Late Autumn Aspens, by Keith Bond 35 x 39, Oil on Linen.

© Keith Bond, 2011

 

This painting is primarily about light. Light as it hits the aspens. The light that falls upon the meadow. The dappled light which is in the shaded foreground area. And the reflected light that gives form to the aspen trunks. Despite being the end of the season, there is a reassurance associated with the warmth of this sun-filled scene. Light gives life and warmth to this grove of trees, just as light gives life and warmth to our spirits.

 

Bring the warmth and light of this beautiful scene into your home.

 

Bidding Opportunity

For the first time ever, I am trying a different approach to selling this painting. It will be available to purchase through a bidding system.

 

This is how it works:

 

The minimum bid will be $4000 (retail price for the painting is $6900). If you would like to bid, simply do so in the comments. Bids must be in $100 increments. The bidding closes at 11:59 pm on Friday, January 27, 2012. So, the painting is open for bidding for only one week.

 

If you wish to bid anonymously, just use your initials.

 

Unfortunately, the system doesn't have the capability to automatically increase your bid up to your specified top-bid amount. You will have to re-bid whenever someone bids higher than you.

 

At the end of the auction, I will communicate through you via email or telephone to make payment and delivery arrangments.

  

Why am I doing this? For several reasons.

 

1. I am just trying to do something a bit different. I'm trying to think outside the box in terms of selling my work.

2. I am giving you the opportunity to own an original at a more comfortable price than in the past. There is always the potential that the piece will be bid up to or even above the retail price. But, there is also potential to get somewhat of a "deal".

3. I have several high-end frames that have a few scratches and chips. The frames are hand carved, hand gilded in 22k gold. They are beautiful frames. However, they were built in the humid East Coast. I live in the dry Western US and all my galleries are in the West as well. Because of the climate difference, the gold leafing is very fragile and has become chipped in a few areas. The handling that is inevitable in galleries makes it worse. I have touched up the damaged areas. But I don't want them to chip any more by sending them to galleries. Beginning with this painting, I am offering them through this bidding process. Realize that the gold leafing is fragile. With that full disclosure, the paintings will ultimately sell for the value as determined by the winning bidder.

 

One last thing about this painting. It was the overwhelming favorite at my Open Studio Event last month. Imaging your home with Late Autumn Aspens. It can be yours with the winning bid. Remember, bidding begins at only $4000 (retail price is $6900) and increases in increments of $100.

 

Enrich your life. Fill your home with light.  Make your bid in the comments section below.

 

Good Luck,

Keith Bond

 I have been a huge fan of LeConte Stewart’s art for many years.  LeConte (1891-1990), depicted his native Utah how he saw and experienced it.  He didn’t seek out the grandiose.  Neither did he embellish his landscapes.  Rather, he found delight in showing the beauty of the ordinary.  He said:

 

"Each generation has its own standards; what is good today may not satisfy tomorrow. Honesty with oneself should help, for after all only that survives which rings true in the hearts of humanity. Witness the work of Shakespeare in literature and Rembrandt in painting. Both of them pictured life as they knew it and saw it and were not concerned with the passing fad. Each was true to himself. Why cannot a man do that today? If he can and does, I believe his work will live." - LeConte Stewart

 

 

House by the Tracks, by LeConte Stewart

 

Barn in Snow, Liberty, by LeConte Stewart

 

On view in Salt Lake City, Utah are 2 exhibits showcasing different aspects of his work.  These exhibits run through January 15, 2012.  Focusing on his rural Utah landscapes is the exhibit at the Church Museum of History and Art in downtown SLC.  At the University of Utah Campus in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is an exhibit focusing on LeConte’s Depression Era paintings.   Between the 2 shows, over 200 of his original paintings and drawings are on display. 

 

Country Funeral, Porterville, by Keith Bond

 

I was finally able to see the show when we were in Utah over Thanksgiving.  His work is stunning to see in person.  If you have reason to visit Utah before the middle of January, I highly recommend visiting the exhibits.   

 

 

The Smith's, the Jones', and the Brown's, by LeConte Stewart

 

LeConte is a master at capturing the subtle hues in nature, applied with impressionistic strokes of paint.  He studied under master landscape instructor, John F. Carlson in the early 1900’s.  Throughout his life, LeConte painted en plein air and taught art in Utah.  He was very influential among many of the Utah artists working today.  I was never privileged to study with him, but I have studied his work for years. 

 

One of the highlights of the Rural Landscape exhibit was a series of paintings depicting the same farmstead in Morgan Valley.  Over the course of several decades, at different times of day and in every season, LeConte continued to return to this site to paint.  Each time, he found something new that excited him.  On display were 5 or 6 paintings of this farm.  The two paintings shown below are from this series.  Some of the others depicted the farm from various vantage points.  But 3 or 4 of them were basically the same compositon.  Yet, each one is somehow fresh and unique.

 

Autumn, Peterson, Utah, by LeConte Stewart

 

Springtime, Morgan Valley, by LeConte Stewart

 

Most of you from anywhere other than Utah have probably never heard of LeConte Stewart.  He is under-recognized in the rest of the country.  In my opinion, he is one of the Greats of American art.  His work captures the soul of what he painted.  His voice was one of authenticity.

 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with his work, I feel that it is worthy of study.  A new coffee table sized book of his work will be printed later this year.  Click here or on the image below for more information about the upcoming book.  I hope that the book along with these 2 exhibits in SLC will help propel him to the national recognition that he deserves.  And I hope that you have gained an appreciation for a great painter of the American West through this little blog post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art is powerful.  It is a visual language through which emotions are stirred and unspoken conversations take place. 

As with any conversation you have in this life, there are times when you agree and times when you disagree.  There are times when you can see the other side, though your opinion is different.

So it is with art.  An artist may intend one thing, but you may feel or see something else.  I hope you embrace whatever thoughts or memories are stirred.  They are authentic and valid.  Yet, I also hope that you seek to appreciate and see what the artist intended.  Through listening and seeking to understand the other’s point of view, conversations richer and have more meaning.

The direction that I have taken my art is to explore the spirit of the landscape.  It is about the peaceful, quiet, contemplative moments in nature.  Even the grand or majestic scenes have a peacefulness and sublimity to them.  This is what intrigues me. 

Recently a friend of mine commented that my paintings have a meditative quality to them.  Likewise, Clint Watson of Fine Art Views commented that “… [Keith’s] work takes us away to commune with nature.”  Others have made similar comments.

I did not necessarily set out to have this particular focus.  Rather, over the years I recognized that I naturally gravitated to these scenes. While in nature I see.  I feel.  I experience.  I meditate.  On the canvas I share those experiences with you.

It is a great compliment when the feelings that my art evokes in others are precisely the feelings that I intend. 

Yet, even when the feelings and emotions evoked are not necessarily what I intended, that’s okay too.  We are each unique and see the world through different sets of lenses.  Whatever you experience and whatever thoughts or memories are brought to the surface are valid.  However, if you take the time to look beyond your point of view and seek to understand what I intend, I think you will have a richer experience with the art.

And to bring the conversation full circle, I am interested to know what you feel when you see my work.  I wish to see your point of view as well.  What thoughts, emotions, or memories does my work evoke in you?  Share your comments here.

Best Wishes,

Keith Bond

 

A World without Art

By

Keith Bond

 

 

Imagine a world without art.  Would the piazzas of Rome have such romance?  Would people from the world over flock to the Sistine Chapel just to look up at an unadorned ceiling?

 

Imagine a world that had never known Mona Lisa’s smile.  Consider a world without the vision of Monet or Rembrandt. 

 

Art has, both directly and indirectly influenced business, politics, industry, and international affairs.  It has shaped cultures, nations, and even world history.

 

Let’s bring it closer to home.  How would your home look without art?  What, if anything, would you put on your walls?  Would your house feel like a home?  Cereal boxes would be generic.  Your kitchen table would be completely utilitarian.  Your clothing might resemble something from centuries past – or worse.  How much variety would there be in automobiles?  Would car designs ever change or would we still be driving Model Ts?  Would the Model T look different?  

 

Our world would be drastically different without art. 

 

I know my life certainly would be different.  I am not just talking about my own art (although that is a hugely significant part of it).  It’s much more than that.  Art has moved me in many ways.  It has touched me deeply.  I have been taught.  I have been uplifted and enlightened.  I have been consoled.  My imagination has been sparked.  At times I have been confused or even agitated by art.  It causes me to think, to wonder, to dream, to act.  I have laughed, I have cried. 

 

The world is a better place because of the power of art.

 

What does art mean to you?  What do you do about it?

 

It matters not if you are an artist, collector, or simply an admirer or art.  It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor.  You may be well versed in art, or feel that you don’t know anything about it.  If art means something to you, you can act on that and make a difference in the world.  You can contribute to the betterment of society with your involvement in the arts.

 

There are many ways to be involved and supportive of the arts.  Just a few examples:

 

• Visit galleries and museums
• Become a docent at a museum
• Volunteer at a local school and teach children about art history
• Encourage art education in your schools
• Share your passion of art with your children or grandchildren
• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper
• Encourage public art in your communities
• Sit on a board of directors or become a committee member with some organization which has involvement in the arts
• Become involved in your local arts and crafts show
• Read about art
• Attend an artist’s open studio night
• Host an artist’s exhibit in your home
• Surround yourself with art
• Purchase art that has meaning to you
• If you are an artist, create and share it with others
• The list could go on and on

 

Art is powerful.  Art is meaningful.  It enriches our society.  What does art mean to you?  Share your thoughts by commenting below.

 

Best Wishes,

Keith Bond

 

 

 

Painted from photographic reference with plein air studies for color.

 

This is one of my favorite recent paintings.  Since taking a series of photos of this cow several years ago, I have wanted to do this painting.  I remember the day well.  I was plein air painting on a warm and sunny autumn day in northern Utah.  I was on a remote, gravel, mountain road.  The colors of the big tooth maples and gamble oaks mingled with cedars and junipers created a rainbow of color.  The relaxed, restful mood of the cow contrasted nicely with the dazzlingly vibrant colors of autumn. 

 

Although I have wanted to do this painting for about 4 years, for one reason or another I never got around to it until now.  Sometimes the ideas need to incubate for a while until the moment is right.  This was the moment.

 

This painting will be part of the American Miniatures Show at Settlers West Galleries in Tucson Arizona, Feb 12, 2011.

 

Click here to see view a larger image.

Painted from a plein air field study, Elk River near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

 

I almost passed this scene up.  After a long and successful plein air excursion, I was on my way home.  I passed this scene but didn't stop.  I had thought to myself that I should stop, but I was exhausted and had a 3 1/2 hour drive ahead of me, over mountain roads at night.  About a couple miles down the road, though, I decided to turn around.  I did a quick plein air sketch to capture the color and value relationships before all light was gone.

 

In the studio, I developed the painting to capture the spirit of the scene. 

 

Click to view larger image.

About a month or so ago I was painting with artist Jake Gaedtke along the Elk River near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  Whenever I paint next to other artists I am impressed by the unique vision each of us have.  Even when looking upon the same scene, each individual filters the vast information in a very personal way.  We each find the essence of the subject that inspires us.  What inspires me is different from what inspires someone else. 

John F. Carlson wrote so eloquently in his book, Carlson's Guide To Landscape Painting:

"The beginner in painting begins by copying nature in all literalness, leaving nothing out and putting nothing in; he makes it look like the place or person or thing.  By and by he will learn to omit the superfluous and to grasp the essentials and arrange them into a more powerful and significant whole.  And it is wonderful to know that these "essentials" will be essential to him only (and herein lies the secret of originality).  Another man will choose another group of essentials out of the same fountain of inspiration."


Me (left) and Jake Gaedtke (right) painting along the Elk River, Colorado.  Photo by John Taft.

To have originality, an artist simply needs to find what is important to him or her.  The artist needs to simply be true to himself.  Originality does not necessarily mean being avant garde or shocking the viewers with something bizarre.  Though, for some, that may be a true and genuine expression.  But for many, I think it is forced. 

I would rather paint something (a landscape of a river, for example) that may have been done a million times and stay true to who I am.  Because of my "essentials", my painting is a completely original idea.  It has never been painted the way I painted it.  It is unique. 

So is Jake's painting.  We painted side by side along the river, but found vastly different ways to express our response to the scene.  Compare our two paintings below.
 

Elk River Reflections, by Keith Bond, oil, 10 x 8


Backlit River Bank, by Jake Gaedtke, oil 8 x 10,

Jake's beautiful painting captures the light exceptionally well.  You can feel the warmth of the light as it illuminates the scene.  The trees and brush glow in the afternoon light of September.  The light becomes the subject as everything else becomes secondary.  Anything which does not add to the painting is eliminated.

My painting is less intimate.  Though light is important to me, it is not the subject.  I chose to show more of the scene, capturing the unique textures of each of the characters.  The fluid water, the hard rocks, the delicate foliage all coming together as various actors in a play.  My painting is about the interplay, it's about the relations they have to eachother.  Each contributes to the story, with the cottonwood tree having the lead role.   

So, yes, both Jake and I were inspired from the same fountain.  But we found our own set of essentials.  We each created original works that never have been, nor never will be created by anyone else in history.  That is originality.  That is creativity.  That is art.

 

Visit Jake Gaedtke's Website

 

One of my favorite living artists is landscape painter, Clyde Aspevig.  I stumbled across this video and thought I would share it with you.  The video was made by Trey Ratcliff.  

Interview with Clyde Aspevig from Trey Ratcliff on Vimeo.

Visit Clyde Aspevig's website.

I am making a few changes to my online marketing efforts.  I am reworking my newsletter format a bit along with other broader changes to be rolled out soon.  As part of these changes, I would like to come up with a better title than simply Keith Bond Newsletter.  My daughter said I should name this newsletter "Conversations With Calliope."  But she kind of likes "Conversations With Jorge" better.  She says Calliope is a Greek Muse, but Jorge is a Spanish Dude.

Hmmm....  I don't know.

I need the perfect title.  My newsletter usually includes an article which addresses a myriad of art related topics.  Among the readers are fellow artists, collectors, consultants, curators, friends, and so on.  I try to write articles of interest to this broad group.  I also include announcements and events and other newsworthy items. 

Hmmm....  Still no perfect title.

I need help from you.  Submit your best idea for a title.  I may choose the "fruits" of your creative genius.  If so, I will give you a small original artwork from my Etude series as a "Thank You". 

By the way, I have more Etudes to upload.  Stay tuned...

I enjoy teaching.  Just this past week, I taught a week-long plein air workshop.  I always come away from them tired, but also somehow invigorated.  I am always excited to push myself to new heights after such focussed examination of art principles. 

It is said that the teacher always learns more than the students.  Perhaps this is true (but I do hope the students learned just as much as me).  There is something about analyzing and articulating principles of art that reinforces concepts in my mind.  To expain why things are working and what can be improved forces me to think deeper about the art.

Another benefit to teaching is that I get to rub shoulders with so many eager and talented students.  Each student during this workshop was really wanting to learn.  They brought a great excitement and energy to the class.  They brought their own strengths and points of view.  It was a great blessing to view the world through their eyes; to see what they wanted to express.  And it was great fun working with them to help them find the means to express their ideas.

During one of my demonstration paintings, I painted a quick little study for the studio painting, Pleasant Valley Farm, (shown above). One of the students commented while I painted that I must be excited about the scene.  Indeed I was.  There is something  peaceful, even restful about grazing cattle.  Yet the early afternoon light made for a joyful expression.  I think there is a nice balance between joyfulness and peacefulness.  Surely there is a correlation between peace and joy. 

This painting is one of those rare occasions when I remained quite literal to the plein air study.  Only minor adjustments where needed.  It was the first studio piece after the week-long workshop.  It was pure joy to paint.

This painting will be part of the Mountain Oyster Club Show and Sale in Tucson, Arizona - November 21, 2010.  Request an invitation to the show (November is a great time to visit Tucson).

Click here to view larger image.

Click here to request more information about this painting.

Painting and text: copyright, 2010, Keith Bond.  All rights reserved.