Fragonard Pink and New England Landscapes

In contemporary art, pink can be used in a variety of ways to express different emotions and ideas. Some New England painters are incorporating pink into their work to convey a sense of nostalgia, femininity, or even irony, depending on the context. Pink has been quoted as, “ a color of love with an attitude,” is gaining social popularity. Look for more pink moving into our New England palette and look for the symbolism of pink in art too!

Probably the most famous use of pink art history is Fragonard, his unusual use of pink and the tone of the pink he is known for has lasted through time..

Jean-Honoré Fragonard was a French Rococo painter known for his elegant and playful style, often using soft, pastel colors like pink. His most famous painting, "The Swing," features a young woman in a flowing pink dress enjoying a ride on a swing, surrounded by a lush, idyllic landscape. The pink in this painting, and in many of Fragonard's works, symbolizes youth, innocence, and the carefree spirit of the Rococo era.

Lake paintings

Rebecca Klementovich is a talented painter renowned for her captivating depictions of New Hampshire's lakes, often done in a modern impressionist style. Her work beautifully captures the serene beauty and vibrant colors of the state's natural landscapes.

New Hampshire has stunning lakes with crystal-clear waters, surrounded by lush forests and majestic mountains. The beauty of light, water, and land creates breathtaking scenes that inspire artists.

Rebecca specializes in sparkles that hit the light on the lakes. She try's to show the aliveness.

Who Is Rebecca Klementovich

Rebecca uses nostalgia from natural subjects such as, flowers, mountains, colonial buildings and seascapes – but with a sharp, contemporary edge. Houses that are floating away due to climate change are a new direction she is taking. How to create paintings that exhibit humanity along with high keyed colors and neutrals is a reality she plans on working towards. These two contrasting ideas bring out the energy and complexities of our natural modern world. Rebecca’s work moves in between abstract and semi landscapes because of this, there is a fantastic tension. She is a true champion of using unusual color combos in her work. Her figure paintings and drawings allude to complex relationships and dynamics, sometimes haunting, sometimes intimate always in 17 or 18 century style.

Graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology NYC, she specialized in fashion illustration. Rebecca was a fashion art director for 22 years in the city. Her art career gave her a love of color and a strong design component in her paintings.

Rebecca lived in northern New Hampshire near the Mount Washington area for many years. Now she lives near Portsmouth, NH. The mountains gave her the sentimentality and the lyrical style in her landscapes, along with Fauvism. Foliage and Fauvism has been a huge influence on her work. All of these elements have produced large, modern, and unique fine art paintings. The natural subjects, human connection, and vibrant colors, she finds in her paintings take her to an enduring place of beauty, she hopes to share with the viewer.


NH Local Artist

What makes New Hampshire a special place for artists?

New Hampshire's stunning landscapes and rich history offer endless inspiration for artists. The state's iconic Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England, provides a breathtaking backdrop for artists, particularly during the winter's ethereal Alpenglow.

The state's serene lakes, including Winnipesaukee, Newfound, and Chocorua have picturesque settings surrounded by mountains and pine forests. These tranquil waters and stunning views have captivated artists for generations.

The historic coastal city of Portsmouth, home to the charming 18 century colonial town Strawbery Banke, adds another layer of cultural and historical significance.

With its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage, New Hampshire is an exceptional place for artists to create and for art lovers to appreciate.

Alpenglow and Mout Washington

What is Alpenglow-Alpenglow is a beautiful natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun is just below the horizon, casting a reddish glow on the mountains. This glow is caused by the scattering of sunlight by particles in the atmosphere. The term "alpenglow" comes from the German word "Alpenglühen," which means "Alps glow." It usually happens during sunrise and sunset.

Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, is a particularly stunning sight during alpenglow. As the sun rises or sets, casting its warm light on the mountain's slopes, the peak is bathed in a soft, ethereal glow. This phenomenon, known as alpenglow, creates a breathtaking view.

Why artist love to paint this glow is that during the blue and white colored winter months the Alpenglow produces a magnificent pink band of color over the mountains just for a few minutes at the horizon line.

Second Generation Artists

What is a second generation artist?

I only found out when my daughter, Violet told me. She and her friend shared stories of growing up with a parent who is an artist. Stories like hiding in the living room behind five foot canvases or putting secret Hello Kitty stickers on the art, to increase the value of it.

Literally: It could refer to painters who are the children of previous painters. This is a common occurrence in family businesses, where the skills and knowledge of the trade are passed down from generation to generation.

In our own family, Violet confessed to me while working in Canada Gallery in NYC, that she wanted to be an artist too! It is certainly not easy being an artist. There is so much unknown, however the types of creative, emotional, concept and spiritual discoveries are wonderful.

Violet has been accepted at the Goldsmith University in London, to get her masters in Fine Art. For the first time, she will be able to work full time on her own paintings to see where they will take her. You can follow her on instigram Crusty_Violet.

Let’s Wish this second generationer huge success.

Grant Winner of the Hemphill Family Foundation

After a few attempts at grant writing, I finally was able to develop the skills to win one! It has tank me four years of developing the skill to be able to put into words the abstract concepts, and to do a strong budget.

Anyone who can write about art in a professional way, You ARE MY HERO!!!

Newburyport Art (NAA) is thrilled to announce two winners

of the Art Adventure Grant! Since 2016, each grant has been generously funded by the Hemphill Family Foundation. This grant enables artist applicants to explore aspects of their artistic practice and professional development through experiences such as travel, educational classes, learning opportunities, and more! This year was NAA’s largest applicant pool to date, with 29 submissions. The winners were selected by a committee who considered the strength and cohesiveness of the portfolio, the artist’s thoughtful consideration and planning, and personal investment in the greater idea of an art adventure. Last Saturday, Mary Francis, Trustee of the Hemphill Family Foundation and NAA Artist Member, presented the awards to the winners.

 

Congratulations to Rebecca Klementovich,

winner of the 2024 Art Adventure Grant! In her grant application, Rebecca writes: “Painting a bog in the National forest located in North Conway En Plein Air would be an immersive and challenging experience that engages both the physical and emotional…En Plein Air painting in a bog offers a chance to truly connect with nature and capture its beauty on canvas…The finished paintings will be a unique collection that reflects not just the scene itself, but also the experience of being there.

Fashion Illustrator Antonio from Fashion Institute of Technology

For my classmates and myself who went to Fashion Institute of Technology, were all enchanted by the famous Fashion Illustrator who went to our school. His name was Antonio Lopez. He graduated years before us. We were shown so much of his work as examples of illustration. He was epic and revolutionized the fashion illustration world as we knew it.
His work pushed a new style of Illustration. The figures were robust and larger than life. At that time newspapers used fashion illustrations for fashion instead of photography, so Antonio was the IT, illustrator at that time. GC has a wonderful article about him, if you want to find out more about him.

Meantime, this Blue hat and women sketch is one of my Fashion Illustrations. I was an art director in fashion, NYC for many years. We used fashion illustration for our sales and special clients. Here in this series, I am just having fun and doing some wild wigs and hats as a shout out to an era!

#antoniolopez #fashionillustrationnyc #fashionillustration

When I was eight, our school went to a field trip to Strawbery Banke. I fell in love with it then, the gardens, the crowded turn of the century houses. It was such a beautiful escape. Now I live close by and I paint such an amazing part of Portsmouth.Strawbery Banke is the oldest neighborhood in New Hampshire to be settled by Europeans, and the earliest neighborhood remaining in the present-day city of Portsmouth. It features more than 37 restored buildings built between the 17th and 19th centuries in the Colonial, Georgian and Federal style architectures. The darkest colored house is the oldest house in the group. I have a group of historical areas that I am painting, or known as historical paintings. Look out for more!

#historicalpaintings