Andrew S Conklin

Andrew S. Conklin is a figurative painter. He holds an MFA from the Academy of Art University, and studied painting at the National Academy of Design in New York City with Harvey Dinnerstein and Ronald Sherr, receiving additional instruction from portraitist Aaron Shikler and painter and illustrator David Levine. Conklin's figurative paintings have been exhibited throughout the USA and have won him a number of major awards, including a Julius Hallgarten Prize at the National Academy Annual Exhibition, The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant and grants from both the E.D. and George Sugarman Foundations. He has shown work at the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, The Terra Museum of American Art, and at Fairfield University. Conklin has taught graduate students at the New York Academy of Art and undergraduates at Parsons School of Design in NYC and in Chicago at Harrington College of Design Harold Washington College Flashpoint Chicago and the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. The artist's work has been published in New American Paintings from Open Studios Press and he has authored articles for the Artists Magazine and other periodicals. His work is represented by Gallery Victor Armendariz in Chicago.

Painting is an art form that has spanned innumerable cultures, with artists using the medium to tell stories, explore and communicate ideas and express themselves. To bring abstract, landscape and still-life paintings into your home is to celebrate and share in the long tradition of this discipline.

When we look at paintings, particularly those that originated in the past, we learn about history, other cultures and countries of the world. Like every other work of art, paintings — whether they are contemporary creations or works that were made during the 19th century — can often help us clearly see and understand the world around us in a meaningful and interesting way.

Cave walls were the canvases for what were arguably the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict natural scenery through art. Portrait paintings and drawings, which, along with sculpture, were how someone’s appearance was recorded prior to the advent of photography, are at least as old as Ancient Egypt. In the Netherlands, landscapes were a major theme for painters as early as the 1500s. Later, artists in Greece, Rome and elsewhere created vast wall paintings to decorate stately homes, churches and tombs. Today, creating a wall of art is a wonderful way to enhance your space, showcase beautiful pieces and tie an interior design together.

No matter your preference, whether you favor Post-Impressionist paintings, animal paintings, Surrealism, Pop art or another movement or specific period, arranging art on a blank wall allows you to evoke emotions in a room while also showing off your tastes and interests. A symmetrical wall arrangement may comprise a grid of four to six pieces or, for an odd number of works, a horizontal row. Asymmetrical arrangements, which may be small clusters of art or large, salon-style gallery walls, have a more collected and eclectic feel. Download the 1stDibs app, which includes a handy “View on Wall” feature that allows you to see how a particular artwork will look on a particular wall, and read about how to arrange wall art. And if you’re searching for the perfect palette for your interior design project, what better place to turn than to the art world’s masters of color?

On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive collection of paintings and other fine art for your home or office. Browse abstract paintings, portrait paintings, paintings by popular artists and more today.