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| sample videos of 3 of the 16 incredible pieces in the show
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| | |  | This
week we open Andrew Smith's one-man show. Wednesday night we had a
preview dinner to mark the opening of the show and Thursday night,
March 26th, is the grand opening. We invited several of Andrew's
collectors, admirers, and the editor of American Art Collector
and enjoyed an evening with Andrew at Malee's on Main. Guests got to
know Andrew better before strolling down to the gallery to
see the unveiling of this spectacular new show. Many thanks to our
director Elaine for putting together this incredible show and to John
for helping us set up the artwork and arrange the gallery!
Come down to
Artwalk Thursday, or any time in the next two weeks to an art
experience unlike any you've had. Bring your guests, and especially
your children, grandchildren, or anyone you know who is a kid at heart. They will be captivated by Andrew's whimsical art inventions.
I look forward to seeing you at artwalk or in the next couple of weeks . . . prepare to be amazed!
J.
Jason Horejs
Owner
Xanadu
Gallery |  | | Brittany and Andrew Smith with Carrie and Jason Horejs, owners of Xanadu Gallery |  | | Andrew Smith explaining one of his pieces to collectors |
|  |  | | editor of American Art Collector with his lovely daughter | Marko Mueller, Andrew Smith Collector with Jason |
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| | | | interviewed by Karly Williams | | Xanadu: Your talent is awe-inspiring. The breadth of your subject matter is impressive. Describe for us your process in rendering your portraits.
Agerton: First, I find out where the portrait will
hang in the client’s home or office to determine if a particular
size of color scheme is needed. Next I visit with the
client/subject to get a sense of their personality and
expectations. We set up a time to take a series of digital photos
in a suitable location. I try to capture a range of
expressions and poses. The client and I then select a few for
reference. For larger works, I create a
¼ size color study to determine the
composition, lights, darks, colors, and final pose. After
the client’s approval, I begin the oil or pastel. If
the client lives out of town, I email photos to see if any changes are
needed. If the client is nearby, we meet for a final
sitting. Commissioning a work is a close collaboration
between client and artist, and is usually fun, interesting and quite
rewarding for the client.
I am often asked what the best age is
to paint a subject. Age Four is a beautiful age. A
child’s features are perfectly proportioned at four and they can
enjoy and understand the process. Shortly after that they
loose their baby teeth and begin the process of gaining adult teeth one
by one. Their features grow at uneven rates. Four is the earliest
age a life long likeness can be achieved. Earlier than
four, a child may resemble another close relative in the family one
year and yet another the following. After four, several
ages work well, but they vary from person to person. Sixteen is lovely
for girls, and eighteen for boys. After that, the subject
has a good sense of when they look their best. A portrait is a
great way to honor a special occasion or relationship.
X: What determining factors come into play in the choice between pastel or oil as the medium for a particular portrait?
Agerton:
Pastels are less expensive, and most popular for children’s
portraits. They are equally colorfast as oils, but require glass
to protect the surface. A pastel is more intimate in
feel. An oil painting makes a statement across a room.
X:
One cannot help but be drawn in by the calm, serene expressions upon
the faces of your portrait models, and the relaxed composures exuded in
their bearings. How do you manage to "capture on canvas" the "elusive
essence" of one's inner being?
Agerton:
I am observant, intuitive and empathetic, and rely on that to guide
me. I know that a slight change of angle in an eyebrow or
mouth can dramatically alter a person’s expression.
X:
Many of your landscape scenes have a dream-like, pastoral quality. Have
you been inspired by any of the "old masters" in your approach and
technique with regard to these pieces?
Agerton:
Yes, I am a great admirer of the Impressionists: Sargent, Cassatt,
Corot, Monet, Chase, and also the idyllic Hudson River School
artists. Their works all have a sense of beauty, calm and
order. All were excellent draftsmen and had a strong sense of
composition as well.
 X: If you could choose any location in the world as the setting for a future "plein air" project, where would it be?
Agerton:
In the next couple of years I want to paint the lavender fields in
France on location. In a couple of weeks I will be painting in
the Hill Country of Texas when the Bluebonnets are in bloom.
X:
What are the specific steps to be taken should a client desire to
commission a piece by you, whether portrait, landscape or still life?
Agerton:
Clients may contact me through the Xanadu Gallery. After a
decision has been made to commission an oil or pastel, a 1/3 deposit is
collected and together we choose a morning or afternoon for photos and
discussion. The next 1/3 is collected when the photos and study are
completed. Generally the client covers travel costs. I send
them progress reports and email photos of the work for approval. Any
required changes are made and then the work is shipped. I can
advise on framing. Usually it is best to allow 6 months for the
process, although it can take less time. | |  |
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| | | Collector Karla Piecuch contacted artist Calvin deRuyter about his
work within weeks after he appeared on the Xanadu Gallery website as a Studio
Artist.
She was interested in his watercolors, but the ones that interested her
the most were not large enough for the space that she had in her dining
room. In fact, her favorite one was one-tenth of the size she would
need.
Through a couple of telephone conversations, and more than a dozen
emails, deRuyter was able to understand what it was about his work that was
really drawing Piecuch to his paintings. It was not only the mood and the style
of his paintings, it was also specific colors she saw in several of deRuyter’s
works that she wanted to draw from the room into the painting.
After receiving color chips from the room’s wall and understanding
the colors of several important accent pieces she already had, deRuyter proposed
a commission piece that was 36”x48”. The painting, which is painted on paper, is
mounted on canvas stretchers and covered with several protective layers of wax
so that it does not have to be displayed under glass. To integrate the painting
even more into the room, deRuyter suggested that the sides of the stretchers
bars be painted the same color as the walls.
As a companion piece for the same wall, Piecuch also purchased a
painting from deRuyter's inventory that was an amazing complement to the new
commission piece in color and style.
“Cal, thank you so much for your
inspiring artwork. When completing a home, it is a collaborative effort. You
very much understood the mood, the setting, the colors of what I wanted to
re-create,” commented Piecuch. Visit deRuyter's Xanadu Studio. |  |
| | | |  | | Nick Stephens | | | |  | | Communion | | by Gary Price | | | |  | | Trevor Thomas | | |  | | New Arrivals | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
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