| 13TH AVENUE BY NICHOLAS RETI |
By Bonnie Gangelhoff
Nicholas Reti
Painter Nicholas Reti lives in Denver, CO, but whenever he gets the chance he escapes to the nearby Rocky Mountains. Reti is equally at home in both the urban and rural worlds, he says. The colors and qualities of light that he experiences in each environment hold an artistic allure for him. Whether he is capturing a manmade or natural wonder, the painter tries to convey a sense of place to the viewer. “I want to put them in the scene, and I want them to know something about the process—to see the brush strokes and how the painting was made,” he explains.
Reti is inspired by his studies in both France and Italy, where he was introduced to woodblock printing and works by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Fra Angelico, and Piero Della Francesca. Recently he received first-place recognition in Denver’s High Plains Art Festival. Reti is represented by Abend Gallery, Denver, CO, and Showings Fine Art, Denver, CO.
| HOTEL COSTES, PARIS BY SERGIO SANCHEZ |
Sergio Sanchez
Southern California painter Sergio Sanchez considers himself a documenter of modern life. “I try and take honest experiences and record them,” Sanchez says. While travel to Mexico and Europe has inspired some of his works, he is just as likely to capture the world around his Los Angeles home. “I’m interested in what people here do at work or at leisure, whether they are in the park or at the beach.”
Without being heavy-handed or illustrative, Sanchez’s works often betray a narrative quality. He portrays figures in a range of places, from a hotel room in Paris to a kitchen in Mexico. The works engage viewers while inviting them in to conjure up a story connected to the “characters.” “I hope what ties it all together is a story of my life and experiences,” Sanchez says. “So, in 100 years people will get a sense of what 2008 was like—our time and culture, the way we dress, interact, and have fun.” Sanchez is a member of the California Art Club and teaches classes at the Pasadena Center College of Design. He is represented by Frederic Stern Gallery, Pasadena, CA, and Morseburg Galleries, Los Angeles, CA.
| JENNY BY RYAN S. BROWN |
Ryan S. Brown
While painter Ryan S. Brown enjoys painting still-life, landscape, and figurative works, he considers capturing the figure the most challenging and, therefore, the most interesting. “The paintings I am working on now are figures in interiors and in the landscape, in which I can combine all of those elements onto one canvas,” Brown says. “This, for me, is exciting.”
The Utah-based artist notes that in previous works, he merely wanted to share his vision of what he considered beautiful. But that artistic direction has changed: “While that is still the hope in my current work, I now have far more specific narratives attached to each piece, from penitence to loneliness to redemption.” Brown says his artistic mission is to create concept-driven compositions but still continue to paint in “a deeply rooted naturalist tradition.”
As this story was going to press, Brown was studying portraiture and still-life painting as well as anatomy at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. He returns to his native Utah in July. His works will be on view in a group show at Astoria Fine Art in Jackson, WY, in September. He also is represented by Wendt Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, and Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA.
Featured in May 2008