Three Great Contemporary Oil Painters
- Larry Dunlap
- Sep 6, 2023
- 3 min read
These three realist painters have a common quality to their work that I love, which is, a visceral experience. By that I mean that I have an instant gut reaction when I see a picture for the first time. Maybe you do too. Something about it, a connection to the image that's hard to explain, but I literally feel it pulling me in.
Painting pictures is a bag of tricks that requires a lifetime to collect and these painters have put in their 10,000 hours. I like that they are painting for themselves without pandering to their patrons too much.
So, these are three of my favorite great contemporary oil painters:
Odd Nerdrum, whose first name tells you a lot, bless his heart, is a Norwegian expatriot living in Iceland. He is my favorite living painter and is in the pantheon of Great Masters of realism. In the art movement known as "Kitsch", Nerdrum is the Lizard King.
His work is heavily influenced by Rembrandt, obviously, but he's not trying to copy Rembrandt's style. Rather, he has absorbed what Rembrandt had to offer and made it his own.
He started his academic studies in Norway, but grew frustrated that art school wasn't actually teaching him to paint. A common complaint these days
too. He left for Amsterdam, where he would learn on his own from the great Masters of oil painting. He put in many, many hours (perhaps 10,000?) of study at the Rijksmuseum and he emerged a living Master.
He is out there, though. He has A LOT of theories about art and mysticism and how the Norwegian government is out to get him. It's on YouTube if you need a nap. However, his technique is top notch and he hosts students at his home and studio free of charge. You can own one of his paintings for a mere $300,000. You can own a print for $2800. That's do-able. Here's his website if you feel like shopping.
Gregory Mortenson is "a classically trained artist known for his his arresting and emotive portraits of Haitian children".
His portraits of children seem to live and breathe. I love how he highlights the face by pushing everything else softer. To the point that the far background is almost abstract.
Mortenson's volunteer work in Haiti has heavily influenced his work and has enriched us all.
You can learn more about Gregory Mortenson here.
Jeremy Lipkin is an American realist painter originally from Santa Monica, California. Educated at the California Institute of the Arts, Lipkin is considered one of the finest painters of our time. He has numerous followers devoted to his teachings, including artist Tina Garrett, herself an acclaimed painter.
If you are interested in learning about how he creates pictures, he has lessons for purchase available on his website here.
In "Woman Reclining on Couch" he uses the soft diagonal light to evoke a feeling of early morning. The softness of the woman's features and the subtle gesture of the hand are beautifully done. I especially like how Lipkin painted this diaphanous, turquoise gown, merely suggesting the nudity beneath instead of featuring it. As a painter, I can tell you from experience that using turquoise oil paint is tricky as heck. You have to mix the intensity way down by mixing it with a light color, otherwise it becomes all your eye can focus on. The way he has varied the fabric thickness and tone create a convincing illusion.
Comments