Ashcan School Art

“Who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they slew much people.” (1 Maccabees 9:2, KJVA)
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
A young couple with two children stand in front of a wall-sized world map, facing the map. The young father is pointing to somewhere in Africa. The young mother is wearing a backpack and one of the children is a baby that she's carrying in her arms.
First century Palestine. Jesus walking away from the camera with 2 of His disciples. The Temple sits high on a hill in the distance with the road going up to it. Merchants and houses line the road. People are coming and going both ways.
Now, we’ll all have our time on the rapid And we may end together, alone, going ‘round and about in an eddy bruised and broken and soaked to the bone. But the eddy keeps silent the wild current’s call alongside those now grateful captains and all we are given reprieve from a death at the fall as we move to and fro’ in the spin. We stand safe, as the spin takes us in.
First century Palestine. Jesus sits on a rock on a hillside teaching a large group of His disciples. The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wears a plain robe like most ordinary men. Jesus' face is kind, but intense, as He teaches. The other people are mostly peasants, farmers, and tradesmen. There are also women present, wearing plain, everyday clothing. Some couples have also brought their children. The Sea of Galilee shines in the far distance.
So, you look at those captains and then at yourself and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?” As you paddle along in your pitiful state, a canoe you hope no one will see. But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you for safe passage, provisions, and tare. So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore, making passage for those in your care.
The San Gorgonio Pass, Mt. San Gorgonio) rises in the North, all hoary-frost and granite. Snake-like clouds adorning her peak, I gaze past the big white house toward her uplifted boulders. And at the South, Mt. San Jacinto has lost his head in cloud. Burned bones against a blue sky backdrop. Between the two, another sunrise gleams and beams of brilliant, white-hot day flash forth: They accentuate the Sonora desert’s west extreme, and last night’s moon, high up on the left, forgot to go away.
John Singer Sargent Oil Painting Style, Grand Manner Portraiture, Rich Impasto Brushwork. A full-length, elegant portrait of a society figure standing in a dramatic pose, wrapped in a voluminous, heavy emerald green velvet cloak. The Fabric & Brushwork: The velvet is rendered with deep, saturated greens and near-black shadows, using sweeping, visible brushstrokes to convey weight and a luxurious, soft sheen where the light hits the folds. The ornate gold embroidery and bullion trim along the edges and collar are painted with thick, confident dashes of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and bright white impasto that make the metal appear to sparkle and catch the light. The Atmosphere: The lighting is dramatic and directional, coming from the upper left, highlighting the texture of the cloak and the gold. The background is a dark, atmospheric, loosely painted interior of a Gilded Age mansion, with indistinct antique furniture and deep shadows, ensuring all focus is on the figure and the magnificent garment. The overall mood is opulent and mysterious.
A historically accurate, deeply reverent and spiritually evocative oil painting. Two traditional Southern Ute individuals, a man and a woman, stand side-by-side with profound solemnity and ancient peace on the high mesa overlooking the twin spires of Chimney Rock National Monument (Chimney Rock and Companion Rock). They are dressed in authentic, richly detailed traditional attire. The man holds a feathered staff, his gaze directed towards the horizon, symbolizing his role as a protector and observer of the earth. The woman gestures subtly towards the sky, her posture conveying an intimate connection to the celestial, perhaps in a gesture of spiritual offering or acknowledgment. The scene's context is the stalling of the moon's analemma, with the moon itself appearing large and prominent, hanging low in the sky, its unique position clearly marking this cyclical astronomical pause. The atmosphere is bathed in the ethereal, soft glow of early morning light, just as the sun begins to kiss the distant peaks, casting long, significant shadows that stretch across the mesa. Their faces are etched with wisdom and a quiet understanding of the cosmos. The vast, spiritual landscape of Chimney Rock is an integral part of the composition, symbolizing their deep, timeless connection to both earth and sky, and their role as guardians of this sacred knowledge. Fine art composition, conveying a powerful sense of timeless ritual, astronomical reverence, and cultural continuity
“And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.” (1 Samuel 25:23-25, KJVA)
Out where the river runs wild and free and only the brave dare row; where the rapids are deep, and the challenge is fresh and it takes them where it means to go. With breakneck speed, grinning into the wind, standing straight on the bow of their craft, just a glimpse now and then of those captains you’ll catch flying by, near capsizing your raft. They’ve no time for advice to those standing on shore or to aid the ones just wading out, for their task is to pilot this current, they think, and it’s all they can do to stay out of the drink, and their lives could be gone in the space of a wink should they lose but a moment to doubt. Standing tall, they never must doubt!
Now, those captains must learn what the river will do when it makes that great turn out of sight. How it dashes them up on the rocks of the shore How it spins to the left and the right. It beats them and breaks them and crushes their pride Leaves them dizzy and sick and all jumbled inside ‘til they’ve all but forgotten that glorious ride lying flat on their deck in the sun. There they lie, drying out in the sun. As you round the point where the river was bent and survey the great wideness ahead, you can see all those captains alone on their decks, beat and broken and very near dead. Then the current takes hold and there’s naught you can do as it drags you down into its maw. Headed straight for those rocks, you make ready to crash but at last, you rise up, roll and yaw. Going back and away, then forward again, fearing each time, the rocks will prevail! You’re trapped in a cycling, circling tide, in an eddy withstanding a gale. But each time you circle that great whirling tide and you’ve not hit the rocks or been thrown to the side and you’re kept from the falls, cascading and wide, for the eddy’s small mercy give praise. Give the merciful currents your praise!
John Singer Sargent Oil Painting Style, Grand Manner Portraiture, Rich Impasto Brushwork. A full-length, elegant portrait of a society figure standing in a dramatic pose, wrapped in a voluminous, heavy emerald green velvet cloak. The Fabric & Brushwork: The velvet is rendered with deep, saturated greens and near-black shadows, using sweeping, visible brushstrokes to convey weight and a luxurious, soft sheen where the light hits the folds. The ornate gold embroidery and bullion trim along the edges and collar are painted with thick, confident dashes of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and bright white impasto that make the metal appear to sparkle and catch the light. The Atmosphere: The lighting is dramatic and directional, coming from the upper left, highlighting the texture of the cloak and the gold. The background is a dark, atmospheric, loosely painted interior of a Gilded Age mansion, with indistinct antique furniture and deep shadows, ensuring all focus is on the figure and the magnificent garment. The overall mood is opulent and mysterious.
Inside an informal church in Kuala Lumpur. Wing Sun and his father and mother, along with Siu Zi, his friend from school are there together. We are standing in the back of the room, and there are many more people than there were in the London church. There are people of different ethnicities, but mostly Chinese Malaysian. The Pastor, a Chinese man, is standing up front speaking to the congregation, facing them. The atmosphere is hot and sweaty, with ceiling fans running, but still welcoming, Wing Sun is happy that his family is together and also that his friend Siu Zi, who he has just learned is a Christian, can be there too.
Morning inside the classroom at a private school in Kuala Lumpur before class begins. Students stand next to their desks as the teacher, standing in front, leads them in the usual morning recitations of the five national principles, their voices blending into one: "Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan." (Belief in God.) "Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara." (Loyalty to the King and Country.) "Keluhuran Perlembagaan." (Supremacy of the Constitution.) "Kedaulatan Undang-Undang." (Rule of Law.) "Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan." (Courtesy and Morality.) Wing-Sun repeats the words automatically, his eyes drift across the classroom, catching a glimpse of Siu-Zi, the new girl, standing in her usual spot near the window.
Grandiose landscape of American wilderness in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Grandiose landscape of American wilderness in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Grandiose landscape of American wilderness in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Grandiose landscape of American wilderness in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Majestic mountain scene with dramatic lighting in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Majestic mountain scene with dramatic lighting in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Sublime waterfall scene with rainbows and mist in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Majestic mountain scene with dramatic lighting in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Majestic mountain scene with dramatic lighting in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Sublime waterfall scene with rainbows and mist in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Sublime waterfall scene with rainbows and mist in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Sublime waterfall scene with rainbows and mist in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Luminous sunset over an idealized natural setting in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Luminous sunset over an idealized natural setting in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Pastoral landscape with tiny human figures for scale in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Pastoral landscape with tiny human figures for scale in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Panoramic view of a river valley with rich details in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Panoramic view of a river valley with rich details in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Pristine lake reflection with lush surrounding forest in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Pristine lake reflection with lush surrounding forest in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Peaceful agrarian scene juxtaposed with wild nature in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Peaceful agrarian scene juxtaposed with wild nature in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Peaceful agrarian scene juxtaposed with wild nature in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Dramatic storm clouds over an untamed landscape in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Dramatic storm clouds over an untamed landscape in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1
Dramatic storm clouds over an untamed landscape in the art style of Hudson River School --v 6.1