Le Tournant

Another important part of the journey is finding the way through the myriad of choices that lie before us as we undertake our quest. Turning Point Park near the Boxart Atelier has within it an enclave of solitude where Samohtra finds rest for his sometimes weary soul. Twists and turns often rise up unexpectedly in life. This is the first step of a painting called "Turning Point" that seeks to portray the warp and woof of that thing called life.
Simplify or die. The nature of creation is such that without the distillation of its incredible complexity, our message would but quickly fade into confusion and obscurity. A future post will show the completion of this painting.

Demonstration libre

The Boxart Atelier generously provides a free
demonstration the first Saturday of every month to the public of an alla prima portrait. Watching the dynamic Kolupski paint will inspire and move you.
Trying to keep pace with him will tire you out. One can easily imagine El Kolupski, the matador, feinting, thrusting and ultimately bringing the great bull (painting) into submission to his will. If you are not afraid to take the plunge and accept the challenge you will be richly rewarded for your efforts. Direct painting requires intense concentration and a willingness to overlook the frustration that is part of the process.
Samohtra strongly endorses Chris Kolupski as a mentor to guide your artistic journey.
The upper sketch from life is an example of the many fine young ladies that model at the atelier. Chris has a knack for capturing the inner beauty of each of his subjects. Samohtra in these sketches has attempted to capture the dynamism and constant motion that goes into a Kolupski painting.
The lower sketch attempts to capture the intense mental process that accompanies the direct painting process. There is a constant interplay and switching between squinting and quick observation and the placement of the observed color.

L'atelier

The pilgrimage, the search for truth, begins at the atelier. One must have a teacher, whose work you admire, with an integrity that commands your respect. Such a mentor is Christian Kolupski of the Boxart Atelier. Chris is a devout practitioner of the alla prima direct painting method in the tradition of Sargent and Sorolla. He is an excellent teacher, a man of passion with a lusty stroke. This initial charcoal sketch for a painting measures 18" by 24".

Le voyage

Samohtra's journey begins with a step into uncharted spaces and vectors of unknown dimensions. Adrift, yet temporily held by triangles that bind him into time and space, Samohtra in a very real sense is caught between two conflicting worlds. One is visible and appears real, yet is finite and ever changing. The other is invisible, the realm of dreams and deeply felt yearnings, intangibles, the infinite source of which cannot be seen.
"Le voyage" began as a spontaneous splattering of fluid acrylic colors. A structure of triangles was laid upon the dry underpainting. Samohtra appears with a small rock hammer (shades of "The Shawshank Redemption"). Samohtra has been imprisioned for along time and is beginning to see the light of dawn. Silicia crystals were sprinkled upon a second layer of wet paint to create a luminous texture. The finished painting was sealed with matte medium and wooden supports were glued to the hardboard backside to allow for strip framing. The original painting measures !6" by 20".(copyright 2006)