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Back in 2017 I argued that my paintings were not examples of Pointillism in this blog post. http://www.robertshirk.com/blog/pointillism.html. Since that 2017 blog post my paintings have actually evolved into examples of Pointillism. In this post I discuss a brief history of Pointillism and my journey to this form of artistic expression.
See moreI just finished this painting. I was inspired to create this painting from a very famous 1894 sculpture by William Wetmore Story for the grave of his wife at the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. In my version, instead of the Angel weeping and draped over a tomb, she is draped over and enveloped by the COVID-19 virus. A Guardian Angel striving to protect humanity form the COVID-19 virus.
I'm very touched by the comments this painting has received on social media. Here are just a few:
It's beautiful. And it made me cry."
"Without a doubt this is one of the most awe inspiring pieces you have created Bob, am just about in tears."
"Wow this is my favorite piece of yours. It’s so incredibly touching. Isn’t it amazing how an image can express so much. Just wonderful and truly heartfelt."
"Powerful piece, so many weeping"
"Wow..that is powerful Robert. Beautifully executed."
"You have described "A Guardian Angel striving to protect humanity from COVID 19" very well in this unique piece. I am feeling the deep empathy through this while reflecting on all those who have expressed exhaustion, fear, strength fighting this as patients, healthcare providers & families who unfortunately faced the sorrow."
"Absolutely Gorgeous!"
"Very moving"
"excellence worthy of a museum's collection...."
"Wow this is so beautiful and powerful. I hope this goes in a museum or somewhere for many people to appreciate..."
"Powerful message. Beautiful!"
"Yes very powerful. Congratulations on this fine and emotional work."
"Beautiful, mystical & magical!"
"Stunning and powerful."
"No words!"
"Powerful & beautiful!"
"Incredible! I'm so impressed!"
"That is moving and beautiful."
"Extraordinary!! Robert you continue to amaze!!!"
What an honor to have the Museum of Arts & Sciences (@moasdaytona) video me describing the painting I have hanging in this beautiful museum. Thank you Jenelle Codianne and Claire Brubaker for doing a fantastic job on this video interview.
My painting 'Volto Musica' is a part of this magnificent Beaux Arts of Central Florida (@bxartscentralflorida) exhibit at MOAS called 'The Healing Power of Art'.
I just finished this painting of Taylor Lashae. She is a very popular French-Colombian model.
See the story of this painting here.
I just finished this painting.
Elegance, etiquette and grace are some of the halmarks of geisha. The exact same qualities I remember my grandmother had. Living with my grandparents during my formative years I was surrounded by asian art and artifacts. Though my grandmother was not asian she loved the asian aesthetic. To this day I have warm memories of my grandmother whenever I am surrounded by asian art.
See the story of this painting here.
I'm extremely excited to share this exhibition with my friends. I will be exhibiting with four fabulous Florida Artists in the exhibition "Men Painting Women" Leonardo Montoya Pérez, Weldon Ryan, Wilson Romero, Herbie Martin.
All 5 of us are male artists whose work is mainly focused on the female form. Each approaches depicting women from very different perspectives, both artistically and intellectually. There is a rich history of male artists painting women. Some of the most important male artists in western history are known specifically for their paintings of women. Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' in the mid-1480s. Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' in 1505. Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'in 1665. James McNeill Whistler's Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistler's Mother) in 1871. Gustav Klimt's 'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I' in 1907. Andy Warhol's 'Shot Blue Marilyn' in 1964.
This exhibit is running for two months starting July 1st and going through August. The Orlando Downtown Library is a great venue for showing the large paintings of these five artists. Thank you Mike Donohue for making this exhibit possible. The Library's hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am - 6pm. 101 East Central Boulevard, Orlando
An Artist reception may be scheduled for sometime in August depending on COVID-19.
Thank you Gallery500 director Jessica Kennedy for this outstanding video presentation on two of my latest paintings. Also for the very nice description of my paintings on your website.
"Born in Tarrytown, New York, in 1952, and residing in Southern Florida for most of his life, Robert Shirk’s dynamic paintings capture the beauty and sensuality of his subjects through a purposeful combination of adapted pointillism, optical illusions, and light play. A carefully orchestrated symphony of color in which layers of painted plexiglass work in cohesion to bring forth a compelling and visually dynamic image. The effect being, ethereally kinetic paintings with a distinctly sculptural quality and the illusion of movement as the viewer’s perspective changes. His aesthetic focus is to create an image of drama, beauty, and sensuality through composition, materials, and application of color—an image that is fun to view and contains unexpected surprises.
Robert’s artwork was thrown into the limelight early on, when he was selected to exhibit in the 1976 Bicentennial American Painters in Paris” and received an Honorable Mention. For the next 10 years, Robert sold artwork in various South Florida galleries before taking a hiatus from painting to develop a prominent career in graphic design and art marketing. Since returning to painting, he has developed the style of painting on multiple layers of plexiglass that he is known for today. He has exhibited extensively throughout Florida at institutions such as the Museum of Art and Science, the Orlando Museum of Art, The Art League of Daytona, and others. His work is gaining considerable attention in the media and collector bases for his unique and compelling application of traditional pointillist methods and figurative subject matter to unconventional materials, offering a dynamic and exciting viewing experience."
I just finished this short 72 second video showing my new painting 'Volto Musica'. You can see more images and the story about this painting here: http://www.robertshirk.com/gallery/portraits/voltomusica.html
I just finished this painting.
I've always loved the drama and decadence of the Venetian Carnival Masks. I wanted to paint one, and when there were two musical themed art exhibitions scheduled for this summer, I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately midway into creating my painting, those exhibitions were postponed or canceled because of Covid-19 issues. No matter, I'm happy I finally have my Venetian Carnival Mask painting.
See the story of this painting here.
Guess what? Something wonderful happened last night.
My painting 'Raina' won "Best in Show" at the Orlando Museum of Art's 1st Thursdays @ Orlando Museum of Art exhibition "Feminine Vision". I am extremely humbled. The quality of the artwork in the exhibition was exceptional.
Congratulations to John Baker for winning "Honorable Mention", and Fania Pena for winning the "People’s Choice Award".
See the story of my winning painting here: http://www.robertshirk.com/gallery/portraits/raina.html
Guess what? Something wonderful happened last night. My painting 'Raina' won "Best in Show" at the Orlando Museum of...
Posted by Robert Shirk on Thursday, March 5, 2020
I just finished this painting.
A couple years ago I came across this photo of a friend of a friend on Facebook, Spencer Lopez. She is a professional makeup artist in Las Vegas. The image immediately captivated me. I wanted to paint it. I asked Spencer, and she said "paint me any time!!!!!"
See how this painting is moving me closer to true Pointillism here.
A couple years ago I came across a few photos of a friend of a friend on Facebook, Raina Trimble. She has such a beautiful mysterious face, and her style immediately brought to mind the delightful character animator Richard Williams created for the Disney film 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'.
Yesterday the Lovely Loleita and I had a grand'ol time visiting with all the artists participating in the opening reception of the "2020 Annual Members Show" at the Art League of Daytona Beach. The main gallery was packed with some fantastic artwork. The artists were waiting in anticipation of who will win the $500 Best in Show award.
Thank you judge Mary Ann Beckwith for doing a wonderful job. Congratulations to all the winners, and to Trish Beckham for winning the $500 Best in Show award for her beautiful painting 'Stormy Sea'. I have included the top 4 winners artwork as well as some of my favorites. Your mileage may very. Also my painting 'Warhol's Marilyn - Dotted!' won an award too.
