21 September 2009

Chuck Rosenthal Paintings

By Penny Logan

Chuck Rosenthal's well known still life paintings in oils and pastels do not eclipse his other work. Indeed, some of his landscapes and paintings of people in local scenes may outshine his still lifes.

Sometimes you look at a painting and you wonder about the artist who painted it. What is his idea of art?

An artist's statement is the artist's own write up of what he is trying to accomplish with his art. This is what he says:

"I believe that truly Fine Art encompasses every aspect of the visual experience, from dramatic, or at least, interesting placement of the elements in the painting to the truest atmospheric values within the capability of the artist. All of this is intended to create an impact on the viewer that is so real as to provoke an emotional response. Strong contrasts of form and lighting are an important component.

"Looking at the long view of the development of western art one would see that there is a progression of stiff, awkward drawing gradually developing, over time, into the most sophisticated and articulate forms imaginable.

"Fortunately, traditional values in art are undergoing a revival in our time and I am greatly pleased to be a part of it."

For a little background on the artist, he attended the National Academy of Design in New York City starting in 1963, hoping to embark on a career in commercial art. His first year was spent studying under Morton Roberts, a great illustrator and fine artist who passed away long before his time. Initially the intention had been to learn to draw so as to be able to do illustration, but after three months commercial art was forgotten and fine art had become the goal.

In his first year at the National Academy he was awarded a six-month scholarship to the Academy. Several years later he was awarded the Dr. Weller student prize at the Academy. In addition, though the efforts of Daniel Greene, one of his teachers, he was awarded a scholarship membership in the prestigious Salmagundi Club, America's oldest arts and letters club, and won an honorable mention in the 1968 scholarship membership competition.

During the intervening years, Mr. Rosenthal painted off and on, learning, but unable to devote the kind of time necessary to achieving a career in fine art. Progress toward the possibility of achieving a career was further delayed by illnesses in the family over a period of about 15 years.

However, in recent years, since moving from New York to Clearwater, Florida, the goal of working as a fine artist has come to fruition. A pastel painting he did of a local landmark, the Clearwater Memorial Bridge, was purchased by a corporation and donated to the Clearwater City Hall. He's won several awards since 2000, in Clearwater Fine Arts shows, and his paintings of the bridge was included in an international juries competition.

Several of his paintings are on exhibit at the Park Place Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment