THREE WATERCOLOR SKETCHES IN "FIELD BOOK"

Beginning to use a small field book to watercolor sketch as the spirit moves -- semi-abstract and expressionist take offs from indoor objects, visited places, as well as drawings and portraits in the public domain -- No pre-outlines on 7x10" cold pressed 140 lb paper. Exploring this new medium loosely... The first three sketches... (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

"CAFE DE LOS ENCUENTROS" - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

En route- "Café de los Encuentros Abstractos" - watercolor painting on 9x12” Arches 140lb cold pressed paper wr - third month into watercolors (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN BOULDERS" - WATERCOLOR

New -- "Lookout Mountain Boulders," watercolor painting on Arches 10x14" cp 140# paper (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg -- haven't got a sense of watercolor style and technique yet, slow coming

NEW - "RIVER MORNING" - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

New - "River Morning," completed, watercolor on 9x12” Arches 140# cp paper - 3 months into watercolor work now, figuring it out - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "TWO MEN" - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

New - "Two Men," watercolor painting on 9x12" Arches 140 lb cold-pressed paper (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "TWO CAMPESINOS RESTING" - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

So ... "Two Campesinos Resting" - watercolor 
10x14" hot-pressed 140 lb Arches paper -
(c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "TRAIL WALKER" - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

New - "Trail Walker," watercolor painting on 9x12" Arches cold pressed paper (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "WINDOW" - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

New - "Window," watercolor painting on 9x12" Arches cold-pressed paper (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW MEDIUM - WATERCOLORS - BEGINNING ATTEMPTS

I've begun working in a medium that has intimidated me, watercolors, encouraged by my artist spouse. Below are images of a few of my early attempts and experiments. Still figuring out how the medium works. Difficult. All images are (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg.

"Street Refugee 2" -- a 9x12" watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper.

"Street Refugee 1" - 10 x 14" watercolor on Arches cold press paper

"Lightwave" - 9x12" watercolor on Strethmore cold pressed paper

"Radiance," watercolor on 9 x 12" Strathmore cold pressed paper

NEW - "STREET VENDOR" - ACRYLIC PAINTING

New, seems complete - "Street Vendor' - acrylic painting on 18"x24" canvas, touch ups maybe, expressionist (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "THE LETTER" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

Seems complete now - "The Letter," oil pastel painting on 11"x14" vellum Bristol paper, evocativist mood. (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW -- "DISPLACED CLOWN AND MIRROR" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New – “Displaced Clown and Mirror,” oil pastel painting on 11” x 14” mixed media paper, Evocativist style – Sennelier and Mungyo Artist Premium oil pastels with mineral spirits wash © 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "TWO CHATTANOOGA HOMELESS MEN (DECEASED)," OIL PASTEL PAINTING

"Two Chattanooga Homeless Men (Deceased)," oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" smooth Bristol paper, Evocativist style, evaluating (c) Wes, adapted from my video clips.

INVENTING "EVOCATIVISM" ...

Inventing "Evocativism " - a figurative and abstract esthetic category
Postmodern, spiritually intuitive, ethical, just and musically rhythmic way of seeing and creating. Visually artistic. Imperfect.
Working on this as an artistic category, style for me. Fleshing it out for and within painting and drawing and what I've worked on in the past. Philosophically, too.
Indicative. Evocative. Free to ramble and wander. Conscientious.

Wes Rehberg, Ph.D., Visual Artist

CREATING AS SACRAMENTAL? ... (plus work in progress)

Can creating art (or anything) be thought of as a sacramental task, sacrament through sacrament to sacrament? From the love actor through a work of loving to what appears to be an object that's really an incarnation of love, a subject. Holy, then. Mindful. Unafraid to address both the beauty and pain in life. Serving up a paschal meal, a passion play. Concrete. Embracing. Unitive despite difficulty. Into the mystic and material at the same moment. Michelangelo's "Pieta" and Van Gogh's "Starry Night." The mundane and transcendent joined. Inviting compassion. Present.

Including work in progress:
"Somali Refugees" - oil pastel painting on 12" x 19" vellum Bristol paper. (c)WR - continuing refugee and displacement theme

NEW - "MAYAN GRANDMOTHER, CHILDREN: SOUTHERN MEXICO" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New -- "Mayan Grandmother, Children: Southern Mexico" -- oil pastel painting on 11" x 14" vellum mixed media paper - adapted from my photo (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg, Evocativist style

NEW -- "MAYAN CHILD, SOUTHERN MEXICO" -- OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New - "Mayan Child, Southern Mexico" - oil pastel painting on 12"x18" smooth Bristol paper, Evocativist style - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg - adapted from my photo 

NEW - "WAR ZONE CHILDREN" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New - "War Zone Children" - oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" smooth Bristol paper - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg (leaving it crude and messy) Evocativist style.

DOING ART IN MY 80th TRIP AROUND THE SUN ...

Feeling like this about creative endeavors. I’m on a path this year to my 80th birthday and what I paint and draw this time around can take whatever direction the moment leads me to, abstract or figurative, ignoring contemporary tastes, with artworks merely scrawled, or done with some finesse. I don’t have to chase success or marketing gimmicks or approval. So, the ambition then is to be true to the sensibility, the skill, the imagination, the vision.. That seems sufficient.  Image is my acrylic painting "Self-Portrait at the Abstract Cafe," (c) 2014 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "RIVER BREEZE IN ROTTERDAM" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New - "River Breeze in Rotterdam" - oil pastel painting on 11" x 14" mixed media vellum paper (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg - post impressionist, Sennelier and Mungyo Gallery Artist Premium oil pastels.

NEW - "IGNITION" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING - ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST

New - "Ignition" - oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" smooth Bristol paper, abstract expressionist, (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg - Sennelier and Mungyo Gallery Artist Premium oil pastels.

NEW - "NEGOTIATING" - OIL PASTEL - ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST

New -- "Negotiating" -- oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" smooth mixed media paper - abstract expressionist style - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "DISTANCE" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New -- "Distance" -- oil pastel painting on 12" x 19" velum Bristol paper - Sennelier oil pastels, Rembrandt Polycolor oil pencils, Turpenoid wash - expressionist style (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW -- "CARTOON ABSTRACT - THE HUG" - OIL PASTEL ARTWORK

New - "Cartoon Abstract: The Hug" - oil pastels and Stabilo on 9-1/2" x 12" vellum Bristol paper (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "ABSTRACT MISCHIEF 1" -- OIL PASTEL ARTWORK

New - "Abstract Mischief 1" -- oil pastel and Stabilo artwork on 9" x 12" mixed media paper -(c) 2015 Wes Rehberg 

NEW - "STAKEOUT" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New -- "Stakeout" -- oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" vellum Bristol paper, includes Turpenoid wash of oil pastels and oil pencil work - expressonist style - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "MOBILE SLIPTSTREAM" -- OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New -- "Mobile Slipstream," oil pastel painting on 11" x 14" mixed media paper, expressionist style (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg ...

NEW - "WAITING" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING ON BRISTOL PAPER

New -- likely complete - "Waiting" - oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" smooth Bristol paper - experimented a little with mineral spirits and oil pencils - included as well a Turpenoid brush wash -- expressionist style? - I can't say -- (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "APPARITIONS OF A CHURCH ORGANIST" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New - "Apparitions of a Rural Church Organist" -- oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" mixed media paper, expressionist style, completed - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg 

NEW -- "THE PHONE CALL" -- OIL PASTEL PAINTING

Completed -- "The Phone Call" -- oil pastels on 11" x 14" mixed media paper - expressionist style (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

I’m appreciating working in a rough expressionist way with painting and drawing. It’s not that I can’t do the manicured works that seem so prevalent as I pore through art magazines, it’s that they don’t hit and fit my sensibilities. I’ve got both city (NYC) and rural (upstate NY) in me now as well as Third World experiences that tumble around in me as I work, plus an education in culture and interpretation and the arts that make it difficult to avoid the raw side of things. So it comes out in what I make. For better or for worse.

NEW - "EL SALVADOR CITY OUTSKIRTS" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

Calling it complete -- "El Salvador City Outskirts" -- oil pastel painting on 18" x 24" mixed media paper, adapted from my photo -- (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW -- "OUTDOOR STILL LIFE (NOON AND DUSK) - ACRYLIC PAINTING

New --  "Outdoor Still Life (Noon and Dusk)" -- an acrylic painting on 20" x 24" canvas -- (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW -- "EARLY SPRING" -- OIL PASTEL PAINTING ...

New work -- "Early Spring" -- an oil pastel painting on 18" x 12" mixed media paper --  (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg ...

NEW -- "PORTRAIT" -- AN OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New one -- "Portrait" -- an oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" mixed media paper -- (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg --

 

 

NEW - "TEARGASED IN CHICAGO 1968" - OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New -- "Teargased in Chicago 1968" - oil pastel painting on 12" x 18" mixed media paper -- adapted from my photo - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg - could be complete except for touch-ups

 

 

NEW -- "HARVEST PORTRAIT" - ACRYLIC PAINTING ON CANVAS

Feels very close to complete, time to rest it, "Harvest Portrait," acrylic painting on 20" x 24" canvas - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg --

"POVERTY SHACK USA" -- OIL PASTEL PAINTING

New -- "Poverty Shack USA" -- oil pastel painting on 11" x 14" mixed media paper -- mostly brush-painted using Turpenoid after the color was applied with the oil pastel stick. (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

 

 

OIL PASTEL PORTRAIT - "SIBLINGS" - ON MIXED MEDIA PAPER

Oil pastel portrait -- "Siblings" -- on 12" x 18" mixed media paper -- (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

 

 

OIL PASTEL DRAWING - "REMBRANDT'S BEGGAR PEERS THROUGH A TIME WARP"

"Rembrandt's Beggar Peers Through a Time Warp," oil pastel drawing on fine-tooth primed 13" x 16" matte board - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

 

 

 

OIL PASTEL DRAWING - "CURRENTS" -- ON MIXED MEDIA PAPER

"Currents" -- oil pastel drawing on 12" x 18" mixed media paper -- some pastel marks left as directly applied, others smudged with a tortillon or washed with Turpenoid - (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

 

 

 

 

SLIDE SHOW: ARWORK STYLES I'VE USED SINCE MAY 2014

Artwork styles since May ’14: I’ve set up this short video slide show presenting samples of styles I’ve used since resuming artwork last May. Video shows 15 paintings and drawings and two text slides and runs for 2 minutes and 50 seconds. Kindly view. Thanks.

For a broader sample of my work, visit Pinterest
 https://www.pinterest.com/wesrehberg/wes-rehbergs-visual-art/

(c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

OIL PASTEL DRAWING -- "REGENERATION"

New -- “Regeneration” – oil pastel drawing on 12” x 18” mixed media paper –– expressionist mode © 2015 Wes Rehberg

OIL PASTEL DRAWING - "VISITORS DEBARK FROM 3D CRUISE"

“Visitors Debark From 5D Cruise” – oil pastel experimental sketch on 16” x 20” fine-tooth primed matte board.... (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

NEW - "STILL LIFE: STUFF IN THE FRIDGE" - OIL PASTEL DRAWING

New – “Still Life: Stuff in the Frig,” oil pastel drawing on 9” x 12” mixed media paper – Looking over my "œuvre d'art" I realized I had only done one still life since my return to painting and drawing last May (the other is below). Cezanne, for example, painted dozens of them. So I thought I should do the responsible thing with this convention, maybe unconventionally, so here’s another, in an expressionist way (which means I don’t have to worry about the rules of perspective, light and color).. . (c) 2015 Wes Rehberg

The other still life ... "Still Life with Buddha and a Statue" - 24" x 30" acrylic painting on canvas ... (c) 2014 Wes Rehberg

OIL PASTEL DRAWING -- "VISITOR AT THE CITY GATE" -- NEW

New artwork-- "Visitor at the City Gate" -- oil pastels on 18" x 12" mixed media paper,, applied directly as well as modified with tortillions and brushed turpenoid - (c) 2015 Wes .Rehberg 

OIL PASTEL DRAWING -- "ANOINTED IN THE WILDERNESS"

 New -- "Anointed in the Wilderness (Luke 4:14-19)” – oil pastel drawing on 18” x 12” mixed media paper –  © 2015 Wes Rehberg …