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Inspiration from Artists Wk 141 Featuring Artists : Martin Lewis and Henrik Simonsen

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Welcome ti this week’s thread the featuring artists this week are . Martin Lewis and Henrik Simonsen .  Lewis will start the week with his introduction to Martin Lewis and on Wednesday Jenny will introduce use to the work of Henrik Simonsen . I hope you have a good week and enjoy the work if the featuring artists .
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Lewis Cooper

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MARTIN LEWIS - 1881-1962-AUSTRALIAN PAINTER AND PRINTMAKER. Martin studied art in Sydney and worked in newspaper illustration.  In 1900 he moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a stage painter.  In 1920 he went to Japan for two years to study their traditional painting.  Then he went back to America, this time to New York.  By this time he'd become an accomplished etcher, he produced a series of etchings of the 'real' New York (as opposed to that known by tourists), he also created work in the more rural areas.  His greatest success was during 1930-1935, when he had two major exhibitions of his work.  He helped found a school for printmakers, and taught graphics at New York art schools.  Edward Hopper, the famous American artist, noticed his work, and the two men became lifelong friends. As time marched relentlessly on, his style of work went out of fashion.  By the time he died, he was largely forgotten.  Examples of his work are held in many art galleries. The last in this posting is a sketch of the diner made famous by his friend Edward Hopper's painting. I stumbled across this artist whilst looking at pen and ink drawings on the net.  I was blown away by his mastery of light.   Another artist who achieved success and some fame in his time, but is now largely unknown...there will be thousands more out there. I think his work is terrific.  Hope you like it. More later.

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by Lewis Cooper

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Very accomplished work - and a pity he fell out of favour.

Tessa Gwynne

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Fascinating, excellent, different work Lewis, another great choice. It would be interesting to know the size of these pieces, and I’m assuming they are all etchings? I will look him up later today. Thanks for the intro. I’m not sure we have had an artist from Australia before.
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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Thank you Lew for your introduction work of this excellent artist, a new one to med so will look at his work later you have  posted some good examples of his work.
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Lewis Cooper

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Tessa, the sizes vary as you'd expect.  The first picture, posted above, is called 'Shadow Dance', it was made in 1930.  It's 13 x 15 inches, and the medium is described as 'drypoint and etching in black on laid paper.'  (Although always fascinated and impressed by the various methods of print-making it means little to me, I've no doubt many on POL WILL know.) The etching is currently held in a private collection.

Jenny Harris

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Interesting artist, I love all forms of printing, and his etchings are very accomplished.  This one is described as ‘drypoint etching and sand ground’ - Grandpa Takes a Walk.

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Lewis Cooper

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A few more.  He's described as a painter and print maker, but I've been able to find only one example of his painting.  I have to admit, from this scant evidence, I'm more impressed by his prints.  Also included are a couple from his time in Japan. A self portrait...

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Russell Edwards

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Wonderful work. I've only a basic understanding of the 'etching' process but to produce such detailed work is astonishing to me. The street scenes in particular are amazing.

Alan Bickley

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Very accomplished work indeed, a pleasure to see it. Drypoint is probably the most common form of etching, drawing, or more akin to scratching in your image on a copper plate(usually copper or zinc), and printing from it using an etching press, think two steel rollers like the old washing mangle!…
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Lewis Cooper

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Quite a process Alan. Here's some more of Martin's work. A life study... I think he was much taken with lighting effects.  Here's one from 1925 entitled 'The Great Shadow.' One inspired by his time in Japan.  A bridge near Nikko. He was at pains to draw the 'real' New York.  This called 'a tree in Manhattan'.  Note the washing lines firmly fixed to it.

Tessa Gwynne

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I like his work very much. I also don’t really understand the types and complexity of etching. While I love colour and painting in general, I find looking at some of the artists who we have seen here, while I still love their painting, I end up drooling over their drawings, and so I think this is partly what excites me here, the monochrome effect, however it is produced!
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