Saatchi Gallery’s Post

Painting pigments: a journey through geography, cultural beliefs, economics and history. I'm currently attending night school at Birkbeck University in art history, and one area I find fascinating are the colourants used to make art. They have their own story that adds dimensions to art works. Consider this 1872 painting by Charles Francois Daubigny. I'll put a link to some literature sources but just think of these pigment sources listed for this painting in the National Gallery Technical Bulletin Volume 37: White from Lead White. 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2. A very old pigment used all over the world andcreated by mixing shavings of lead with vinegar. It was later replaced by zinc oxide and then titanium white. Black from Black Ivory (aka Bone Black). C, Ca3(PO4)2. Made from charring ivory, horn or bone in a crucible. Roasting bone produced a matte finish black. Used to paint aurochs in the 17000 year old paintings of the Lascaux caves. Red from Vermilion, Cochineal and Madder. HgS. Vermillion was made from the mineral cinnabar. In the 2nd millenium BCE, diviners from the Shang Dynasty used it to draw symbols on incribed ox scapula. Cochineal most commonly came from Mexico and from the insect Opuntia ficus-indica. Crushed insects made a shade called carmine. The Spanish empire kept its production a guarded trade secret. Madder comes from the plant Rubia tinctorum. Traces were found on cotton from 3rd millenium BCE in Mohenjo-daro. Yellow from Cadmium Yellow and possibly Indian Yellow. Cadmium orange and yellow were discovered from a pot of discoloured calamine cream in a German pharmacy. Indian yellow was made from urine of cows in India that were fed mango leaves. Green from Viridian. Cr203.2H20. Chromium was first isolated by Louis Vauquelin in 1797. French chemist C.E. Guignet found a way to hydrate a chromium crystal lattice. Blue from Cobalt Blue. CoO.Al2O3. Developed by Louis Thenard in 1802 from cobalt salts and alumina. Cobalt is derived from German kobold, to describe a monster that made miners sick. Later it was found the cobalt in smaltite was causing the problems. https://lnkd.in/eSUuhWiU #arthistory #pigments #chemistry

Fine art is more than an aesthetic pleasure; it's an investment in culture and history. Specifically, wildlife pastel painting prints capture the essence of nature's beauty, but they are also vulnerable to one of nature's fundamental elements: light. As an art collector, understanding how to protect these treasured pieces is paramount for preserving their beauty and value.

'Back in 2006, or 2007, I painted a kind of a landscape, in a very liquid way; sometimes abstract and sometimes realistic. But I would always add details, like a cow in the foreground watching its shed or hut, standing in a puddle of water. And the cow, in that work, is standing on the hill. But can't go back to the hut... And what I like about that painting, is that there are different levels to it. A daily life scene; a cow watching the effects of global warming. But on another level, maybe I'm the cow, doubting the painted landscape I made. So, there's an irony in my work... It's a mix of abstraction and figuration, and philosophy.' —Sven Kroner For the fifteenth episode of 'Dutch Art & Design Today', I sat down with Sven Kroner, a Düsseldorf-based painter whose works on large-scale canvases making use of acrylics, are simultaneously familiar yet otherworldly, while also being utterly entrancing. Sven was born in Kaufbeuren, then in West Germany, in 1973, surrounded by the verdant landscapes of the Northern Alps, aligning the Austrian and Swiss borders. He describes the nature in this part of Germany as being, 'like a fairytale', and where he spent time with his friends during his youth—as they all dreamed of moving away from their small town, to bigger cities. Not necessarily from an artistic lineage of painters, he came to art of his own volition, after museum visits as a child, taking an interest in contemporary German artists, as well as some of his own experiments using aquarelles and oil paint. Sven then studied painting, at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, from 1994-2000; a city he had never visited before his acceptance there; though it is also where he has lived, and worked, ever since. In this hour-long conversation, Sven and I discuss his childhood spent in southern Germany, and how the landscapes that surrounded him there in the area, influenced how these landscapes returned as a subject, within his work. Sven talks about his time at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf; why he chose to study there; and what he did while there; before zooming in on his mentor at the academy, Dieter Krieg (1937-2005), explaining what he absorbed from him, that he still makes use of, today. Sven is known for paintings that, put simply, create worlds within worlds. He makes use of acrylic paints—a medium he once referred to as nearly being, 'plastic'. It is rare to find an artist of his statue using acrylics instead of oils, and so we also discuss his technique; how he uses the medium to create his work; and how the medium differs from oils. Lastly, we discuss his exhibition titled 'Atmosphere', at Galerie Fons Welters in Amsterdam, from 8 September-14 October 2023, and how his more recent work involves the themes of domesticity, and the Anthropocene. dutchartanddesigntoday.com

Acrylic painting, Title: “The Art of Curating Your Human Garden.” Imagine your life as a canvas, your potential a vibrant bloom waiting to unfold. Just as a sunflower yearns for the sun, our growth depends on who nourishes our spirit. This is where the wisdom of the quote shines – we choose the soil in which we grow. Consider Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the Austrian architect known for his whimsical, organic structures. Inspired by nature's intricate patterns, he created buildings that mirrored the interconnectedness of life. Similarly, surround yourself with individuals who celebrate your uniqueness, like a verdant forest nurturing diverse flora. Likewise, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a champion of sustainable healthcare, navigates complex systems with unwavering optimism. Her work demonstrates the power of collaboration, reminding us that even the sturdiest oak thrives within a supportive grove. Seek out those who believe in your dreams, their encouragement acting like gentle breezes guiding your blossom towards the light. Remember, a curated life starts with intention. Just as you might carefully select a painting for your home or office, choose your companions with purpose. Let their presence be a constant reminder of your potential, an invitation to push beyond limitations and blossom into your most radiant self. Take action today – reach out to those who ignite your spirit, and watch your life transform into a masterpiece. #KindredSpirits #UpliftingCommunity #GrowthMindset #BeYourBest #IntentionalLiving #ArtOfCommunity #BloomWithOthers #Inspire #education #artist #business #kizuruarts

Flowers and colours (extract from https://lnkd.in/eJppDKSB) In the last post of my website’s blog (Summer 2022), I explained what "a series" of works meant to me. Since I started my own business as an artist and author in December 2020, I have created several series similar to the "Japan Aron and the Waiting Room" featured in this last post. Here I present the role of flowers (and two series dedicated to them) in my artistic work. My first "structured" series was undoubtedly the 5 Blooming Flowers of March 2021. For the first time, instead of looking for a perfect frame for an already painted watercolour, I used a series of recycled Ikea frames (found in second-hand shops or donated by family members and friends). I cut out five pieces of paper that could fit into these frames and painted them to create a series of similar flowers. In this series, there are two of my obsessions: recycling used frames as much as possible and painting flowers. Starting in the spring of 2021, I started a new series "Flowers and Plants in My Garden", by painting flowers on a sheet of pure cotton, rough and measuring 15x15 cm. I used as a reference photos taken during during the lockdown and throughout 2020, many of which were posted on my Instagram account before I dedicated that account in November 2020 to photos of my paintings alone. Fifteen of these watercolours (including several landscapes) were framed identically by a now retired artisan (it is the only time I have worked with a framer so far). These 30x30 cm paintings were exhibited several times during the summer of 2021 in the Jardin de la Citadelle, in the village of Phalempin near Lille, during open days. I liked the idea that paintings inspired by my new living environment (the country of Gex, near Geneva) would be exhibited in a garden and in my home region. Like the Blooming Flowers series, this second series of watercolours, Flowers from My Garden, is characterized by the same size, type of paper, and subject. But while the first series is limited to five watercolours, the second series continues to grow every year, with more than 60 paintings created (19 of which shown here).

Want to use photos in your next #DIY project? Check out these tips for ideas. #artsandcrafts

Want to use photos in your next #DIY project? Check out these tips for ideas. #artsandcrafts

Want to use photos in your next #DIY project? Check out these tips for ideas. #artsandcrafts

Want to use photos in your next #DIY project? Check out these tips for ideas. #artsandcrafts

Reclaimed By Shelley Leach 22 x 28" oil on canvas Dumoine River Series This is painting 6 in the series of 10 - Reclaimed, the title for me has become so much more than the original intent of why this painting is called reclaimed. So from the painting Alligator point which really is the "view" of Alligator point , we are traveling on water to the actual point. Once we arrive you find this hidden beach, a very short distance into the forest is this huge wheel, and metal parts. Well, it turns out its what called a Alligator tug these were a type of amphibious vehicle used in the forestry industry throughout Ontario, Quebec. I'll let you, if interested do your own research on this interesting tug, for me it became this Wowzah moment. I did my research after the fact. I felt like some new discoverer following some visual geographical map to find the neatest things. It was super cool and I was so excited. It was abandoned in the forest eons ago and it was slowly being reclaimed by the forest. It just seemed kind of ironic. Did whom ever abandon it there see the same "alligator" geographical feature and decide that's where were going to leave it. Could it really have just happened that way? I have no idea. Maybe they saw things like me or maybe it just broke down there by some weird coincidence. I HAD to paint it. Well it turned out to be a real conversation piece and still is. There's many people who have great interest in these unique amphibious vehicles and their preservation. My way of preserving it was painting it. But the title of this painting took on its own life, "reclaimed" I actually took a image of the painting and made a printed dress out of it, it was very personal to me, still is. To reclaim something intangible is not so easy if not impossible. So it kind of put a physical visual representation to what is/ was/ still is and might always be intangible, for me personally. Dignity is intangible for some but deeply felt by others. So its kind of like duel meaning painting for me. Something I never anticipated but again this is the power of art. This painting is sold and is in a private art collection. #DumoineRiver #ShelleyLeach #Alligatortugs #CanadianArt #VisualArts #OriginalArt #Reclaimed #FineArt #WomenArtists