Paul Éluard | I love you / Ti amo

I love you for all the women

I have not known

I love you for all the time

I have not lived

For the odor of the open sea and the odor of warm bread

For the snow which melts for the first flowers

For the pure animals man doesn’t frighten

I love you to love

Henry John Stock - The Kiss, 1894

Geoffrey Johnson ~ Abstract Impressionism painter

Geoffrey Johnson is a contemporary impressionist painter who draws much of his inspiration from his travels and first-hand observations. Using a monochromatic palette of sepia hues, the artist says he always strives to reproduce the places that inspire him while allowing his paintings to "almost dance on the water of abstraction or of just being". In the past, he has often painted New York City, which continues to provide new ideas and inspiration for him.

Ugo de Cesare, 1950

Ugo de Cesare, Italian painter, was born in a small village near Florence. He studied at the Academy of Naples and Florence, and originally wanted to become an art teacher. To get his degree, he had to create an oil painting, which created such a sensation that he was awarded his degree with distinction.

Amy Lind, 1983 | Figurative painter

American Awards winning painter Amy Lind studied portrait painting at the Florence Academy of Art under “living master” Maureen Hyde and with Michael Grimaldi at the Bay Area Classical Artist Atelier.

She graduated Summa Cum Laude and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Her eclectic training has provided her with a unique approach and insight to realism, which is visible in both the traditional and contemporary qualities that her paintings possess.

Grace DeVito, 1965 | Figurative / Still life painter

American painter🎨 Grace Mehan DeVito has spent her life immersed in the art of painting.

Her representational realist skills are equally adept at portraiture, figurative and still life genres.

She love of light and form imbue her work with beauty and timelessness, elevating even the humblest of subjects, bearing witness to the beauty of the world.

A native of Connecticut, Grace studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, majoring in Illustration.

Mihai Olteanu, 1962 | Impressionist painter

Romanian painter Mihai Olteanu was born on the 19th April 1962, Rediu village, Bira commune, Neamt county.

Graduated the High School of Arts Bacau in 1980, Professor Gheorghe Velea and Pinca Petru class.

Works abroad: In private collections from: Canada, the U.S.A, Belgium, Sweden, Iraq, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Spain.

Franz Guillery | Genre painter

German painter Franz Paul Guillery (1862-1933) was born near Cologne, the son of a mining engineer with upper class pretensions. His family money allowed to study art full time and he spent seven years of his 20s in Rome soaking up the Italian ambiance and honing his style.

Yes, that's Venice above, but I haven't been able to find a painting of Rome.

Elena Yushina, 1958 ~ Impressionist painter

Ukrainian painter Elena Yushina [Елена Юшина] was born in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine.

Elena Glushkova

Russian painter Elena Glushkova [Глушкова Елена Юрьевна] was born in 1974 in Saint Petersburg.
Member of the Creative Union Hudozhnikov.

Michael O'Toole, 1963 ~ Impressionist painter

Michael O'Toole was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1963. He attended BCIT where he studied architectural design and later moved to Toronto to work for several architectural firms. Eventually he was drawn back to the beautiful West Coast where he now resides.
Michael's love for design led him to explore his creativity in variety of media including watercolour, pen and ink, graphite, gouache and acrylic. Currently focusing on acrylics, his diverse subject matter ranges from landscape and seascape, to architecture and portraiture. His vivid and dramatic style is inspired by his former instructor, renowned artist Charles M. Svob and other impressionists. His travels both locally and internationally have also been a tremendous source of inspiration.

Jiang Guo Fang, 1951 | Forbidden city

Jiang Guo Fang (姜國芳) was born in April 27th 1951 Nanchang, Jiangxi.

In 1978 graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts The oil painting department, school to teach.

In 1979 Central Academy of Drama dance department, Central Academy of fine art in 1984 of Department of oil painting course learning, after graduation to return to teaching at the Central Academy of Drama, now Professor.

Laurent Botella, 1974 | Figurative painter

French artist Laurent Botella was born in Nantes.

His apprenticeship in painting began in 1989 in the atelier of Maïthé Rovino at Aussonne followed by one year at Beaux Arts in Toulouse.

The training was focused on oil painting and pastel.

Work in charcoal and pencil has always been the basis of his work before and after training.

L.W.Howard | Figurative painter

We know nothing about the biography of this artist who signed himself L.W. Howard, but one fact is certain: His works lead to the artistic production of the Italian-American painter Pino Daeni (1939-2010).

L.W. Howard is an American painter, known for working in the Figurative style.

Paco de Lucia, il Maestro del Flamenco

Francisco Sánchez Gómez, in arte Paco de Lucía (Algeciras, 21 dicembre 1947-Cancún, 26 febbraio 2014), è stato un chitarrista e compositore spagnolo. È stato uno dei più più grandi musicisti nella storia del flamenco.
Paco de Lucía (Francisco Sanchez) nasce ad Algeciras, in provincia di Cadice Andalusia (Spagna) figlio di Lucía Gómez e Antonio Sánchez. Il nome d'arte Paco è il diminutivo di Francisco e il cognome de Lucia è in onore della madre. Egli è nato immerso nella cultura flamenca che ha appreso ancor prima gli venissero impartite lezioni pratiche.

Steve Henderson, 1957 | Realism / Impressionist painter

Steve Henderson is an artist from Washington focusing on landscapes, seascapes and figurative work in a style that fuses impressionism with realism.

A lifetime fine artist, Steve Henderson pursued a successful career in illustration before turning to fine art fulltime. His paintings are sold and displayed nationwide through exhibitions, shows, and galleries.

About his art, Steve says: "I look for, and paint, beauty, as a counteracting effect of our media-saturated fascination with ugliness. Yes, the world is a brutal place, but it is also our home. There is peace, serenity, quietude, thoughtfulness, majesty, grace, joy, and hope in this home of ours -and that is what I paint".

Paco Yuste, 1958 | Hyperrealist painter

Spanish painter Francisco Rafael Martinez Yuste under the pseudonym Paco Yuste, was born in Valencia.

From his childhood he felt great predilection for the drawing. In fact drawing was his favorite pastime.

When hi was 12 years old his parents move to Brussels, and he joins an internal college where his artistic interests for the drawing and for the music wakes up.

In this period hi passes most of his free time drawing.

At the age of 17 years he is employed at his parents’ shop.

Sebastiano del Piombo | Mannerist painter

Sebastiano del Piombo (c. 1485-1547), byname of Sebastiano Luciani, was an Italian painter of the High Renaissance and early Mannerist periods, famous for his combination of the colors of the Venetian school and the monumental forms of the Roman school.

Francesco Lavagna ~ La natura morta Napoletana del settecento

Francesco Lavagna (Napoli 1684-1724) è stato un pittore dalle ottime capacità artistiche, specializzato nel genere pittorico delle nature morte, ma della cui vita conosciamo pochissimi aspetti. Giuseppe Lavagna era discepolo del pittore napoletano Belvedére Andrea, detto Abate Andrea (1652-ivi 1732)

ma ingrandì un po’ soverchio i suoi fiori e gli dipinse con più libertà. Divenne cieco e morì nel 1724 a quaranta anni.

Gabriel Picart, 1962 - Realistic Figurative painter

Spanish painter Gabriel Picart, born in Barcelona, has spent most of his life in the same neighborhood. Picart's career as an illustrator blossomed; he worked on commissions throughout Europe. Picart quickly won assignments from all the major publishing houses in America and Canada. Picart worked as well for advertising agencies, graphic design firms and catalogue houses, and began showing his work at the Sala Parés in Barcelona - a very prestigious gallery. In 1996, he had his first show at the WolfWalker Gallery in Sedona, Arizona. This was quickly followed by his participation in a group show of Catalan artists at Ambassador Gallery in New York, where he was among some of the leading contemporary figurative painters working in Spain at that time.

Richard Johnson ~ Morning Romance | VideoArt

"When I paint, it is my hope to reach beyond the canvas and engage the viewer, to connect on the shared plane of experiences, to nod together and say, "Yes, that is what youth is like, that is what a rose is like, that is what morning light feels like." I seek to create shared moments" - Richard Johnson

Pierre Marcel, 1954 ~ Surrealist painter

Pierre Marcel Schmidt, born in Strasbourg, France, came to Florida in 1986 and resided in Miami Beach's Art Déco district for 15 years. While Pierre Marcel was originally brought to South Beach as a muralist to participate in the burgeoning renovation of the district, he quickly developed a reputation as one of South Florida's premiere decorative painters. In this regard, he was awarded the commission by the City of Miami Beach in 2000 to create the mural "ARTS" at the City's convention center depicting the renaissance of The Arts in Miami Beach.

Debora Calicchia, 1998 | Figurative painter

I'm graduated at the Illustration Academy in Rome in 2003. Since that time i've been aimed to become an Illustrator for children's books but it's a difficult way and i am doing the best to reach my purpose.

At present, i invest my time in painting following the Impressionism🎨 art period inspiration - Renoir, Monet🎨, Lepage, Millet🎨, Carpentier..etc., that i love so much. For painting i utilize the slice rather then the brush, a technical that many oil painters don't use. It's more difficult but the effect makes me glad and really satisfied me.

Léon Lhermitte | Naturalist painter

Léon-Augustin Lhermitte | The Gleaners, 1887 | Philadelphia Museum of Art

A part of the Realism movement and an avid realist painter, Lhermitte depicts the working class poverty in France.

Taking very obvious inspiration from Millet, a painting of the same name, Lhermitte in a series of works displayed at the Salon aims to capture this moment in time.

When comparing his work to Millet's, even the poses of the women are very similar if not the same.

In the foreground there are two women bent over picking up the grains left behind.

An obvious difference between this work and Millet's is that there is no large crowd of people working in the background.

Po Pin Lin, 1970 ~ Impressionist Cityscape painter

Chinese-born American painter Po Pin Lin [born October 11, 1970, Taiwan] has won the Award of Excellent in the Oil Painters of America's national and regional exhibition in 2001 and 2002 and has been a signature member of Oil Painters of America for many years. He has been featured twice in Southwest Art Magazine and was named "one of the 21 finest American artists under 31". Po Pin Lin is also the cover story and the subject of a six pages feature article in The Artist's Magazine in September issue of 2003. He is featured in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine premier issue- "The Chinese Academic Tradition- Po Pin Lin: From Taiwanese Farm buy to American City-Dweller". Most recently, he is featured in Art of the West magazine in November/December issue of 2009, article "Young Guns- Po Pin Lin".
Po Pin's work is currently represented by Lee Youngman Gallery (Calistoga, CA), and Jones and Terwilliger Galleries (Carmel, CA).

Giacomo Favretto | Genre painter

The Venetian painter Giacomo Favretto (1849-1887) is one of the most important masters of the Italian Nineteenth century, mainly depicting Genre subjects in his native city.

A true “innovator” of the Venetian school during the second half of the century, he both revived and modernised the unique aspects of great Veneto tradition, from Longhi to Tiepolo - that had been abandoned in the first half of the Nineteenth century in favour of paintings of history and landscape.

Born in Venice into a family of humble origin, Favretto enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1864, where he trained under Pompeo Molmenti. He was said to have been discovered in a stationer's shop cutting out silhouettes to make a living. By age 30, he had lost sight from one eye.

Vincenzo Irolli | Genre painter

Vincenzo Irolli (1860-1949) was an Italian painter.

Vincenzo Irolli enrolled at the of Naples Institute of Fine Arts, where his masters included Gioacchino Toma, in 1877 and graduated three years later.

The work he presented regularly at the exhibitions of the Naples Società Promotrice di Belle Arti as from 1879 comprised portraits and Genre scenes.

He became a member of the Circolo Artistico Napoletano in 1890 and worked with Giovanni Migliaro and other local artists on decorations for the Caffè Gambrinus at the end of the decade.

Muriel Dolemieux, 1954

"My life as an artist really began in 1973 when I graduated from “l’Ecole Nationale des Sciences Géographique” - National Geographic Sciences Institute in Paris, as an Artist Cartographer. But I always knew I would be an artist.

When I was a kid I never asked myself if I was able to draw, I just did it ... It was in my blood!

Some of my ancestors and parents are famous artists, such as Guillaume Coustou, Nicolas de Largillière, Nicolas and Edouard Gatteaux, Henri Viot my Great-Grand-Father, Simone de Boutray my Grand-Mother, Martine Gayet my Mother..."

Christian Rohlfs | Expressionist painter

German painter Christian Rohlfs (1849-1938) is one of the important representatives of German Expressionism.

Rohlfs was born in Gross Niendorf, Kreis Segeberg in Northern Germany.

He took up painting as a teenager while convalescing from an infection that was eventually to lead to the amputation of a leg in 1874.

He began his formal artistic education in Berlin, before transferring, in 1870, to the Weimar Academy.

Washington Maguetas, 1942 | Impressionist painter

Innocence and beauty and also the impact of different aesthetic and emotional experiences which Washington Maguetas has had in the course of a long artistic career.

Many of his work hark back to a late 19th-century world of elegance and exquisite natural settings.

Brasilian painter Washington Maguetas is a prolific artist of great versatility who has absinfuences together with the spirit of his native land Brazil to produce paintings which reflect the best elements of both traditions.

David Farrant, 1938 | Modern Impressionist painter

Born in London in 1938, David Farrant has built a reputation as one of the country’s finest figurative painters. Like Hopper or Vettriano, David is inspired by everyday scenes of human interaction, and he reproduces these against a living background of muted colors and complex shadows.

His early career was spent teaching art whilst also working very successfully as a portrait painter. He no longer paints portraits preferring to concentrate on his figurative painting.

David works in oil and acrylic; he likes to work on a fairly large format and tries to hint at a story in the composition of the paintings. He gets his inspiration from observing people in everyday situations and the impact of light, especially sunlight, is very apparent in his work.

Mr. and Mrs. Garmash | Romantic Impressionist / Plein Air painters

Michael and Inessa Garmash are considered two of the finest Romantic Impressionists of our day.
Their incredible talent is only matched by their love and career stories.

For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Mr. and Mrs. Garmash, see:

• Michael and Inessa Garmash | Romantic Impressionist painters ➦.

Leonardo da Vinci | Perché la pittura non è connumerata nelle scienze..

Trattato della Pittura - Parte prima /30

Perché gli scrittori non hanno avuto notizia della scienza della pittura, non hanno potuto descriverne i gradi e le parti. Ed essa medesima non si dimostra col suo fine nelle parole; essa è restata, mediante l'ignoranza, indietro alle predette scienze, non mancando per questo di sua divinità.

E veramente non senza cagione non l'hanno nobilitata, perché per sé medesima si nobilita senza l'aiuto delle altrui lingue, non altrimenti che si facciano le eccellenti opere di natura.

Raffaello Sanzio ~ I sonetti

Sonetto I

Amor, tu m’envesscasti con doi lumi
de doi beli occhi dov’io me strugo e [s]face,
da bianca neve e da rosa vivace,
da un bel parlar in donnessi costumi.

Tal che tanto ardo, ch[e] né mar né fiumi
spegnar potrian quel foco; ma non mi spiace,
poiché ’l mio ardor tanto di ben mi face,
ch’ardendo onior più d’arder me consu[mi].

Quanto fu dolce el giogo e la catena
de’ toi candidi braci al col mio vòl[ti],
che, sogliendomi, io sento mortal pen[a].

D’altre cose io’ non dico, che fôr m[olti],
ché soperchia docenza a mo[r]te men[a],
e però tacio, a te i pens[e]r rivolti.

Heather Arenas ~ Plein air painter

Art has been a constant for me since I was very little. I studied art through high school but also took 3 years of Latin because my goal was to become an orthopedic surgeon. I took a few classes in college to create balance while I worked on my biology degree. It was not until I was in medical school that I decided I was not cut out for that line of work since it would mean I wouldn't have time to paint!
When I left school, I tried many different careers including veterinary technician, database architect and alpaca rancher and continued drawing and painting tributes to my experiences. Ultimately it didn't matter what I did to pay the bills, I still found time to paint. Although I have painted many different subjects, I particularly love figure painting. Anatomy is still my favorite subject. Now that I am older and more settled, I can paint everyday, sometimes on location and often with a live model to keep my skills sharp.
My goal as an artist is to make beautiful art. I study art and techniques constantly to try to make that happen.

Josep Teixido, 1956 | Abstract palette knife painter

Josep Teixido was born in Calella, Barcelona, and currently resides in Vilassar de Mar, also in the province of Barcelona, Spain. He has exhibited his work for over 25 years in Spain and France.

With warm colours, and his unique palette knife technique, his exotic paintings instantly capture the attention of the viewer, allowing them to dream and take a journey of the senses. Always playing with our perception, Josep subtly oscillates between the figurative and the abstract, while transporting us to gorgeous locations reminiscent of his homeland.