"Faith, " Charcoal on Paper, 2023

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo creates dynamic compositions of people and places that communicate a rich commentary on the world around him. Depicting trees from personal encounters, Surdo’s latest body of work entitled “Tree Spirits” takes us on a foray into the forest, where leaves, branches and burls express something deeply personal. Applying his mastery of figurative realism to the natural world, he experiments with form and texture to uncover the intangible spirits of trees. This charcoal drawing entitled “Memory of Leaves” beautifully illustrates the branching form of a mature birch tree. Loosely drawn with informal, sketch-like linework, the tree is shown in the middle of winter, bare of leaves and white with frost. Surdo’s skillful placement of shadow illustrates the forking branches with incredible texture and effortless realism. The intricate play of light and dark is accentuated by the stark white background, a negative space that isolates the tree in space and time. Restricting the composition to only a portion of the tree trunk, Surdo accentuates the tree’s abstract form, lingering on areas of unusual shape or texture. Seeking to convey the strong emotional response elicited by his initial encounter with the tree, Surdo focuses on the tree’s sculptural form, contrasting the strong trunk...

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo...

Inspired by images of deep space, computer compression algorithms, and early non-representational art, Chicago-based artist Jan Pieter Fokkens uses the tangible qualities of pattern and color to interpret unimaginable sights. Entitled "Study for SWEEPS," this work offers a representation of the Sagittarius Window Eclipsing Extrasolar Planet Search, Hubble’s seven-day-long survey of 180,000 stars in order to detect extrasolar planets. Using data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope...

This charming watercolor is composed in the style of traditional ink calligraphy and depicts two ducks resting on a river bank. Tall grass and leafy sprouts dot the rocky terrain and...

Charcoal abstract of geometric forms on paper (1959 signed: MICHAEL LOEW).      Though the painter Michael Loew is today best known for his colorful and gestural Abstract Expression...

The abstract expressionist drawing of a graceful ballerina dancing to Swan Lake in a deep bow; with illegible signature.

Nice sample of this series of the well known Philippine artist Jojo Legaspi , also master of drawing in charcoal .the image Zise is 8.5 x 11.75 inches , a...

Charcoal drawing by Poole based artist Sharon Pearce, tethering an abstract expressionist aesthetic. Abstract shapes and marks merge to form intricate surfaces.