A few new pieces were hung this week at Vino Bello in Burien. These will be on display and available for purchase until April 21.
Acrylic on canvas. Diptych 2 x 24 x 24, 2011.
Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30, 2011.
Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30, 2011.
Acrylic on canvas. Diptych 2 x 24 x 24, 2011.
Aside from the Snapshot Series, I have been working on various other landscapes. These paintings are explorations into different styles and techniques but are not far removed from the work in the Snapshot Series.
Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 36 x 12, 2010.
Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30, 2010.
Following are other interpretations of the Snapshot Series. I am still exploring the use of white to frame the focus point.
Acrylic on canvas. Diptych 2 x 24 x 24, 2011.
Acrylic on canvas. 24 x 12. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 10 x 10. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 10 x 10. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 48 x 48. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 36 x 24. SOLD
This is about the extent of sketching that I do for new a painting. I don’t get a lot of time to sketch, though I would love to have more time. Between work as a Creative Director and my other interests, there simply is not much time left for me to sit down and dedicate time to better, more frequent sketching.
When planning a new painting, I almost always have a near-finished composition in my head before approaching the canvas. Many times, I’ll do a loose sketch as shown below to help me visualize the composition prior to committing paint to the canvas. I never map out color or details, just general composition and form. I let the process of painting dictate the color and other details.
This sketch is another abstract landscape that will be done in the style of Coastline and Blackbird. Minimalistic with an emphasis on the horizon line and forms that hint to the subject.
Preliminary sketch for diptych. 2010.
After the sketch, I paint in the basic shapes on 2 canvases mounted together on the easel.
Initial sketch on canvas.
Next, general blocks of color and fine tuning:
By the last image, good overall progress has been made to show the general composition and color palette. The foreground, which will be snow covered, will be painted next, followed by overall fine tuning to finish it off. There is some work to be done on the sky and clouds, but that will be the last step of the process. Stay tuned for the finished piece.
Finished work:
Acrylic on canvas. 2 x 24 x 24 diptych, 2011.
Following are works that are in my current Snapshot Series, in which I am framing the focus point of the painting (the landscape) in an off white “frame”. The result gives the impression of a “snapshot”, hence the title. I began toying with this idea back in 2000, when I began doing abstract landscapes with white borders. I have always been fascinated with weathered paint, usually on the exteriors of old barns that were so prevalent in West Virginia during family trips each summer or weathered houses that sit along America’s coasts. I began experimenting with this look as a frame to my paintings, dividing the point of focus and the outlying expanse of nothingness.
A background in design also influenced the orderly arrangement and overall design of these paintings. As a designer, I love whitespace and the powerful effect it has on items of interest and hierarchical arrangements. My work is an exploration of the visual effect of whitespace and its relationship to the landscape.
Oil on canvas. 30 x 20, 2000
Acrylic on canvas. 24 x 24. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 30 x 40.
Acrylic on canvas. 30 x 40.
Acrylic on canvas. 24 x 24. SOLD
Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30, 2011.
Some of my work is currently on display at Vino Bello in Burien, WA.
Copyright © 2012 | John R. Stebbins: Paintings