Wednesday, November 26, 2014

New Painting - Thanksgiving


This week I decided to post one of my recent painting that I created for the Allentown Museum of Art show. The painting is titled “Wings of Unconditional Empathy” and was inspired by the artist Mora. It is a small burnt sienna study.

The idea for the painting is part of series that I am slowly bringing to life about the conflict of what I call the world of Apathy Vs. Empathy. In a world that used to be full of empathy, compassion, and other centeredness, has now found itself consumed in apathy, self-centeredness, and indifference. Attitudes have changed. At times as I watch society I find that there is an urgency to extinction. In times that feel long gone, families and communities could come together and give thanks and slow down to enjoy diversity and difference.

I have more to say on the topic but the bottom line that I have found is finding common ground to build on and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes before passing judgment.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and it is a time to reflect on family and friends and give thanks. Whether you find yourself down and out on the streets or just surviving to make ends meet. Give thanks for what you have and that is the family of humanity. If you can give more to help those who have less then do it.

There is a quote that I have written down in my sketchbook and I don’t know who said it but it goes like this…“Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.”

Caniglia    

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Caniglia-New Oil Painting


Here is my latest oil painting “The Question of Life”.  The painting was inspired from notes in my sketchbook. Every artist has a story to tell about his or her life. Every person you meet or walk by on the street has their own story.  The homeless on the streets the person in front of you in line at the bank or checkout line has a story.  Every friend and work colleague in your life has a story.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a fleeting moment.  Everyone has something to offer and share with you and you have something to contribute.  Imagine treating every person you encounter with respect and interest. I guess the question that I was asking myself was do we care about each other enough to really get to know each others stories.

But the story can only be told if someone asks to hear it.  As an artist I am constantly trying to understand the story and the thread that weaves through all of us.  I love the quote by the artist Eugene Fromentin “Art is the expression of the invisible by means of the visible”. When applied to an artist we filter expression and feelings into imaginary worlds never seen before. It can also apply to life, that we are invisible until someone wants to see us and ask us about our story.

Caniglia


CANIGLIA-WORLD WAR Z AND FILMMAKING



The sold out limited edition copies of World War Z should be shipping over the next few weeks from Cemetery Dance Publishing. I found out that Max Brooks gave me a “Shout Out” for this new edition when he was on the radio last week.

Here is the link to the radio / podcast. on 94.1. The Max Brooks interview is great and if you have time it is worth listening to. He talks about upcoming projects. If you want to skip to the World War Z "shout out." Skip to about 27:39 in the interview to hear it.

http://media.channel941.com/audio/102014+HOUR2.mp3

I have been having a blast working with my students on their films. The last two weeks I have been collaborating with film directors who have been guest lectures and visitors in my art classes.

Some of my guest this past week included Alexander Payne (Sideways,About Schmidt), Nathan Crowley (Production Designer: The Dark Knight, Interstellar), Tom Elkins (Annabelle, The Haunting in Connecticut). Jason Levering (The Shining) and acclaimed photographers and directors Marc Longbrake and David Weiss.

It was incredible opportunity for the students to have a chance to ask questions and gain insight into their films with the guest lectures, professional directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, and actors.

I have more news coming about upcoming projects.

Caniglia     




Saturday, October 18, 2014

Caniglia-Fruit Studies


Here are a few more of my latest fruit studies. These still life paintings are a great way to understand light, shadow, color and composition. The still life painting genre is as diverse as its history is long. From the times of the early Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans paintings of fruit can be found on tomb walls, tile floor mosaics and wall paintings in Pompeii all the way to Rome and the High Renaissance.

Even in our modern day and age, works of art with contemporary themes of fruit and still life painting is still going strong. The genre has always been one that artists turn to again and again when they are not working on bigger commissions.

These studies are so important for artists to pursue to understand color and light. Through them, still life art compositions articulate ideas about our natural world, religious symbolism, personal as well as allegorical explorations, and universal human reflections on life and death. I have been enjoying bringing these little fruit studies to life during the fall season. Artists can look to this unique genre for the answers that painters are forever trying to find.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the paintings please e-mail me here on my blog and I will let you know the price with shipping included.

Thanks
Caniglia   


Saturday, October 11, 2014

APPLE PAINTINGS-CANIGLIA ART


This week I have a few of my apple paintings to show. I am working on 2 more that are not completely dry yet. I will show those paintings soon. As I have mentioned before Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) has always been an inspiration to me with his magnificent ability to depict perfect planes of color and composition. I also love his quirky statements like “I want to astonish Paris with an Apple”. As I have researched his still life fruit paintings, I have found that he had completed over 250 pieces devoted to fruit. That is true artistic dedication.

I will have more fruit paintings to show over the coming weeks. I am currently working on a lemon and Clementine as well. I am currently teaching my students a section on painting fruit. They are doing a great job of understanding line, shape, color, and form. I am teaching them how to give form and mass to objects through the juxtaposition of brushstrokes and carefully balanced colors and textures. I also explain how Cezanne was able to let edges disappear into the negative space and other objects. When an artist does this in their work, the painting then gains a sense of comforting stability. The results are wonderful with strong compositions in their bright coloring, dynamic surfaces, and distorted spaces.

More paintings and updates coming this week.

Thanks
Caniglia


Friday, October 3, 2014

Caniglia_Art "Pear a dise"


As fall marches on, I decided that I would take a trip to the orchards this last weekend to both witness and sketch the wonderful different fruits with their ever-changing hues, colors, and tones. The apples are now at the height of the season and the pears were fading fast with muted earth tones and splashes of deep reds and yellows.

I have posted two of my pear paintings this week and I will post two more apple paintings next week. As I sketched out my paintings I noticed that I was drawn to show just one piece of fruit in each painting. I felt as I painted the pears, there was deeper meaning in each of the compositions that I chose to portray. Upon closer observation of the decomposing fruit I noticed that the pears are emblematic of the isolation and repression that the winter brings as it blows into the orchard. The warmth of the summer sun has faded and the season churns on the pears. Some were isolated in the top height of the trees forgotten or unreachable. Piles of apples lay in various stages of decay.

The youth of the fruit was in hues of yellow while the middle-aged fruit was in stages of greens and bright reds and the older fruit was deep red with hues of brown spots and blemishes. The entire process left me a bit melancholy to see the changes in the fruit and how it resembles the cycle of life as everything returns to the potter’s ground.

I will have more updates coming soon with more paintings and information about a special book that I just finished the cover for.

Thanks for your support.

-Caniglia  


Sunday, September 28, 2014

CANIGLIA- ART AND ANATOMY


Here is a new drawing I was working on this week for a demo in my classes. It is a detailed study of the upper and lower teeth. I am introducing more life drawing for my advanced students. I feel it is very important for the students to draw from life and capture the details of the shape, line, and form through values and tones. Some of my students will become doctors or dentist and it is very important to understand the science behind the drawing.

Leonardo da Vinci, who is without doubt the most significant artist-anatomist of all time, first undertook a series of detailed studies of the human skull, mandible, and teeth in the1480’s, borrowing from the architect's rigorous technique of representing three-dimensional forms in plan, section, elevation, and different perspective views. Through the course of his sketches and renderings he invented a new vocabulary for the history of scientific illustration.

I will post more of my studies this week as well as some oil paintings I am working on of fruit. Yes this is my favorite time of year to visit the orchards in my area. I love to paint the colorful fruit that I find. So please check back later this week to see my paintings.

Thanks for visiting my blog, I will keep posting new works.

Caniglia    

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Allentown Art Museum-Caniglia


IlluXCon 7 Opens this week at the Allentown Art Museum. I will have all new work at the exhibition including my new oil painting “The Pale Rider” which I have a picture of in this post. I will also have 25 limited edition hand pulled screen prints of my drawing “Vita brevis breviter in brevi finietur- Life is short and shortly it will end”. These are exclusive prints made just for the IlluXcon museum show and will be priced at $100. each.

If you would like to reserve one of the 25 prints please e-mail before Wednesday to reserve your print. You can e-mail me directly at caniglia@caniglia-art.com

You can also purchase them directly at the museum at my table this weekend. If you are on the east coast don’t miss this amazing Museum show.

IX symposium is the world’s largest exhibition of imaginative realist art. Featuring over 150 artists and well over 1000 original pieces of artwork, the show is a visual feast for all fans of imaginative painting. Artists who will be exhibiting in this show have lent their talents to movies, games, books, galleries and collections across the world, ranging from Magic: the Gathering illustrations to solo exhibitions at prestigious museums.

Every artist represented in the show will be physically present during the symposium, making it a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk with these talented artists, representing countries as far-flung as the United Kingdom and Australia.

Imaginative realism, as the cutting edge of contemporary realist painting, combines classical painting technique with postmodern narrative subjects, focusing on the unreal, the unseen, and the impossible, offering visions of humanity’s mythic past, its unexplored future and, in some cases, its terrifying present.

Don’t miss this incredible show!

Caniglia
 




Saturday, August 9, 2014

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley Art Show


The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia will be featuring my painting “Nec Spe-Nec Metu” in its upcoming exhibition. This exhibition was made possible because of Ken Marquis imagination and the MSV director Dana Hand Evans.
The idea was to promote reduce, reuse, and recycle waste into imaginative art.

This is an exhibition of environmentally inspired contemporary art, “Second Time Around”: The Hubcap as Art will present works by nearly 300 artists from every U.S. state and 35 other countries. The objects were created by artists from across the globe who responded to an invitation issued by the Pennsylvania-based, nonprofit Landfillart Project to turn a discarded hubcap into art. Second Time Around, which marks the first time these objects will be on public exhibition, will be at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley from September through March 1, 2015. The exhibition will travel to other museums.

Second Time Around will represent the wide range of styles, sizes, and mediums used by artists who responded to the Landfillart Project invitation. Objects range in size from a single hubcap footprint to a sculpture that is nearly eight feet tall. Some objects are kinetic, incorporate sound, and illuminate; many directly reference specific environmental issues.

Here is a video about the exhibition…

Here is more info from the museum…

Here is info about my piece and how it all started…

Thanks and please check out the exhibition if you are on the east coast.

Caniglia   



Thursday, August 7, 2014

Klaus Nomi-Sketch


August 6th marked more then 30 years since the death of Klaus Nomi. Nomi was a German countertenor know for his wide vocal range and brilliant visionary theatrical performances. His music was ahead of its time and he died too young. 

Klaus said “the future is based on the needs of the artist, deciding how to live and living that way every minute. Klaus, the man from the future, lived that way in the present, and held out his hand saying, come with me. You can do it too." He inspired a generation of cutting edge singers, artists, and moviemakers.

I created a sketch of Nomi’s portrait with his lyrics from his song death below it. Death is a song from Nomi's second album, Simple Man which is a remake of the aria Dido's Lament from the Opera Dido and Æneas by Henry Purcell. 

This is an incredible version in my opinion. This really shows off Klaus's amazing countertenor voice. 



These are the lyrics if you would like to know what he is singing…

Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
On thy bosom let me rest,

More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest. 

When I am laid, am laid in earth, 
May my wrongs create 
No trouble,
no trouble in thy breast;

Remember me, remember me, but ah!  Forget my fate.

Remember me, but ah! 
 Forget my fate.

If you would like to see his videos here are a couple,



We still remember you Klaus and your inspiring voice.

Caniglia  


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Art Show - Kent Bellows


I have been mentoring/teaching at Kent Bellows Visual Art Center this summer and we just finished up the semester. So now it is time to show the amazing work that this group of talented students created. Please come out to see the new exhibition entitled “Collective Unconscious”.

The Exhibition Reception opens this Friday August 1st 6-9pm. This is a two night reception featuring a multidisciplinary exhibition of work from the students and mentors of Joslyn's Kent Bellows Mentoring Program on Friday,  August 1, 6 - 9 pm, and a fashion multimedia art exhibition reception on Saturday, August 2, 6 - 9 pm.

Location: Kent Bellows Studio Gallery, 3303 Leavenworth Street, Omaha

My recent anatomy study painting that I did as a painting demo for my students will be in the show. As I have mentioned on several occasions skill based art is so important for building the foundation of a young artist. I teach naturalistic drawing and painting methods in which the artists paint a portrait or anatomical study by going through a process of establishing first the positions of the skeleton, then the muscle groups on the skeleton, then the skin and flesh tones are placed over the top to create the human form.

Art is a process of imagination, discipline, and understanding. This group of students has a great grasp on these concepts. Don’t miss the opportunity to come to the gallery and see this powerful exhibition.

Come out and meet these incredible young artists and experience their work in this unique show.

-Caniglia

Thursday, July 3, 2014

New York Art Shows and Museums


It has been a while since my last post. June was a full of art shows, traveling, teaching, and commissions. I will try to post more updates when I am not painting. July is full of deadlines and I have a new series of paintings that I just started.

I was in New York a few weeks ago for my daughter’s art show at Parsons New School and then to her awards ceremony at Carnegie hall. It was a great moment to say the least and during our stay in the city I had a chance to show her some of the artwork that influenced my art.

The first place we went was to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met holds so many master works by the world’s greatest artists. The first painting that I had to find was  “The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John” by Hendrick ter Brugghen. I saw this painting when I was 19 on one of my first trips to New York and I visit the painting every time I am in the city. The painting was an epiphany for me. Ter Bruggghen (1588-1629) was a follower of Caravaggio and his paintings have that nice rim lit chiaroscuro glow to them. This powerful image was painted for a Catholic “hidden church” in the city of Utrecht. The artist stark composition with the strong angular figure of Christ at the center is striking and powerful. You can feel the weight and humanity of Christ death. He creates brilliant rhythmic draperies, with convincing volumes on the very humble figures of Mary and John. The color combination is like nothing I have ever scene. Ter Brugghen color palette with muted earth tone greens, reds, yellows, purples, and translucent greys is hypnotic and mesmerizing.

The second painting I wanted to mention that also moved me as an artist when I was just starting out was Bouguereau’s, “Nymphs and Satyr” (1873). The painting is full of traditional Baroque spiraling energy. Surrounded by the luscious greenery provided by the dense forest, the canvas is a construction of illuminated figures. With her arm waving high up in the air, the nymph in the upper left hand side of the central group beckons her cohorts to the ensuing drama. They swirl around the Satyr creating a theatrical energy of the past by evoking eloquent gestures, perhaps derived from the allegorical images of Bernini and his sculptures. The painting is both poetic and visually stunning.

Looking at art from the past contributes to who we are as people. By looking at what has been done before, we gather knowledge and inspirations that contribute to how we paint, feel, and view the world around us. Art helps a society evolve in its own way, which is why there are different styles of art in different countries. Without art, there wouldn't be any visual representations of the past. Great art transcends time and space and lives in the hearts of viewers who are willing to make that connection through the open door and imaginative portal that has been left open for us by the artists mind.

Caniglia  



Monday, May 26, 2014

Honor Memorial Day


Honor Memorial Day

Over a million Americans have died in our nation’s wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for ALL of our Soldiers. For those who fought to win us our independence, to those who fought to unite us as one nation, to those who fought in wars that they didn’t agree with. I thank my bother, cousins, uncles, and all my family who have and still do defend our country.

Here are a few of my military paintings that I have created showing our soldiers in the trenches. Some of these oil paintings I created for books, but most were personal images that I created showing the faces of war and the brave decisions our soldiers make to survive.

I think General Logan said it the best when he started the first Memorial Day after the Civil War. Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of springtime” urged: “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

Caniglia   







Friday, May 9, 2014

Meeting Simon Schama


Last night I had an opportunity to sit and talk with Simon Schama. He currently teaches at Columbia University in New York City. He is a prolific writer and brilliant historian. 
He just released his new book this year titled “The Story of the Jews” that was also made into a film series by PBS.

I was able to meet with Simon just before his lecture at the Des Moines Art Center. We talked about the artist Caravaggio as well as my son Caravaggio. We also discussed his series that he created called the “Power of Art” for PBS and his book “Rembrandt’s Eyes”. I strongly recommend reading these books and watching his PBS series.

What I came away with was inspiration beyond words. Simon is passionate, loud, ambitious and above all humble. He was so gracious, kind, warm, and intense. His knowledge of art history is unmatched. He has taught at Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford and after talking with him I know why. 

I discussed my art and teaching with him and gave him a copy of my art book “I Before E except After Death” which made him smile. Schama understands art that doesn’t always fit the mold and for that I appreciate him even more.

His lecture later in the evening was about his latest book called “The Story of the Jews” and as Simon says, “It is a story like no other: an epic of endurance against destruction, of creativity in oppression, joy amidst grief, the affirmation of life against the steepest of odds.” 

Schama is a genius and will always be an inspiration to my work and me.

Caniglia   

(I would also like to thank Eric Salmon who took the photo)


Sunday, May 4, 2014

Caniglia - Anatomical Studies


Since I have been showing some of my old master studies I thought I would also show some of my scientific studies as well. As I have mentioned in several of my entries sketching is key to understanding an artist development both in ideas and in technique.

DaVinci of course knew this better than any other artist. We still have hundreds of his anatomical, medical, botany, and science drawings. They give us insight in our own lives and the world we live in. An artist commitment to science needs to be as strong as their commitment to art. If you understand the human form on all levels you will be able to render the form as you wish in your work.

As an instructor I am trying to make sure that my students have a firm foundation in the arts and sciences. They need to understand anatomy, botany, biology, physiology and parts of biophysics through art. Even if they don’t become medical illustrators they will have a starting place to develop characters for their own work in comics, movie concepts, or personal works.

These studies that I created are based off Netter’s medical illustrations. Frank Netter, M.D. (1906-1991) was one of the greatest artists in the field of medical illustration. Trained as a doctor, he began doing illustrations to clarify his understanding of anatomy. As he stated in his own words “I found that I could learn my subjects best by drawing," he said. His life work of more than 4,000 illustrations grew, “in response to the desires and requests of the medical profession.”

I used gouache, oil, and pen and ink to create these studies.

Caniglia   



Monday, April 21, 2014

More Ink Studies


I have a few pen and ink studies to show this week. These are quick drawings that I created based off the old masters. Why create master copies you might ask? It was the artist Ingres who said, “ Make copies, young man, many copies. You can only become a good artist by copying the masters.” Such artist as Leonardo, Raphael, and Degas did this type of training.

Over the last few weeks I have been looking at a lot of the old master drawings from Rembrandt to Michelangelo. As I survey the strength of their work I realize how effortless they make the line look, brilliant halftones and subtle shadows. It helps me understand and recognize what was going through the master’s head in hopes of understanding nature and anatomy as they did.

I have been doing master studies for years and I have found it strengthens my own work and helps me understand what I am trying to bring out in my own work. The subject matter is different but the strength of the line and composition is so important.

Thanks
Caniglia   



Sunday, April 13, 2014

INK DRAWINGS


Drawing is a fundamental skill in the design process and is the key tool that every artist must embrace to understand how light, form, and gradations work. As artist we train in several different media trying to represent complex three- dimensional forms, the paradigm of which is the human figure.

In my class demonstrations I reference the Old Masters and their dedication and devotion to understand the world in light and shadow Here are a few of my latest ink drawings using the techniques of the Old Masters. Sometimes I use sanguine pencil, the three- color pencil on toned paper technique known as trios crayons, and pen and brush (with ink and watercolor) wash sketching; the subjects always involve the figure, and trying to capture the essence of the form and the beauty of simple line work.

Thanks
Caniglia




Sunday, March 30, 2014

Danish American Museum


I had a chance to visit the Danish American Museum exhibition this weekend and see my painting of Dybbøl Mill on display. The exhibit called ‘Schleswig-Holstein: Turmoil on the Danish-German Border’ is incredible. The show features art, memorabilia, diaries, and photos from the 1848 and 1864 wars.

The Danish Museum has done an amazing job of putting this traveling exhibition together on the 150th anniversary of the 1864 battle. It was nice to have a chance to take my time at the exhibition and really absorb all the information that has been presented. If you are in Elkhorn, Iowa take the time out to visit this wonderful museum. I am honored that they asked me to be part of this exhibition.

I have attached a few photos from my visit to the museum.
Here is a link to the Danish America Museum…

Thanks for all your support.
Caniglia







Monday, March 10, 2014

WINDMILL PAINTINGS


Windmills hold so much symbolism, not only in their image but also in their function.
The windmill can be a symbol of the cycle of life that is repeated. Windmills form an important element in the Danish landscape with its wide horizons, its glittering waters and big clouds floating overhead; without them one can hardly imagine the Danish landscape, which is unique in the world.

I have been doing little studies of windmills recently. I have attached 6 recent paintings that I did with oil paints. These are small alla prima (wet-on-wet) studies. The first one was inspired by Rembrandts windmill painting. I was looking at his tonal arrangement that he achieved and I tried to mimic the edges becoming lost as well as some becoming more accentuated. The feel of fading light is just beautiful on the arms of the windmill as they reach to the heavens on a desolate horizon.

On my visit to the mill in Elkhorn, Iowa recently to the Danish American Museum for my exhibit, I found a sense of harmony and peacefulness inspired by the old world windmill and the imposing modern windmills along the interstate. Windmills in their characteristic beauty and in varying circumstances of place, season, and type are truly a sight to behold. They are silhouetted giants on a timeless landscape.

Thanks
Caniglia