Hopare /Alexandre Monteiro, 1989 | Abstract Portrait painter | Street art

Alexandre Monteiro aka Hopare is a Paris-based growing figure of the street art scene. He discovered street art when he was around 12 years old while coming across an old factory covered with graffiti. He then started his very first illegal graffiti. In 2005 when he was in junior high school he was tremendously influenced by his art teacher who was none other than Shaka, a well-known French street artist still in the game.

Elias Naman, 1980 | Marble Figurative sculptor

Syrian artist Elias Naman was born in Yabruod, Syria. Currently residing in Carrara, Italy.

Graduated in 2002 in sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Damascus, Syria. Later he proceeded for a master in "superior studies in sculpture" at the same Faculty.

In 2003 he interrupted his studies in Syria and was admitted in the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara, Italy. In 2009 graduated with maximum vote with a thesis entitled "A journey into sculpture between Syria and Italy". In 2010 master in "Sacred Art" Italy.

Maria Gamundí, 1952 | Figurative sculptor

Maria Gamundi was born in Caracas, Venezuela.

She studied at thè Pratt Institute of New York and the Scuola del Libro of Urbino Italy, between 1970-73.

She lives and works in Versilia, dividing her lime between Monteggiori and Pietrasanta.

Since 1973 she has held important personal exhibitions in Italy, Europe, the United States and Latin America.

Georges Stein | Parisian Street Scene painter

Georges Stein (1870-1955) was specialized in painting the era of the Belle Époque in London, Paris and Nice and is considered a Paris Boulevard painter and watercolorist from the French school. She was born circa. 1870. However, there is confusion as to whether she was born in London or Paris. Since most of her paintings depict the wonderfully colorful streets of Paris, I would place her birth in France, as do the French.

A fine example of his work is in the Musée Carnavalet in Paris and depicts the Champs-Elysées in the early 1900s, with numerous horse drawn carriages, and Parisian Society parading in their finery.

Marian Pacsuta, 1955 | Plein Air painter

A Signature Member of The American Impressionist Society and a founding member of The Chestnut Group, Pacsuta is an award winning artist whose works are featured in many private and corporate collections alike.

Marian Pacsuta captures the world as she sees it. Be it familial influence, intensive studies with several of todays’ masters in the art world, including Dan McCaw, Carolyn Anderson and Quang Ho; or simply the innate talent that she has fostered over the years, her unique blend of impressionism and expressionism parlays the beauty and emotion art enthusiasts love.

Mihai Teodor Olteanu, 1953 | Impressionist painter

Born in Ludus, Mures County in Romania, Mihai Teodor Olteanu, a famous artist with a plurality of expressions, displays a series of original paintings, the expression of an artistic maturity that impresses every time the art loving audience effervescent, charming and harmonious, the paintings of the world class artist, Mihai Teodor Olteanu, are an odyssey in search of himself and of the true faith in a universe that is beyond our world. Each work is the expression of a perfect interweave of an inner silence and a storm of feelings, which complement each other to triumph in the explosion of the divine message.

Morgan Weistling | The Prairie Church, 2016

Morgan Weistling b. 1964, California, (United States), is an Award winning painter, well known for his paintings of early American pioneer life.

For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Morgan Weistling see Morgan Weistling 1964 | Romantic painter.

Henri Alexis Schaeffer | Paris painting

Henri Alexis Schaeffer (1900-1975) was born in Paris, France in early August of 1900. A student at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris, Schaeffer studied painting under the hand of the master Cormon. Schaeffer’s earlier paintings consisted primarily of architectural studies of classical monuments and religious landmarks. Regardless of the subject matter, virtually al of the artist’s earlier work was of a religious theme. It was not until much later in his career that Henri Schaeffer represented Paris through its imperial and picturesque boulevards.

Pierre Le Faguays | Art Déco sculptor

>Pierre Le Faguays, Fayral 1892-1935, was a prolific Art Déco and versatile avant-garde French sculptor, whose works greatly influenced the styles of the 1920's and early 1930's.

His dancing girls are delicate creatures and have lovely, sensitive faces -in bronze and tinted ivory, equal to those of the better known specialists Chiparus, Preiss, Icart and Lorenzl.

Joaquín Sorolla: "Nothing is stronger than nature.."

• "I hate darkness. Claude Monet once said that painting in general did not have light enough in it. I agree with him. We painters, however, can never reproduce sunlight as it really is. I can only approach the truth of it".

• "Odio le tenebre. Claude Monet ha detto una volta che la pittura in generale non ha avuto abbastanza luce in esse. Sono d'accordo con lui. Noi pittori, tuttavia, non siamo mai in grado di riprodurre la luce del sole come è realmente. Io posso solo avvicinarmi alla verità".

Oscar Mersch | Cityscape painter

Spanish painter Oscar Mersch was born to a German family living in Palma de Mallorca, located in the Balearic Islands of Spain. Laying claim to some of the most impressive and influential artists born to their country, such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Goya, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, it is no wonder Spain is where Oscar Mersch was able to thrive in his artistic development and talent.

Louis Dali | Paris painting

Louis Dali (1905-1994) a listed French artist famous for his techniques in capturing the true atmosphere of Paris in his street scenes. He specialized in small street scenes in Paris. He has been awarded high honors in many exhibitions in Europe. Louis Dali was a member of the Society of French Artists in Paris.

Dali started his career as a mechanical engineer and had only started painting as a hobby.

He received the silver medal by the city of Paris in 1965 and won several awards at the Salons in Paris.

Gary Holland | Impressionist Figurative painter

Whether landscape paintings, still lifes, portrait, figure, or even pet portraits… Holland does them all-with passion. As the artist puts it, he has been blessed with a “passion for creation”.

Earning degrees in such disciplines as music, art, education and psychotherapy, his insightful art reflects the diversity of his interests. Holland’s work can be found in collections throughout the world. His art has been featured in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Emilio Payés, 1935 | Paris painting

Spanish painter Emilio Payés was born February 28, 1935 in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain. He began to paint at the age of fourteen. Upon turning eighteen, he began his formal training in art. Due to his talent of drawing, he was inspired and encouraged to begin training at this early age. During his education and training, he studied under the Spanish professor, Mr. Edmundo Jorda.

Rembrandt | The Jewish Bride / La sposa ebrea, 1667

Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, known as "The Jewish Bride", Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, c.1665-1669.

Two contemporaries had themselves portrayed by Rembrandt in historicizing costumes as characters from the Bible. The couple"s tender embrace is at the centre of this poignant painting: the man"s loving gesture is returned with a gentle caress.

The figures and their poses agree with the study, only the figure of King Abimelech spying on them is missing. We, the viewers, assume his role as witnesses of their clandestine love. | © Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Richard Oversmith, 1971 | Plein Air painter

American painter Richard Oversmith received formal training in Fine Art and Illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While at Kendall he was invited to study at the Royal College of Art in London, England. There he gained experience in plein air painting and found direction in his work as an oil painter. He graduated from Kendall College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995 and moved back to his home state of North Carolina to pursue his dream of becoming a professional artist.

Art of El Greco

El Greco (1541-1614) painted many of his paintings on fine canvas and employed a viscous oil medium.

He painted with the usual pigments of his period such as azurite, lead-tin-yellow, vermilion, madder lake, ochres and red lead, but he seldom used the expensive natural ultramarine.

Scholars' conclusions about El Greco's aesthetics are mainly based on the notes El Greco inscribed in the margins of two books in his library.

El Greco discarded classicist criteria such as measure and proportion.

He believed that grace is the supreme quest of art. But the painter achieves grace only if he manages to solve the most complex problems with obvious ease.

Brent Cotton, 1972 | Tonalist/Luminist painter

Raised on his family's cattle ranch in Idaho, Brent's first lessons in art were taught by his grandmother, a talented watercolorist. He grew up sketching the cowboys and horses he observed every day. His family moved to Lindsborg, Kansas when he was in the 5th grade. In this little town steeped in it's Swedish heritage and love of the arts, Brent's creativity flourished. In high school an influential instructor encouraged him to pursue a career in art. Upon graduation, he spent several seasons as a hunting and fishing guide in the vast wilderness of Idaho and Alaska, experiences that led to many painting ideas. He focused on wildlife art and taught himself woodcarving as a way to express himself. His specialty became gamefish and songbirds.

Botond Kuti, 1984 | Abstract painter

Botond Kuti is an Hungarian artist from Transylvania.

Botond Kuti was born in Marosvásárhely (Tg. Mures) and growing up in the heart of Transylvania, in a town called Szováta (Sovata), influenced by his father’s paintings, he soon turned to art himself.

Given this artistic and creative background, he was determined to become a painter by the age of 14. From 1999-2003 Botond was a scholarship student in the Department of Painting at Palló Imre High School of Fine Arts in Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiu Secuiesc).

Paulo Coelho: "Culture makes people understand each other better"

• "Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbour is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions".

Catrin Welz-Stein | Surrealist Digital painter

• "I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfil our destiny, but our fate is sealed".

• "Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering".

Justyna Kopania | Ballet Dancers

Justyna Kopania* is a Polish painter who creates beautifully textured oil paintings of marine vessels, seascapes, portraits of ships at sea, landscapes and cityscapes.
Kopania’s* work is a bit of a refreshing break to see how she manipulates and uses this traditional medium in a different way.

For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Kopania see:

• Justyna Kopania ~ Abstract Palette Knife painter.

Henri Lamy, 1985 | Portrait Palette Knife painter

Henri Lamy is a French figurative painter, born in 1985. Seduced by the immediacy and spontaneity of the acrylic, the quality of his work is enhanced by the lively colors and his expressive compositions, as well as the use of palette knife.

Initiated at a very young age by his father, Henri is an admirer of Pollock and "drip painting". His painting appears to be more abstract at close range but becomes more figurative from a distance.

Patrick Gonzales, 1965 | Surrealist Digital painter

Patrick Gonzalès is a visual artist born in Miggenes, France. He began painting at the age of 15, mainly by replicating great works of art, while in parallel he was developing his own artistic style. Since then he has constantly evolved and gradually experimented with photography and later on digital painting, blending both to his art. Today he is most comfortable referring to his art as a mixture of photography and digital painting. His main theme is dreams and childhood from a surrealistic perspective. Gonzalès lives and works in Dijon, France.

Allen Jones RA, 1937 | Pop Art painter / sculptor

Allen Jones studied at Hornsey College of Art from 1955-1959 and the Royal College of Art from 1959-1960.

Between 1961-1983 he taught at Croydon College of Art, Chelsea School of Art, University of South Florida, Hochschule für Bildenden Kunst, Hamburg, University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Irvine and Hochschule der Kunste, Berlin. Jones was appointed a Trustee of the British Museum from 1990-1999.

Christophe Heymann, 1956 | Pop Art painter

Christophe Heymann was born in Fort-Lamy (Chad) the 4th of August 1956. Four years later, confronted with the first violent waves of independance, the family went back to France. Wrenched from his native soil, the artist will always have an unquenched and mysterious attraction to his roots. This memory of a premature departure from his birthplace has always remained a source of inspiration.

Andrea Bucci, 1966 | Figurative /Abstract sculptor

Andrea Bucci was born in Viareggio, Tuscany, on the Italian seacoast, where he lives and works.

Son of an artist, but self-taught in his medium of terra cotta, he laid aside a career in architecture to place himself under the critical public eye and affront the road of an artist.

He has the spontaneity of youth but also the determination of one who has objectives and wants to pursue them.

His ceramic and bronze figures have poetic simplicity: where, however, everything has a sense.

Certain accentuations and deformations finish his pieces with a normal appearance, as if the reality is that represented by the sculptor, and not vice versa.

Joseph Zbukvic, 1952 | Plein-air Watercolor painter

Joseph Zbukvic was born in Zagreb, today’s Croatian capital.

From childhood he was fond of art, but his parents thought it wasn’t an important talent, so Joseph was sent to a Pedagogical University, where he studied languages.

The political instability in Yugoslavia forced the Zbukvic family to leave their home and move to Australia.

Of course the education had to be abandoned.

A few years later the name of Joseph Zbukvic became famous, despite his parents wish to bury the talent of their son.

Stefano Sampietro, 1973 | Abstract /Mixed media painter

Stefano Sampietro was born in Como, Italy- during the oil crisis of 1973. 'My art is skeptical without being relativist, libertarian without being anarchist'.

Education:

• 1998. Degree in Economics, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy:
• 2004. PhD in Quantitative Finance, University of Lugano, Switzerland.

Mihai Olteanu, 1962 | Pittore impressionista

Il pittore Mihai Olteanu è nato nel villaggio Rediu, Bira, contea di Neamt in Romania.

Diplomato alla Scuola Superiore di Arti Bacau nel 1980, con il professor Peter George Velea e nella classe di Pinca Petru.

Dal 1985 espone in mostre personali ed è presente in collezioni private in Romania, Canada, Stati Uniti, Svezia, Iraq, Germania, Grecia, Israele, Spagna.

Le sue opere sono presenti come Illustrazioni di libri e computer grafica - in romanzi, libri per bambini e monografie.

Victor Colesnicenco, 1968 | Mixed media /Cityscape painter

Victor Colesnicenco (a.k.a. NEMO) grew up in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova. This Eastern European nation is known for its rich artistic heritage. Nemo, as he is known to his friends, remembers being fascinated by the carvings and other craftworks that surrounded him. In particular he loved paintings and from an early age he was determined to become an artist.

Nemo began intense inquiry into the style and techniques of the famous painters and formed a particular interest in the work of the Surrealists.

Tomasa Martin, 1960 | Minimalist /Mixed media painter

Spanish painter Tomasa Martin work of intimist character and minimalist construction. Inspired by details daily and motivated by the events around the world. Exhibitions from 1990 in Europe, USA and Asia.

Education: Fine Arts Licensed by Masana School (Barcelona).

Ilyas Aidarov /Ильяс Айдаров, 1956 | Paris painting

Ильяс Айдаров was born in Kazan. He graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute. Corresponding Fellow of Russian Academy of Arts, People’s Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan, Honoured Artist of Tajikistan, Member of the International Academy of Art and Culture, Member of the USSR Union of Architects, Member of Artists Union of Russia (MOSH), Member of Moscow Union of Artists (MSH), Member of Artists Union of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Ilyas has been awarded the top state and communal awards in the arts field. For an unprecedented exhibition in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has been honoured entry into the Guinness Book of Records (Russian branch).

Philipp Weber, 1974 | Hyperrealist painter

German painter🎨 Philipp Weber tells the stories that move him, using a hyperrealist style. Realism, pop, composition and an attempt to find an inner truth determine the artist’s approach, which places women at the heart of his cyclical works.

Like Mel Ramos, Philipp Weber depicts the artificiality and the clichés of the fashion and advertising world. His young women pose as if for a photo shoot for a glossy magazine, providing a blank canvas for men’s dreams, thus picking up on a traditional artistic theme.

Tricia Cherrington Ratliff | Still Life /Portrait painter

Tricia Cherrington-Ratliff is an artist who paints with a specific goal of leaving behind works of art that will be meaningful to future generations.

Having grown up in the shadows of the Music Hall of historic Tarrytown New York, painter Tricia Cherrington-Ratliff credits New York's vibrant art scene with inspiring her to create fine art at a young age. Unconsiously, the history of her surroundings gave her a lifelong sense that a beautiful work of art outlasts a generation and speaks to those who come later. She considers artwork a legacy to be passed to others.