Art Prints

Celebrity Painters

There are many actors out there that possess more than just acting skill; many are gifted painters, singers and dancers. Some celebrity painters include Josh Hartnett, David Arquette, and Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

Josh Hartnett, the next Van Gogh
When budding football star, Josh Hartnett, injured a knee ligament in high school, he turned his attention to acting and painting. Although a talented and successful actor, Hartnett says that painting was always his first passion. He even took some time off and traveled to Africa to brush-up on his oil painting techniques.

Viggo Mortenson, Renaissance Man
Best-known for his masterful portrayal of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortenson is another celebrity painter, as well as a photographer and poet.  His art has been exhibited in the galleries of New York, Los Angeles and even Greece. His most recent showing at a Los Angeles gallery drew 1,500 eager visitors. Many of Mortenson's murals were portrayed in the 1998 film ‘A Perfect Murder' starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas. His style consists of a mish-mash of media; photographs, poems and miscellaneous objects are layered with paint and then obscured with an additional layer of color. Some of his paintings contain seemingly mundane items, such as sponges, tape, wire, rugs and nails.

André 3000: From music to Monet
Andre 3000 of the famous duo, Outkast, took the musical world by storm with catchy, upbeat songs such as ‘Hey Ya!' and appealing melodies such as ‘Ms. Jackson'. Known for his funky attitude and outrageous sense of style, André paints with bold colors in a surrealist style, which makes him one of the most unusual celebrity painters to seek out.

Paul McCartney: Beatle, Knight, Painter
Another gem in the endless sea of celebrity painters is former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney. It seems McCartney is inspired by the sensuality of art, reveling in the application of the paint, the colors and textures. McCartney was inclined to pick up a paintbrush when he turned 40-years-old. Many of his works are landscapes and portraits. His painting titled ‘The Kiss' was inspired by his first wife Linda, and shows two cartoon-like characters kissing - the man, who looks like Paul, is wide-eyed, seemingly caught off guard by this surprising kiss..

David Arquette Sprays it
Not only is David Arquette tremendously thrilling in the Scream series and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, but he is also pretty handy with a can of spray paint. Aside from his many acting obligations, he is indeed quite a talented graffiti artist, having painted an ocean scene on the outside of his and wife Courtney's bedroom so they can feel like everyday is a day at the beach. David is widely known in the realm of celebrity painters.

Jane Seymour, Doctor to Dilettante
Former Doctor Quinn also falls in the category of celebrity painters. Seymour's preferred medium is watercolor and oil. She first picked up painting over a decade ago, following a period of personal struggle. Turning to art enabled her healing process. Her paintings are vibrant, colorful and delicate, showcasing precision and appreciation for the art form.

Pierce Brosnan, Bond's Brushstrokes
Pierce Brosnan, who played the sexy spy James Bond in several Bond productions, was initially trained as a commercial artist. He has recently started selling his artwork in order to raise money for charity. Brosnan's specialty lies in landscapes, but he has also produced many portraits of his family. His muse is usually his wife, Keely Shaye. Both his works titled Fiji and Bisou Moi (Kiss Me) were produced as gifts for her on Valentine's Day and Christmas.

Donovan Gauvreau

Art Historian, Donovan Gauvreau lectures about art therapy with a focus on creativity development. He believes we can learn from the great masters in art to communicate ideas and feelings through painting. He provides content for www.AaronArtPrints.org to educate and inspire people to take a glimpse into an artist's life to better understand the meaning behind their work.

The Art of Art Restoration

Whether it be a masterpiece or a family heirloom, the act of art restoration is great enough to be regarded as an art itself. The many layers of an oil painting must be unveiled in order to re-establish its original beauty. Imagine the awesome task of restoring the characters in Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper", or uncovering the colors Michelangelo had intended for his frescoes that dwell in the Sistine Chapel.  This procedure is by no means simple or easy, and the first task is recognizing the signs that a revival is needed.

Reasons to restore

Having spent years hanging in the family foyer, it is likely that a painting will eventually show signs of spoil or wear and tear.  Discoloration, dullness and yellowing are common indications that you might be missing out on some pizzazz.  The causes include light exposure, smoke, extremely dry or moist conditions, atmospheric pollution, and any other contaminants that may linger in the air.  The experienced restorer will also look for traces of severe progressive problems such as mold, mildew, or insect damage.  Since the shellacs and varnishes used hundreds of years ago were not equipped to survive the test of time, old paintings may become dark and lacking in lustre. 

Steps to follow

The first step to restoring an oil painting is making sure the canvas on which it exists is in good condition.  Fragile canvases are liable to cracks, punctures and tears, and may require relining or remounting.  Once the painting is stabilized, the restorer can turn his attention towards the cleaning and re-finishing of the piece.

The amount and nature of the dirt build-up differs from painting to painting, depending on the environment it has lived in.  Cleaning the painting begins by testing different chemical solutions which will be used to first, remove the grime, and second, remove old varnish.  A proper mixture will successfully eliminate the discoloured varnish, but not the color pigment.

If need be, a third and complicated process comes into play - inpainting.  This is done when the restorer must reduce the visibility of damaged areas by making modifications that are aesthetically undetectable.  Several methods can be used, but the least complicated is 'diffusion-based inpainting', a procedure by which gas spreads out to fill any given volume.  This process allows the colors to diffuse into the missing areas of the image.  If the painting is very old and fragile all inpainting is done by hand instead. 

Nowadays, an intermediate coat of varnish is applied to the original painting before any inpainting begins.  The goal here is to physically separate the new paint from the old to ensure that any future restorations can be done with little or no effect to the original layers.  Any paint used thereafter should be non-discoloring synthetic resin paint so that it will not darken faster than the original oil paint.  Also, synthetics such as acrylic can be removed with solvents that will not damage the piece.

Finally, the frame must be taken into account to reflect the period in which the painting was created, as it should.  Again, a professional restorer will have the ability to replace or mend any broken or missing pieces in the frame, either by re-carving or re-molding the damaged sections using the same material. 

To restore, or not to restore

The process of art restoration is a slow one, and understandably so.  The restorer must not only be patient, meticulous, and extremely attentive to detail, but also skilled in the art of art restoration.  Each painting is unique in its composition, and the necessary chemistry knowledge is needed to customize the mixtures for each treatment.  Professional restoration is pricey so the question is, is it worth it? 

Mrs. Biddington claims that a painting valued less than $700 may not be worth restoring.  But as we say, art is in the eye of the beholder.  Whether a beloved painting is appraised at $1000 or $100, would we not wish to view it in all its glory? The experts hired to restore Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel took thirteen years to accomplish the task – twice the amount of time it took the artist himself to paint it.  Moral of the story, please do not try this at home!

Donovan Gauvreau

Art Historian, Donovan Gauvreau lectures about art therapy with a focus on creativity development. He believes we can learn from the great masters in art to communicate ideas and feelings through painting. He provides content for www.AaronArtPrints.org to educate and inspire people to take a glimpse into an artist's life to better understand the meaning behind their work.

The Art of Feng Shui

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui (meaning wind-water) is an ancient Chinese science based on the theory that all things have a positive and a negative energy, more commonly known as Chi. The art of Feng Shui is the practice of positioning positively energized objects in your home and workplace to counteract the negatively energized objects. It is believed that such orderly arrangements create an environment of harmony, clarity, and prosperity that not only affect you and the members of your household, but also those who come to visit. Feng Shui has been practiced by millions of people of various cultures and faiths worldwide for centuries, and is still popular today.

How to Implement the Art of Feng Shui into your Life

Implementing Feng Shui into your life can be slightly challenging at first. You will need to educate yourself on which particular objects exude positive and negative energies, and where to place these objects in your surroundings - the two most significant factors in the art of Feng Shui. The selection of artwork is also important. It is not unreasonable to believe that certain images in one's home can bring out a flurry of emotions in the viewer. Here are some tips to help you get started on your choice of artwork, and its arrangement:

Artwork for Career

To bring about a positive change in your career, hang images of water or metal in the north area of the room you work in. Koi Fish are recommended for career improvement, as they bring energy to aspects of professional advancement, luck, and relationships with co-workers and employers. Pictures of waterfalls, the ocean, a lake, all waters, especially framed in black or dark blue, enhance the energy flow.

Artwork for Reputation

Place images of fire or fire symbols in the south corners of your room to heighten your fame or reputation. The phoenix is a powerful symbol of fire, and the horse inspires confidence that will bring you fame and luck. Also, images of red rocks, sand, and hot deserts are recommended for creating distinction in all aspects of your life.

Artwork for Prosperity

In the southeast section of the room, place the image of a golden frog to increase wealth and prosperity in your life. The most powerful images consist of the golden frog amongst green bamboo or trees because wood is a key element in this area. Another excellent choice is to hang pictures of wooden or golden pots filled with coins.

Artwork for Love

The southwest area of the room (preferably the bedroom and/or living room) is deemed to hold the strongest energy for love and passion. The rose quartz is a symbol of love and healing, so displaying it would help improve your relationships, and perhaps invite a new love into your life. Also effective is to hang a picture of a fox amid bright flowers and foliage.

Artwork for Children

On the west side of the bedroom, place images of elephants to bring luck in the area of fertility, posters or prints of Buddha to carry luck in your children's future, and pictures of unicorns to protect them.

Artwork for Health

Although the sector for general health within your home is said to be in the east, it is highly recommended among traditional Feng Shui practitioners that every individual find out exactly where their Tian Ye zone is situated. This is crucial for personal healing. For longevity, display images of tortoises and peaches, as in ancient Chinese practice, peaches are used to prolong immortality. The sunflower is a powerful healing symbol, as is the Wu Lu, a gourd that promotes good health.

The above topics are just the tip of the iceberg, as there are many aspects to the art of Feng Shui. Inform yourself and have patience, a virtue that will enhance your journey into this ancient science.

Donovan Gauvreau
Art Historian, Donovan Gauvreau lectures about art therapy with a focus on creativity development. He believes we can learn from the great masters in art to communicate ideas and feelings through painting. He provides content for www.AaronArtPrints.org to educate and inspire people to take a glimpse into an artist's life to better understand the meaning behind their work.

• Previous Posts:

• Celebrity Painters
• The Art of Art Restoration
• The Art of Feng Shui
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• Darkroom Wizardry vs. Digital Magic
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