Neil Welliver was an American artist who began his career in the middle of the 20th century as an abstract color field painter, and gradually moved into realism.
He kept some aspects of modernist painting theory incorporated in his approach, however, and his large scale watercolor landscapes are composed of areas of relatively flat color, giving them something of the appearance of gouache, which I particularly enjoy.
Even though his subject matter in later years was exclusively landscape, many of the paintings, of individual rocks or tree stumps, begin to look like out-door still life painting.
And I don’t know of another painter who stayed so consistently close to a square or very-nearly-square format for so much of his work. For him it was a compositional gambit that continued to yield interesting results for years.
Many years ago I bought a used copy of a huge monograph of the work of Neil Welliver. It’s still my most prized books. Got to see a show of his work that was held at Brenau College here in Georgia. Standing in front of the largest paintings, I was drawn into, completely, the Maine forests.
Wow, these are brilliant, Charley. That boulder-strewn snowy ridge is wonderful. Thanks so much for introducing me to Welliver – great way to start the new year!
Daniel, speaking of large-scale square format work, are you familiar with Björn Wessman? I saw an exhibition of his work in 2011… very striking landscapes, huge and wildly colourful…
When I first saw these here I thought them to be digital images.
Hadn’t seen his work before. Thanks, Charley.
I’d swear these paintings (especially #1) were yours, Charley.
Thanks, Ælle!
