Patrick Saunders Fine Arts

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This painting is less simplified than most of my work, as I felt that the subtle differences between each and every leaf were important to capturing the scene as experienced.

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This painting is a moment from our backyard. Looking out the kitchen window, we noticed how the light gave this simple hoya plant such a beautiful glow.

A still life I am sending to the Granbury Arts Alliance's Coates Western Art Exhibition on October 24th & 25th.

“Hoya”
• Oil on Linen
• 16” x 20”
• Available

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I find that with any subject, the more I look at it, the more variations of color I see. This was especially true of these roses. Every time I look, I see a different color, and with every stroke, I see even more.

Floral painting in oils of a bunch of pink roses by American artist Patrick Saunders

A floral I am sending to the Granbury Arts Alliance's Coates Western Art Exhibition on October 24th & 25th.

"Multifaceted"
• Oil on Linen
• 9" x 12"

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He went on to become one of the most renowned artists of the Russian Empire, traveling extensively throughout Europe. Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Repin refused to return to the Soviet Union and settled in Finland, where he passed away in 1930.

Born in the Ukrainian town of Chuhuiv in 1844, Repin was initially rejected from the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg, but relocated to the city anyway and won admission a year later in 1864.

This fits perfectly within the character of the subject, Vsevolod Garshin, whose writings explored the more chaotic themes of war, suffering and mental illness.

Notice the face in this particular portrait relies on solid drawing to achieve a likeness. The more interesting, impasto brushwork is all located in the stack of papers.

This piece is a great example of what I love about Repin's work. There are never any embellishments just of the sake of it. Repin simply represented the world before him. While some of his paintings capture grandiose events and historical figures, the paint never overwhelms the story.

1884 Portrait painting in oils of author Vsevolod Garshin seated at a desk surrounded by books and papers by Ukrainian artist Illia Repin from the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Detail of the papers - 1884 Portrait painting in oils of author Vsevolod Garshin seated at a desk surrounded by books and papers by Ukrainian artist Illia Repin from the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is a portrait by master painter Illia Repin from the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin"
• Illia Repin
• Oil on Canvas
• 1884
• 35" x 27 1/4”

Painting photos by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

#ARTTIPS • Why I use synthetic flat brushes.

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Workshops in Georgia and Tennessee are currently open for registration, and two more classes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in Conroe, Texas, will go live soon on the Workshops page of my website.

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PLEASE NOTE: I am only teaching a total of five workshops in 2026, so if you want to paint with me next year, be sure to secure a spot soon at a class near you.

Portrait painting in oils of six Day of the Dead dancers in face make up and traditional folkorico costumes for a parade in Dallas, Texas by American artist Patrick Saunders

Artist friends, my first 2026 painting workshop at Hill Country Council for the Arts has already sold out. Go to the Workshops page of my website, PatrickSaunders.com, to sign up for the wait list for this Boerne, Texas class.

“Amor a la Vida”
• Oil on linen
• 48” x 38"
• Private Collection

Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

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Notice the small group of figures on the left side of the piece, where just below them are a few rapid vertical lines of graphite. The lines were most likely the original location of the figures that either moved or were reduced in scale by Sargent to de-emphasize them in favor of the architecture.

I can imagine Sargent sitting amongst the other patrons of the cafe, quickly dashing off the painting.

Painted during the artist's 20s, a few short years before his masterpiece, Madame X, the piece shows his love of sketching during his travels. While the image depicts a cafe in the foreground, the focus is on the Venetian architecture, and the figures are a ghostlike afterthought.

It's always a treat to see pieces from private collections as part of a larger retrospective. This one was passed down by Sargent's sister Violet and I believe that it is now in the possession of her grandchildren.

Watercolor study of Venetian architecture from the vantage point of the "Café on the Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice by American artist John Singer Sargent

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is another rarely seen piece from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's recent exhibition "Sargent and Paris."

"Café on the Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice"
• John Singer Sargent
• Watercolor on Paper
• ca. 1880-1882
• 9 1/4" x 13 1/2"
• Private Collection

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Portrait painting in oils of a Day of the Dead parade dancer in face make up and folklorico costume by American artist Patrick Saunders

Getting an angle wrong can quickly throw off your drawing. Sign up for my latest art newsletter on a better way to get perfect diagonal lines: patricksaunders.com/signup.html

"Día de los Muertos"
• Oil on Linen
• 12" x 16"
• Private Collection

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#westernpainting #portraitpainting #figurepainting #figurativeart #representationalart #realistart #contemporaryart #oilpaintersofamerica #opamaster #portraitsocietyofamerica #diadelosmuertos #dayofthedead

Winner, Gold Medal Award
Oil Painters of America
2020 Juried Salon Show

Select 50
Portrait Society of America
2022 International Portrait Competition

Winner, Silver Medal, Oil/Acrylic
Art Patrons Purchase Award
2022 Bosque Art Classic

My goal with this painting was to capture that combination and document our experience at a Day of the Dead parade in Dallas. I really enjoyed painting all of these diverse elements, and at the center, a woman with ghostly makeup, yet a playful expression.