I'm fascinated by the Masters of art history. One of my obsessions is the work of the late 19th century Post-Impressionists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne and the entire oeuvre of Henri Matisse and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's work. I am currently in the process of copying the works of some of these masters. I believe that copying is an excellent way to learn and grow as an artist. But, just like if I were a musician, I wouldn't cover a song note for note and beat for beat. I feel the same is true for copying masterpieces of art. I try to get the essence of what the artist was trying to accomplish while attempting to add influences of his technique to my own skill set.

Up first is my favorite artist from this group, Vincent van Gogh. I love his work on many levels because not only are his brushstrokes interesting, but so was his personal life. I copied his "Yellow Wheat with Cypresses" and one of his later self-portraits. I was not concerned with matching his color to the exact value or laying brushstrokes in identical places on the canvas. I focused on capturing the energy his paintings possess.

I will be adding more images to this set over time. I am creating an original painting using what I learned from these studies based on my own original photography.

Images: Click to see larger preview

Click off image to close popup