the wonderful art of Wayne Thiebaud

[screenpainter]

a wonderful video of one of my favorite contemporary artists...Wayne Thiebaud.
I have loved his work since I first saw his work in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco around 1977. at that show he was exhibiting the paintings of the steep streets of San Francisco. if I had bought just one of his paintings at that time or any time along the way, I would today be a millionaire today. Funny how that is. That is if I would be willing to sell it.

http://youtu.be/vI_QJ5D9Qm8

[Shibui]

Interesting. Was not familiar with his work, love his outlook! Wonder what they sold for in 77; not that it would have mattered. We had just gotten married and barely had $3000 between the two of us. About 6 yrs later we paid $250 for our 1st artwork, which is an amazing piece from 1902. However,Have never found info on the artist.

[screenpainter]

Just guessing but probably around four to eight hundred dollars back then.
I love his outlook too. and especially the part about keeping a sense of humor through it all.

"If we don't have a sense of humor, we lack a sense of perspective." -Wayne Thiebaud

asked if he minded being called the dessert painter...

"It's kind of nice if people call you anything." -Wayne Thibaud

[gxhpainter]

screenpainter... wow thanks for this link.. I love WT work but I have not really looked his complete works . I was familiar with a few but now will dig into this warm and delightful genius.

[screenpainter]

seems like a really warm human being with a sense of humor... that seems to help into the golden years. Looks like he has had a fun warm life and prosperous as well. sounds like a pretty good life. lesson here... buy art.

[D Akey]

I saw an exhibit of his paintings at USC back in something like 1975 (?). I was an art student at the time and had never seen paint handled with that level of viscosity. The thing was that he actually used the naturally occurring shadows from the paint thickness as part of the painting. And he painted exceptionally mundane subjects with ridiculously thick paint and absurdly bright color and made them more real than real.

I recall a simple wooden ruler where he one-stroked it, and when you stepped back a couple feet it became real wood with the grain in it and everything sitting perfectly.

And there was a painting of a "white" bunny rabbit and the paint viscosity worked to make it feel like fur.

Myself, being a starving art student, I could only guess at the cost of the paint. And I couldn't understand how it didn't crack and could hold the shape as it did and not get smooshed. Economics were the only reason I didn't immediately jump to painting in his style just to see if I could do it like some kid trying to replicate card tricks after seeing someone really good doing them.

I didn't think his work particularly amusing since my mouth fell open in amazement. To me he was more a magician than a painter because he pulled away from the usual seamless painting approach that most renderings employed.

Thanks for the link! I'd never seen him or heard him speak. He seems almost incongruous in his regular fellow-ness.

[screenpainter]

I must have seen his work up close in 78 I think. really impressed me as well. what amazed me so much was, because of the thick paint, I could take almost any size imaginary rectangle within his landscape paintings and have a perfectly good abstract anywhere within the picture. that always amazed me. thanks for comment Mr. Akey.
great comment... insightful.

[gxhpainter]

D Akey and Albert thanks for your insights and wonderful notes on seeing Wayne T's art in real life... I just got a book "Vision and ReVision" and I was blown away by one paragraph in the frontpiece where he said that our ability to empathize (one of our most human traits ) is what allows us to get into a painting and feel its emotions.. I will have to go get some of the exact quotes as he was very lucid and eloquent ..

The art in this printing was prints that he then took and added watercolor /pastel over the original print to create something totally new.. really nice effects.. This is one of the great benefits of this forum is the exposure to other artists both in the forum and outside art that has inspired someone here and they share that.

[screenpainter]

I love this artist and his attitude. Worth another look anyone?

[copespeak]

What a gentle, humble and enormously talented man. Delicious colours and thick yummy oil paint. Thanks for sharing.