Leonardo Cremonini (Italian, born 1925)
I came across this painting in an art book and I thought it was beautiful. The colours work really well together, mostly yellows and blues. The shape of the body is stylised and this works really well. He has captured the character of the figures, the gentleness and the fragility. I cannot see brush marks, the tones have been blended very softly.
I think shape is very important in this image.
Mother and child on the beach , 1956. Oil on canvas, (90.5 x 89 cm)
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Below are some drawings by Saied Dai. I like his painting “The Polymath” because of the texture in the paint, it reminds me of the grainy effect you get when you draw on paper while leaning on concrete or fabric. It gives the drawing a crumpled feeling
Saied Dai – The Polymath (Portrait of Sir Jonathan Miller) 2013 (103 x 61 cm)
I have included the painting of S.Shirley because I like the approach to the drawing. I like all the details of the clothing, I especially like the way she is holding two objects. Presumably the objects are meant to say something about her. So I like the idea of this image.
In reality, I don’t like it, because it is creepy like a wax work museum. It has a real coldness about it. The ultra-realistic style takes away from the life of the figure. That’s probably why she reminds me of a wax work. There is an illusion of depth and three-dimensions, but you don’t feel like the figure could move. There’s no movement. There’s a stifling stillness in this painting.
Saied Dai Dame Stephanie Shirley
(48 x 30 ins)
This painting below, “The Hairdresser” is very clever because of all the mirrors. You have two figures in this image, drawn five times from different perspectives. It has a fascinating effect. That is why I included this drawing, because of the idea.
I also like the use of horizontal lines – the stripes on his shirt, on the blinds, the railings and the side counter. It is really effective to have so many different elements and details in a picture. I like the colours too, lots of blues, whites and yellowy browns.
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I have found a portrait below, by June Mendoza. I really like this one, partly because of the light colours and partly because of the objects in the image which add narrative suggestions. For example, the piano tells you about the figure.
It is a good way to make an image more interesting, to develop a portrait beyond a view of the head and shoulders of a person.
June Mendoza – Stephen Barlow, Orchestral Conductor
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Below is a portrait of Melissa Cordelia by Scott Miller. This is another example of using the background and foreground features to develop narrative and interest in an image. I like the colours and the details. This artist uses line effectively to make tones and to describe surfaces and fabrics.
Scott Miller – Melissa Cordelia
Eve's art 