Artist Research: Audrey Kawasaki

I am in love with Audrey Kawasaki's work. There is something ethereal, subtle, and mysterious about her paintings. She primarily paints with oil paint on wood panels.



Looking at her paintings, I would never have guessed that she used oil paint. You can definitely see cross-hatching and the images look so flat and smooth.



I think the portraits are beautiful, although you can tell that she probably paints mostly from imagination, since all of her faces look the same. However, that doesn't really bother me. I love how she combines portraits with patterns. The way she paints hair is amazing, too. She makes it so long, flowy, and expressive.

Letter of Encouragement

Dear Amber,

How is the art-making coming? Making progress? Still doubting yourself? I've seen what you can do, how far you've come since you started, and I think you can push yourself even farther! The potential to be really great is there, if only you could stop worrying and concentrate on making. I know it's hard when you compare yourself to other artists, but you just have to let them motivate you, rather than discourage you. No one makes perfect art all the time, if there is such a thing. What one person thinks looks amazing, another will think is utter garbage. So you can't depend on approval and acceptance with your artwork. Sure, you need to be noticed and liked to make it in this industry, but you need to make art for YOU. What do you like in a piece of art? What attracts you? What repels you? Don't copy anyone's style. You can learn from what others have done in the past, but ultimately, you need to find your own unique voice.

I know it's easy to be distracted by books, TV, the Internet, etc., and it's so much easier to save things for later rather than working on something right now. But right NOW is the only time you can do anything. If you keep putting off your artwork, you'll never know what you can do, or what you're good at. The only way to become an artist is to BE an artist. You know what they say (and I know you hate this saying, but it does work), "Fake it 'till you make it!"

Start taking yourself more seriously. Don't dismiss everything you make as "boring, stupid, or uncreative". Someone might actually want to buy that "boring, stupid, uncreative" piece! And, trust me, nothing you make is as bad as you think it is. Just think how good you'd be if you stopped caring what people might think of your art. The pieces where you cared less and just drew, painted, sculpted, etc., ended up better than anything you spent hours planning and conceptualizing.

Okay? Now, get back to work!

-Sol Lewitt

Artist Research: Vladimir Kush

Kush is a Russian surrealist oil painter. He paints beautiful, dream-like environments with metaphorical content. His use of color is vivid and luminous.



I really love how realistic these paintings are. It's as though somewhere out there, there could be a world that looks just like this.



I love how he combines different kinds of imagery together to make an interesting narrative. I feel like when I am looking at his paintings I am looking at all sorts of hidden meanings.

Virtual curated exhibition

My idea for my exhibition is to include artists whose work I am really drawn to and who have inspired me in some way. The main theme is going to be about fantasy and surrealism. I am thinking about titling it "Fantastical Worlds". Most of the artists I include will be leaning towards realistic and illustrative qualities. The artists I plan on including are: James Jean, Brian Froud, Yoshitaka Amano, Donato Giancola, James Gurney, and possibly a few more that I have not decided on. What these artists have in common is that their work tends to be narrative, dream-like, and immersive. Some of them are stylistically different, yet they are similar in subject matter and theme.

Artist Research: Donato Giancola

I just recently discovered this artist, Donato Giancola, and I am simply amazed by his skill and talent. His work is so imaginative and his level of detail is insane. He draws inspiration from the old masters of painting, like Caravaggio, Vermeer, William Bouguereau, and Hans Memling. When I look at his paintings, I am definitely reminded of baroque and renaissance art.





His work is very dramatic. I can really get the sense of the narrative that he is conveying. The way he paints light and shadows is incredibly beautiful. I enjoy the areas of saturated color, which add nice contrast.



Giancola's paintings transport you into another world, making you part of the story he weaves. I love how each part of his painting is interesting, not just the focal area, but everywhere in the painting. There's always something to catch your eye.

Artist Research: James Gurney

I really, truly admire James Gurney's work. The level of realism and detail is phenomenal. I think it is incredible that he creates these worlds with dinosaurs and humans coexisting in his Dinotopia books. They look so real and believable.



I've flipped through his book on color and light, and it is incredibly informative. You can tell he knows what he is doing by how deliberately and intelligently he paints color. I think that it is awesome that he still paints with oil paint, considering how illustration has been shifting to the digital realm.




I absolutely love his portraits as well. They are beautiful and really capture the individuality of the model. I like how he uses minimal brushstrokes to define certain areas, like the hair, and renders focal areas, like the eyes, nose and lips, with more detail.



I hope to one day be able to paint/draw at his skill level. He is definitely an artist I would love to emulate.

Artist Research: Aubrey Beardsley

I am loving Aubrey Beardsley's work. His drawings make a big impression, even though they are in black and white. His linework is beautiful and delicate. I really enjoy all the white space and the flatness of the forms. It looks like his work was inspired by the Japanese woodblock prints.



I also really like how he incorporates patterns in his drawings. They aren't all over the place, but rather in specific areas that draw your eye in. The sense of narrative is great too. The figures interact with each other and have expressive faces. It's like he captured a scene from a story perfectly.