Artist of the day: June 2024

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Artist of the Day, June 29, 2024: Tawee Nandakwang, a Thai painter (#2063)

Tawee Nandakwang (1925-1991) was a Thai painter. Born in Lampoon Province graduated from Silpakorn University, Bangkok/Academy of Fine Arts of Rome, Italy

Tawee Nandakwang is recognized and regarded as one of the nation's leading artists in Thai contemporary art. The recognition for his repute exists both at home and abroad. His life and works have been recorded in Thailand's history of modern art. A pioneer in approaches to painting still-life, portraits and landscapes, he has spent his entire life consistently creating excellent works. He was rightly named Thailand's outstanding artist, a National Artist (1990) and also in the same year, he was named ASEAN Awards Outstanding Artist in Visual Arts.

Tawee's initial creative works from his schooldays between 1947 and 1948 can be classified as Impressionism. Tawee was greatly inspired by the French school of Impressionism partly due to the influence of Silpa Bhirasri who introduced his students to modern art.

Among his masterpieces was Lotus painted in 1956 which won him a gold medal in the seventh National Exhibition of Art. Tawee is also influenced by the Western style called Cubism. Such influence is apparent in his painting Ayatthaya, Suwannee, a painting of Tawee's first wife was named the best portrait of the year at the 9th National Exhibition of Art. The significance of this painting rests in the attempt to avoid the close resemblance of the subject: detail does not seem to take priority. Tawee used his brushstrokes to accentuate the structure of the counternance and other parts of the painting. Not only was the artist able to portray a face that was telling in emotion and feeling, he also succeeded in conveying with accuracy and liveliness the characteristics of his wife Suwanee. Another special attribute in his portrait which is consiedred a pioneering step in Thai portrait painting is the use of bold lines to give prominence to the model and prevent her from being blended into the background.

© 2024. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Tawee Nandakwang or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only

Tawee Nandakwang

Street scene

Living by The River

Lily field

Floating market, Thailand

Untitled, 1990

Landscape, 1990

Untitled, 1986

Scarecrow, 1981

Sampan Boats, 1979

Moving Flowers, 1979

Untitled, 1978

Sampan Boats on River, 1974

Canal Boat Scene III, 1973

Canal Boat Scene II, 1973

Canal Boat Scene I, 1973

River village, 1972

Canal Boat Scene, 1972

By the Canal, 1972

View of a Floating Market, 1972

Market with Boats, 1971

Bright post impressionist canal scene with figures, 1970

Bright post impressionist canal scene with boats and buildings, 1970

Untitled, 1968

Floating Markets, 1966

Temple, 1958

Lotus, 1956

Dusit Garden, 1955

Friday, June 28, 2024

Artist of the Day, June 28, 2024: Shannon Vaught, an American emerging artist, painter (#2062)

An interview with Shannon Vaught:

Shannon, When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I’m not sure there was an exact “light bulb” moment, so to speak. In high school I used to draw all the time, and from it received a lot of odd jobs; tattoo designs, portraits of pets and people, murals, etc. Eventually I went to college to pursue an art degree. I had been painting for a few years at this time and painted a picture of my puppy, just for fun. I got a lot of inquiries for pet portraits from it. That’s what really started my career as a painter. After a couple years I was able to quit my barista job that I had been balancing with school and commissioned work – and just do commissions full time. That’s when I realized I really could be a full time painter, it was liberating.

Can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Shannon Vaught and I am an artist based out of Oceanside, California. I graduated from the Laguna College of Art and Design in 2019, where I learned how to paint in the classical style of the old masters. We often drew and painted models from life. That’s where I really fell in love with portrait painting, which is primarily what I practice now. Though my style has evolved a bit since then to be more colorful and impressionistic, I still retain the love for realism learned there. I mostly paint alla prima – which means all at once, in one sitting. I really love the direct nature and freshness achieved in such a quick portrait. Right now, I am excited to explore some more narrative, larger portrait and figurative work.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
It sounds cheesy to say, but all of it. Painting is still, after all these years, what makes me excited about life. I can’t wait to get out of bed most mornings and get in front of my easel. A mentor used to tell me that mastering something like painting would take two lifetimes. It really never stops being a challenge, and that’s what I like so much about it. Painting has taught me so much about life, and I’ve really gotten to know myself through it.

© 2024. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Shannon Vaught or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only