Leonard Nelson

Lonesome Blues, American Modernist, Figurative Abstract, Oil on Board, 1951

1951

Peter Miller was an artist, a philanthropist, a mystic, and a woman of endless passion for adventure. In the early years of studying, she was greatly inspired by the European masters Henri Matisse and Jean Miró...

"Tidy Slapper" is a 24" x 19" acrylic on paper abstract painting by American painter Ray Leight. The painting is in original condition, from the estate of the artist, and it is signe...

"Metamorphosis" is a 40" x 26" acrylic on paper abstract painting by American painter Ray Leight. The painting is in original condition, from the estate of the artist, and it is sign...

"Shadowless" is a 26" x 20" acrylic on paper abstract painting by American painter Ray Leight. The painting is in original condition, from the estate of the artist, and it is signed ...

"The Kiss" is a 24" x 19" acrylic on paper abstract painting by American painter Ray Leight. The painting is in original condition, from the estate of the artist, and it is signed "R...

"Spiritual Awakening" is a 38 x 50 inches, oil on canvas painting by American modernist, female artist Peter Miller. Peter Miller was an artist, a philanthropist, a mystic, and a woman of endless passion for adventure.  "Spiritual Awakening" is a powerful example of her formidable understanding of personal narrative, composition, symbolism, and the artistic layering of color. Paul Gratz writes in the first ever published monograph on the artist: "Miller’s technique was unique. In some of her paintings, she textured the ground to mimic canyon walls. In others, she used sgraffito and applied thin veils of color that she would then skillfully and partially rub off with rags. One small area of the canvas can contain six to eight different colors. The yellows and orange underneath provide a glow of spirituality to many of her canvases. The compositions are deliberate and she had a sophisticated knowledge of color. There are paintings within the painting, layers upon layers." The work is estate stamped #202123" on verso and framed in a natural wood floater frame. The painting has been re-lined, conserved and inspected by conservation specialist, Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio, Inc. American artist Peter Miller (1913-1996) was born Henrietta Myers in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She began using the name Peter Miller after concluding her studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1934 and her marriage to fellow artist and Academy student Earle Miller in 1935. She felt collectors and critics would take her paintings more seriously if she was identified as a male. In childhood, Henrietta and her best friend Ruth picked fictitious nicknames for themselves, and Henrietta reportedly decided upon the name Peter because she liked the idea that it was derived from the Greek word for “rock” or “stone”. Drawn to being one with the natural world would prove to be an essential inspiration to her creativity throughout her life. Miller is classified as an American Modernist, a reputation she earned for having shown at the prestigious gallery and premiere showcase for Surrealist painting of Julien Levy in New York in the 1940s. Reviewers of her exhibitions noted the unmistakable influence of the artists Joan Miró, whose work she owned and whom she knew, and Arthur Carles, whom she studied with, and sources in Native American culture, which came from sharing time between her home state of Pennsylvania and New Mexico. Peter and her husband Earle considered New Mexico their spiritual home, and in 1935 they built a ranch in Española, about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. Being neighbors of the indigenous people of the Tewa Pueblo, their crafts and religious beliefs fascinated Peter and the reliance of Native Americans upon the land and the animals permeated her work for most of her career. Their belief that all creatures could serve as intermediaries in communication with the spiritual world, inspired Miller to incorporate their symbols in her own paintings, along with signs drawn from indigenous pottery...

Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...

Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Stars Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...

Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...

Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...

Dan McCaw's (US based) "Indelible" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an abstracted dark patterned figure standing in a patterned interior setting. Artist Statement...

Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...