Tuesday, August 11, 2015

August Is Artist Appreciation Month


Artists That Inspire Me

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Acrylic and Oil Paint on Canvas by Toronto Portrait Artist Malinda Prudhomme



1) Sandro Botticelli 

august artist appreciation month, artists that inspire me, inspiring artists, malinda prudhomme, portrait artist, realism, inspirational art, botticelli, mandy saile, william john waterhouse, michelangelo, sunny choi, brian viveros
"Birth Of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli


Botticelli has been my favourite artist since I first discovered him during art class in secondary school. He was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance which was later referred to as the "golden age". The mythology depicted and the smooth realistic style achieved interested me greatly. I always aspired to create such smoothly blended skin tones. 




2) Mandy Saile

august artist appreciation month, artists that inspire me, inspiring artists, malinda prudhomme, portrait artist, realism, inspirational art, botticelli, mandy saile, william john waterhouse, michelangelo, sunny choi, brian viveros
"Black Cherry" by Mandy Saile


Mandy Saile is an incredible artist and bunny lover who I had the pleasure of encountering during my minor in Visual Arts in North Bay at Nipissing University. As part of my school work I was required to visit some galleries and write a review about an artist I had enjoyed. At first the task seemed daunting until I came upon Mandy's whimsical coloured pencil series depicting the beauty, grace, strength, etc. of women. Her style and her ability to capture this message in such an emotional way really captivated me and I am still a fan of her work today! Seeing her success and ambition was in part what inspired me to delve into this challenging career myself. 





3) Michelangelo

august artist appreciation month, artists that inspire me, inspiring artists, malinda prudhomme, portrait artist, realism, inspirational art, botticelli, mandy saile, william john waterhouse, michelangelo, sunny choi, brian viveros
"Delphic Sibyl" by Michelangelo


I have always greatly admired the work of Michelangelo. I hadn't experienced much of his painting and mostly knew him as a sculptor until I visited the Sistine Chapel and saw his work for myself. If you're not aware Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance who extorted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. He is considered the greatest living artist of his lifetime and is considered by many to be THE greatest artist of all time. I absolutely love the softness seen in his blending and the amazing detail and realism achieved in his depictions of fabric. So inspiring! 




4) Sunny Choi

august artist appreciation month, artists that inspire me, inspiring artists, malinda prudhomme, portrait artist, realism, inspirational art, botticelli, mandy saile, william john waterhouse, michelangelo, sunny choi, brian viveros
"Marilyn, A Moment" by Sunny Choi


Sunny Choi has been inspiring me since I first discovered her upon moving to Toronto to start my career. I was very excited to find my beautiful little studio in the Art & Design district where Sunny had a stunning gallery. I would walk by the gallery every day and admire the piece in the window. On weekends I would venture into the gallery to admire each piece one by one. I love that she depicts women, like myself, but I also love the texture and looseness she has when applying her strokes. It makes her work very unique while still remaining realistic. 




5) John William Waterhouse

august artist appreciation month, artists that inspire me, inspiring artists, malinda prudhomme, portrait artist, realism, inspirational art, botticelli, mandy saile, william john waterhouse, michelangelo, sunny choi, brian viveros
"A Mermaid" by John William Waterhouse


John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working in the Pre-Raphaelite style several decades after the style had ceased to be popular. I had absolutely no idea of his work until a University Art trip to Montreal to see his exhibition. I was blown away! The style, realism, and technique was truly something to behold. On top of that I absolutely loved his subject matter which was generally women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend (two of my greatest interests)! 




6) Brian Viveros

august artist appreciation month, artists that inspire me, inspiring artists, malinda prudhomme, portrait artist, realism, inspirational art, botticelli, mandy saile, william john waterhouse, michelangelo, sunny choi, brian viveros
"Baroness" by Brian Viveros


Brian Viveros' work, which depicts strong, powerful, defiant women, truly speaks to me. I LOVE seeing women being portrayed as powerful in any setting, particularly art. But it isn't his message alone that inspires me but also his smooth blending and precision. His is a self proclaimed "perfectionist" when it comes to his work and so am I therefore I can relate and admire him for that. His creations are truly gorgeous. 





Special Note: 



It was the lovely daughter of artist Patience Brewster who reminded me about Artist Appreciation month! Patience is an incredibly talented ornament artist! I absolutely LOVE seeing a woman who has built her company from the ground up as an artist, all while maintaining her stylistic integrity. Check out her work!




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