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Donald Clapper: Vision
Statement
"At the expense of
rejection, I expose my passion with paint for it is with
this strength I spotlight the vulnerable part of me; without
that element, my paintings would be void of feeling. Trompe
l'oeil leaves no room for shyness or timidity, because it
dares to defy reality. I paint with passion and
uncompromising detail to captivate my viewers with the
intrigue of Trompe l'Oeil. The deceptive depth perception,
shadows, unseen light source, and artistically replicated
composition render the illusion.
The best analogy I can express is likened
to reading a good novel or watching a good movie. The viewer
is drawn in, becomes part of the story, or even becomes the
character. I am a gift giver and when I create a work, it is
not only the gift of the painting, it is the ribbons and
bows, suspense and surprise, memories and emotion I bestow,
because it contains part of myself. I intend my painting to
remain forever a pleasure and fountain of joy and
interaction to the viewer and owner."
Donald
Clapper: Biography
DONALD CLAPPER (American, b. 1959), grew up in the Northeast,
home of many great American still life and trompe l'oeil
masters. However, this coincidence did not influence his
attraction to the world of art... it was an unplanned stop
to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia in the late
1980's that became the catalyst that drew him to trompe
l'oeil and classical realist painting. When he saw an
original William Harnett painting, he marveled at Harnett's
ability to create illusionary dimension with incredible
detail and began a personal study on the Dutch still life
painters and the American trompe l'oeil painters of the late
nineteenth century, William M. Harnett, John Haberle and
John F. Peto.
Clapper's painting developed during the
1980-90's in Gainesville, Florida during the quiet evening
and predawn hours. It was during this season, he developed
his own techniques and proficiency as he applied the old
masters' methods of indirect lighting, shadow, glazing and
multi dimensional affects to the canvas. He began his first
series of tabletop still lifes, including "Afternoon Tea",
which won both local and nationwide awards, including a
centerfold award in the Art Calendar Magazine.
After a period of painting still lifes,
Clapper completed "Tribute to William Harnett", a painting
that not only pays homage to his first 'silent mentor'...
what's more, it eludes the viewer to believe it may have
been painted from the studio of none other than John Peto,
Harnett's student and friend.
In 1994, he relocated his family to
Scottsdale, Arizona where he still lives and works in his
Fountain Hills studio. Clapper's study focused once again to
the genre of trompe l'oeil painting including some modern
day masters, namely Ken Davies, Gayle B. Tate and David
Brega. Clapper's work has received regional as well as
national recognition. His award winning oil paintings are
currently available through the Taos Gallery in the downtown
art district of Scottsdale and at the van de Griff / Marr
Gallery on Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM. He stays busy with show
preparations and commissions in both trompe l'oeil and other
still life forms.
Clapper is co-founder of the Trompe
l'Oeil Society of Artists, an exclusive group of today's
finest artists dedicated to the genre of trompe l'oeil,
formed for the purpose of promoting and advancing the
visibility of trompe l'oeil on a national level.
EXHIBITIONS & GALLERIES:
Vanier Galleries; Scottsdale, Arizona
Left Bank Gallery; Dove Canyon, California
Eleanor Ettinger Gallery; Soho, New York
AFFILIATIONS:
Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists -
President and Cofounder
The American Society of Classical Realism, Member
Fountain Hills Art Council, Member
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Member
Larry Charles: Vision Statement
The appeal of
painting trompe l'oeil artwork for me is the "wow factor"
that comes from creating seemingly three-dimensional objects
within a two-dimensional painting space. I believe the
objects can't be just random items that are pretty to paint;
they must help tell a story or illustrate a theme so that
the painting involves the viewer at many different levels.
When I started specializing in the trompe l'oeil genre, I
focused on the nostalgic, classic 1800's style of
composition and technique. Now, I find myself seeking the
challenge of painting 21st Century themes and trying to
introduce innovative compositions or "fool the eye" devices
into the paintings. I don't paint to sell, I paint to
create. It's a challenge that makes every day in my studio a
dream career.
Larry
Charles: Biography
Larry Charles (American, born 1951) is the co-founder of the
Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists. His trompe l'oeil oil
paintings are exhibited at the Van de Griff/Marr Gallery on
Canyon Road in Santa Fe. He also shows his watercolor
paintings in Singapore and his commissioned work appears
frequently in national magazines and books featuring the the
top designer homes in New York City. Prior to becoming a
full-time artist, Charles was the worldwide creative
director for the largest agency on Madison Avenue for
fourteen years. He was an instructor at the University of
Southern California in his younger days. He now maintains
his home and studio in Arizona, and frequently lectures and
writes articles for international art magazines.he
Michael Molnar: Vision Statement
In this age of
rapidly advancing technology, my desire to preserve the
artistic disciplines grow stronger. Reverance and admiration
for the Old masters fuel my passion for painting. My
intention as an artist is to intrique and entertain the
beholder, as well as challenge myself.
Ideas for paintings come to me in a
number of ways. Sometimes the title of a painting will come
to me first, provoked by a conversation or controversy. I
will then try to convey my concept through the subject
matter. Other times an object alone will be my inspiration.
Also, I am often inspired by the scenarios that make up
daily life. Painting from life, I work from the actual setup
or on location. All my canvasses or panels are toned.
Texture is determined by the surface I choose. Oils and
Maroger medium are what I prefer to work with. Using burnt
umber and medium I block in the abstract mass, defining
negative and positive space. Only when the drawing is
refined do I introduce color. I always work large to small,
dark to light, bringing the vision into focus.
Michael Molnar: Resume
EXPERIENCE:
1980-2002 Commercial Art Department,
Luzerne County Community College
1977-2002 Private Teaching and Research of Old Masters
Techniques
1973 Assistant to Leornard Barr, Maryland Institute
EDUCATION:
1990-1991 Studied Under Ann Schuler -
Schuler School of Fine Art, Baltimore, Maryland
1988 Studied Under Joseph Sheppard, Scottsdale, Arizona
1977 Studied Under Vincent Civiletti, Orange,
Pennsylvania
1970-1975 Studied Under Joseph Sheppard,Maryland Institute
College of Art, Degree BFA
1968-1970 Studied Under Howard Percell and Andrew Palencar,
Luzerne County Community College, Pennsylvania
AFFILIATIONS:
Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists
The American Society of Classical Realism, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Allied Artists of America National Arts Club, New York
Knickerbocker Artists, New York
Scottsdale Art School, Scottsdate, Arizona
EXHIBITIONS:
2002 Van de Griff/Gallery, Santa Fe,New
Mexico Invitational Exhibition
2000 Allied Artists of America National Arts Club, New York,
Annual Exhibition
1999 Eastern Sierra Art Foundation, Genoa, Nevada,
Invitational Exhibition
1998 Butler Institute of American Art, Salem, Ohio, Group
Exhibition
1998 Evergreen House of John Hopkins University, Baltimore,
Maryland, Group Exhibition
1998 Mid-West Museum of American Art, Elkhart, Indiana,
Invitiational Exhibit
1998 Washington County Museum, Hagerstown, Maryland, Group
Exhibition
1997 Baltimore Realist: North Gallery, Midwest Museum, Group
Exhibition
1996 Bianco Gallery Buckingham, Pennsylvania, Annual
Exhibition
1995 Newman Galleries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Three Man
Exhibition
1993 Oil Painters of America, Parkridge, Illinois, Group
Exhibition
1992 Schuler School of Fine Art, Baltimore, Maryland,
Invitational Exhibit
1991 Allied Artist of America, National Arts Club, New York,
Annual Exhibition
1991 Schuler School of Fine Art, Baltimore , Maryland,
Invitational Exhibit
1989 American Artist Grand National Exhibition, Salmagundi
Club, New York
1989 Knickerbocker Artists Salmagundi Club, New York, Annual
Exhibition
AWARDS:
2001 Portrait Arts Festival, Metropolitan
Museum, New York (3rd Place Award for Portrait Painting)
2001 Bald Eagle Art League, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
(Windsor & Newton Corporate Award)
2201 Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania (1st
Place Award)
2001 Allied Artist of America, National Arts Club, New York
( The John Young Hunter)
1999 Bianco Gallery, Buckinham, Pennsylvania (Crystal
Springs Farm Award)
1999 Manhatten Arts, New York (Arts Showcase Award for
Painting)
1997 Bianco Gallery, Buckinham, Pennsylvania (Best in Show
Award)
1991 Lycoming County Historical Museum, Williamsport,
Pennsylvania (Best In Show Award)
1989 Scottsdale Artist School,Scottsdale, Arizona (Best In
Show Award for Painting)
1988 Salmagundi Club, New York (Best In Show Award for
Painting)
1977 Bald Eagle Art League, Williamsport, Pennsylvania (Best
in Show Award)
Gerald
P. Hodge: Vision Statement
My love of detail
and working on a small scale led me to pursue a career in
scientific illustration which included medical, botanical,
entomological, and archaeological where close observation,
"patience", and accuracy were required. I apply these
attributes to my trompe l'oeil paintings.
Teaching in the scientific art field at
the University of Michigan required me to be versatile in
many scientific art techniques such as gouache, alkyd,
acrylic, colored pencil, carbon dust, silver point, and pen
and ink, and most of these techniques I use in my current
trompe l'oeil paintings. My paintings are carefully
designed, and I try and go beyond photographic appearances
by adding contrast, adding to or eliminating details, making
shadows more important, and by slightly changing the shapes
and colors of my subject matter in order to enhance the
design and quality of my paintings.
Gerald P.
Hodge: Biography
Gerald P. Hodge (American, born 1920, Denver, Colorado), received
his Bachelor of Fine Art degree in painting from the
University of Colorado, and completed his graduate work in
medical art at Johns Hopkins University. He was the founder
and principal teacher in the Master of Fine Arts program in
medical and biological illustration at the University of
Michigan, and he is Professor Emeritus at the School of Art,
and Professor Emeritus of Medical Education at the Medical
School. He has illustrated numerous books and hundreds of
journal articles pertaining to medical and biological
subjects. Several of his botanical paintings are in the
collection of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He has won
several best-of-Show Awards at the meetings of the
Association of Medical Illustrators.
He teaches trompe l'oeil painting at the
Scottsdale Artists' School in Arizona. Previously he taught
archaeological illustration for a semester at the University
of Yarmouk in Irbid, Jordan, and was a visiting professor
for fifteen years at the University of Toronto. He has given
several workshops at the Smithsonian Institution and the New
York Botanical Garden. Recently he has exhibited his trompe
l'oeil paintings at the Klaudia Marr Gallery in Santa Fe,
and the Eleanor Ettinger Gallery in New York City.
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