Tag: galleries

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a Spanish artist has turned that concept on its head with these images which each contain up to 200,000 words of varying lengths, heights and colours. They are so detailed that from afar, each simply looks like a picture  But on closer inspection hundreds of thousands of words can be seen making up every minute detail. Amateur Spanish artist Juan Osborne, who scours speeches, lyrics and books for the words used, creates the masterpieces dubbed word art.

Each one is painstakingly pieced together using home made software designed by Juan on his laptop – which he takes with him everywhere. He creates the images in coffee shops, on trains, in dentist waiting rooms and even on the sly at work. They take him three days to complete with larger ones taking up to a week. He first isolates the main image from its background on an image editor, then uses the picture as a template to spread thousands of words one by one across the image until every space is filled. By changing the size and colour Juan is able to create different shades and colour to bring the pieces to life.

Juan sais: ‘Words are powerful, they go straight into the human mind and really add something to my pictures that you can’t get from a regular picture taken with a camera. Mine have stories behind them that can be read, which is pretty unique. I’ve made so many now that I’ve got the process down to a tee and can churn out a lot in a short space of time – maybe just a few days each.’

He added: ‘People are surprised when I tell them that my work is created using a standard netbook and software that I built myself – which is very basic. There are no limits to creativity – if I need something or think of a new way to make something I just create a new application to do it. I feel free without the need for commercial software.’

The 40-year-old, from Madrid, stumbled across his new found talent while working at an architectural firm in 2009. He has since created more than 500 word art images in his spare time.

Bean loves all of the books written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers :)

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Born in 1969 in Texas, he came from humble roots. During his twenties he relocated to Hollywood and worked in the animation field, developing characters at some of the most renowned production studios in the country and has worked on television cartoon series such as Tiny Toons and SpongeBob SquarePants.

During this period Todd started to forge his artistic style by experimenting with style and concept, eventually arriving at a process which guides him through every piece. The impact is apparent in his paintings; Todd’s rat-pack-meets-Picasso style results, in part, from his desire to reveal his characters’ innermost thoughts and emotions on their faces. Todd likens his portraits to his favorite episode of the “Twilight Zone” in which people wore masks that later became their faces and revealed who they truly were. He eventually arrived at the working method that now guides him through every piece. He always names his pieces first, visualizes faces and personalities, then develops each person’s story. In fact, he doesn’t paint at all until he can conceptually see that story in his head. And he always tells it as directly as possible – what isn’t necessary to the story doesn’t go on the canvas.

He’s a compulsive observer of detail, always studying and absorbing figures, faces and features. Subconsciously, he spends his life people-watching – scribbling down sketches whatever the situation (often on napkins, even tablecloths) to record an idea for his next work.

His paintings captivate people. They often invoke laughter and demand repeated viewings. By revealing his subjects’ innermost feelings he creates timeless scenes of attraction and intimacy. Beneath the exaggerated features and textured skin of his characters there is truth. He captures restaurant, night and Hollywood scenes with contrasting colors that serve up coffee, cigarettes, cigars, martinis and sex. Todd’s subjects come from the everyday world, but his perspective is so unusual that he alters the way we perceive people and the roles we play around each other. He studies body language, using its nuances to capture the subtleties of what people show and hide.

In 2009, Todd was invited by Warner Bros. to contribute to a major design exhibition celebrating the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. Todd collaborated with Coca Cola in 2010 to produce limited edition bottles and cans. His unique box signature appears right on the product, which is the first time Coca-Cola has given credit to a fine artist in this manner. In 2011 Todd was awarded one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious accolades in the shape of the Diana Princess of Wales Gold Medal, after donating his portrait of the Princess to the Diana Awards charity. Only 11 people to date, Todd now included as the only American, have been honoured with the Award. Todd flew to London to officially receive the award.

Edits:
Apr 2018, Cautionary tales collection.
Sept 2018, Drop dead gorgeous collection.
Nov 2018, “Best Boyfriend I’ve Ever Had”
Jan 2019, “Wanna see a trick?” and “Take me with you when you go”
Mar 2019, “Always room for dessert”, “Never meant to last”, “when it rains it pours” and unnamed ice cream series
Apr 2019, “Sweet Dreams”
May 2019, “Kiss the devil”
July 2019,”Halos or Horns”
Aug 2019, “Nine pieces of vinyl”
Feb 2020, “Flying over the poppies” and “Nine pieces of vinyl – deluxe”
Mar 2020, “Vampire for your love”
Apr 2020, “Social Distancing”
June 2020, “Pain killer” and “I love morning coffee”
Dec 2020, “Sugar shack” and “Chasing foxes
Sep 2022, “To dance among the living”, “Dead can dance”, “Butterfly effect”, “Confessions”, “Love me like you’ll lose me”, “The little things”, “Bad for your health”, “Never never land”, “Better that you don’t know”, “Spirit state”, “Coming up roses”, “What voodoo that you do”, “Wine over love”, “Strawberry kisses”, “The bosses choice”, “Turtle dove”, “Royal inclination”, “Inamorata”
Jun 2023, “Beach blankets”, “White orchid”, “Thousand little cut”, “Set my world on fire”
Sep 2023, “The heights of your halos”, “All bets are off”, “Been caught cheatn”, “For the girls”, “nasty habits”, “Make me smile”,
“Toast worthy”, “You wanna bet”, “The good bottle”, “Sugar rush”, “Ski bum”, “Jokers wild”
Apr 2024, “screwoffs”
May 2024, “No strings attached”, *hello, operator?”
Jun 2024, “Demure”
Oct 2024, “Attracting insects”, “Devils on the wine”
Jan 2025, “come to me”, “pillow talk”

Born in Brazil in 1960, Henderson grew up in a small village near Maringa. His talent for painting was clear from as early age, but he never considered pursuing a career as an artist. Instead he entered the banking profession and continued to enjoy painting as a hobby. By the mid 1980s however, Henderson had become convinced that art meant more to him than banking! In 1986 he moved to London in order to study painting, and to make his passion his profession. He has never looked back and now paints full time in his London studio.

A seasoned traveller, Henderson has spent time in Europe, Australia and of course his native South America. While he loves the ocean and has always found it a source of inspiration and joy, he is also a true city-dweller, and many of his most inspirational works feature scenes from the world’s most beautiful cities. Painting in acrylic, oil or watercolour on canvas, Henderson’s trademark palette utilises cool, soft tones to convey the atmosphere of his subject. His works are regularly displayed in London galleries and at international art fairs.

“I love the effect that weather has on the urban landscape and must confess to a particular fondness for the rain! Not only does it cast interesting shadows and reflections on the slick sidewalks, but it also dictates the stance of the figures. Their slightly defensive postures and hunched shoulders lend a very specific, and to my mind curiously engaging, mood to the overall scene.”

When he is not travelling, Henderson tends to spend the majority of his day painting in his studio which occupies a lovely West London setting close to the Thames. He admits to a great fondness for the UK, and judging by the unstoppable success of his dazzling cityscapes.

Alfred Alexander Gockel was born in Ludinghausen, Germany in 1952. From his earliest days on, he was fascinated by the magic of colors on paper.
This talent and enthusiasm resulted in the release of this first art work by a German publisher at the age of 8. His art is composed with the most beautiful lighted colors, trimmed with powerful black figures and accents. The separate colors and the black trims all fade together, and create an individual image for every spectator, no matter what culture or social position. The graphics are etchings, screen prints and lithographs, and are artistically connected to the unique sector. The distinctive style is automatically recognized as a true Gockel. However, with graphics the production and printing process is just as considerable as the artistic performance. In his collection we can notice the craftsmanship and dedication of a man who started his career at this field of study, and still can seduce his audience with his own passion.

In 1977, in Thetford Mines, Remi LaBarre gets a first glance of the world. In his childhoold, he draws, often, on paperboards and paper… One day, a friend who paints suggests testing this medium. He thus gets some brushes, a few colors and his first painting will dry throughout the days of September 1994. Since then, several paintings, whether portraits or still life, all tales told. These canvases reflect the lighting of hushed environments pointing to the sensitivity of his influences, John Singer Sargent, Richard Schmid, Fabian Perez and Jack Vettriano.

Rémi LaBarre has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions; has won different prizes and has received an important press coverage. Mr LaBarre’s work is getting international recognition and is now part of both private and public collections. One of the finest artistic satisfactions for this young man is knowing that Leonard Cohen and his entourage own and appreciate his portrait of this great songwriter and singer.

His inspiration comes from these evenings of shared looks between a man and a woman, from the drink that perhaps changed everything and from the musician who noticed it all from the stage…

DeviantArt: http://napoleoni3art.deviantart.com/

What the Heart wants and the Heart needs can be found in a Fabio Napoleoni painting. Nostalgia, sorrow and moments that lift the soul are all there for the world to see and experience along with him. The vivid colors and captivating characters invite you into an emotional ride that is welcomed by the mind and the Heart. Simple landscapes set the stage to the value of emotional attachment that can be compared to no other.

It all started in Ponce, Puerto Rico 1972. Every child loves to spend time playing outside, but this was not an option for Fabio. From birth the artist suffered from asthma so horrific that several times a week he needed allergy shots to prevent severe asthma from consuming him. Many days and weeks were spent on the family sofa surrounded by art supplies given to him by his mother. An artist herself, she noticed that creating art came much easier to her son that it did for her. So, during the times that asthma overwhelmed him, she felt compelled to supply his creative side with the tools to create.

Many events influenced Fabios’ artwork but none more than the traumatic events that followed the birth of his second child. His daughter, born with major heart abnormalities, had to face several surgeries to correct issues that could prevent her from having a future. Overwhelmed with his daughter’s issues and surrounded by an emotional sea of sorrow from other parents in the same situation, Fabio grew. While his wife and daughter slept, Fabio wondered the halls of the Children’s Care Unit looking for a spot where he could sketch out his personal thoughts. From these thoughts a new form of creativity was born. The doors to Fabio Napoleoni’s Heart were now opened for the world to experience.

It took a traumatic experience for Fabio to realize what he was missing in his work… emotion. He had all the ingredients to create but none that captivated the soul. With his new ideas and old sketches in hand Fabio added the last ingredient needed. With his vibrant and bold use of colors along with many of his characters, Fabio has managed to create an emotional value to art that has been missing. His paintings could have a thousand titles and every one would be fitting of the image he has created; but one thing is for sure, you will always find a beautiful Heart in every piece of his work. A symbol of his love for his daughter… she lives today and will forever in his work.

Born in Bristol in 1972, Doug became aware of his artistic talent at an early age. Throughout his school and college education he concentrated on the technical side of drawing and painting, but after graduation he was in no doubt as to his chosen career, that of a professional artist.

Doug prefers to produce his distinctive artwork on a large scale, in order to achieve maximum impact with each piece. He also enjoys operating in plenty of space, thus allowing himself enough physical freedom to express the creative energy that is the key to his fresh, contemporary style. His unorthodox use of pastels applied with fingers and thumbs or even the side of a hand or wrist allows him to create highly communicative and engaging images that make an immediate and lasting impression on the viewer.

Inspired by his own emotional responses to life, Doug’s intention is to provoke an emotional response in others; his success in this aim can be seen by the huge impact his newly released collection has made on the British art scene. As one of the UKs most innovative and uplifting young artists, we look forward to his inevitable rise with great excitement!

I hope people can feel a connection with my work, and share the positive emotions behind it!

…Sigh. Sometimes, I wish I had money to invest in art. There’s so much nice stuff out there!

Fabian Perez is Argentinean, and was born in Buenos Aires in 1967. He was raised by his father, who led a rather eccentric and nonconformist existence, running illegal nightclubs and bordellos. Fabian Perez was exposed to a large number of fascinating individuals, and as he grew up, he began to capture these people in portraits. His abilities were evident from this very young age, as he painted with fantastic acuity. Wanting to see the world, Fabian Perez left home at the age of 22, where he traveled to Europe and the Far East and picked up a multitude of inspiration, before moving to Los Angeles. Fabian’s work began to be admired and purchased, and he was soon snapped up with a publishing contract which made him into a world wide star.

Fabian Perez’s carefully rendered oils show a depth of image and character that is both unusual and visually stunning. The figures are haunting, emotional and often reminiscent of a bygone era – although Perez is careful to introduce contemporary elements to his paintings. Painting closely with a great amount of detail and captivating charm, Perez chooses subjects that are enchanting – whether male or female. His paintings tell a story; it is up to his viewer to interpret that story as their mind sees best. Fans of Fabian Perez’s work will often comment that is Perez’s uncanny ability to capture a fleeting emotional expression; a casual gesture – that draws them into his work. Fabian Perez also considers his music and his philosophical views to be central to his life; these other arts feed his artistic talent, and constantly provide him with ideas and purpose as a painter.

Also, here are all of the Geisha series: