Still life and seascapes, people and landscapes, children, construction workers and people walking on a beach. A variety of subjects fill the paintings of Chuck Rosenthal as he colors his scenes in oils and pastels.
Thinking about the varied subject matter, one thing comes to mind that is common to all his paintings. The contrasts. A rough surface of a basket or coarse cloth against a smooth bottle or grapes or apples. People in bright sunlight casting deep shadows. Man-made structures against softer foliage. High buildings contrasted with soft sand and grass, sunlight and shadow.
When asked about his inspiration to paint, Mr. Rosenthal replied in a single word: Contrasts. Going on to explain, he said, "light and shade, contrasts of form (e.g., a broad, nondescript stretch of sky with strong geometric shapes silhouetted against it), counterpoint in the composition, subtleties of light, atmospheric effects on objects and in general, strong drawing, and objects receding into shadow and then erupting into the light."
What beautiful inspiration. His answer gives us some insight into what the artist sees when he looks at something. Try it yourself. Look closely as a person stands in the sunshine. Notice their hair. Notice where the hair is dark and where the hair is light. In sun, there are often parts of the hair that appear almost white, even if the person has dark hair. Notice how many variations of color there are in the person's hair, even though you know it is all one color. (That is, unless the lady has her hair highlighted.)
By doing the above, you will gain insight into how an artist views things, and what inspired Mr. Rosenthal's paintings. You can imagine capturing all those colors with paint on canvas.
As an example, let's examine Mr. Rosenthal's "Clearwater Construction Workers." This is a painting of many contrasts. The painting contains wonderful colors. The soft clothes of the workers against the hard concrete sidewalk and wall. The deep dark shadows of the doorway against the nearly white wall and sidewalk. The softness of the dirt and the hardness of the sidewalk.
Even the lines in the painting are a study of contrasts - the hard straight lines of the walkway and building against the flowing lines of the clothing the men are wearing. And the colors in the clothing run the gamut from almost black to all shades of blue and orange to almost white.
Take a look at Mr. Rosenthal's other paintings and you will see the contrasts. Then look again at life and form around you and see contrasts. Have fun! Enjoy this little secret of what inspires a painter. - 32160
Thinking about the varied subject matter, one thing comes to mind that is common to all his paintings. The contrasts. A rough surface of a basket or coarse cloth against a smooth bottle or grapes or apples. People in bright sunlight casting deep shadows. Man-made structures against softer foliage. High buildings contrasted with soft sand and grass, sunlight and shadow.
When asked about his inspiration to paint, Mr. Rosenthal replied in a single word: Contrasts. Going on to explain, he said, "light and shade, contrasts of form (e.g., a broad, nondescript stretch of sky with strong geometric shapes silhouetted against it), counterpoint in the composition, subtleties of light, atmospheric effects on objects and in general, strong drawing, and objects receding into shadow and then erupting into the light."
What beautiful inspiration. His answer gives us some insight into what the artist sees when he looks at something. Try it yourself. Look closely as a person stands in the sunshine. Notice their hair. Notice where the hair is dark and where the hair is light. In sun, there are often parts of the hair that appear almost white, even if the person has dark hair. Notice how many variations of color there are in the person's hair, even though you know it is all one color. (That is, unless the lady has her hair highlighted.)
By doing the above, you will gain insight into how an artist views things, and what inspired Mr. Rosenthal's paintings. You can imagine capturing all those colors with paint on canvas.
As an example, let's examine Mr. Rosenthal's "Clearwater Construction Workers." This is a painting of many contrasts. The painting contains wonderful colors. The soft clothes of the workers against the hard concrete sidewalk and wall. The deep dark shadows of the doorway against the nearly white wall and sidewalk. The softness of the dirt and the hardness of the sidewalk.
Even the lines in the painting are a study of contrasts - the hard straight lines of the walkway and building against the flowing lines of the clothing the men are wearing. And the colors in the clothing run the gamut from almost black to all shades of blue and orange to almost white.
Take a look at Mr. Rosenthal's other paintings and you will see the contrasts. Then look again at life and form around you and see contrasts. Have fun! Enjoy this little secret of what inspires a painter. - 32160
