Angel Academy of Art - The Academic Process

Michael John Angel has had a profound impact on those who have had the good fortune to study with him. In 1997 he established his first school in Florence, the Angel Academy of Art. "Dedicated not only to passing on his love for classical and traditional art, but also to instilling the disciplines that lead to successful mastery of the techniques necessary for representational painting." For those of you looking to study drawing and painting in the old-master tradition, grounded on the teaching techniques of the 19th century European academies, I highly recommend you consider the Angel Academy of Art. 

Part 3 of the series "The Academic Process" has recently been released on the Angel Academy of Art's youtube page. They are definitely worth watching.

 

 

The Paintings of Jason De Graaf

Heliocentric

Obscura

Untitled

Solstice

Reflections of Modern Art

Orchid II

Hands

In some circles in the art world a quiet but present conflict wages between those who uphold Abstract and those who uphold Realism as being the valid art form. For the most part the two never meet or acknowledge each other. In reality, there really is no point to argue or fight to prove the validity of any work of art. There comes a point where the level of the work is beyond any argument.

Jason De Graaf's obvious skill is balanced with the wonderfully beautiful imagery that he explores. The mood it subtle and quiet, the images are clean and clear. From my perspective much care has been employed in the creation of each piece. I also enjoy the journey I take with each painting where there may be a connection to the past or an opportunity to feel the effect of patterns from cool reflective surfaces. The light in Jason's work often reminds me of how I feel just before the sun sets or rises. That quiet, often cool reflective moment that comes while witnessing something as it changes into something else.

Here is Jason in his own words. It is an excellent example for art students learning how to write their artist  statements. 

"My paintings are about staging an alternate reality, the illusion of verisimilitude on the painted surface, filtered so that it expresses my unique vision. Though my paintings may appear photoreal my goal is not to reproduce or document faithfully what I see one hundred percent, but also to create the illusion of depth and sense of presence not found in photographs. Many of my paintings are about the relationship of light with reflective and transparent surfaces and my journey to understand those qualities and convey my sense of wonder and intrigue over them. In all of my paintings the subject matter is a springboard and a means to explore my ability to communicate something unique to the viewer. I use colours and composition intuitively with the intent of imbuing my paintings with emotion, mood and mystery. Throughout, I try to remain open to new ideas as the painting unfolds."

Jason De Graaf is represented by Galerie de Bellefeuille in Montreal .