Sometimes, depicting the mastery of light and shadow in art isn’t as serious as a Rembrandt. It can be fun, too! Tony Craig’s artistic vision reveals a memorable impression about light. He’s an award winning animator who worked with the likes of Chuck Jones, Roy E. Disney, and Joe Barbara. These days, he enjoys the laid back life of preserving the beauty of Americana culture in his watercolor paintings, including the curious contrast between natural and human light.
Mastering watercolor to create an almost photographic image is a feat in itself. This playful motel sign demonstrates Tony’s skill in communicating both light and time. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to explore painting times of day that aren’t necessarily bright sunshine,” says Tony. “Tower Motel showcases a definite edge between light and shadow.”
We love the creative coastal theme of the neon capped swimmer diving in the direction of the arrow with the setting beach sun in the background with the tops of the bushy palm trees. Tony remarks that pieces like this one “also capture the transition from dusk to night, with the… neon tubing [of Pool] creating definite edges of captured light.”
Remember Coca Cola when it was served in glass bottles? (They’re still in glass if they’re from Mexico!) Sun Spot was a popular soda made with real orange juice in the 1940s and 1950s. “Sun Spot shows light as it appears projected through vintage soda bottles into an area of subtle differences once the light has passed through the glass,” says Tony. It turns out that light can shine on nostalgia, too.
There’s something pleasant in the irony seeing a glowing chili dog sign against the wispy clouded sky. The bright red sign somehow pairs well against the soft blues and pinks of the partly cloudy sky. Capturing these common “slice of life” moments in the United States is Tony’s passion. “I love traveling the back roads of America. I hope to capture these wonderful places before they vanish from the landscape... and reveal their beauty.” It almost makes us hungry enough to get a chili dog!
While McDonald’s latest minimalist architecture design is hotly contested as of late, Tony captures an earlier 2000’s McDonald’s building in a small North Carolina town that still preserves its charm. “The differences in temperature and contrast between manmade and natural light are something I’ve been wanting to tackle,” he says. The restaurant’s soft glow against the twilight captures a hospitable feel that you can relate with if you’ve ever been a weary traveler on the road.
Light by nature reveals a multitude of things. Sometimes, the results are a happy surprise! Discover a new perspective through The Modern Masters Event: The Edge of Light at Seaside Art Gallery. This illuminating art show invites you to linger in light’s radiance through masterfully painted original art. Come celebrate the skill of light depicted in art.
Chelsea Reed is a copywriter who writes winning content, articles, blogs, and websites from her base in North Carolina. She might not be building sandcastles or swashbuckling with pirates these days, but the Outer Banks beaches continue to keep her young at heart.
Majestic and awe-inspiring, Lorraine Dey’s acrylic paintings harness nature’s extraordinary moments on the canvas. Her award winning work is showcased far and wide in the United States, Canada, and even Finland.
Artists have painted with oils since the 7th century, but it wasn’t until the 15th century that Flemish painters discovered new ways to master the illusion of light with the medium. Majestic and awe-inspiring, Pattee Hipschen enjoys expressing light in her oil paintings.
Lori loves to paint the wonders of natural light. One of her fondest memories is sitting at the kitchen table as a young girl while her great-grandmother showed her how to expertly draw life around her.
