Articles
Abigail Egge-Ogas, John Stermer WNMU Scholarship Winner
Greetings! Meet artist Abigail Egge Ogas of Silver City NM. She is the recipient of the John Stermer Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Scholarship for school year 2020-2021! Earlier this year, Abigail showed her work in a WNMU Expressive Arts Pop-Up Gallery in downtown Silver City as part of a “We All Build Narratives” themed student exhibition. We would like to share with you Ms. Egge-Ogas artist statement for a series of paintings that she has been creating. Artist Statement: Abigail Egge-Ogas …
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Trees As Subject – A Few Favorites
You may have noticed that the artist John Stermer has a lot of tree paintings. That is, trees are the primary subject matter in several of his paintings. So much so, that you might wonder why and what was the significance of all those trees. I have been thinking about these trees for a while. You see, years ago my father and I had a discussion about trees as part of a larger existential discussion that ran the gamut from mail boxes to Tolstoy. You …
“On The Rocks” Oil Painting By John Stermer
Greetings! I would like to share with you the John Stermer oil painting “On The Rocks” for your visual pleasure. One thing I particularly like about this painting is the way Dad simplified the rock formations. Also, I can feel the rhythms of the rock, somewhat like the rhythms of the waves that formed them. Dad was particularly drawn to working from nature. Whether the subject was trees, rocks, skies or the big landscape itself, there was so much to explore through drawing and painting. …
“The Swim Team”, Figure Painting By John H Stermer
Hi! Today I would like to share with you a “detail” or partial photo of the John Stermer oil painting “The Swim Team”. Need I say that this one is another family favorite? You may think it a bit odd that I start out the fall season by sharing a summer-themed painting. After all, swimming is a favorite summer activity. However, in New Mexico, John Stermer’s home the last 30 plus years of his life, September and even October can be good swimming weather. More …
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Celebrating John Stermer’s 100th Birthday!
Happy 100! Today is the one hundredth birthday of the artist John Stermer; our Dad. It is hard to imagine what it might have been like 100 years ago on August 19th, 1920. But, I can imagine him sitting in front of his easel, with dog Frej in his studio. I would like to celebrate his birthday by sharing one of his last paintings. It is my opinion that Dad kept experimenting and growing as an artist right up until the time that he could …
Early Preparatory Drawing And Painting
In this posting, I would like to show you a John Stermer painting along with its preparatory drawing. The drawing “Vagrant” and a painting titled “Portrait of Armand Warngy” and were done 1946. I had seen a photograph of the drawing before from Dad’s artwork archives. However, it was not until this past March that I finally saw the painting in person. To explain, on a recent trip to visit my Mother, (the artist’s wife, Luci), one of my sister’s and I looked through …
“Christ And The Leper”, After Rembrandt Van Rijn
“For all his artistic skills, what’s most important about Rembrandt is his deep compassion.” (Irwin Greenberg) Greetings. Hello! I would like to share with you a painting by the artist John Stermer (Dad) that seems particularly appropriate for Easter weekend. Studies After The Masters. From time to time, Dad would do studies and paintings after the great Masters. In particular, El Greco and Rembrandt Van Rijn come to mind. And, today’s painting is one done after Rembrandt’s drawing Christ Healing A Leper. Picasso Studied …
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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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