Blog

Festival Finds. We went with friends to the Laguna Art festival on a recent Sunday afternoon.  I go most years and am always struck by the quality of the work. Although one can say that good art is just a matter of taste, I think it is more than that.  I believe skill, design, originality, execution, and soul are the foundations of good art. I am still learning to appreciate quality regardless of my taste.  With these thoughts in mind, I  wandered around this extensive art show appreciating.   But, after all was said and done, I must admit that I honed in on paintings by three artists that simply appealed to me. These were all figurative paintings. No surprise.

Michael Harnish showed two huge paintings of people in their daily lives.   Both paintings expressed authentic moments in interesting interior spaces. Neither was hyper-realistic nor sentimental.

Bruce Vanderwilt  seems to effortlessly capture the essence of his subject.  His gesture, form, and expressive brushwork truly appeal to me. 

I am always drawn to paintings by Ken Auster .  He is a master of composition, painterly style, and light. Auster sees an interesting world and shares that world with us.

I am inspired by these artists.  Although their work painfully reminds me of all the hard work that is ahead, I also feel encouraged.  Perhaps I am second guessing but, like these three painters, I strive to capture humanity and create beauty with an original hand.