After deliberately avoiding oil paint for 20 years, it’s somewhat poetic that Raymond Logan has finally found himself immersed in it on a daily basis.
Now a self-proclaimed daily painter for reasons of discipline and growth, Logan states: “It seems simple enough, but after a while the hunt for subject matter forces an artist to scrutinize and observe in new and different ways. In a sense, they must open up their eyes to the world around them.”
It was this scrutinizing of common subjects that drew me to Logan’s work. His classical approach lends itself even to simple, everyday items. . . encouraging the viewer to see things in a new way, too.
Logan’s style is achieved through broad strokes, strategic application of light and uncomplicated subject matter, as seen in the painting below.
As simple as this lemon slice first seems, it is still captivating. Notice how Logan created a beautiful sense of translucency by delicately re-creating the appearance of light reflecting from the center of the lemon slice.
I especially love the artist’s own interpretation of this painting: “The backlighting of this wedge produced some interesting effects that I did not anticipate. One effect was how much the pulp of a lemon is like a glass container”. And it’s true. . . I can just imagine the juice swirling inside!
What’s even more amazing is that Logan does all of his daily paintings on very small canvases. Most of these paintings are only 4” x 6”.
When he chose to paint these bonsai clippers on a horizontal canvas he wondered if “maybe it was to torture [himself]“—he went on to explain that the small composition made them only 3-1/2″ tall!
Why does Raymond Logan paint? Because he must, he says. . . “It is just in me. Take it away and I wither, return it and I grow.”
If you have a few minutes today, I’d encourage you to browse through Raymond’s fascinating daily painting blog and see more of his work. You may also want to visit his second blog focusing on other daily painters at www.DailyPainterReview.com.