John Modesitt - Oil Painting - High Sierra Mountain Lake | Antiques for Sale in Dubuque IA | 7232776071

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John Modesitt - Oil Painting - High Sierra Mountain Lake

Location:

Dubuque, IA

Description:

John Modesitt (American, 1955 – Present) This oil on canvas painting of a ‘High Sierra Mountain Lake’by John Modesitt measures 8” x 10” and is signed lower right, Modesitt. The painting was purchased from a closepersonal friend of Modesitt’s who was selling a number of his smaller paintingsthat she had from him with dates ranging from 2000 to 2015. The painting is in good condition with nodefects or anything that distracts when viewing. Modesitt, known for his Impressionist enplein air paintings of California vistas, coastal, and Sierra Nevadamountainscapes makes this beautiful ‘High Sierra Mountain Lake’ scene aquintessential example of his work.***Please note that the painting comes unframed*** Biography:John Modesitt was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico on November6, 1955, but spent most of his early years in southern California. He startedpainting at the age of thirteen. His father’s poster collection of FrenchImpressionist paintings was his initial inspiration to paint and draw. So, fromearly on, Modesitt knew that being an artist was going to be his life’s work. Heattended a number a of institutions of higher learning in California, includingSanta Barbara City College, the Santa Barbara Art Museum and Cabrillo CityCollege in Santa Cruz. He moved to New York City in 1980 to study art moreseriously. He was engaged in formal study at the Metropolitan Museum of Artfrom 1981 until 1984. While there, he became discouraged by the domination ofmodern art in the galleries and by the teachings of a non-disciplined approachto painting. Undeterred, Modesitt decided to improve his technique andaesthetic by studying the works of the master painters which lined the walls ofthe Metropolitan, particularly Monet. In the fall of 1985, Modesitt moved to the Midwest to enrollat the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As he had done in New York,Modesitt again spent his time studying the collection of the Art Institute,especially the renowned paintings of such French masters as Manet, Monet,Pissarro and Renoir. In addition to painting outdoors on the Fox River, he alsofound time to teach a class en plein air painting. Modesitt returned to California in the early 1990’s andestablished a home and studio in Solana Beach. In 1999 Modesitt and his familyestablished a summer residence, a 40 acres estate at Grisailles in the BurgundyDistrict about four hours south of Paris. Whether in California or France,Modesitt is up early in the mornings and outside with his easel and canvas forplein-air painting. In California, he often travels to the deserts or theSierra Nevada Mountains, which have been the content of some of his most recentworks. "Mountains and seascapes are my favorite subjects. When I amsearching for a location, I go beyond the developed areas to places where I cansee nature 360 degrees around me. Nohouses, highways, or commercial developments. Sometimes I spend days searchingfor a location to paint." He is a purist in every aspect of his art from composition,color and technique to the paint and canvas materials that he uses. Forexample, all of his pigments are hand ground to a formula and consistency thatmatches the palette of the early California impressionists. He prepares his canvases (cotton or linen) byusing a lead-based primer or Gesso. He then coats the surface with an archivalsafe varnish to assure that his artwork will last for many generations to come.Once primed the canvases are tinted to give them warmth and depth. "I ambig on surface quality. Up close I want my paintings to have a rich surface ofpigment handling, and as you move away into the distance color and compositiongive the subject a sense of rhythm and life. John Modesitt’s works are collected in bothhemispheres from the Dali Lama in Tibet to art collectors in Las Vegas, Nevada.Modesitt has exhibited his works in one-man and group shows in Chicago, NewYork, Tokyo and many other national and international venues. He continually pushes the limits of histalent in his never-ending search for perfection.

Category:

Antiques

Posted:

April 9 on Americanlisted