Painters Online Logo

Login/register

Studio

Inspiration from favourite Artists Week 6: Ken Howard RA and Amedeo Modigliani.

Welcome to the forum.

Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.

Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.

Hang on Studio Wall
Showing page 1 of 3
Author
Message
IMG_3630

Paul (Dixie) Dean

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 21388
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 6938
Posted
Welcome to week six , this weeks artists are :  Ken Howard RA suggested by Alan Bickley and Amedeo Modigliani  suggested by Marjorie Firth . Alan would you start the ball rolling with you choices and a few words about the artist and why you chose him. If you could upload your choices on Wednesday lunch time Marjorie and again give a brief summary and why you chose this artist . Thank you for your choices Alan and Marjorie, I hope you all enjoy the artwork , do comment if you feel able too.  More names welcome for the list , I’m sure you don’t want me selecting to many , it doesn’t need to be a favourite artist , just one who’s work you admire. 

Alan Bickley

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 11898
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4493
Posted
That’s great Paul, I’ll get something posted first thing in the morning.
IMG_8857

Marjorie Firth

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 8075
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2452
Posted
Will do, Paul. Thanks.

Alan Bickley

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 11898
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4493
Posted
Ken Howard RA will need little or no introduction for most of us. He has been one of the UK’s most respected painters for over 60 years and is well known for his paintings of London, Cornwall and Venice, and has studios in all three. I love his loose but controlled style of working, just enough detail and he captures light magnificently - I particularly admire his studio life paintings of female models. He has a couple of excellent DVD videos of him working plein air and in his London studio.  

Edited
by Alan Bickley

IMG_3630

Paul (Dixie) Dean

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 21388
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 6938
Posted
Thank you for pointing him out Alan. I did know of him but had not really looked at his work . I have chosen four that to me stand out, I love how he depicts the light , two  are from his Cornwall series . The wet pavement and the snow in the town are   both brilliant and beautifully painted. 

Denise Cat

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 6947
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2625
Posted
Anne Standing. This is such a natural and detailed piece, I really liked it very much. When I looked through the artist's work, the studio paintings, featuring windows, looked beautiful, with the artists capturing the natural light, flooding through the large windows, picking up the details of the objects in the studios. Lovely work.

Alan Bickley

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 11898
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4493
Posted
I’ve not seen this early work of his, 1962 it says… Interesting how his style has developed since then! Massive difference and I wouldn’t have put his name on it.
POL Facebook profile - new logo

Painters-Online Team

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 3313
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 834
Posted
Ken wrote regularly for The Artist and was, until fairly recently an editorial adviser and judge for our TALP Open art competitions. We have a 1979 article by Ken on how to paint snow on PO here https://www.painters-online.co.uk/tips-techniques/oil/articles/how-to-paint-snow-with-ken-howard/ Steam trains from 1984 here https://www.painters-online.co.uk/tips-techniques/inspiration/articles/the-romance-of-steam-with-ken-howard/ and figure painting from 1989 https://www.painters-online.co.uk/tips-techniques/oil/articles/painting-the-figure-a-personal-approach-by-ken-howard/ Worth a little look!

Denise Cat

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 6947
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2625
Posted
It stood out to me Alan and I can see from this early work, I feel, he tells a story, of a way of living, a snap shot and in his later, more advanced and accomplished interior works, he is, again, giving us that snap shot, a story, capturing a way of life.
IMG_3630

Paul (Dixie) Dean

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 21388
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 6938
Posted
I think your spot on with that Denise , all his work seems natural and not posed even the studio one look like a glance into his world for a few  seconds.  The one with the snow on the fences , just looks so normal if you know what I mean, it’s a scene out of a window yet he has made it a superb painting. Even the beach scenes don’t look contrived , it’s as if he caught it with a camera but with his style.  On a slightly different note I have been doing a lot of research on line looking at artist to include , I’m absolutely amazed at the amount of high quality artists within Britain let alone the world. Some I had not heard of before and their work is so good I couldn’t draw a list of favourites anymore or pick a favourite, because each on offers something different that is pleasing. 
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 24823
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 8653
Posted
It's the way he conveys light on water that always gets me, and leaves me wondering 'HOW?'  Those highlights in the two seaside paintings seem to glow, and while I know in theory how it's done - that isn't the same as achieving it......  Sadly......  I wasn't familiar with the earlier painting, either - especially when someone has had a long career, it's fascinating to see how the approach has changed over time.  Can't help wondering how many paintings Ken Howard has produced in that long career - and if he has any tucked away he thinks are duds: I bet they're not as dud as some of mine..

Tessa Gwynne

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 8477
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 3435
Posted
Ken is definitely a wonderful artist and I’ve picked out a few of his paintings which stand out to me. I love the interiors with that beautiful studio window, and the light in the others I’ve chosen.
Showing page 1 of 3