by Amy Monthei
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| Audubon "Columbia Jay" |
Most of us
are familiar with avifauna artist John James Audubon
(1785-1851) that forever shaped the way we see birds within nature, but did you
know many artists are still highly influenced by his work well over 160 years
later? Audubon’s legacy lives on and
still has a huge impact on the artwork we seek as art lovers and buyers today.
Audubon’s connection to nature and his enthusiasm to capture it is still thriving
within many creative artists today, often in new, bold and unique contemporary
styles.
 |
| Audubon "Mockingbird" |
|
Visualarts
currently has several standout artists that are working in a myriad of styles
but the connection to Audubon and the traditional botanical style of the 1800s
is clearly evident in their artistic creations.
Eric
Cornett
Local North
Loop artist Eric Cornett’s connection to nature is undeniable in his
contemporary oil paintings of birds. Especially
when viewing his works up close, his deftly handled soft feathery brush strokes
are indicative of the feathers of his subjects that inhabit his paintings,
often creating a small sense of movement within his subjects. His career as decorative painter is very
evident in his adept handling of his chosen media.
 |
| Cornett "American Redstart" |
Eric also has an amazing sense
for interplay between light and shadow, with very careful attention to how these
elements dance upon his subjects and his results are stunning. He creates a twilight dream environment for
his subjects, paying just as much attention to the landscape they inhabit as
well as his subjects themselves. He achieves
a true sense that nature is fleeting, a breeze about to rustle the needles of a
pine tree; sunlight peeking through branches dappling his subject with light or
at any moment his subject may take flight and be gone to the viewer.
 |
| Cornett "Myrtle Warbler" |
“I
am often inspired by the beautiful scenery as seen from my car, especially in
the morning and evening light and the changing seasons of spring and autumn,
when there is a greater variety of color. And it helps to slow things down and
notice the little things like the sunrise on a nearby pond or the bird species
that you may have never noted before while walking in the park or a nature
trail. I try to capture these images in a realistic way, with just a hint of
impressionism.”
–
Eric Cornett
 |
| Cornett |
Barbara
Hultman
A local veteran water-colorist, she is known for her tight renderings of botanicals and the
interplay between her subjects and the white negative space that surrounds
them. Although her work has less of an
emphasis on the science behind the traditional botanical style, instead
creating a greater sense of emotion for her subjects.
 |
| Hultman "Irises" |
Her carefully controlled spaces and brush
strokes with harder edges and shapes do evoke a sense of stillness much like
the 1800s Botanical artists achieved, but her sense of how bright sunlight hits
her subjects and more contemporary compositions are what sets her apart from
the traditional botanical style.
 |
| Hultman |
“The
passage from subject to finished painting is an enormously selective
process. I believe that the steps I take, including using several slides,
allows me to present a dramatic or heightened image of reality. When I am
successful, even I am astounded at the results of my patient and often
difficult struggle with my media. “
– Barbara
Hultman
Mary Ann
Strandell
Mary Ann is
an accomplished and distinctive artist has exhibited and is collected
throughout the United States. Her work
is often a marriage between traditional subjects that have been shifted into a
fresh style all her own through her non-traditional use of media
manipulation.
Of the
three artists we wanted to feature in this article she is probably the furthest
away artistically from the traditional botanical style and to some buyers her
palette can be seen as a bit saccharin.
She has a definite point of view and the whimsical dreamlike quality of
her work often appeals to contemporary buyers that want only a fleeting glimpse
of these traditional subjects.
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| Strandell "Air Tide Long I" |
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| Strandell "Magnolia" |
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| Strandell |
Visualarts
currently has artwork of each of these diverse artists on display and for
purchase as well as sources for traditional antique botanical and avian
prints. Please stop by the gallery or
contact us for more information on these and other artists as well as a full
array of custom framing options.
 |
| Cornett |
Please contact us at:
Visualarts
275 Market Street Ste. 197
Minneapolis, MN 55405
612-677-1244
Emai
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