Al Hogue, 1959 | Fantasy Realism painter

John Al Hogue is an artist that paints Fantasy Realism, Fantasy Pet and people portraits.

Al Hogue was born in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia Canada, where he developed a profound appreciation for nature.

In his teens his family moved to Hawaii and his love of the outdoors exploded. Hawaii had a marvelous effect on his imagination.

He says, "It was heaven on earth!"

He spent all his spare time surfing and sailing, rarely missing a sunset.

At the age of 30 he began teaching himself to paint and studying the Dutch masters.

He spent all his spare time experimenting with mixing paints and learning to control his brush strokes, and developing his eye for design. With his love of nature and the sea naturally that’s what he started painting.

Hogue’s paintings invite us to step into them and escape to a peaceful paradise. His brush delicately dances across the canvas exposing vast treasures of nature. Eternity stretches before us and time is measured only by the rhythm of waves crashing on the sandy beach.

Hogue’s brush explodes with color.

Deep cool turquoise rises from the ocean depths. The setting sun radiates warm subtle hues of pink and salmon across the dusk sky. At night, sea foam and sand reflect blue moonlight like diamonds strewn across the beach.

The artist sensitive eye penetrates the ocean waves with a pallet of transparent color revealing the secrets below. Hogue’s flawless brush strokes and mastery of color render the essence of the timeless ocean.

Al has cherished living in Hawaii for 35 plus years and has recently moved to Texas to be close to his father Guy Hogue who is a novelist and also paints. Al has fond memories of when he was very young and watching his father paint and grew to even love the smell of the oil paints. His father was very instrumental in the birth of Al’s creativity.

- "My painting technique, and my philosophy, can be described in one word - light. The Old Renaissance Masters, like Da Vinci and Rembrandt, recognized that light is the reflection of nature, of life itself. Their paintings are masterful portraits of life".

"I have spent the last ten years studying their technique. I want viewers of my artwork to feel as if the painting were glowing and radiating its own light source".

"Light is everything in my paintings: Light is both my primary technique and the symbol of God's life-giving, healing nature. Light from the moon or the sun washes across all my paintings".

"Light represents Life - the essence of all living things, the spirit of nature. I began drawing and painting as a way of giving life to my own soothing daydreams of nature. Because I suffered from severe dyslexia, learning to read and write was excruciatingly painful".

"School was constantly a source of never-ending stress. I was unable to communicate with words, so art became my way of sharing with others from my earliest childhood. I always wanted to draw my own secret world of peace and tranquility, free from the stresses of life".

"My father and I painted the tranquility of nature together as he battled two separate life-threatening attacks of cancer. He recovered completely".

"He credits his recovery to the healing power of rendering nature in art. It was only later that I discovered that many research studies have proven that art can, and does, promote healing".

"When I paint I travel to the peaceful places of my imagination. I grow more serene. My heart rate appears to slow down".

"My breathing becomes slow and rhythmic".

"The responsibilities of modern life are put in perspective: they become much easier to accept".

"I am reminded of what is important: family and the beautiful grace of God's nature. When communing with nature on the canvas, peace and tranquility flow through me. Art has the power to improve your life".

"Allow the Light of nature, of life, to wash over your body and soul".