Courting Pair – Whistling Swans
8. Three Black Ties
9. The Library
10. Solitary Voice

It's time to face the music!

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” - Leopold Stokowski

And sometimes, artists paint music on canvas. So this week, Shayna and I thought it would be fun to explore artwork that celebrates music! (And that’s me, serenading Shayna in the picture shown here.)

1. Leopold Stokowski, quoted above, conducted the classical music in the animated Disney film Fantasia. And this famous American artist, known as “The Painter of Light,” depicted Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer’s apprentice, orchestrating the magical dance in a dazzling giclée entitled Fantasia. Name this artist.
2. Nashville is the home of country music, and the Grand Ole Opry is where all country musicians hope to perform someday, including this little guy. Sitting on a porch swing, he’s barely big enough to hold the guitar. But every aspiring musician has to start somewhere, including The Budding Star. Who is the artist?
3. Award-winning photographer Alan Brown restored a historic old photograph to create this nostalgic giclée canvas. It features a band of musicians, gathered under a gazebo in Painesville, OH in the late 1800s. What is the title?
4. In this limited edition giclée canvas, a jazz funeral procession makes its way through Jackson Square in New Orleans, accompanied by a group of street musicians who join in the tribute. Name the artist who painted New Orleans: Celebrating Life, Death and the Pursuit of Happiness.
5. Artist Dean Morrissey also plays guitar. Being a musician, it’s no wonder that this little chipmunk that he painted can play a symphony of starry notes on his clarinet. What is the name of this delightful giclée canvas?
6. Cleveland rocks, and we have the Hall of Fame to prove it! Photographer Jim Ptacek is known for his iconic photos of Cleveland landmarks, some of which are featured in this commemorative fine art poster that pays tribute to many rock legends from the 1950s. What is the title?
7. Some birds sing, but not these large white waterfowl, with long graceful necks. They mate for life, and as part of their courtship ritual, they whistle, as depicted in this striking limited edition print by artist Robert Bateman. Name the title of this artwork.
8. Artist Tim Rogerson has said that he gets ideas for his paintings from experiencing life, going places and meeting people such as these. What is the title of his giclée canvas featuring three extremely colorful musicians?
9. This intriguing limited edition giclée canvas by artist J. Scott Nicol combines volumes of art history with pop culture, depicting two of the Beatles. What is the title?
10. Ohio wildlife artist David Wenzel painted a lone wolf, howling his song in the snowy woods. What is the title of this dramatic original painting?

ANSWERS TO WEEK #6

1. Edna Hibel
2. Rowenna
3. Cassandra Barney (James Christensen)
4. June Carey
5. Diana Weber Gardner
6. Bev Doolittle
7. Jane Jones
8. Nita Engle
9. Cassandra Gillens
10. Behold

Famous Women in Art

Shayna here. Being a public figure, I understand the fascination that others have with us luminaries. So Clancy and I decided that this week’s installment of ArtSmartz would be about famous female artists. (OK, I decided and bribed Clancy.) Be forewarned: HE gets to pick the topic another week. . .Boys!

1. This famous artist and humanitarian died in 2014 at the age of 97. During her life, she was cited for her innovations in the art of original stone lithography and porcelain. In 1995, she was commissioned by the Foundation of the National Archives to commemorate the 75th anniversary of women receiving the universal right to vote. Lucy Baines Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, proclaimed her the “heart and conscience of America.” For more than half a century this artist raised donations for children’s and medical charities and worked for peace and international cultural understanding. In 2007 she opened a Mother’s Day exhibit of her work at Gallery One where a number of her works are on exhibit. Name this famous woman.
2. A Cleveland native and American impressionist, this artist paints tranquil landscapes and garden settings inspired by time spent on Nantucket and her travels to the Mediterranean. Name this artist.
3. Her subjects are women who are beautiful, not by Hollywood standards, but rather because they possess a quiet beauty reflecting a range of emotions. Layered in symbolism, her portraits express complexity and feminine strength of character. As a child, she visited the world’s great art museums with her famous artist father, in whose studio she loves to paint. Who is she? (For extra credit, name her artist father.)
4. This talented landscape artist grew up in a Pennsylvania farmhouse filled with the music of Italian opera. When she saw California’s wine country, she was reminded of her childhood home and began painting vineyards, which eventually led her to paint the countryside of Tuscany. Do you know her name?
5. Have you ever wished you could live far off, in your very own lighthouse with the endless views of the ocean and the rhythmic sound of the waves? This new Gallery Giclées artist has homes in two states, both near lighthouses. If you want to own a lighthouse, her giclée canvas entitled My Lighthouse was painted especially for you. Who is the artist?
6. Can you find this artist? She is most famous for her camouflage art that showcases her passions: a love for horses and nature as well as an affinity for the Native American spiritual relationship with the earth and its creatures. Name the artist.
7. Talk about a green thumb - this artist loves flowers, grows flowers in her garden and paints flowers like no one else can! Using an Old Masters technique, she layers oil glazes over her opaque underpainting to achieve a depth of light and luminosity. The result is a contemporary and elegant – her flowers radiate an inner light. An excellent example is her work entitled Shining Moment. Who is the artist?
8. Meet a lady who believes that rules are meant to be broken. Her unique painting techniques of throwing, squirting, pouring and spraying are legendary and have been the subject of books and videos. A member of the American Watercolor Society and one of America’s most prominent watercolorists, this artist lives on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Northern Michigan. She paints only that which she has personally experienced in her travels. Who is this artist?
9. This self-taught artist paints the people and culture of the Low Country of South Carolina. With its vibrant colors and animated figures, her artwork celebrates the seasons, customs and heritage of an area she loves so well. Who is she?
10. The realistic art of Jean Monti celebrates life’s simple, timeless moments made all the more exquisite by her masterful use of glowing light. One such example depicts a mother with her baby. What is the title of this classic giclée?

ANSWERS TO WEEK #5

1. Li River
2. Epreuve d’Artist
3. David Utz (Thornton Utz)
4. Antarctica
5. Dean Morrissey
6. The Washington Memorial
7. Neuschwanstein Castle
8. Robert Bateman
9. Lahaina Afternoon
10. Irish Church and Barn Owl