New Painting by Frank Baker Holmes Echoes Classic Themes

‘Still Life with Vermeer Postcard’
16”x20”, o/c

The Narrowsburg art scene is not my usual beat, but having just seen Frank Holmes' latest painting, it seemed noteworthy enough to draw attention to it. The 16"x 20" piece bears the straightforward title "Still Life with Vermeer Postcard," though it's anything but straightforward. You can find this painting at the River Gallery on Main Street in Narrowsburg, New York.

For those unfamiliar with Holmes, the story begin at the Pratt Institute where he received his Bachelor's degree in Brooklyn. Seven years later he came to Athens to work on his Masters at Ohio University. I was an art student there and, like many, impressed with what he was doing.

Vermeer detail.

In the early 70's the art scene was in a swirl because of the power of all these surging forces: the New York school, Pop Art, minimalism, conceptual art, and Happenings. It was an invigorating time for young artists, though simultaneously confusing, especially students looking for a clear path into the future.

In truth, there's never been a clear path. You have to draw or write or paint what feels authentic to you, and this is what Frank Holmes was doing, following his own inner muse.

The end result was his being honored with a Prix de Rome in 1973. You can read details of this experience here: Veteran Painter Frank Holmes Discusses His Prix de Rome and Life as an Artist

(detail)

Detail. Hardwood floor, carpet, pedestal obelisk.

Some of the elements in this painting have been recurring in Holmes' paintings for half a century, most significantly the the patterned wallpaper designs, the hardwood floor and the references to classical art history, in this case Vermeer's "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" which I had the privilege of seeing when it was at the National Gallery circa 1995. It's one of the most famous paintings of history, comparable to DaVinci's Mona Lisa in stature.

Like Salvador Dali before him, Holmes is acknowledging or paying tribute to the Dutch artist whose technical expertise is widely revered and nearly unequaled.

Another common denominator in Frank Holmes' paintings is the originality of the composition. To produce a painting is an investment of time, and the subject matter must be of sufficient interest to maintain interest. In addition to engaging the viewer, it must of necessity engage the artist as well. The visual effects--the play of light, the illusion of depth, shape, substance--are all in play here.

Priced at $3,000 this painting is a steal.

Related Links
A Most Unusual Portrait: The Sarcophagus by Frank B. Holmes
Frank Holmes' Agony and Ecstasy: 20 Images from the Ohio Theater Project 
Frank Holmes Studio Tour, 2018
21 Frank Holmes Paintings On Pinterest

Can You Identify the Original Photo Contents of These Seven Digital Extrusions

When I was growing up in Cleveland and later New Jersey, my mom had a deep fryer and a device that she used to turn potatoes into square shaped extrusions that would be dropped into the hot grease to become French fries. Last night I was able to find a picture of this vintage kitchen device here, a Redware Fry Cutter. This picture here shows a similar device in action.

Essentially it's an extruder. We've all seen extruded metal or extruded plastic before, though we not have thought much about or understood the process that created it.

The word "extrude" means to shape by forcing something through a die. The literal meaning, as a verb, is "to thrust, push or force out." The words appears as one possibility in a whole slew of creative menu options in one of the tabs on Adobe Photoshop®, an illustrator's tool for enhancing or altering photos. Other choices include spatter, emboss, bubble wrap, mosaic, etc.

Now here's where it gets interesting to me. When I was an art student in college 45 years ago I attempted to paint this vision of an extruded reality that I had imagined. That is, in my mind's eye I had performed a sequence of steps that went like this. First, what if you take a snapshot of 3-D reality -- it could be a room, a landscape, a sunrise -- and convert it to two dimensions? It's what cameras do every day, of course. Next, what if you place this image on the flat end of a block of soap or rectangular potato or whatever. Then, for step three you thrust this through an extruder that, voila!, makes unusual splays of color.

My effort to reproduce this effect in a painting was hindered by my lack of talent. Had I the skills of a Vermeer, Dali or Frank Holmes, the painting I created -- which still exists and hangs on a wall next to the billiard table in my mother's home -- would have been much more interesting.

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OK, so here is the game. See how many of these extruded, exploded images you can identify. That is, what did the original photo look like? No one will get all seven, but there are a few here you should be able to sort out. Good luck!

Top to Bottom

1. The Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles
2. The cover of Jeff Beck's first album, Beck-Ola--based on a painting by Magritte
3. Our gaggle geese
4. Portion of a large abstract painting from my senior year at Ohio U.
5. Abstract painting with snakeskin in the center
6. Cloud design created by means of inks and denatured alcohol on canvas
7. Guitar player and drummer from the Fractals

Some of these would make interesting illustrations for an article, book cover or blog post, don't ya think?

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We live in an amazing world. Make time to explore it. And have a great day.

A Visit with Jeffrey T. Larson, Founder of the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art

Jeffrey Larson, Self-Portrait

Andrew Wyeth was one of the most recognized American painters of the 20th century. N.C. Wyeth, his son, followed his footsteps as an artist/illustrator. Today a third generation is carrying the Wyeth torch, grandson Jamie.

In similar fashion, artist Jeffrey T. Larson has reproduced a passion for painting in his son Brock and together they have undertaken an enterprise that goes far beyond making art. After much deliberation they have undertaken to start a world-class art school here in the Twin Ports on Duluth's West Central Hillside. This past weekend the school had its first annual Student/Instructor Exhibition, and the impression one gets is that a very fine school has taken root, the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art.

I first met Jeff Larson at a talk he gave at the Tweed Museum last fall, no doubt designed to coincide with the launch of the school. Since that time I've taken a keen interest, and very much looked forward to this past weekend's open house.

EN: How did you come to take an interest in an art career?

"Chopping Wood" by Jeffrey T. Larson

Jeffrey Larson: I was always the "class artist" growing up. Loved to draw, carve and create but never thought about it seriously as in a career util I discovered the Atelier Lack.

EN: You're a masterful oil painter. What was it that led you to take up classical oil painting as an avocation?

JTL: More correctly, it took me up. It was the moment I went to visit Richard Lack at his personal studio after having been to visit his school, Atelier Lack, during my senior year of high school. He had asked me to bring some work when I went to his school. I had gone out of curiosity only. When I walked into his studio it struck me that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Avocation is too strong a word to use to describe how I saw it. Avocation implies career and income, the furthest consideration from my mind at that time actually. Young and dumb, I just knew this is what I was meant to do and assumed the rest would fall into place.

EN: Your paintings show a great admiration for light. How do you choose subject matter for your work?

JTL: Living in the Northland offers you a lot of green and blue half the year, white the rest. The laundry series is probably my most successful attempt at trying to have as much control compositionally outside. With the sheets I can convert them to foils of color and pattern, bounced light, reflected light, flat light, transparent light, translucent light and shadows... The subject is primarily a means to an end for abstract composition.

EN: What prompted you to start an art school? What is the school called and 5. what's your vision for the school?

JTL: A number of reasons. I have always been extremely grateful that I had had the opportunity to receive classical training, especially given just how rare it has become. It laid the foundation for my life. With my son's path following mine it seemed like a wonderful opportunity for us to work together. We both enjoy teaching, having both done it towards the end of our training and after graduating. The idea started small but given our personalities it soon began to grow. Stumbling across St. Peters and recognizing the potential it held ramped it up to a whole new level. Our goal now is to create and develop it into one of the finest classical studio schools in the world. (There are about a dozen schools worldwide passing on this information at a higher level.)

EN: What makes your approach to teaching different from what other art schools are doing?

JTL: There have always been two major lines with the visual arts, the romantic/classical which has turned into the academic/impressionistic. My training was impressionist based with a foundation of classical academic. I've added 25 years of full-time painting experience to this and have learned much in those years. Brock's interest and focus is much more academic-based. Just about all the other schools in the world are purely academic. We will be offering a combined training of the two approaches, what we are calling Classical Impressionism.

EN: Who have been your influences? Favorite painters or artists?

JTL: I can honestly say that I have learned much from so many of the artists of the past. One tends to become obsessed with one artist for a time, absorb what you can and then move on. A few of my lasting favorites are Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Sargent, Sorolla, Zom and Rodin.

EN: For people who missed your exhibition at the Tweed this summer, where can they see more of your work?

JTL: For those who missed the open house this past weekend, you can find many pieces displayed at www.jeffreytlarson.com.

I am currently in a couple shows in New York's Cavalier Galleries, and at the Salmagundi Club as part of the Art Renewal Center's 12th annual International Salon Exhibition. I also have pieces on display at Collins Galleries on Cape Cod and Helena Fine Arts in Charleston, S.C.

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I know that I am not alone when I say that the school Jeff Larson has started here with his son is a welcome addition to the local arts scene and the community-at-large.  Thank you Jeff, for sharing your vision and making sacrifices to make it a reality. The very best to you in your endeavors.

The Milkmaid

Every artist has his or her influences. When I was studying art in Athens* mine were the Moderns. Dali, Magritte, Picasso (who influenced the art world in the same manner Freud influenced psychology or Einstein rocked physics) and Du Champ were all tops in my book. But each of these creatives had influences, too. At the top of Salvador Dali's list was the Dutch realist Johannes Vermeer of Delft, whose exquisite works have cemented his reputation as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.

Dali's fascination with Vermeer can be seen in paintings like Apparition of the Town of Delft (Vermeer's home town) and The Ghost of Vermeer of Delft, Which Can Be Used as a Table. Though from Spain himself, Dali made no secret of being a fan of the Dutch master. What Dali saw in Vermeer was an oil painter like himself, fascinated with light, who understood the deeper ways light illuminated objects, the way layers of color interact and project a vivid splendor.

I have never forgotten my visit to the National Gallery in the early 70's where I was able to locate that famous Girl With a Pearl Earring which Vermeer painted in 1665. Yes, the word awe comes readily to mind.

This year the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam permitted the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to display another famous Vermeer piece: The Milkmaid. Here's how the museum described the exhibit: "On the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage to Manhattan from Amsterdam, that city’s Rijksmuseum has sent The Milkmaid, perhaps the most admired painting by Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675), to the Metropolitan Museum.:

Unfortunately, the painting was in town only from September to November. Bummer. Then again, this is why lovers of art visit Europe now and then, isn't it? The Louvre, the Rijkmuseum, and Italy... these gold mines are open to the public and a continuous inspiration to new generations of artists.

Information about The Milkmaid from the Metropolitan
The painting was probably purchased from the artist by his Delft patron Pieter Claesz van Ruijven (1624–1674), who at his death appears to have owned twenty-one works by Vermeer. When these pictures were sold from the estate of Van Ruijven's son-in-law Jacob Dissius, in 1696, The Milkmaid was described as "exceptionally good" and brought the second-highest price in the sale. [Vermeer's celebrated cityscape A View of Delft (The Hague, Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis) was slightly more expensive.] "The famous milkmaid, by Vermeer of Delft, artful," was auctioned in 1719 and then went through at least five Amsterdam collections to one of the great collectors of Dutch art, Lucretia Johanna van Winter (1785–1845). In 1822 she married into the Six family of collectors and it was from the heirs of Lucretia's two sons that the Rijksmuseum, in 1908, purchased The Milkmaid, with support from the Dutch government and the Rembrandt Society.

*Ohio University in Athens, Ohio