Month: June 2018

• Rialto Bridge

Sung Sam Park (known as Sam Park) is inspired by the world around him and captures the ideal landscapes he experiences during his travels. The talented artist gained recognition at an early age, and despite admonishment from his father, he followed his passions and earned numerous awards and recognition.

Known for his unique New Impressionism style, Park transforms real-world scenes into beautiful landscapes with vivid light and awe-inspiring color combinations. The artist’s tenacity and dedication to his craft led to more than 100 solo exhibitions around the world.

Personal History

Park was born in 1949 on a Korean island in the Yellow Sea and began painting at the age of 13. In the 1960s, while still in junior high school, a teacher recognized his skill and urged him to enroll in an art class after observing one of Park’s watercolor paintings. Despite his interest in sports, Park signed up for the class, going on to win many awards and competitions.

Park continued to gain recognition for his artistic talents, but his father was determined to have his only son pursue a career in business. The more renown Park gained for his art, the more uncompromising his father became. Park eventually left his home in Seoul to live with a friend in a nearby farming village. Moving to the countryside proved to be one of the most significant events in Park’s life. Instead of the bustling city, Park was surrounded by nature and people who made their living from the land. He came to understand nature as a source of comfort and renewal, which would shape his direction as an artist.

Park attracted the attention of prominent artists and heads of state. Byen Si-Jin, the former university president of Jo-Joo Island, was his private art teacher and mentor. The former president of South Korea, Yun Posun, personally awarded Park first place in many national competitions held by the Mok-Woo Art Society. Park is among the youngest artists ever to participate in these competitions.

Once Park finished high school, he spent six months in the army before enrolling in the Seorabeol Art College (also known as Chung-Ang University). His high school art teacher, Mr. Byum, also taught at the college. Byum had a profound influence on Park, encouraging him to travel to improve his technique.

After graduating in 1973, Park initially struggled to make a living and taught at local schools. He decided to take his teacher’s advice and traveled to France in 1982, where Park studied painting in Paris. On Sundays, he visited the Louvre and spent the entire day studying the works of the masters.

Park began to sell his artwork on the streets and met several art dealers who invited him to exhibit his art in many Mediterranean countries, including Spain, Morocco, and Greece. In between exhibitions, he traveled to France and Spain to draw inspiration from each country’s picturesque scenery. During an exhibition in Athens, Park met a young Korean woman named Jennifer, who would become his wife in 1987. Together, they had a son, Se-June. Jennifer’s influence on Park’s style became evident, inspiring an emphasis on beauty.

Park briefly returned to Korea in 1984 to participate in an art competition held by the Olympics. The judges recognized Park’s talents and awarded him first place. Following the competition, Park returned to Europe, where he lived with his wife and son in France, Greece, and Cyprus. When they moved to Provence, France, Park began working with other young artists and developed a style called New Impressionism.

The Parks spent eight years in Provence before deciding to move to the United States in 1994, settling near San Diego, California. In March 1996, he exhibited at the New York Artexpo, which exposed him to esteemed art publishers and galleries. Soon his works were exhibited throughout the United States and Canada.

“America is a country of opportunity,” Park says. “In Europe, an artist’s background is more important than his work. But in America, an artist is recognized for the quality of the work he produces.”

Park and his family reside in Southern California, where Park continues to draw inspiration from the coastline, his family, and his garden.

Style and Influences

Park’s artistic style reflects that of the French Impressionists with its inviting and sunny compositions. However, Park’s style departs from traditional Impressionism by using precise color combinations and configurations that are detailed and realistic.

While in Provence, Park defined his creative voice by developing New Impressionism. He paints exclusively using a palette knife, with the exception of a small brush for details, and using pure colors to give his work immediacy and vibrancy. Park has honed his skills to the point where he can create works in fine detail, a characteristic not typically seen with a palette knife.

Park’s paintings are based on real places, but he takes a great deal of artistic license when presenting his ideal locations. If a composition requires trees where there aren’t any, or by combining architecture from two different locations, Park composes scenic landscapes just waiting to be explored.

Accomplishments

• While living on Cyprus, Park was commissioned by the President of Cyprus to paint the First Lady’s portrait. A total of six paintings by Park belong to the collection in the Presidential Palace.

• A painting of Michael Dukakis’ birthplace created by Park was purchased by the former Governor of Massachusetts.

• Park returned to Korea in 1984 to participate in an Olympic-sponsored art competition for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. With more than 2,000 entrants in the competition, Park won and received a Gold Medal.

• Following the Olympics competition, Park’s painting was purchased by the Hyundai Corporation for permanent display at their corporate headquarters.

• In 1986, Park became a member of the jury of the Heart and Mind Artists Association of Korea, the organization that assesses all artwork presented for juried competitions in Korea.

• Park’s works have been written about in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including the European Travel Press and Euroko, a Korean magazine in Europe.

• Nature’s Peaceful Fairness
• River Drift
  

Slava Ilyayev is a master of the palette knife. Ilyayev creates colorful and vivid works that carry on the traditions of Post-Impressionists like Vincent van Gogh into contemporary times.

The art of Ilyayev immerses viewers in a pleasant world of warmth, energy, and light. His art is exemplified by swathes of color raised above the canvas, resulting in textured compositions that transform nature into an exciting, joyful, and vibrant force.

Ilyayev: Personal History

Slava Ilyayev was born on May 11, 1970 in Baku, Azerbaijan (formerly part of the U.S.S.R.).

CLICK HERE to find out why May 11 is an unusual day.

He began studying art in his hometown in 1991, attending the Baku College of Arts. After immigrating to Israel in 1995, he continued his studies at the renowned Avni Institute of Art and Design, an art school located in Tel Aviv.

In 1999, Ilyayev participated in his first major exhibitions, first at the Art and Sculpture Union in Tel Aviv and the Safrai Fine Art Gallery in Jerusalem. More exhibitions followed soon after, and Ilyayev’s artwork received acclaim throughout Israel and the United States.

Ilyayev, his wife, Alexandra, and their children live in Tel Aviv. In addition to painting, Ilyayev teaches art in academies in Israel, an endeavor which he first began in 1998.

Ilyayev: Style and Influences

Ilyayev’s work is characterized by elevated textures created by applying oil paints with a palette knife. His compositions, which highlight light and shadow, are reminiscent of the transitions between seasons.

His teachers at the Baku College of Arts belonged to the Apsheron School of Painting, an Azerbaijani art movement that blends eastern and western art traditions. These teachings inspired Ilyayev’s style and can be observed in his volumetric structure of color. The art of Sattar Bahlulzade, considered the father of Azeri landscape in the 20th century, also played a role in shaping Ilyayev’s art.

Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro and renowned Post-Impressionist Van Gogh heavily influenced Ilyayev’s style. In particular, Van Gogh’s unique vision shapes Ilyayev’s approach to his subjects. Instead of painting what he sees, Ilyayev depicts what he feels.

Drawing heavily on autumnal colors and changing leaves, Ilyayev often depicts rainbow-colored, tree-lined streets and paths through parks. His foregrounds, especially streams and ponds, frequently mimic the strokes of the leaves below as the spectrum of colors leap off the canvas.

Ilyayev’s technique is comprised of three main stages, all of which are completed with a palette knife. He first creates the composition using a blend of colors to build a base layer. He then applies swathes of paint, creating a layered and heavy texture. Finally, he sketches and carves the raised paint. Due to the thickly layered paint, Ilyayev’s artwork can take upwards of a year to completely dry.

Ilyayev: Accomplishments

Ilyayev’s works have been shown in various group and one-man exhibitions throughout Israel, the United States, Europe, and Asia.

1999: Art & Sculpture Union, Tel Aviv, Israel
1999: Safrai Fine Art Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
2002: Decor Atlanta, U.S.
2002: Art Istanbul, Turkey
2003: Gallery Doxa, Tel Aviv, Israel
2005: Estampa, Madrid, Spain
2006: B.L.D. Gallery, New Jersey, U.S.
2006: Artexpo, New York, U.S.
2007: Aviram Art Gallery, Kfar Ruth, Israel
2007: Artexpo, New York, U.S.
2009: Talking Walls Gallery, Rishon Lezion, Israel
2010: Galerie Sono, South Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.
2010: AAF Art Fair Singapore
2011: Art Expo, New York, U.S.
2013: Factory Street Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2014: Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong
2015: India Art Fair, New Delhi, India
2015: ManilArt, Manila, Philippines

• Sail into the Horizon
• Remember the Time

Matt James Beyrer transforms canvas and wood into fantastical realms full of depth and realistic details.

Born November 18, 1981 in Winter Park, Florida, Beyrer relocated to the Hammock, a small community on the state’s east coast. He earned a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design. Not long after graduating, he gained recognition for his ability to create unique and gripping environments.

Beyrer is the creator of Natural Expressionism, a style that draws upon traditional techniques, light, conceptual art and nature. His fascination with color and composition result in oil paintings that transform the abstract into reality.

Beyer draws inspiration from the power of nature; the sun’s warm light, the fury of a thunderstorm or the tranquility of a forest. He incorporates the natural grain of his wood panels, using nature itself to create beautiful and enchanting images.

The Old Masters such as Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Rembrandt van Rijn influence Beyer’s techniques, while the Hudson River School artists inform his use of light. Modern influences include illustrator Jaime Jones, concept artist Brandon Liao and Drew Struzan, the creator of “Star Wars,” “Harry Potter” and “Indiana Jones” movie posters.

Beyrer’s art is collected around the world and featured in galleries, private collections and homes alike.