Articles
Suzanne, Michelle and the Figure/Ground Relationship
The figure and ground relationship is about how the background relates to the main subject. Greetings! Just Thinking. Recently, I’ve been studying the “figure/ground” relationship. That is how the “ground”, such as the background and foreground, relates to the “figure” or subject. Example Of Figure/Ground Relationship. And, lo and behold, this painting of my siblings Suzanne and Michelle ends up being a good study in the figure and ground relationship. Not surprising, I would say, since my first instructor and mentor was John Stermer, my …
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Preparatory Drawing And Painting: “Nets Drying – Maine”
Greetings! I’d like to share with you two pieces of art by John Stermer: a preparatory drawing and the subsequent painting titled “Nets Drying – Maine” (oil, 1980). He found his subject during one of his trips to Maine. Truth time; I really wanted to post both of these pieces at the same time. To explain, both the drawing and the painting are owned by the same collector. And the drawing is the source document for the painting. Personally, I think it is fascinating to …
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Family Portraits: A Sampling By Artist John Stermer
Hi! I’d like to share with you a sampling of John Stermer portraits. And, in particular, we will feature drawings and paintings of family members. Lucienne. This is an early painting my Dad, artist John Stermer, did of my Mom. What I particularly like is the muted colors; it sets a mood of serenity. Portraits As Specialty? I have a memory of my Dad, once telling me that there was a time when he considered specializing in painting portraits. I gather that he found inspiration …
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“Rockport House”, Oil Painting On Linen
Greetings! I’d like to share with you one of John Stermer’s nautical themed paintings. Titled Rockport House (Inv # S-18), it is a small painting done in oil and on linen. Even though it is small, it has a presence. Perhaps that is because of the thick impasto application of the paint. Also, Rockport House has strong value (light-v-dark) contrast and line work. The painting refers to Rockport, Maine. Though I am not sure when this work was painted, Dad did take the occasional trip to …
Still Life Painting: “Plant In A Clay Pot”
Introducing A Favorite Still Life. Greetings! I’d like to share with you a John Stermer still life painting. Titled “Plant In A Clay Pot”, this is another favorite. Just a pause here for full disclosure, I have many favorites; it comes with being one of the artist’s daughters. Incidentally, there are some compositional notes about this painting I particularly like. Come to think of it, maybe that is the reason, in part, that this painting is a personal favorite. What I’m talking about is …
Miner’s Hotel, Madrid NM And A Bit About Artist’s Inventories
Introducing the Painting. I’d like to share with you a John Stermer painting from the late 1970s or early 1980s. The painting’s title is “Miner’s Hotel, Madrid NM” and it’s done in oil. Oddly enough, this painting is in my personal collection. And, over the years, I had come to believe that this was a painting of some of the buildings in the ghost town of Hanover, NM. Madrid or Hanover NM? You see, I have never been to the New Mexico town of …
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Kneeling Nun Mountain – A Favorite Subject
Introducing a Favorite Subject I would like to share with you three versions of one of John Stermer’s favorite subjects: the Kneeling Nun Mountain of Grant County, NM. Background. To explain, the artist (Dad) and his family moved to Grant County, NM in December 1959. He lived in this southwest corner of New Mexico for the remainder of his life. Kneeling Nun Mountain Landmark. One of the county’s landmarks is Kneeling Nun Mountain. The mountain overlooks an open pit copper mine operated by Kennecott Chino …
Goats: Father & Daughter Drawings & Paintings
Hi! This is daughter Peggy (Margaret Stermer-Cox) writing. Recently, my youngest sister Dorothy sent me some images of artwork by my Dad, artist John Stermer. And, the drawings and painting included goats. So, on the John Stermer Fine Art Facebook page, I shared some of the goats. They are so much fun to look at. Upon seeing the painting and drawing, one of my friends thought it would be fun to see what I might do with goats. Lo and behold, I …
Drawing Class: Then and Now
Taking a drawing class reminds me of the time I took a drawing workshop from John Stermer (Dad). It was interesting to me that the basic structure of the class of the class was the same. Drawing Class, Late 1970s. Hi! This is John Stermer’s daughter Peggy at the keyboard. I’ve been remembering back to the days when I took a drawing class from my dad. As I recall, it was back in the late 70s and Dad was giving a drawing workshop. I was …
Abstract Painting In Primaries; It’s Personal
Greetings! This is John Stermer daughter Peggy and I would like to share with you an unusual John Stermer painting. He rarely did non-representational abstract paintings. But, there are a few and this is one. I remember when Dad was working on this painting, though I don’t recall his intentions. Instead, I remember discussions about Japanese art; Piet Mondrian‘s paintings; Minimalism; Abstraction; and jazz music. We also talked about color, such as primary colors red, yellow and blue. Mentioning these subjects makes me think that …