The Salmagundi Club Library is presenting an exhibition of contemporary realist portraiture featuring an alluring array of paintings, drawings, and sculptures from over 20 renowned fine artists. Dates: Through May 31, 2024 Curated by: Artist Michael Fetherston, Club Member & GCA Alum by Lorenzo Narciso Curated by artist Michael Fetherston, the show brings together a variety of aesthetic visions to one of the oldest and most celebrated genres of art. “Throughout history, from Da Vinci to Sargent, it’s the portrait paintings that seem to fascinate us the most,” comments Fetherston. “While t ..read more

The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be joining us on the faculty of Pastel Live, September 18-20, 2024, with an Essential Techniques Day on September 17. Learn more and secure your spot at PastelLive.com. Watch ‘How to Easily Bring a Portrait to Life featuring Carol Peebles’ > Watch as art publisher Eric Rhoads interviews Carol Peebles on this episode of Art School Live! . Contemporary realism portrait painting by Carol Peebles“Choosing Her Revolution: My Chick In Flight” by Carol Peebles Fast-track your painting skills with tips and tricks f ..read more

Meet this week’s top Realism Today Ambassador, Nika Nyoko: Nika Nyoko is a Bulgarian freelance illustrator with a Master’s degree in Art Pedagogy, specializing in watercolor and oil painting. With 15 years of experience in illustrating children’s books, Nika’s passion now lies in exploring human connections and self-awareness through her artwork. Her paintings are a reflection of her own introspection, utilizing multi-layered compositions that blend old master techniques with modern digital sensitivities. Nika’s sensitive nature and high degree of empathy are evident in the philosophical inte ..read more

The American artist Michael Shane Neal uses two palettes for his portrait painting sessions. One of them, smeared with varying hues, he holds aloft in his left hand while working on a canvas, his live subject often posed in a chair nearby. The other palette rests on the fireplace mantle of his 10th-floor studio in New York City’s National Arts Club. Michael Shane Neal, American portrait artist When Neal picks it up, he claims to feel a certain energy emanating from the wood, for it belonged to John Singer Sargent. “I keep his palette in a Plexiglas case,” says Neal, “but I take it out often a ..read more

“My artwork is a reflection of the people I see,” says Angie (Angela) Redmond. “I create oil on canvas portraits and figurative paintings that focus on redefining stereotypes placed on black bodies within society. These stereotypes include black people being associated with a struggle, crime, or some sort of aggression. “By painting candid images (from cell phone photos I have taken) of friends, family, and community members going about their daily lives and being themselves, I aim to highlight the concept of just being; without identities given by others. “I want to provide a space for repre ..read more

The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be teaching pastel painting at Pastel Live, September 18-20, 2024, with an Essential Techniques Day on September 17. Learn more and secure your spot at PastelLive.com. Spotlight on Pastel Artist Daud Akhriev Daud Akhriev was born in the former Soviet Union in 1959. He studied classical painting and drawing for 14 years, graduating with honors from the Russian Academy of Fine Art (The Repin Institute) with a master’s degree in painting, mentored by the late academic, Piotr Fomin. In 1991, Akhriev moved to the Un ..read more

There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual. Exploring the stories and structures of New York City’s streets is the purview of Aleksander Betko (b. 1976). A native of Poland, Betko immigrated to New York in 1980 and from a young age turned a keen and curious eye to the daily activity of a city that took his artistic breath away. “We lived in Queens, and my mother — who was always unabashedly brave and breaking down boundaries — would often take me to the Big Apple [Manhattan],” he recalls. “It was ..read more

“This is a beautiful painting. Is it still available for purchase?” When we see a message like this from a stranger on social media, our first response is likely a stroke to the ego. Yes! Buy my art! But it’s worth noting that such a request is quite possibly fake, sent either by an individual with ulterior motives or a spambot. Part of my role as Editor of Realism Today, Fine Art Today, and Plein Air Today, is to review comments that come to our social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Because the pages I manage represent broad brands that feature many artists, request ..read more

by Laura Vailati Art enthusiast and Editor at Miami Niche “I am very interested in the emotional aspect of paintings, and plein air – painting nature from life – is about colors, moods, and their reactions,” said Jane Hunt, the 12th most awarded landscape artist in the United States. Jane Hunt will exhibit at the 11th Annual Plein Air Convention and Expo (PACE), to be held this year at the Great Smoky Mountains & Biltmore Estate, North Carolina, May 20-24. Originally from England, Jane currently lives in Colorado. She moved to the U.S. when she was a teenager and earned a bachelor’s ..read more

This alla prima portrait demo is by Kathie Wheeler, a classically trained fine art portrait painter in southwest Wisconsin, working primarily in oils. An Alla Prima Portrait, Step by Step Step 1 1. In this alla prima portrait, I began with quick indications of the angle of the model’s head and the shadows of his eye sockets and nose. Step 2 2. I next splashed in the warmest (his nose) and coolest (his cheek as it turns away) spots on his face. Every stroke will relate to these spots as I progress. Step 3 3. I continue to put in color notes comparing as I go. Step 4 4. At this stage, I mass in ..read more