October 10, 2012

brush strokes

I have always paid attention to brush strokes, my own when painting, but especially the masters - in museums. In the last ten or so years I have neglected brush strokes... must be because of concentrating on stitches so much. This summer I seem to have noticed them again. First at the Erarta museum in St. Petersburg, Russia which features mid career and established contemporary Russian artists. The following is a selection of a few paintings that made me hold my breath in awe...
Sergei Bakin. White Nights.
gorgeous moody brush work
Dmitry Flegontov. House at Petrogradskaya.
glorious rough brush work
Ilia Gaponov. Parallel Kuzbas. (this made me think of Elizabeth Barton's quilts from afar)
shine with rough gold...so sleek
Maxim Nurulin. View of the Kama.
such easy, light handed brush strokes
Alexander Volkov. Stranger's Dream.
thoroughly thickly layered texture
 And just the other day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art looking at THE masters brush strokes.
Paul Cezanne. Detail of Gardanne.
Camille Pissarro. Detail of The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning.
Vincent Van Gogh. Detail of Sunflowers. Swoon worthy!!!
Perhaps it is the fact that I have been concentrating so much on texture in my own work? I have a ways to go before getting even close to the masters... but I am eager learn at their feet. Here's a peek at my latest..
detail of The City ©Natalya Aikens

4 comments:

Karen L R said...

fabulous photos.

comparing brushstrokes to needlework. very intriguing.

Cindy said...

I can see some of your work in these brush strokes! Love it!

Margaret Cooter said...

This close-up view opens up a whole new way of looking at paintings for me!

Vivien Zepf said...

What a great blog post and thanks for sharing images of works I'm completely unfamiliar with.