Oil Painting on a mahogany panel. Still life of old black pot, vase and minneolas.

Still life of tangerines, clay pot and green vase painted in oil.

Painting with George Ceffalio at DuPage Art League 2010

This is a painting that I did during a class with George Ceffalio at the Dupage Art League last summer. This is how George describes his painting style:"I have found that by uniting elements of realism, elements of abstract painting and the chiaroscuro style, which is the contrast between light and dark, I can create paintings that capture the essence of the subject." George has studied with David Leffel. He is teaching this summer at the DuPage Art League.

Fruit and blue vase still life - oil painting on canvas

A looser treatment...

This is not a very good photograph of this oil painting of tangerines...I did this painting from a photo of another artist's painting to try a looser style.

Dallas Willard on Art...

“I believe that art is a process of making a vision of goodness present to the viewer as well as the creator. Of course, not everyone shares that view but I believe that is what you are doing. Now if that were right, then what you would be doing as a creative artist, would be doing your work in dependence on the movement of God to show you things that you never dreamed of in your creative process. So as you bring the material of your particular art together with the vision you are going to make available to people without them having to be told what it is, which is to me a standard for excellence in art – is you don’t have to tell people what it is, the vision. One of the great things about art, is that God is in this work for good. And one of the things that makes people, including the church, very uneasy about art is, when it is living, you cannot nail it down, you cannot specify what will happen. And that is why all dictatorships come down on art, because they know this is something you cannot control. And it isn’t just because of obstreperous artists, but because there is something in the nature of art that is living and moving. [And especially] if you are interested in suppressing the truth or goodness you can’t do it in the face of art.”  From Dallas Willard Conference, Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon

Dallas Willard is a Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Dallas Willard on Wisdom..

“Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know and what you don’t know.”

“Wisdom has to do with how you live.”

Dallas Willard is a Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Oil Painting...how it started

I began painting several years ago when I couldn't find any artwork that was the right size and color for my bedroom. I had purchased 2 framed prints several years earlier because I liked the frames and thought I could find some oil paintings to go in them. That was harder than it sounded... So, being creative with a background in graphic design, I decided I would try painting. DIY projects are always more challenging than they sound!

I began by painting flowers in a photo realistic style. My first attempt wasn't horrible and with lots of patience, by trial and error I ended up with 2 paintings to fill those frames... This began my journey into painting.

I continued to paint flowers but really wanted to try still life painting using the chiaroscuro treatment.

Chiaroscuro originated during the Renaissance. I became most familiar with it in college  studying the work of Caravaggio and Rembrandt's early works that used a single-candle light source. Finally, I heard about an artist teaching at the Dupage Art League who employed chiaroscuro, George Ceffalio.