Presents:Visionary & Mystical Art for the 21st Century:
Illustrations featuring Holy Men and Angels from Sacred Monotheistic Non-canonical Books and what we call the Holy Bible...
An Exhibit of 21st Century Art of the Bible; Biblical Illustrations: Realistic illustrations featuring Judeo-Christian historical and religious themes inspired by the 19th Century Realistic Paintings of the Classic Illustrators in a wide variety of mixed media along with introductions to all the various illustrations and essays...
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Presents:Visionary & Mystical Art for the 21st Century: Illustrations featuring Holy Men and Angels from Sacred Monotheistic Non-canonical Books and what we call the Holy Bible... |
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The Four Cardinal Archangels~ "The Pillars of The EARTH" "As a professional Illustrator I am called upon to illustrate Legends of History and Mythology, Fact and Fantasy, the Sacred and the Profane.
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"The Ressurection of Jesus Christ" MMXVII |
In as much as I have endeavored to sort them out accordingly, it has become one of the more fascinating challenges I have ever faced. As I am ever mentioning, the advances of science are constantly giving us a clearer view of the past even causing Mythology to become History as with the Trojan Wars, the legendary Helen of Troy, and the Trojan Horse. But what about these issues and The Bible? |
"St. Paul Preaching in Prison" MMXVII |
People enamored of my mythic art have asked me why I believe the Bible is the world's greatest book and aside from my controversial belief that the literal translation prepared from the Greek and Hebrew for the King James version was secretly re-written in perfect grammatical English by Shakespeare, here are my thoughts on and some illustrations from this, easily the most influential collection of sacred writings of all time to Western Civilization..."
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"An introduction to The Bible..."
"Judgment at Solomon's Temple" from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel Chapter 9
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" In the last half of the 18th century the French philosopher and infidel Voltaire made the prediction that within 100 years the Bible and all Christianity would be completely forgotten. Voltaire died in 1778, but since that time the world has been flooded with millions upon millions of printed copies of the Bible in hundreds of languages and dialects.
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Even though it is an Ancient Book, the
Bible remains up -to-date and completely relevant for us today. Looking
at many other early writings for instance those in Babylon, Persia,
Egypt and other early civilizations are composed of sheer nonsense and
primitive superstition. They have long been disproved and discarded.
But The Bible has withstood the test of
time! It has survived the examination of critics, it is truly the
world's greatest book! The reason for the Bible's greatness lies in its
unique authorship... it was given to us by God himself... it is his
word. "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is
profitable..." (II Timothy 3:16). Of
course the Bible does include the writings of many different men
spanning across time. It openly claims that each author wrote only as
he was moved by the one divine author, the holy sprit. (II Peter 1:21).
The Bible can be trusted in its history as well as its moral &
spiritual teaching. The historical accuracy of the New & Old
Testaments has been confirmed again & again by modern archeology.
Around 1910 there was little such evidence to support the Bible's claims and academic circles decided that was the end of the matter and stubbornly ignore tidal waves of new SCIENTIFIC evidence. |
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| One excellent example is in what the Bible says about Abraham. There was a time in educated circles that it was considered a mark of ignorance to believe the Biblical record. In the early 20th century experts in the field of archaeology insisted that no civilization even existed in UR of the Chaldeans when the Bible records that Abraham lived there. On the basis that no evidence was currently available they declared Abraham a mythical character. Recent evidence however has proven beyond any question the existence of an advanced civilization in UR of the Chaldeans during the 21st and 20th centuries B.C.-That was Abraham's day! Abraham's historicity is also confirmed by ancient inscriptions that bear the names of almost very town mentioned in Ch. 12-14 of Genesis and one even has his father's name. Archeological discoveries also show these towns were in existence until about 2,000 B.C.- but not later! No longer can the Bible's critics get away with accusing us of being naive or foolish today when we believe what the Bible says about Abraham like they used to in the 20th century. This is critical to the belief systems of the world's great monotheistic religions Islam, Judaism and Christianity who all claim ascendancy from Abraham. Why isn't this commonly taught? Many professionals openly abuse the authority of their positions to push their personal beliefs and ignore the confirmed scientific data to hold on to power. | |||||||||
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"The Angel appears to Daniel", "BABYLON the GREAT" and "Ezekiel's Vision" MMX Other Biblical confirmations from modern Archaeology include: Date and manner of Jericho's fall, The exodus from Egypt, Major characters from the book of Daniel and many others. The proof is all there waiting for you if you take the time to look it up. The Bible teaches us that God reached down into this world to accomplish his purposes, and to provide redemption for us all.
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"The Sacrifice of Noah", "Abraham and the Angels" and "Warrior King David" |
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He did this through actual historical events: He divided the nations - He preserved Noah - Called out Abraham - Raised up Moses - Delivered the Jews from Egypt -Judged the Kingdom of Israel - Supervised the rise of Gentile powers - Came in human form - Offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins - Rose from the dead- and poured out the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost! I believe these are all important facts of history that relate to God's dealings with man, and the provision for mankind's redemption
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| Daniel's Prophecy: Seventy Sevens of Years
til the coming of the Messiah
The Bible's bold declaration that it is the divine and protected word of God is supported by any number of amazing, seemingly impossible prophecies and their fulfillments. How about the nation Israel" born again" in one day in 1948 as per Isaiah 66 is one that seemed COMPLETELY impossible. (Matthew 24) Another fine example can be found in the book of Daniel (Ch.9:20-27). This prophecy predicted Palm Sunday - to the EXACT day! This was the one that alerted Simeon (Luke 2:25-47) he was living in the lifetime of the Messiah:
The Ancient Hebrews did not use decades as they were a Greek invention, they used "weeks" of seven years each. From the issue of the degree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem was 70 weeks of years- 69 weeks of years-483 years exactly! In Biblical years 173,880 days- The Babylonian calendar was predicated on a 360 day year. |
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| Just as wise men saw then from the
scriptures it was time for his coming, wise men of today see his coming
is at hand. (See Matthew 24, Psalm 102) Literally there are scores of such prophetic
proofs in the Bible! Compare the exactness of these with the vagueness
of the prophecies of Nostradamus for example. Don't believe me - look
it up!
Where did the Bible come from?
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"Enoch and the Watchers" |
Let's take a look at how our Bible came to us: Before written language, God's people passed his word down from generation to generation by word of mouth, or song. For instance, the opening of Genesis, penned by Moses was actually 'The Creation Hymn', sung for ages, finally written down. The first bibles were hand written on parchment scrolls made of skins or papyrus, followed by hand-made books and then the printed copy.
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"The Apostasy of King Solomon of Israel" |
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Efforts to translate the Bible into English began with Aldhiem's Psalms in A.D. 70 and were completed in 1380 by John Wycliffe. But alas, translating it alone would not be enough to get it to the English - speaking people, for almost 250 years after the job was completed the throne of England violently opposed its propagation, cruelly martyring men like William Tyndale burned at the stake for smuggling bibles - struggling to get God's work to the people! In the early days of the Bible's legality in England, many Christians were willing to pay large sums of money, just for an hour or two with the Bible, and just as people camp out for rock concerts today, they used to camp out waiting turns at John Roger's Chained-Bible! Yes, my friend I am not ashamed to believe that the Bible is the Word of the Living God!
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"Wicked Queen Jezebel"
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It's the Book of Books---The World's Greatest Book! Have you read from its pages today? In centuries past Christians were willing to die for their obedience to the Bible. They made great personal sacrifice to share its message with others, and their reward in heaven will be great, but what is God going to do with those who in the 21st century are privileged to own their own Bible and enjoy the perfect freedom to read and study it,... and do not?
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"The Seraphim Barachiel [the Lightning of God]
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Everybody ought to love the Bible! Everybody ought to be a regular reader of the Bible! Everybody ought to strive to live by the Bible's teachings! The Bible ought to have a central place in the life and working of every church; and in every pulpit! The pulpit's one business is the simple, expository teaching of God's word! The Purpose of The Bible The Purpose of The Bible is to reveal Christ and his salvation, (John 1:1, Acts 2:38) to equip us for good works and arm us against this present darkness. Christ is the center and heart of the Bible. THE OLD TESTAMENT is an account of a nation. THE NEW TESTAMENT is an account of a "man". THE NATION was founded and nurtured of god to bring the man into the world. GOD HIMSELF became a man to give mankind a tangible concrete definite idea of what kind of personality to think of when we think of God.
(Above left) "Angels proclaiming the Birth of Christ" and "The Adoration of the Shepherds" Jesus of Nazareth not only came to redeem mankind but to reveal to us the true nature of God. The Bible boldly teaches that Jesus Christ was God incarnate in human form. His appearance on Earth is the central event of human history! The Old Testament sets the stage for it and the New Testament describes it. Who was Jesus of Nazareth?
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(Above) "The Sermon on the Plain", "The Transfiguration of Christ" and "The Ascension of Christ" AS A MAN, God lived the most strangely beautiful life ever known. He was the kindest, tenderest, gentlest, most patient, most sympathetic man that ever lived. He loved people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to forgive. He loved to help. He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people. For relieving the suffering he forgot to take food for himself. Multitudes, weary, pain-ridden, and heartsick came to him, and found healing and relief.
(Above) "The Spirit of the Prophets at the Crucifixion" and "The Resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ"
It is said of him, and no other, that, if all his deeds of kindness that he did were written down, that the world could not hold the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was. That is the kind of person God is! Then: He died on the cross to take away the sins of the world, to become the savior and redeemer of mankind. Christ, the center and heart of history, is the center and heart of our lives- every one's destiny- saint and sinner alike is in his hand, our acceptance of him, and all his teachings, or our rejection, determines eternal glory or eternal ruin; Heaven or Hell: one or the other! It is a glorious thing to be a Christian, the most exalted privilege of mankind. To accept Christ as Savior, Lord, and Master, and to strive, sincerely, and devotedly to follow in the way of life which he taught us, is certainly and by far, the best, most reasonable, and most satisfactory way to live. We are taught to believe he will come again... for all the signs click on the picture below: The Books of Prophecy
The END of this AGE There is a special gallery devoted to Things to Come ~ click on the images below to visit it... "The Martyrs of Christ in the Coliseum",and "Into the LAKE of FIRE" and "The BOOK of LIFE" MMVIV
Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. 2: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of
the Lord come...
"Gabriel the Destroyer" MMXXI
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"The
Vision of the Four Chariots"
[left], "The TWO
WITNESSES" - Enoch & Elijah
preaching in Tribulation Era Jerusalem
How should I go about studying the Bible?
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God a workman who needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15).
Dividing the Bible incorrectly is where a lot of the off course or harmful interpretations come from. It's simple. Let me explain: There is the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word testament means a contract, covenant or deal. The Old Testament tells the story of the Creation of the world and has the Law of Moses, many history books, books of poetry and 17 prophetical books. The New Testament has the biography of Jesus Christ in the gospels, a history book in the Book of Acts, letters about church government and the prophetic Book of Revelation. For example, you don't go to the books about the creation of the world to find out how to become a Christian today. The books of poetry and prophecy in the Old Testament teach us the principles of God and serve as examples. The best study Bible I've found is The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. It is still commonly available.
"Ye shall learn the truth and the truth shall make you free" (St. John 8:32)
~ Howard David Johnson
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
(Scroll down past the Gallery links for essays on Science and The Bible.)
Thank You for Visiting the Biblical Art Gallery of Howard David Johnson...
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1840- 1893) - "Swan Lake"
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INDEX of GALLERIES
~ LINKS to LARGER ART
Click on these Fun Educational Realistic Art Gallery link icons for Two-fisted Tales of VALOR & Frontline Combat featuring Legendary Warriors of History, Knights and ladies of Arthurian Legend, Celtic, Nordic, Asian and Olympian gods & monsters, unicorns, dragons, fairies... and more!
All these pieces of art and the text are legally copyrighted and were registered with the U.S. Library of Congress Office of Copyright by the author, Howard David Johnson All rights reserved worldwide. Permission for many academic or non-commercial uses is freely and legally available by simply contacting the author via e-mail or visiting www.howarddavidjohnson.com/permission.htm
Business and Retail Services:
Who is Biblical Illustrator Howard David Johnson?
In one of David's invitations to the Florence Biennale Contemporary Art Exhibition, (a partner in the United Nations' Dialog among Nations), UN Secretary General Kofi Anon wrote him: "Artists have a special role to play in the global struggle for peace. At their best, artists speak not only to people; they speak for them. Art is a weapon against ignorance and hatred and an agent of public awareness... Art opens new doors for learning, understanding, and peace among nations."
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Howard David Johnson is a 21st century artist known for his inspring paintings of the Bible. His works capture the essence of biblical stories and characters, bringing them to life on canvas. Johnson's artistic style combines classical realism with a touch of romanticism, creating captivating and emotionally charged compositions. He meticulously researches the scriptures and their ancient languages to understand the words in them as they were defined in those tines. He also studies other ancient texts with related themes of history, archeology and philosophy to flesh out the characters, events, and symbolism present in these ancient stories. This deep exploration allows him to imbue his artworks with authenticity and reverence. Beyond the technical skill displayed in his paintings, they reflect his personal connection with the spiritual themes and messages conveyed in the Bible. His devotion and reverence for the stories and teachings found in scripture shine through in each brushstroke, inviting viewers to engage with these timeless narratives in a profound and meaningful way. Overall, his biblical art paintings are a testament to his artistic talent, deep faith, and profound understanding of biblical stories. Through his masterful compositions, he brings the Bible to life, allowing viewers to experience the beauty, inspiration, and spiritual significance of these ancient narratives. |
A Traditional style portrait of the artist. [Photo by Erich F. Johnson] After a lifetime of drawing and painting, David's Traditional Art was exhibited in the British Museum in London in 1996, ( 3 years before he got his first computer ) as well as numerous American ones since, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. David's realistic illustrations have also made appearances in every major bookstore and game shop chain in America as well as magazines and educational texts around the world |
Some of David's more prestigious clients have included the University of Texas, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England, The Australian Mint, The National Geographic Society, Paramount Studios, Universal Studios, MGM Studios, Warner Brothers Home Video, ABC/Disney, CBS TV, PBS TV, The History Channel, Enslow Educational Publishers, Adobe Photoshop, Auto FX, Tree-Free Greeting, Verizon wireless, Apple IPOD, Penguin, Doubleday, Random House, Harlequin Top Historical Romances, and the History Book of the Month Club, as well as appearing in periodicals like Popular Photography and the Wall Street Journal. Working in a variety of media David offers his customers a variety of options and more than three decades of experience. As an illustrator he has not only used the computer but has been involved in the development and marketing of software for Adobe Photoshop. Digital art, Colored pencils, Pastels, Mixed media, & also Oil Paintings can also be commissioned for select projects. Digital illustration projects start at $500.U.S. and group rates are available. David delivers custom made copyright free illustrations & old fashioned customer service when he does work-for-hire. To publish existing pieces of his realistic art, David sells licenses starting at only $99.USD. ~ Grace Solomon |
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You can e-mail for more details at: Your business, letters and links are always welcome!
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This Art Gallery has been honored by more than 35,000,000 Unique Visitors from the Four Corners of the Earth My Friends from around the world thus far :
England,
Canada,
Scotland, Wales, Ireland,
Germany, France,
Monaco, Andorra, Italy, The Vatican
City State,
Greece, Macedonia, Cyprus, Turkey,
Belgium, Denmark,
The Faroe Islands, Greenland, Yugoslavia,
Macedonia, Croatia, The Czech Republic,
Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Luxembourg, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria,
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Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Malta,
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Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Portugal,
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Libya, Mali, Algeria, Niger, Saudi Arabia, If your home is not listed here please e-mail and tell us where you're from... Your business, letters and links are always welcome!
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Essay Section:
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info@howarddavidjohnson.com
Your business, letters, & links are always welcome.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
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STYLE and TECHNIQUE "Those who are enamored of practice without science are like a pilot who goes into a ship without rudder or compass and never has any certainty where he is going. Practice should always be based upon a sound knowledge of theory, of which perspective is the guide and gateway, and without it nothing can be done well in any kind of painting."
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| Howard David Johnson is a contemporary realistic visual artist and photographer with a background in |
| the natural sciences and history. He works in a wide variety of realistic art media ranging from traditional |
| oils, pastels and others to cutting edge digital media. He loves mixing media. This site features |
| examples of his Realistic Art, including illustration, photography, experimentalism, and fine art |
Pandora's Box- rendered in Prismacolor pencils is not at all what people think of when they hear the word 'drawing'
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Finding and training the right models is the hard part, then Photography, Mathematical Design and Digital Composition all come before the image is transferred to paper or canvas and rendered in mixed media ( including prismacolor pencils, oils, acrylics, and or many other traditional art media). |
TThe various galleries linked to by the icons above show many examples of David's Realistic Art, and are grouped by theme rather than media. There are also sample illustrations from his upcoming books on Celtic Myth and Legend and World Myth & Legend. Since boyhood David has studied and copied the old masters. To create his art works David begins with a concept followed by a realistic sketch, researching and traveling to find scenes and locations. Photography comes next. Working in his Analog Photography Studio with live models he follows up with a digitally assembled photo montage in the computer, combining original and old realistic elements to create a new work. As a boy David dedicated his life to art in 1960. From 1965- 1999 he used xeroxes and tracings to make his preliminary montages. This is patterned after the manner used by Maxfield Parrish and other 19th century notables. Beginning with a tracing, David then draws or paints from these complex original Computer Photo Montages. Many of these are on display on this web and slated for future completion in a variety of traditional realistic art media. As this happens, his finished work is substituted in the exhibit. (See the about the artist gallery link above for more details.) |
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| David has built up an enormous library of original source photos to use in his realistic art. Recently he shot hundreds of aerial photos of clouds at marvelous angles and perspectives and also looking down on the mighty mountains, rivers, and deserts of the American west while flying from Texas to Oregon and back for dynamic source material for realistic flying scenes in upcoming paintings, drawings, and pictures. For decades David has sought out the most beautiful models and brought them in for sessions in his analog photography studio. Using a strategy employed by J. W. Waterhouse, the realistic artist David imitates most - his wistful and graceful models cannot be underestimated in their contribution to the stunning beauty and the potential for lasting appeal of his work. (See the realistic paintings gallery link above for more details.) Their last names will be withheld for a few years to protect them from stalkers & other internet predators. | |||||||||
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1840- 1893) - "Swan Lake"
Biblical Art: The Fantastical and Surrealist Art Galleries of Howard David Johnson ***** |
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ON REALISTIC ART: Personal Opinion Essays on Realistic Art yesterday and today by the artist. "Painting, in art, the action of laying colour on a surface, or the representation of objects by this means. Considered one of the fine arts" ~Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Painting. noun. 1.) The act or employment of laying on colors or paints. 2.) The art of forming figures or objects in colors on canvas or any other surface, or the art of representing to the eye by means of figures and colors any object; the work of an illustrator or painter. 3.) A picture; a likeness or resemblance in shape or colors. 4.) Colors laid on. 5.) Delineation that raises a vivid image in the mind; as in word painting. ~ Webster's Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language |
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What is YOUR definition of ART? Essay one: On Realistic Art: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME... ( A Brief essay dealing with attitudes toward Realistic Art and prior developments in technology in history) |
David working in Oil painting Pandora's Box- See Art Instruction or About The artist in the links for more about how he creates his illustrations and portraits. |
Snobbism in the arts is nothing new. Some people will tell you that oils are the only valid medium for realistic paintings. That Colored Pencil, Digital, and other Realistic Painting and Drawing Media are not valid for "real" art. Young artists, Don't let them bother you. Their forerunners used to condemn Pastels before they gained acceptance and called them "crayons" when Johann Alexander Thiele (1685-1752) invented them. Mercilessly disrespectful art critics of the time could not stop the Experimentalists no matter how viciously they attacked and derided them. "Crayon-painting" as it was called in England was practiced early on by persecuted pioneers in Switzerland and many other nations. What a debt we owe to these master artists who refused to knuckle under to the pressure of those short-sighted critics during those historic and experimental times. It took until 1870 with the founding of the "Societe` Des Pastellistes" in France that respect came at last to these heroic & immortal visual artists. |
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In England the liberation of the Pastellists from slight regard and undeserved disrespect came with the first exhibition of "The Pastel Society" at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1880. Pastel Painters like Mary Cassat and others from America and other nations forever silenced the snobs with their masterworks and gained recognition at long last for Thiele's invention as a valid art medium. I am persuaded that history will repeat itself. Like Pastels, I believe these wonderful new colored pencils and even Digital Realistic Art Media will one day receive the recognition they deserve as powerful mediums of artistic expression just as pastel paintings did. What is your definition of art? Have you thought about it?
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The detail reveals Realistic art and abstract art combined |
By my own definition of art, which is: "anything that makes you feel or think" most abstract paintings are not "real art" to me personally, because abstract paintings usually neither make me feel or think, usually focusing obsessively on technique and avoiding any coherent content. I usually draw a complete blank mentally and emotionally when I look at them. In 1979 the Houston Metropolitan Museum of Art displayed a triptych of 3 giant paintings they paid fifty thousand dollars for- three blank white canvasses entitled "untitled". Then there was "The incredible new artistic Genius" with an I.Q. of 62 ...Congo the chimpanzee with his gala New York art exhibition...an elaborate prank played on the Snobbish American Art critics about a generation ago by research scientists in the field of primatology. Imagine how upset they were when he created one of his "ingenious masterpieces" right before their eyes. ( My Source for this is the Time Life Science Library volume entitled "The Primates". ) |
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Art education has been almost completely removed from American Schools as a result of generations of this kind of fabulous nonsense contributing to America's cultural illiteracy crisis. Now, the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and other notables are being removed from school libraries. After generations of this, most American college graduates today cannot name even one living visual artist, abstract or realistic. There is no way that mandating more math, requiring more reading, or scheduling more science will replace what we have lost as a culture. What is your definition of Art? ~HDJ *****
Note: Abstract Paintings by Congo the Chimpanzee outsold Warhol and
Renoir by over 25,000 dollars in June 2005 at a London art auction.
Born in 1954, Congo created more than 400 drawings and paintings
between the ages of two and four. He died in 1964 of tuberculosis. |
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But how do all these new Realistic Art media fit in with formal definitions of Art?
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Art ( noun ) [ Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ars (stem art-). ] 1. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. 2. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty; specifically, the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. 3. The product of these activities; human works of beauty, collectively. 4. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value. 5. Any field or category of art, such as painting, music, ballet, or literature. 6. A non-scientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts. 7. a. A system of principles and methods employed in the performances of a set of activities: the art of building. b. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: pursuing the baker's art. 8. A specific skill in adept performance, conceived as requiring the exercise of intuitive faculties that cannot be learned solely by study: the art of writing letters. 9. a. Usually plural. Artful devices; stratagems; tricks. b. Artfulness; contrivance; cunning. 10. In printing: Illustrative material as distinguished from text. ~ The American Heritage College Dictionary of the English Language ***** Special note: 21st century professional art critics are not repeating these mistakes of history and are blessing and encouraging artistic excellence in all styles and mediums, even including today's digital media. To them I say: Bravo! If only our world leaders could learn from the mistakes of the past as you have.
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Essay Two Realistic Art : The Rebirth of Realism in the 21st Century More thoughts on realistic art yesterday and today by the artist |
Art History has entered a new era with the birth of Art Numérica, or digital art media in the 21st century. Artists never stop exploring with mediums. Artists have been developing techniques, experimenting with different tools since at least twenty- five thousand years ago, when the first artist picked up a charred stick and scratched a picture out on the wall of his cave. You'd think everything would have been tried by now, but it hasn't. Exploring new mediums this very day is just as exciting, just as full of freshness and newness as it ever was.
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Photography, Digital Artistry, Painting and Drawing combined! |
The creation of Realistic art has been the goal of most artists since the dawn of civilization. Realistic art was the pride of ancient Greece. The world's greatest museums are full of realistic art. Realistic art WAS art until the advent of the abstract expressionist movement in the twentieth century. The coming of the camera in the nineteenth century changed realistic art forever. Suddenly, realistic art was not the only way to create realism in portraits and historical records. The work of the realistic artist was suddenly made into an expensive luxury. The political power of the realistic artist was broken and they were no longer an indispensable member of society. Hostility to the creators of realistic art goes back to ancient times and the jealousy of advisers to the Pharaohs and others who were not able to spend as much time with their rulers as their portraitists. Although with the aid of photographs, realistic art achieved levels of excellence undreamed of, the realistic art movement of the late nineteenth century was short. |
| None of these people earning their living creating realistic art could compete with the speed and low cost of photographic portraiture. Determined to survive, great realistic artists like Pablo Picasso ingeniously turned inward and began to explore things that could not be photographed in a new school of art, abstract expressionism. The day of the fine art superstars had arrived. It was now largely just a hobby to abstract and realistic artists alike. Illustration, because of advances in printing technology enabled an elite few to earn a living with their realistic art. These illustrators working in realistic art media were condemned and ridiculed in much the same way Europe's great symphonic composers were condemned for working in motion pictures after fleeing the nazis during World War Two. The rift between realistic and abstract art grew wider and wider. The universities and key media usually sided with the abstract camp and derided anyone working in any realistic art media declaring boldly that realistic art was not "real" art. Immortal giants of realistic art such as Maxfield Parrish were mistreated their entire lives. They were accused of selling out for creating beautiful pieces of realistic fine art to earn a living. The attitude that the true artist must suffer and starve and die in poverty became a rule. There were the Abstract art superstars, the professional realistic illustrators, and the hobbyists who, although cut off from gainful employment and social influence still recognized their artistic gifts as a calling rather than a profession. | |
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( 'The Lady Kriemhilde' rendered in Prismacolor pencils ) |
Early abstract art masters proved themselves as realistic artists before delving into realms of the intangible. They had to do this at that time to prove themselves because of the challenges they faced from the establishment for going against the status quo. In the latter part of the 20th century, realistic artists like David were challenged to do abstract art to prove themselves as shown in the example above (Deirdre of the sorrows). Later realistic art training was abandoned in most schools and things like splattering paint in fits of rage were deemed more than enough. By the end of the 20th century something as destructive and ridiculous as nailing a pack of cigarettes to a shoe was considered fine art but not realistic paintings. Fashions in art have often been as silly as fashions in ladies hats. As the century drew to a close, many people had had enough. The realistic revolt was at hand. |
| The rebirth of realism was fueled by the advent of the digital era. Now, for the first time in almost two centuries, an artist or illustrator could earn a decent living again with his realistic art. This is historic. Realistic art is not going to go away, especially now that photography has truly merged with traditional realistic visual art. Photography comes from the Greek words meaning "painting with light". Now with the advent of digital media the capability of realistic art has become almost limitless, truly, "painting with light". The merger of all the world's art forms to realize the potential of motion pictures has come now to still realistic art media. This website for example, combines music, prose, poetry, photography and traditional realistic art media to create an experience beyond merely looking at realistic paintings. | |
| The twenty- first century is already
seeing a new renaissance in the arts because of the world wide web.
There has never been anything like it. Abstract art, computer art,
photographic art, and realistic art are continuing to be separate
schools of art but are also blending to create exciting new horizons
(Art Numérica). Although Digital art does offer completely new horizons
to the artist in the 21st century it does not mean the end of our time
honored art traditions. Instead, it offers additional ways to keep
these traditions and schools of thought fresh and alive.
~ Howard David Johnson MMII *****
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David has four pages of free art lessons & offers paid private instruction too. For more information, click on the link above ( an oil pastel rendering of Mary Shelly's Bride of Frankenstien )
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NEW REPRINTS LICENSES CUSTOM BOOK COVERS ORIGINAL ART ART INSTRUCTION ART BOOKS |
info@howarddavidjohnson.com
Your business, letters, & links are always welcome.
Thank You for Visiting the Biblical Art Gallery of Howard David Johnson...
All these pieces of realistic art and the text are legally copyrighted and were registered with the U.S. Library of Congress Office of Copyright by the author, Howard David Johnson All rights reserved worldwide. Permission for many legal non-commercial uses is freely available by simply contacting the author or visiting www.howarddavidjohnson.com/permission.htm
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1840- 1893) - "Swan Lake"
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