International Artist December - January 2021/ No. 136

Welcome to the 136th issue of International Artist magazine, which was started by founder Vincent Miller in 1998 and is in its 22nd year. This magazine is written by artists for artists, and it has never lost its direction. In this issue we have five demonstrations with techniques and tips from artists around the world. International Artist has helped introduce to the world many now-famous artists. Our features with Harley Brown, John Lovett and James Gurney are an all-star lineup seen nowhere else. Our dedication to the Art of the Portrait every issue is a testament to our longstanding partnership with The Portrait Society of America. With every edition, a renaissance occurs in the pages of this magazine from masters to students. We are thrilled to be the new stewards of this magazine…

Quebec, Canada White River in Flood, acrylic, 12 x 36" (30 x 91 cm) Struck by Nature Around 1979 when Philippe Giroux made his debut as an artist, he was primarily working in pointillism, but he transitioned in 1984 to trades related to the art field. For 30 years, he worked as a graphic designer, set designer, window dresser, copy artist, muralist and was a finish painter of imitation woods, marbles and materials. In 2014, at age 55, he returned to a fine art career. Today, he works in a style that has been described by F. X. Lopez, a professor of art history, as “baroque realism.” The works, done in smooth applications of acrylic to create a lifelike scene on canvas, often are inspired by the natural world. “I draw…

Ontario, Canada Otter Lake, oil, 24 x 30" (61 x 76 cm) My Inspiration I find our beautiful Ontario landscape, and especially our luminous waters, endlessly inspiring and love to paint in plein air. The year 2017 was the 100th anniversary of the death of Tom Thomson, the eighth member of the Group of Seven, and a few of us decided to follow in his footsteps. Canoe Lake, where he painted, was too hard to get to, so we had to settle for nearby Otter Lake. A number of small oil sketches were produced and many photographs. In Ontario, our summers are short and our winters long so I rely on my photos and sketches to inspire me during the indoor months. This painting was developed from references that I gathere…

Washington, USA Sombrio Beach, oil, 18 x 36" (46 x 91 cm) My Inspiration Having grown up in the U.K. and now living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, I have developed a lifelong love of atmospheric perspective. Mist, cloud and unusual light combined with layers of landscape always inspire. This particular scene, Sombrio Beach on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, was so exquisitely full of atmosphere I just had to paint it. My brother-in-law and his family live on the island and they introduced me to the place a year or so ago. It is a magical, mystical place, set on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. With layers of coastline receding into nothing and the subtle light and contrast of the foreground rocks it is a little of…

New Hampshire, USA, Over the River and Through the Years, oil, 11 x 14" (28 x 36 cm) FINALISTS Each receives an Award Certificate and a one-year subscription to International Artist magazine PLUS having their work seen worldwide by international galleries looking for new talent. My Inspiration Last year, my wife and I stayed at a bed-and-breakfast in Arlington, Vermont, that had once been the home of Norman Rockwell, my earliest art hero. Just walking through the home and his studio was a shot in the arm, knowing all the great work he did here. The area all around looked like Rockwell paintings, so I got up the first morning before dawn and scouted it out. Just a hundred yards or so down the road straight out his front door was this great…

Connecticut, USA Lily on Pond, oil, 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm) My Inspiration This picture is full of my longing for my hometown and reminiscent of my childhood. Since I left my parents at the age of 10, I lived with my grandparents. For me, at that time, homesickness was a child’s secret. When I was homesick, I would go into nature to see the clouds gathering and dispersing, and I would get closer to nature as if the weeds also understood my homesickness. With my parents, I would sit by the pond full of lilies, putting my feet in the pond, feeling the water and chatting while admiring the lilies. I often dream about my childhood, so this work is more a mental image than just a…