Independent Collectors of Contemporary Art

An online community of contemporary art is available for those seeking information on the aspects of collecting art.
Members of this online platform are able to exhibit their private collections and connect with others who share the same interests.
The Independent Collectors also features a blog written by Tommi

Interview with Ron Francis

Ron Francis was born in Sydney, Australia in 1954.
He remembers drawing Disney characters on his bedroom walls, something that his parents didn't oppose to.

In 1974, Ron settled in Melbourne where he paints full time improving his skills and in 1980 he achieves the first representation of more to come.

Building custom software to work with perspective and developing formulas to work with, Ron's paintings involve the viewer in a direct way, namely through trompe l'oeil murals.

The artist prefers acrylic for his murals and oils when painting at the easel, although lately he has dedicated himself mostly to fine art.

Interview :

Q : Your paintings are usually not painted from life, what challenge does that pose to you in terms of imagination and creativity ?

A : The main challenge is trying to make something imagined look plausible. It's much easier for me to paint man-made objects from imagination than it is to paint natural objects, so in the latter case I will seek out references and either paint from life or from a photograph. The challenge here is to marry the real and the unreal so that they look like they belong to the same scene. Objects from life have to have the same lighting and be in the same perspective as the imagined objects.

Q : What kind of reactions do you expect from people who look at your murals and what are the most usual ones ?

A : I hope the illusion is strong enough to give people the feeling that a scene is there, even though I can't expect to fool people into thinking that it is actually there. Of course if someone is actually fooled by what I have painted then that is the best compliment and this has happened on enough occasions to make me happy.

Q : In your experience, what are the main reasons a client commissions a trompe l'oeil mural ?

A : Usually clients like an outdoor scene to add some space that normally wouln't be possible. It may be that they just have a huge empty wall to decorate.

Q : Although not so much present in your oil paintings, trompe l'oeil is a dominant subject in your works. Tell us about its importance to you.

A : Trompe l'oeil is less important to me than my fine art. Trompe l'oeil doesn't allow the same self expression that fine art can, and I regard it as more decorative painting. If trompe l'oeil is important to me, it's mainly because of the technical challenge. I do enjoy painting them, but not as much as fine art.

Q : When you are contacted to develop a mural and the client asks for an opinion on the theme, which one is your favourite ?

A : I don't have a favourite theme. One of the most important aspects in this case, is to marry the mural with the physical architecture of the site. These are basically logistical problems to overcome, rather than themes. Most of the time the clients have a fairly good idea of what they would like to see.

Q : From the themes that you paint, which ones permit you to better trick the eye ?

A : Anything with a short focal length, that is, anything that doesn't extend too far in front or behind the surface of the wall, such as a carved relief, niche etc. Unfortunately most people want to look out onto open vistas, which automatically makes it less effective as a trompe, but more effective in creating the feeling of space.

Q : What are the biggest challenges when developing a trompe l'oeil mural, namely when first making the project and when painting ?

A : Quoting is by far the hardest thing for me to do. Often clients can have unrealistic expectations of what can work and from my point of view I won't paint anything unless it could exist in real life.
For example, someone may want stairs leading down to a beach, but from the viewpoint I may work out that the stairs would not be visible at all. In that case.
Once a plan is drawn up, the hard part is to make the painting look realistic, which is the same for every realist artist.

Q : Alternating between murals, canvases and mediums is like an escape valve ?

A : I no longer paint murals, and have for the past 5 years concentrated on fine art. I found working with clients and asking for money was very stressful for someone like me who is not business minded at all. So yes, painting fine art is like a big escape!

Q : When not painting a trompe l'oeil, what are your preferred subjects ?

A : Subjects vary greatly. Many are inspired by dreams or observations about life, while others are purely technical experiments. They nearly all involve people.

Q : Can we expect the development of projects in the future which will surprise the viewers ?

A : I hope so, but only in the area of fine art. Painting the same subject more than once would be tedious and boring for me, so I'm always looking for something new to paint. As fine art allows me to express myself more freely, this should give me more opportunity to be surprising.

Q : During your earlier development as an artist what technical challenges were hardest to surpass ?

A : Linear perspective, light & colour and how they relate to each other, all of which are important in creating atmosphere, which is my main concern.

Q : Do you consider that entering the business world of art proved a difficult task, namely the acceptance from galleries and getting your work known ?

A : In the 1980s I think it was difficult for any realistic artist to be accepted by galleries as most of the art around that time was abstract expressionism, although personally I stumbled into a couple of galleries fairly easily. The financial side was always difficult. After a 15 year period of painting mostly murals, I decided to get back into the gallery system and was very fortunate to come across a gallery owner who knew and liked my work. Since then, I am able to be a hermit in my studio without having to think about the business and marketing side of my art.

End

The 100th Post

Completing 1 year of existance, The Art Inquirer celebrates its 100th post.
Since its beginning the objective of this art dedicated blog is to provide its readers with relevant information and interesting articles.
Acting as a bridge between the art appreciators and the artists, The Art Inquirer publishes interviews with artists from around the world giving them the opportunity to share their thoughts with the public.
Because quality information is important, the blogroll provided to its readers permits them to explore a set of links with pertinent content.
Regular promotions and a free painting every month are part of its bonus features.
The Art Inquirer wishes to thank you all for your visits and kind comments.

Thank You !

Arnau Alemany at the Michelle Boulet Gallery

Situated in Paris (France), the Michele Boulet gallery presents the works from the surrealist spanish painter Arnau Alemany.
Arnau was born in Barcelona and studied at the Massana School of Art of Barcelona, graduating with honours.
Included in the Spanish Surrealist Museum, he is recognized as one of the leading surrialists worldwide.
His paintings can be seen at the gallery until February 28th, 2009.

Los Angeles Art Show 2009

Presented by the Fine Art Dealers Association, the Fourteenth Annual Los Angeles Art Show takes place at the LA Convention Center from 21st through 25th January 2009.
Showcasing the art of top artists and masters brought by galleries from several countries, this is a unique to get acquainted with what is going on in the world of art.
Danny Heller, recently interviewed by this blog will be present at the show and you'll have the opportunity to meet him among other artists.

This Art Blog Gives Another Painting

The first winner of 2009 has been found.
A free original work of art can be yours, all you have to do is to subscribe using the Feedblitz service.
Every month a lucky subscriber wins a free painting and only needs to pay five dollars for postal expenses (all countries).
The Art Inquirer features art related articles, news and interviews with artists.
Its blogroll gives you access to quality sites where you will find lots of useful information.
Why not follow this blog ?

Andrew Newell Wyeth dies at 91

The north american painter Andrew Wyeth (July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) passed away during sleep at this home in Chadds Ford, near Philadelphia.
Known as the painter of people, Wyeth was the son of the illustrator Newell Convers Wyeth and Carolyn Bockius Wyeth.
At age twenty, he had his first one-man exhibition of watercolors at the Macbeth Gallery (N.Y.). The success of the exhibition indicated his future as a painter.
Among other subjects, Wyeth's paintings convey the rural landscapes and people, themes dear to the artist.
Well known are the 247 studies of Prussian-born Helga Testorf, Wyeth's neighbour, works that are owned by a japanese industrialist.
Helga's last studie called "Gone" was painted in 2002.

11th Art On The Streets ( Colorado Springs)

Presented by the U.S. Bank, Nor'wood Development Group and G.E. Johnson, the 11th Annual Downtown Colorado Springs Art On The Streets will take place from June 26, 2009 to May 2010.
The yearlong venue will showcase the works of new and celebrated artists from across the nation, contributing to a cultural and artistic reunion between artists and public.
A brochure of the AOTS, featuring the works and biography of selected artists, also a walking tour map, will be released and may be downloaded or picked up at several points.
Artists interested in participating in this event can download the call for entries.
Entries must be received by February 25, 2009 ( 5:00 p.m.)

Free Painting for January

On January the 18th (usually it's on the 10th of each month), one of the subscribers to The Art Inquirer will receive this free and original miniature alla prima oil painting.
Every month this art dedicated blog offers a free work of art to its readers who subscribe using the Feedblitz service.
Once in a while there are also prizes in the form of art materials and money transferred to your Paypal account.

SDAI 50th International Award Exhibition

The San Diego Art Institute through its Museum of Living Artists is going to present the 50th International Award Exhibition.
Artists wanting to enter will have to submit their works online until January 15th 2009 and selected works will have to arrive no later than March 1st 2009.
The entering fees (non-refundable) are :
Non members : $40 (one work); $50 (two works)
Members : $20 (one work); $25 (two works)
The insurance and shipping are responsability of the artist.
In case of the artwork being sold, there is a 40% commission and sales made from credit cards are subjected to a 4% charge that will be supported by the artist.
The artworks will only be returned using UPS and Fedex, which for international artists may be a drawback in terms of costs.
This year's exhibition will be juried by Julia Marciari Alexander, Phd.
The opening will take place from 6pm to 9pm of March 20th 2009 at the SDAI's Museum of Living Artists.
To the winning artists there will be awards in the value of $7,350.

Happy New Year 2009

The Art Inquirer wishes to its readers and their families a prosperous 2009.
Let us hope that this world that we live in may see less indifference between people.
Artists and those related to art, namely museums and galleries can play an important role by bringing awareness to the public.
Happy New Year 2009 !