Upon gazing into Alfredo Navarro's pieces one can see the dual nature that is the sea, its awe inspiring mystery and its tranquil beauty. As the course of the day unfolds his pieces retain their own luminescence as if they go by their own time. Having been an artist since he was a child, Navarro chose Seascapes as his dominant theme after being commissioned to do a mural while serving in the Spanish Military. Learn about Navarro the Seascape Artist below as seen from our website, Hanson Gallery Fine Art.
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| Blue and Calm |
Alfredo Navarro was born on the eastern coast of Spain in the city of Alcoy (Alicante) in 1965. Initially inspired by his father, Navarro attended the art school of Escuela Municipal de Bellas Artes at a young age. He continued his education in Valencia where he received a degree in economics at the Valencia Univeristy as well as an art degree from Circulo de Bellas Artes.
He then returned to Alcoy to paint and apprentice under the painter/teacher Selles. Also a painter, Navarro’s father taught his son the techniques of oil painting. Navarro’s younger brother accepted their father’s art training, too. At age 19, Navarro began painting professionally and in 1986 received first place in an art exhibition sponsored by the Government Delegate of Galicia in Galicia, Spain.
Navarro considers his technique somewhere between Realism and Hyperrealism. His studies provided an admiration for the artists Velazquez, Picasso and Greco. Navarro respects Velazquez for the artist’s ability to capture the soul of a person in a portrait and the colors and atmosphere used to create the paintings. Picasso and Greco are admired for their bold creativity and expressive colors. Such creativity, expressive colors and atmosphere can be found in Navarro’s striking sunsets, sweeping seas and foaming waves. Inspired by the vastness of both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Navarro paints seascapes of undulation as well as seascapes of tranquility. With great artistic emotion and power, he captures waves crashing against rock formations. He paints translucent waves gently rolling into shore as the evening’s sunset pierces through the water. His calm seas mesmerize viewers with the ocean’s expanse, or the feeling of a warm sun dancing on the water, or an endless horizon.
For questions or more information please email us info@hansongalleryfineart.com or call us at (415) 332-1815.
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| The Dance of Autumn |
Nobody can capture landscapes in breath taking fashion quite like Adair Payne. Combining his lifelong passion for nature with his background in graphic arts Adair captures with meticulous accuracy the beauty and spirit of the landscape. He has the unique ability to present us with scenery that balances the conditions of light and shadow in such a way that it grabs our heart and pierces our soul, much in the same way as if we were right there. The following about this artist's fascinating history is from our website, www.hansongalleryfineart.com.
Adair Payne is native of Northern California, from the community of Lincoln in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento. He began painting the local countryside at an early age, being commissioned by local collectors and land-owners. While his creative direction was unusual in the time and place of his youth, he was compelled to speak for the land, calling attention to the natural world around him.
Taking a brief hiatus from creative work just after high school, Payne served a voluntary mission for his church in Argentina for two years. He then resumed his artistic education with a major in graphic design. In spite of his connection with the land, at that time he preferred the idea of a busy and interactive creative environment instead of the solitary work of a studio painter.
After receiving his BFA from Brigham Young University, and after a brief stint as a graphic designer in Los Angeles, Payne was hired as an artist and graphic designer by the an agency in Washington, DC. Before too long Payne preferred to be back in the wide open space of the West. He then gradually moved into a career in commercial illustration, specializing in colorful and lavishly illustrated story maps for corporate clients as well as the tourism industry. A short list of his favorite clients includes Crystal Cruises, Visa, Intel, Honda, Chrysler, Delta Airlines, Lucent Technologies, and Motorola.
In more recent years, Payne's career has come full-circle back to his roots, now focusing his energy entirely on painting his native landscape. His objective is to record the visual impressions of a rich, unique, and gentle land that is quickly becoming increasingly developed and exploited.
The artist's philosophy is fairly straight-forward, motivated by a deep connection to the land that nourished his spirit and body from the beginning, returning something of appreciation which he hopes inspires others who contemplate the Northern California landscape. Consistently, Payne's finished art has a pervasive sense of tranquility, reverence for the natural world, and often an element of solitude and retreat.
Payne is fairly obsessive about the emotional effects of light on the landscape. Typically, very early morning light and very late sunlight are his preference, though he's also fascinated with the moodiness of fog and California's seasonal thick, humid atmosphere.
While he is essentially self-taught as a painter, his approach to painting has evolved over a lifetime, influenced and informed by years as a graphic designer and illustrator. A viewer may first notice the artist's attention to detail. However, the overall design, the visual energy of the composition and its emotional impact are his key concerns as he begins work. He is equally versatile in watercolor and acrylic, but his large landscape work is always executed in oil since it provides the ideal working properties for his preferred subject matter and style.
For questions or more information please email us info@hansongalleryfineart.com or call us at (415) 332-1815.
