The best is ahead and it’s not even Thursday..
December 31, 2012
Hope; oil, 65×54 cm, Christina Rahm Galanis 1998 (planned fine art print).
The oil painting Hope was my first tulip painting and only one of two in the same style painted in oil. I leave the image to speak for itself and I hope 2013 becomes the best year ever for all.
Christina
November 22, 2011
On The Spiritual In Art recently published a brief of the artist Arthur Wesley Dow, known for his teachings of composition and notan – the relationship between masses of light and dark in an image.
The American Southwest is on my mind this week. During a trip there a few years ago, I took a photo of a man in a cowboy hat watching Native Indians dancing, at the South Rim, Grand Canyon.
Cowboy; digital sketch for print, Christina Rahm Galanis, 2009.
Neither my usual style nor motif, but I think it is an interesting image and symbol. Would I ever take that road in style and experiment more? Not sure. The silhouette effect is interesting, but I would probably need to work in some more color to be inspired.
Like – where’s the Indian?
July. Phoenix Arizona. Heat is up. 43 degrees Celsius/104 degrees Fahrenheit. A thunderstorm is rolling in from the south. Sky darkens. Colors shift into a soft foggy pink, the blacks turn purple. Streetlights brace for the storm and replace the fading sun as sources of light.
Approaching Storm; oil, 13×28 cm, Christina Rahm Galanis 2011. Framed.
Galleri Ingela S. Phone: +46 8 411 42 02
Email: info@galleriingelas.se
The image of an American Indian on a proud, beautiful horse is an archetype in our minds. Truth is, it was the Spanish explorers, in fact Christopher Columbus himself on his second trip in 1493, who brought the first horses to (south) America by ship.
Cortez brought 16 horses to Mexico, among them a Bay horse named Lars (a Swedish man’s name, go figure).
I’d say, that’s worth a flag or two…
Yellow Tulips II, 2003; original watercolor, in store.
I want to wish everyone, but especially my American Friends, both humans and horses…
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 8, 2011
Any snowflakes in your hood yet?
The painting below is one of the first I made after finishing my Art History degree. I really like the ambience in Degas’ ballerina paintings and I find the aborigin idea of Dreamtime and mapping out the world from above to be fascinating.
Dance in Black & White; oil, 80×60 cm Christina Rahm Galanis 2002 (sold).
So, here I have played with a motif from Degas in combination with the aboriginal way – to depict ballerinas from above.
However, if someone tells me this looks like flowers, I’m not going to object.
The painting is grounded with green earth pigment, used as a basic skin color by Michelangelo for example. Then there are several thin layers of white, each with slight differences in tone. 
Well, is it dancing?
It actually does seem to move in a soft swirl when seen in real life. More about this effect below.
Ice Venus, 100-65-100, Christina Rahm Galanis 1999 (melted).
Still Life with Oranges and Candle; oil, 65×54, Christina Rahm Galanis 1997
Anders Zorn, the world famous presidential painter, has a portrait hanging in the Zorn museum in Mora, Sweden, where the tip of a shoe appears to be moving along and always pointing towards the viewer.
Mona Lisa in the Louvre, by Leonardo da Vinci – follows you with her eyes as you walk by.
How on Earth is that possible?
The Old Couple; oil, 65 x 54, Christina Rahm Galanis 2002. Available.
There was a branch leaning against a wall, creating an interesting shadow, that inspired me to paint The Old Couple. A stack of dry flowers in the actual branch were then painted with the Zorn shoe/Mona Lisa effect in mind. And it works! (Kind of…).
I would say that trick has to do with color perspective.
There are many tricks in the phantasmagoric world of vision. Take a look at the illusion below without getting dizzy.
Morning, LA; watercolor, Christina Rahm Galanis, 1999 (sold).
Once upon a time, in 18th century Britain, there was a talented traveling showman with a set of Magic Lanterns and a bend towards the dramatic. His name was E’tienne Gaspard Robert, later changed to Robertson.
The magic lanterns were used in slick theatrical productions designed and performed to scare people to death.
Apparitions, ghosts and the like would appear from nowhere and literally frighten patrons from their seats. This macabre entertainment created quite a stir in the closing years of the 18th century.
Robertson used fades, pans, dolly shots and rear projection as some of the tools, today taken for granted as modern Hollywood creations.
In English this theatrical phenomenon was known as the Phantasmagoria.
I am considering making a donation to the Twitter Art Exhibit: Los Angeles, an international exhibition of original postcard art, benefiting Art Division, a nonprofit program for underserved youth (ages 18 – 25) showing commitment and passion for the visual arts. An opening reception will be held from 7-10 PM on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at E.U. Gallery, in Chinatown’s Arts District.
Small postcard original art will be for sale for only 35.-USD. I will let you know if I decide to send something in.
This one below was too large, so I added it to the store instead. Go and take a look – link here.
Landscape, watercolor, 15×20 cm, Christina Rahm Galanis 2007
Click to view this effect (and other illusions) in an even larger version:
Until next Thursday – have a great weekend!
WithFlyingColor 