Mon May 07 2012
Extreme Makeover 3
Still Life with Shells and Fruits
Oil on Canvas
50cm x 60cm
Fri 6th January 2012
 
This still life was painted in 2003 when painting was for me more enthusiasm than expertise. This work was quite acceptable to me then if not perfect in terms of forms and composition. The shells, the main objects of interest and basically orange in color, were set off by a complementary blue atmosphere. The sturdy triangular arrangement strengthens the unity among the various elements. The yellow peaches and fruits mark the tips of the triangle. Very little seemed to be desired of this creation.

But, looking at it now, I can't resist the urge to inject more vibrant colors and greater atmospheric perspective in the otherwise dull and flat composition. And, I can't help noticing more shortcomings: the lemon peel is too long, the shells lack natural luster, the fruits and leaves are not fresh, and the strong contrast between the warm and cool table draperies grab too much attention. A renovation seems to be the most logical next step.
 
Art in Search of Meaning
Napoleon at St. Bernard Pass
Oil on Canvas, 100 cm x 80 cm
(after J.L. David)
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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This painting represents my decision to stick primarily to realism while I wait for anyone to prove to me that abstract paintings are really abstract in the strict and commonly understood sense of the word. It is my imitation of JL David's work and it took me a month to paint it....
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
Nativity
(Oil on Canvas, 100 cm x 120 cm)
(after Murillo)
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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After years of making belens, I decided to substitute them with a nativity painting that can be brought out during Christmas and stored away afterwards. Murillo's version immediately became a candidate for cloning. I put the city at the background to add to the composition. There's only one thing I've failed to do so far - remove the painting after...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
Girl with a Pitcher
Oil on Canvas (60 cm x 50 cm)
(after Vermeer)
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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We once saw an artist painting this work of Vermeer on a pavement in a shopping center in Leidschendam amidst passersby who occasionally dropped some coins in his hat. Painting it on a canvas would surely have netted him more....
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
Helen and Paris
(Oil on Canvas, 150 cm x 120 cm)
after J.L. David
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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So far my biggest painting, this copy of J.L. David's work is one of the initial results in my daring plunge into figurative painting. The original by the French master sets the central figures in a wider room, but it...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
The Anger of Achilles
(Oil on Canvas, 80 cm x 100 cm)
J.L. David
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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Greek mythology was a favorite theme among classical painters. J. L. David painted the original of this in 1819 as his own version of the Agamemnon and Achilles of Rubens. It shows the opposition between a woman's world steeped in...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
Toilet of Venus
(Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x 60 cm)
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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Also known as The Rokeby Venus, the original of this painting by Velazquez now hangs in the National Gallery of London, something Carol and I had the fortune of seeing five years ago. This is a favorite 'target practice' for...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
Girl with No Name
(Oil on Canvas, 60 cm x 50 cm)
Vicente Collado Jr.
February 22, 2010
 
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Time to face the face, the subject matter I dreaded most. The trouble with faces is that spectators always ask "Who is that?" Either show an existing look-alike or risk being considered a failure. And this is the problem. In...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
MoreJose, Maria, y Jesus
(Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x 40 cm)
After Jacob Jordaens
Vicente Collado Jr.

Art education during the times of the Dutch Masters required, among others, spending two years learning drawing and five years...
MoreGirl with a Smile
(Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x 40 cm)
Vicente Collado Jr.

When I finally stepped back to assess this painting, I smiled not only because the girl was smiling at me...
MoreGirl with a Watch
(Oil on Canvas, 60 cm x 50 cm)
Vicente Collado Jr.

I was certain I knew how this girl should look like after the painting was finished. Unfortunately, small errors I...
MoreAngel
(Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x40 cm)
Vicente Collado Jr.

The model for this painting was taken from the front cover of a pocket book of Carol. I liked how...
MoreBlond Model
(Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x 60 cm)
Vicente Collado Jr.

Sometimes, the mailbox is a wonderful source of model materials. A cosmetic store sent this picture to Carol and I...
Extreme Makeover
Still Life with Silverware
Doha, Qatar
Thu 27th October 2011
 
Experienced painters are often confronted with the problem of what to do with their early works whose originally unnoticed flaws have become more obvious with the passage of time.

Some professionals suggest the slash-and-burn option which consists in carrying out literally what the words mean. One should get rid of anything that could blot one's otherwise brilliant portfolio. Some artists already held in high esteem find this a sensible solution to avoid damage in their reputation or a plunge in their...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
 
Reasons for the Obsession
Sat 3rd September 2011
 
Painting, strictly speaking, is not an expression of ideas and emotions not only because these are not paintable per se but because painting as a system of signs and symbols fails to measure up as an adequate linguistic vehicle for expression and communication. This is the clear and necessary conclusion we reached after carrying out slow and methodical analyses in our last three articles.

However, reasonable and sound as this conclusion may seem, it is not shared by many. All one...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
 
Studying Amorsolo - Under the Mango Tree
Doha, Qatar
Sun 15th May 2011
 
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Art books often advice beginners to copy the works of the masters as a way to improve their painting skill. The reason is that one can't paint a good picture until one has seen a good picture. During their formative years, the masters themselves copied from their more advanced peers....
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
 
Language of the Visual Artist
Tue 29th June 2010
 
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Painters often claim they do their talking on canvas with pigments and brush strokes. With colored images, they can externalize and communicate what they cannot with words. Painting is their language and they think in terms of it, just as...
 
Art in Search of Meaning
 
 
Birth of a Concept
Vicente Collado Jr.More
 
April 25, 2010
 
Let us now turn our attention to the modern day generic notion of painting as an expression of ideas. Like emotions, ideas are used and abused by painters and art... More
Psychological Striptease on Canvas
Vicente Collado Jr.More
 
February 9, 2010
 
Nowadays, emotion is a hot commodity within the world of painting. Almost everything is defined in terms of it. An artwork acquires popular acceptance only if it is presented as... More
What is a Painting?
Vicente Collado Jr.More
 
February 9, 2010
 
After dealing extensively on the skills necessary to generate a painting and on the visible entities we discovered to be its proper objects, it is now time to focus our... More