Good afternoon friends,
I realize the art scene has a tenuous relationship with realistic painting, and I say to each his own. However, James Gurney is one artist that I overlooked for a long time for that very reason. Something about his work seemed cheap. But last semester when I started to look more closely at his book Dinotopia, which I assume most of you have encountered, I realized what a treasure his talent is. He may not be the type of painter that makes the Art Scene shiver, but he paints beautifully, thoughtfully, and with incredible skill.
Gurney keeps an art blog (http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/) that tackles major concepts of light, color, and careful observations of the world that are fundamental for a realist painter. Realistic painting is scary, because everyone, from child to trained professional, can knit pick your work to shreds. So it helps to have a resource that will dissect realistic concepts from both a scientific perspective and based on mental perception.
If you haven’t been lost in James Gurney’s world since childhood it is certainly worth a second look.
eat the canvas 