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Animals, Birds & Wildlife 2020

by In Exhibition Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

What do these two paintings have in common? They’re both finalists in the Richeson75 Animals, Brids & Wildlife 2020 Competition! Visit the online exhibit to see all of the work included in the show.

Jack Richeson & Co. is a fine art materials manufacturing company and part of their mission is to directly support the visual arts community. They operate the Richeson School of Art & Gallery and have created a series Richeson75 International Art Competitions.

“The Richeson75 competitions are meant to offer a venue in which established and emerging artists may show their latest, best work to a wide and appreciative audience. The 75 finalists for each regular contest will exhibit their work in our beautiful Richeson Gallery and in the online exhibit. The Richeson75 online competitions also reach a wide audience with online exhibits of the 75 finalists’ work.”

All Richeson75 competitions are accompanied with the publication of a collectible, limited-edition, full-color, hardcover exhibit book which includes the artwork of the finalists and other meritorious entries from the competition.

The competitions showcase artwork made in the realist tradition. I’m honored to have two pieces among such a technically well-crafted mix of styles and subjects. Congratulations to everyone in the show!!

  • Dog in water oil painting pet portrait by Rebecca Luncan
    Portrait of Ruby, oil on copper, 5″ x 7″
  • Chicken painting by Rebecca Luncan oil on aluminum representational art
    Phoebe, oil on aluminum, 15″ x 15″
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Portrait of an Alpha Rooster

by In Pet Portrait Tagged , , , ,

The rooster in this portrait, Jupiter, is the master of over 30 hens in his little slice of paradise at a friends little farm on Vashon Island. My friend Michael has so many beautiful chickens, but this guy demands respect and admiration in a way that only an alpha rooster can. I work from photos and he was happy to oblige. He stayed right in front of the camera, though he never stopped moving. 

My work is influenced by paintings made during the Dutch Golden age. Behind Jupiter, I have a background that is inspired by one of Rembrandt’s self-portraits. My intention in giving the painting of Jupiter a formal composition and background is not to anthropomorphize him, but to give him dignity of his own and to signify that this is his portrait, not just a portrait of a rooster. 

Jupter, oil on aluminum, 15″ x 15″. Go to my available works page to purchase Jupiter and to view more works in this series.

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Chicken Painting a Finalist in National Competition

by In Awards &. Competitions Tagged , , , , ,

A few months ago I reached out to my Instagram and Facebook community to help me choose which chicken painting to enter in the annual Portrait Society of America’s member’s only competition. I was having trouble picking and thought there would be a clear favorite. After almost a hundred votes though, it was almost exactly a tie! Even so, it still helped me choose. People were very passionate on either side, but people typically liked the hen because the painting was more unique. For right or wrong, I liked that rational and went with it. I’m happy to share that she was a finalist in the animals category. Perhaps the rooster would have done even better in the competition, but you never know!

chicken paintings by Rebecca Luncan
The rooster or the hen?

Both of these paintings have backgrounds that reference Rembrandt self-portrait’s. I’ve always been a huge fan of his work and wanted to portray the chickens in a formal Dutch Portrait style. I helped install an exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum of artwork from the Kenwood House Collection from London several years ago. One of my favorite pieces in the exhibit was his Self-Portrait with Two Circles. This was the painting that inspired the background of my hen. She’s one of four girls that lives in Seattle in my friend Paige’s backyard. As the henpecked bird, she was making a grand show of bring larger and fluffing out. I was very fortunate to actually get a shot of the demonstration during my photo shoot for reference images.

You can find her on display along with the rooster at Winfield Gallery. Go to my Available Works page to see all my paintings currently available in galleries and from the studio.

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Travels with My Uncle

by In Exhibition, Inspiration Tagged , , , , , ,

The family traveled with me to Barcelona for my recent exhibit “13th annual ARC Salon” at the Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM) and my Uncle Bill joined us from Ohio. My uncle bought me my very first canvas when I was in high school and was instrumental in my artistic pursuits. He took me to galleries and museums and his own collection of original art was such an inspiration for me. It means so much that still, so many years later, here he is standing by me believing in what I do. It was also great to have him with us to see the sights, meet new people and for my son to get to visit with his great uncle. My sons middle name is William, named after my Uncle Bill.

Learn more about the exhibit on my blog and see more paintings from the series, “Monthly Miniature: Into the Country” and “Into the Country (larger works)“

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Painting receives award in Portrait Society of America competition. 

by In Awards &. Competitions Tagged , , , , , , ,

Admiral Vox’s little fan club seems to be expanding! My portrait of this expressive chicken was selected for an award from 1,268 entries in the Portrait Society of America’s 2018 Members Only Competition. The top winning works will be featured in the International Artist Magazine and the Portrait Society of America’s quarterly The Art of the Portrait Journal. The Members Only Competition, held annually, is open to all Portrait Society members in good standing.  Each fall, up to five categories are offered and members can submit up to one artwork per category. Admiral Vox was entered into the “Animals as Subject” category. In each of the five categories awards were given for 1st through 10th place followed by a select group of Finalists.

Pictured Above:

1st Place- Aaron Westerberg, Little Lu, 13×10″, oil on panel

2nd Place- Sandra Kuck, My Dear Angus, 24×24″, oil on canvas

3rd Place- Debra Keirce, Snug As a Bug, 20×23″, oil on panel

4th Place- Shaun Berke, The Outlaw, 24×32″, oil on linen

5th Place- Rebecca Luncan, Admiral Vox, 8×8″, oil on aluminum

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Southwest Art Magazine – Artists to Watch

by In Publications Tagged , , , , , , ,

I’m so thankful for the wonderful article Kim Agricola wrote for Southwest Art magazine about my artwork. In the print copy they featured my painting of Admiral Vox. This painting will be on exhibit at Sotheby’s in LA, opening December 5th for the ARC International Traveling Exhibit. They also used my Bee still life painting from my Into the Country series on the index page! Thanks so much Kim! Go to the Southwest Art website to read the full article.

 

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Painting of Silkie Chicken in the ARC Salon Traveling Exhibition

by In Exhibition Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

First stop: New York City!

My portrait painting of the silkie chicken, Admiral Vox, will be included in the upcoming 13th International ARC Salon Exhibition. The exhibit consists of 89 Contemporary Realist works selected from over 3,750 entries from 69 countries. It is the most prestigious realist art competition in the Americas and perhaps the world.

New York, LA, & Barcelona: three stops over the next six months

The ARC Salon Exhibition will be on view at the Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Ave., New York, NY from September 21st—October 2nd, 2018. The public opening event on Saturday, September 22nd from 11am to 3pm. Entry is free. The exhibition will then travel to Sotheby’s, Los Angeles where it will be on view from December 4th—December 13th, 2018 with the opening reception on December 4th from 6pm to 8pm. The show will then travel to the MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain from February 8th—March 31st, 2019, with the opening event and award ceremony starting at 7pm on February 8th. To learn more, go to the ARC Salon website

The ideas behind the painting of Admiral Vox

My early memories are few but vivid, with joy and sorrow in equal measure. When I was small, I discovered the aftermath of a weasel attack in the hen house. Yet I also remember the sole survivor, a newly hatched chick who followed me everywhere. As my father succumbed to Multiple Sclerosis, the rest of us took more responsibility for the animals, and I reveled in it.

Now I paint animals, revisiting memories of my dad and the wonder of growing up on a small farm. I compose portraits of animals the same as I do portraits of people, seeking not only likeness but the beauty particular to them.

Admiral Vox is one of my mother-in-law’s flock. Despite his stern expression, he is gentle with people. Here he guards his hens in the dim of his coop, which has been lighted to personify the rooster without embellishment in a classic and dignified pose.

View more paintings in this series

IGOR Realist Art Opening at Winfield Gallery in Carmel

by In Awards &. Competitions, Exhibition Tagged , , , , , ,

Artist Rebecca Luncan at art opening with her family

Artist Rebecca Luncan at art opening with her family at Winfield Gallery in Carmel, California

The whole family flew down to California to attend the art opening for The International Guild of Realism’s 12th annual International Juried exhibition.

The prestigious Winfield Gallery in the heart of the Carmel Art District is hosting the exhibit this year, held from September 23rd through October 23rd. Artists traveled from all over the world to attend the opening reception. My appearance at this opening gave me the opportunity to meet wonderful artists, as well as the leadership of IGOR. It was also a great opportunity to make new friends that are as passionate about realism as I am. As you can see in the image above, my paintings were in great company. With over a hundred painting’s selected from different guild members, the subject matter varied, but the craftsmanship did not. See all of the works included in the exhibition.

human and animal figurative portraits by Rebecca Luncan

“Admiral Vox”, oil on aluminum, 8″ x 8″ and “Vigil”, oil on aluminum, 15″ x 15″

Two Paintings Accepted

I had two paintings accepted into the show and I was doubly privileged to also receive the “Creative Achievement” award. I usually treat my animal portraits much like my portraits of people and tend to keep them rather formal. Both of these paintings are part of two different larger series of work. Admiral Vox is part of my Into the Country series, which focuses on portraits of a wide array of animals all painted in a classical Dutch portrait style.  Vigil is part of a series of figurative paintings of my lovely sister in law, Molly.

International Guild Of Realism's 12th Annual exhibition

International Guild Of Realism’s 12th Annual exhibition

About the Gallery:

“Winfield Gallery was founded in 1989 by Christopher Winfield. Their principal focus is the representation of contemporary art by established, mid-career and emerging artists whose diverse practices include painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics and photography. The gallery hosts multiple exhibitions a year and maintains a deep commitment to promote our artists’ careers. Winfield Gallery collaborates with museum curators, produce catalogs and books, establish relationships with the press and continue collector education and development. The gallery creates an atmosphere that builds bridges between the creative work, collectors and art enthusiasts at all levels.”

International Guild of Realism Accepted Two Paintings for 12th Annual Exhibition

by In Awards &. Competitions Tagged , , , , ,

Two paintings accepted in 12th annual International Juried Exhibition

Admiral Vox and Vigil, two paintings accepted in 12th annual International Juried Exhibition

The International Guild of Realism

Fashions come and go, and fads of the art world are no different. Realistic painting on the other hand persists through thousands of years of history, although its popularity rises and falls like anything else. It is not a reaction to some ephemeral idea in culture, but an effort to get in touch with some defining part of our humanity.

Part of what attracts me to realistic painting is the deep traditions and techniques that build throughout history. A realistic painting feels more to me like an act of craftsmanship than some kind of personal reaction or a commentary. There is something powerful and moving for me in being part of a tradition, practicing and helping to build on a body of knowledge and technique.

Yet there is still room for expression and exploration, both in abundance at the ‘IGOR’ 12th Annual International Juried Exhibition where my two paintings above showed (Admiral Vox won the ‘Creative Achievement’ award). The International Guild of Realism aims to advance realism in fine art by producing museum exhibitions, gallery shows, workshops and education programs.

Says IGOR of realism:

For us, “realism” ranges from the classical based upon traditional, academic-style painting to the contemporary where cutting edge techniques and a wide variety of subject matter are used to comment on today’s world. Our members represent a wonderful spectrum of styles including (but not limited to) Trompe l’Oeil, photorealism, surrealism, and super-realism.

The International Guild of Realism was founded by a group of leading professional realism artists from around the globe in 2002 with four goals:

  • Recognize the best realists working today.
  • Create gallery and museum exhibition opportunities.
  • Provide advertising and marketing support for IGOR members.
  • Offer a bridge between art collectors and the highest quality realist art, created by our members.
  • We know that as greater numbers of art lovers have access to high-quality realism, the value of these paintings will increase — not just in monetary terms, but in appreciation, understanding, and international attention.

The exhibition will be held at the prestigious Winfield Gallery in the heart of the Carmel Art District.

Farm Animal Painting Exhibition

by In Exhibition Tagged , , , , , , ,

Portrait of Silkie chicken, Emperor Vox, oil on aluminum, 8" x 8" by Rebecca Luncan

Admiral Vox, oil on aluminum, 8″ x 8″

A selection of never before exhibited paintings from the Into the Country series are on display at Gallery Frames in Seattle.

This body of work is inspired by memories of the animals my Dad kept during my childhood and from my mother in law’s and sister in law’s herds and flocks (and more). Portraits from the series are painted in a style inspired by the classical Dutch portrait, and continue a mood from the first miniature in my “Paintings of Rabbits” series. The series started with my Into the Country Monthly Miniature project which I was inspired to expand by creating several larger works including the painting above of the silkie rooster. He belonged to my mother in law and my husband and though his real name is Snowman, my husband has been calling him Admiral Vox for months and it stuck. All of the paintings in the series are in the same style, with a similar treatment to the background and how I’m lighting my subject, but each new animal brings their own unique challenges. I’ve loved having the opportunity to be able to focus on so many different kinds of creatures, exploring the different textures and expressions, and doing my best to bring a bit of their personalty to life with a pallet full of paint, some brushes and a loving eye

Rebecca Luncan's Into the Country art opening

Rebecca Luncan’s Into the Country art opening

I always look goofy in photos, but here’s one of me next to my huge painting of my rabbit Charlie.

The paintings will be on display from December 1, 2016 through January 28, 2017