Herbert Mears

"Fisherman" Impressionist Portrait Painting

1960s

Red toned turn of the century portrait painting of an upper class couple. The painting is framed in a wooden frame with a thin white matte. It is signed by the artist in the lower ri...

Warm toned modern portrait of a medieval woman wearing red dress against a blue background. Signed "Charles Campbell" at bottom right corner. Matted in linen and framed in black and gold frame. Dimensions Without Frame: H 20 in. x W 15 in. Artist Biography: Charles Campbell has been hailed as one of the more distinctive and imaginative contemporary American Painters of our time. In a highly individual style he combined rich vibrant colors with elaborate textures and composition. His paintings, described as modern by conservatives, and considered conservative by Avant-Garde groups, have their own unique balance of design. Charles was a quiet man who tended to make strong social statements in his paintings, some subtle, some obviously satirical, others full of fantasy and humor. A perfectionist, (he has destroyed over two-thirds of his work during his career), he painted every day until his eyes gave out and then often did some sculpting. His aim, he said, was to "Express my vision of the world in the purest possible terms." As a young man he drew inspiration from Daumier, particularly his outstanding draftsmanship. He also learned a great deal from Renoir in his handling of paint and tonal variations. El Greco's contribution is seen in the intensity and luminosity of many of Campbell's paintings, just as Picasso's line and description of the human form can be seen in others. Charles Campbell was born in Dayton, Ohio, but spent most of his boyhood in Springfield, Ohio. At 17 his family moved to Cleveland where he enrolled in the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art), and spent five years there, receiving a B.A. degree in 1928. He taught one year at this school, but decided against the profession because he felt he had no calling for it. He was caught up in the 1930s Depression like thousands of his fellow artists and worked in WPA producing several murals. Following that he got a stake together and bummed about the country in a jalopy for a year, looking at the land and the people in the land during those very rough years in our history. He spent six months in an ancient house in Texas, painting, writing, doing a great deal of reading and thinking about what was going on, both in his own head and in the world. He returned to Cleveland and was taken on by the Treasury Art Project, producing easel paintings until 1942. At that time Campbell married and left for Los Angeles. Up until his departure from Cleveland, Campbell had established himself locally as an outstanding young painter, winning many prizes and awards. His early work was exhibited in the traveling shows in most of the major museums of the country. The Cleveland Museum and Whitney Museum own examples of his work of that period. After his move to Los Angeles, Campbell dropped out of the museum circuit and thereafter exhibited only in private galleries surviving wholly on the sale of his work. In 1952 the Campbells moved to the French Quarter in New Orleans...

Rick Borens' piece showcases a Native American chief standing in front of a landscape Dimensions without Frame: H: 20in x W: 31.5 in. Artist Bi...

Beautiful domestic portrait of two women in blue with linear style by Oris Robertson in 1967. Placed in a thin, black frame. Signed and dated in the top left corner. Artist Biograp...

Lovely portrait of an elderly Austin couple sitting in a dark toned interior. This work is done in the same loose brushwork style that Wayman Adams is famous for in his portraiture. This painting came out of the artist's Austin estate when he passed away. The piece is signed in the lower left corner and comes in the gold frame. Dimensions Without Frame: H 52.25 in. x W 40 in. Artist Biography: Wayman Adams was born in rural Indiana in 1883. His interest in art was cultivated at an early age by his father who was a horse farmer and an amateur artist. At the age of twenty-one Adams moved to Indianapolis to attend the John Herron Art Institute. It was here that Adams began to paint portraits, the subject matter for which he became best known. Having made a name for himself as a portraitist, Adams moved to New York City. While there he took two trips to Europe, the first in 1910 when he traveled to Italy with William Merritt Chase. Two years later he accompanied Robert Henri to Spain where he met fellow artist Margaret Borroughs, whom he married six years later. The couple had one child, a son named Wayman Jr. who was called "Snig." Approaching the canvas, Adams favored the alla prima style of painting that he learned from Chase and Henri. He would paint an entire portrait in one sitting, often only for three to four hours long, rather than over the span of several drafts and sittings. This loose and expressive style of painting gave his images an emotional immediacy, and made the portrait-painting experience more pleasant for the sitter. He became well known as a "lightning" artist and painted many prominent figures such as Presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover, tire tycoon B.F. Goodrich, and golfer Bobby Jones. As a portrait artist, Adams traveled throughout the country to fulfill commissions. This was not unusual for portraitists as they relied on wealthy patrons who could afford to commission paintings of themselves and their families. During the winter months, Adams spent a good deal of time in the South, especially in New Orleans. In addition to being a prolific portrait artist, Adams was also a teacher. In 1932 he and Margaret opened and taught at the Old Mill Art Colony in the Adirondack Mountains, and from 1935-36 he taught art in Taxco, Mexico. Adams also acted as a mentor to young Maltby Sykes...

Large scale black, red, and silver splatter portrait of a man painted in the style of Jackson Pollock/Abstract Expressionism. Signed by artist in lower right corner. Currently unfram...

In this interior illustration for "When the Heart Beats Young" by J.W. Riley, pioneering female illustrator Ethel Franklin Betts creates an intimate statement of mother and child in an embrace. The composition is abstract with patterns that suggest the influence of Asian art—initialed lower right. Work is framed under glass - Oil on board Ethel Franklin Betts Bains (September 6, 1877 – October 9, 1959) was an American illustrator primarily of children's books during the golden age of American illustration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Betts first gained work illustrating magazines, including St. Nicholas Magazine, McClure's, and Collier's. Beginning in 1904, she was commissioned to illustrate several books, including James Whitcomb Riley's The Raggedy Man, While the Heart Beats Young, and Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess...

Mid Century portrait of a woman wearing red by Jon Blanchette (American, 1908-1987). Signed by the artist in the lower right corner. Canvas has been mounted on fiberboard. Unframed. ...

Mid-Century Modern portrait of a man by California artist Genevieve Rogers (American, 1904-1984). The abstracted background has texture created with d...

Portrait of a clown in three quarter view, with expressive brushstrokes and use of color by Marjorie Blake (1920-1994). Unsigned, but was purchased with...

Wonderful turn of the century oil portrait of old civil war soldier circa 1900, by an unknown artist. Soldier is depicted wearing the Medal of Honor...

Mid century Native American portrait by B. Shepard (American, 20th Century). Signed "B. Shepard" lower middle. Unframed. Currently on a mat, ...