By Tom Perkinson
Located in Encino, CA
"Spring Journey" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Tom Perkinson. His use of saturated violets, vivid yellows, and resplendent oranges pushes color to almost-otherworldly realms. The viewer is invited to step into the painting to explore the scene within and imagine gazing at an easel of a plein-air painter with the blue sky, clouds, and terrain in full view. Here, Perkinson chose to depict a tribal group traveling during springtime with the vast sky above. Tribal members are both on foot and horseback, and comprise of men, women, and children - all trekking across the landscape beneath the foothills to a destiny unknown to us as the viewer. Perkinson describes his style of painting as "Romantic Realism," a technique that incorporates two iconic art movements. This style, in combination with the imagination of the artist, produces remarkable results, showcasing Perkinson's keen ability to capture emotion, nature, and life - all in a brushstroke. Both his technical talent and choice of subject matter pair perfectly with its original raw wood frame. The frame is by Legendwood in Sedona, Arizona, which no longer exists. Their frames are highly collectible, as they are rare, custom, and handmade. This masterful work would make a great addition to an art collection and enhance most any home, perfect for those who have an affinity for landscapes, impressionism, romanticism, realism, Southwestern Art, Native American themed art, plein-air painting, and nature.
In the artist’s own words:
“My color combinations aren’t in the realm of the natural world, because I don’t paint reality; I’m a painter of fiction. I try to paint a sense of place, as though this scene really does exist. I have had my collectors ask me where this scene is, and I just have to point to my head and say I made it up. Thus, I think of my work as romantic realism. I’m painting a certain reality that I’ve invented, inspired by the fascinatingly rich Southwestern landscape.”
“Color gets all the credit, but it’s the values that do all the work. I don’t begin with sketches, because I want to be free to follow the painting in any direction. I start with washes of different values and tints. Then, I begin to look for a landscape. Several directions will appear to me at this time, and then I have to decide on one of them. During these first few moments, I must establish my distance from the scene. Am I a mile away or just across the river? This is one of the first steps, and I have to decide before I can continue. It’s important for working out the perspective and how things are going to relate to one another in the picture. Then, as the landscape evolves, I look for more images to add to the composition.”
Artist: TOM PERKINSON (1940-)
Title: SPRING JOURNEY
Medium & Surface: ORIGINAL ACRYLIC PAINTING ON CANVAS (framed)
Signed: HAND SIGNED BY ARTIST LOWER RIGHT
Year Created: CIRCA 1979
Country of Creation: UNITED STATES
Image Area Dimensions: 12 x 16 INCHES
Frame Dimensions:* 19.5 x 23.625 x 2.125 INCHES
*This work of art is being sold framed. If you would like to change the frame to better match your style or environment, please contact us for Custom Archival Framing options.
Additional Info: HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE WORK BY TOM PERKINSON IN GREAT CONDITION IN ITS ORIGINAL UNIQUE RAW WOOD FRAME BY LEGENDWOOD, SEDONA, ARIZONA. FRAME IS IN GREAT CONDITION WITH MINOR WEAR CONSISTENT WITH AGE AND STYLE.
Artist Info/Bio: ARTIST BIOGRAPHY DOCUMENT IS INCLUDED
Documentation: CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY IS INCLUDED
About the Artist: Tom Perkinson, born in Indiana in 1940, has become distinguished as a regional painter, known for his work grounded in the visually dramatic landscape of the Southwest.
As a child, Perkinson discovered he had a love for the natural landscape, and a talent for art. He fostered that talent through classes at the John Herron Institute of Art in Indianapolis, and then at the Chicago Art Academy upon graduating from high school.
He received a degree in art from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1964, before moving on to graduate school at the University of New Mexico. Here, among noted works of a larger scale, he continued to paint the landscape, and it was this work that began to reflect a new fascination with the Southwest. He had found what would become an infinite source of inspiration.
Influenced by early painters of the southern Indiana landscape...
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