Noteworthy

December 11, 2013, 1:56pm

Kathryn Lynch’s Flower Paintings

Kathryn Lynch is an artist much concerned with illumination.  The trees and grasslands and waterways she paints are saturated with the glow of the sun or the shine of the moon; her portraits of New York buildings are abuzz with the colorful artificiality of city lights at night; and her recent series of tugboats show us vessels passing with dreamlike ease through ghostly-bright fog, or else bobbing gently on a shining Hudson, trapped between a giant red sun and that sun’s smudged reflection on the river.   In all of Lynch’s paintings there’s an interesting interplay of light and dark, and in the best of her work there’s also a sense of enlightenment – a feeling that behind her flat forms and lullaby colors, serious truths are layered. – Jonathan Lee, Guest Contributor


Kathryn Lynch | Blossom Explosion, 2012, 60 x 48 inches

Listed under: Noteworthy

December 10, 2013, 10:52am

Bodies of Work: Rebecca Campbell

Since her LA emergence in 2002, Rebecca Campbell (NAP #37) has been crafting sumptuous, painterly scenes that range from the poignantly quotidian to the kaleidoscopically fantastical.  The embrace of her paint handling and leaning towards large formats lend heroic, almost legendary proportions to the men, women, and children who inhabit what often appears to be a magically-real version of domestic, middle-class life.  But the dazzle of the paint does not distract or disguise – her pictures look in the eye what is often relegated to the nostalgic, the sentimental, and the emotional.  In the hands of a lesser artist, images of this sort frequently fall outside the purview of contemporary art.  Campbell, however, forges a meditation on autobiography that demands a closer investigation.  The depth of her imagery upends and reclaims motifs such as family, children, rainbows, fireworks, lightning bolts, and mushroom clouds with such deftness that their full meaning seem linked to their depiction in paint. - Jason Ramos, Los Angeles Contributor


Rebecca Campbell | Just Another Diamond Day,
2010, oil on canvas, 72 x 64 1/2 inches. Private collection. Image courtesy of LA Louver, Venice, CA

Listed under: Noteworthy

August 30, 2013, 11:25am

Joan Brown: Artist Out of Water

The San Francisco painter Joan Brown achieved international recognition when she was scarcely out of her teens. By 1960, the same year she graduated from the California School of Fine Arts (now SFAI), she was represented by a major New York gallery, and was one of thirty-six artists included in the Whitney’s Young Americans exhibition. But even as she worked in San Francisco among a burgeoning cohort of fellow artists that included Elmer Bischoff, Jay DeFeo and Manuel Neri, Brown’s work developed in the following decades in a way that was distinct from others. Thinly brushed lines of enamel replaced her signature thick oil application, and shifting concerns in composition and tonal contrasts followed. However, themes within her imagery remained consistent even as her style evolved—namely, the reoccurring motif of water. Although many other California-based artists are known for their water-themed works—David Hockney for his swimming pools, and Richard Diebenkorn for his aquatic-framed cityscapes, among others—this running theme throughout Brown’s work is rarely given critical attention in the same way. - Nadiah Fellah, NYC Contributor

Joan Brown, Rio Vista, California, 1971; Courtesy of The Joan Brown Estate

Listed under: Noteworthy

August 01, 2013, 9:00am

Beverly McIver on Huffington Post

Congratulations to past featured artist Beverly McIver (NAP #42 and #94) for getting some love from the Huffington Post yesterday. After the jump, read the entire interview conducted by Priscilla Frank for the arts section.

Listed under: Noteworthy

March 06, 2013, 8:30am

Molly Zuckerman-Hartung in "Painter Painter"

Our 2013 Midwest competition juror, Eric Crosby, co-curated a great exhibition at the Walker Art Center called Painter Painter. Among the very talented artists included in the show is past featured New American Paintings' artist, Molly Zuckerman-Hartung (NAP #95). Here is a nice video of Zuckerman-Hartung discussing her work from the exhibition. Congrats Molly!

Listed under: Noteworthy

January 25, 2013, 8:30am

13 to Watch in 2013: NAP Publisher’s Picks

There is always a lot happening in the super charged art world of the 21st-Century, and I am constantly amazed by the number of new artists who seem to emerge each year. Some would say that the cart is driving the horse - that the machine that is the contemporary art world demands new artists at an ever-increasing, and unhealthy rate. I understand where the cynical view comes from, but I choose to be a bit more sanguine about the situation. After all, more artists than ever now have a chance to support themselves through their creative efforts, and that is certainly not a bad thing.

Listed under: NAP News, Noteworthy

January 18, 2013, 8:30am

Christopher Murphy: New American Paintings 2012 Reader’s Choice!

Congratulations to Christopher Murphy (NAP #103)! He has been selected by our blog readers as the winner of the 2012 New American Paintings Reader’s Choice Prize. Out of the twelve exceptional "Noteworthy" artists that appeared in New American Paintings over the past year, Murphy was your clear favorite. In addition to bragging rights, Blick Art Materials will provide Christopher with a $500 Gift Card for supplies.

Listed under: NAP News, Noteworthy, Vote!

January 11, 2013, 8:30am

Last day to Vote! NAP Annual Prize: 2012 Reader’s Choice Poll

Our final New American Paintings issue of the year is appearing on newsstands now. In each of the six 2012 issues, two artists were deemed "Noteworthy Picks" by our juror and editor. Now it's your turn to choose whom among the twelve artists deserves the honor of winning our Reader's Choice Annual Prize. That's right, your online vote will decide!

In addition to being featured again in our June/July issue next year, the winner of the Reader's Choice Annual Prize will receive a $500 Blick Art Materials gift certificate sponsored by:

Listed under: NAP News, Noteworthy, Vote!

December 30, 2012, 8:25am

VOTE NOW! NAP Annual Prize: 2012 Reader’s Choice Poll

Our final New American Paintings issue of the year is appearing on newsstands now. In each of the six 2012 issues, two artists were deemed "Noteworthy Picks" by our juror and editor. Now it's your turn to choose whom among the twelve artists deserves the honor of winning our Reader's Choice Annual Prize. That's right, your online vote will decide!

In addition to being featured again in our June/July issue next year, the winner of the Reader's Choice Annual Prize will receive a $500 Blick Art Materials gift certificate sponsored by:

Listed under: NAP News, Noteworthy, Vote!

January 20, 2012, 8:00am

NAP Annual Prize Winner: William Betts

This year's New American Paintings Annual Prize has been awarded to William Betts. If you’re a longtime subscriber to New American Paintings you’re probably familiar with the work of the Houston-based artist. Betts has appeared in editions #60, #72, #84 and most recently as an Editor’s Pick in #96.

Listed under: Noteworthy, Q&A

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