Original artwork description:

This portrait of a man in profile portrays him with a solemn expression that prompted me to call him “Preacher Man.” In it I use high contrasts of light and dark to present a quickly readable abstract pattern, which in turn contains realistic details and modeling in the shaded and highlighted areas. I combine realism with elements of abstract patterns, as in the repeated circles in Preacher Man’s hat and beard.

The painting has received some attention in art circles, winning a prize at a regional art show, “Artistic License” at Studio 659 in Indiana. It was also quite favorably reviewed by Art Professor Woodward of Albright College in Pennsylvania, she says: “I see deliberate emphasis on solidity of form in these works, reminiscent of the early paintings of Cezanne and Matisse (a Modernist association). ‘Preacher Man’ ... is an interesting amalgamation of flat shapes that maintain portions of their structural identify despite the merger of contoured edges describing form. I agree with the artist’s assessment of realism crossing over into abstraction, but I also see a more sophisticated blending of local and expressive color. The figure’s jacket and right side of face offer nuanced cool hues, softly blended into smoky violet tonalities. The atmospherically flat red-orange ground provides a striking contrast to the somber mood of the remaining color palette. But I like that the deeper violet crosses over the top left edge of the picture plane, containing the reddish color block. The black lines within the figure also help to organize the space, and allow the visual movement to travel in an extreme diagonal…” Really? Reminiscent of the early works of Cezanne and Matisse? Really? They are two of my favorite artists!

Shipped as is in U.S. For international sales: In order to keep shipping rates low, this painting is shipped as a rolled canvas. The rolled canvas is wrapped around wooden stretcher bars that can be used to re-stretch it after arrival.

Materials used:

Oil on canvas

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