Birds of Paradise by Jose Vives-Atsara- Rare Subject Matter Now at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art

Birds of Paradise by Jose Vives-Atsara

Birds of Paradise is a Jose Vives-Atsara painting that jumps off the canvas. The spiky bright yellow flowers grab the viewer’s attention and contrast with the abstract background. The effect is a dramatic piece, one that is not the typical floral subject matter for the artist. The painting does have all the distinctions of a Vives-Atsara, heavy use of pallette knife, bold colors and subject matter. However he usually rendered more traditional flowers like roses and wildflowers. This indicates that Birds of Paradise was most likely a commission.

     Vives-Atsara's oil paintings have been described as both realistic and impressionistic; this piece borderlines on the abstract. The flowers and foliage fall into the impressionism category but the yellow petals have a geometric quality to them that when juxtaposed against the fluid and indistinct background create an abstract effect. The result is a highly impressionistic rendition that appears more abstract as it is viewed. Throughout his career he used only nine colors, and he mixed his paints so well that he didn’t muddle colors. In Birds of Paradise, even though impressionistic, the greens do not become brown and the yellows remains pristine. Vives-Atsara also shows his mastery with surprise pops of blue and purple that individually stand out, but taken as a whole blend effortlessly with the entire piece.

     Vives-Atsara studied art at Colegio de San Ramon and the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. The Spanish Civil War interrupted his studies and he was impressed into the Communist Army. He was a POW and eventually migrated to United States. He landed in San Antonio in 1956 where he established his art career and eventually became a citizen. Vives-Atsara was an art professor at Incarnate Word College. For special guests such as Pope John Paul II, he commissioned paintings as gifts. He enjoyed a celebrated career as an artist and passed away in 2004. He is currently represented in collections including the Museum of Modern Art, Spain, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art is pleased to have several Jose Vives-Atsara paintings including Birds of Paradise for viewing or purchase. Stop by the gallery today.

By Gina Martinez Gladson, JR Mooney Galleries staff

Robert Wood in West Texas now at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art

West Texas Landscape by Robert Wood
 

 

 

     The gentle mountains and sparse landscape of west Texas make excellent subject matter for works of art. The western portion of the state is full of stark colors, bold skies and a certain emptiness that is appealing to the eye. The prolific artist Robert Wood captured this unique landscape in many of his works. In particular, West Texas Landscape, believed to be painted sometime in the 1950’s, is a stunning example of the artist’s work.  The color palette and vast scenery exemplify Wood’s subject matter and style from that period of his career.

     The most mass produced artists in the United States, Robert Wood traveled all over the country. Originally from England, Wood came to the U.S. after time in the service and he traveled extensively by rail. Wood lived in Oregon, Ohio and Florida, before settling in San Antonio from the late 1920’s to 1940. In San Antonio, he gained a national reputation for his strong dramatic landscape paintings.  Some of that prestige came from his studies with Jose Arpa, a prominent Texas artist.  Wood also gave art lessons, and one of his students was Porfirio Salinas. Like Texas painters Robert Onderdonk (1853-1917) and his son Julian (1882-1922), Robert Wood concentrated for a time on the distinctive Texas landscape. He developed a reputation for his bluebonnet scenes and incorporated stone barns and rough wood farmhouses into his compositions that added authenticity and romance.

     While still living in Texas, he took extensive sketching trips west all the way to California. It is evident that his 1930's California and Texas works started to show an awareness of the California Plein-Air movement. These more mature works are distinguished by a fine sense of detail reminiscent of late-19th-century American landscape painters. Wood's reputation with collectors grew nationally. He painted the Colorado Rockies in the 1930s and 1940s. By the early 1960s, the Tetons and the California coast made up a significant percentage of his work. He would continue to paint popular Texas landscapes but his style changed. Works from this period are broadly painted with a more chromatic palette. Over the years Wood continued to develop his style; his subject matter remained rural landscapes.   

     Wood's commercial success is considerable when one realizes that he devoted little to no effort to promoting his work or gaining acclaim among the art community.  He was included in many shows, and had thousands of reproductions made of his work. At the age of eighty, the American Express Company commissioned him to paint a series of six works to be reproduced as limited edition serigraphs for their Cardholders. Instead of fame, Wood believed in the natural appeal and time enduring quality which results from serious dedication to one's craft. His beliefs proved to be true. West Texas Landscape is currently at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art to view or purchase.

 

by: Gina Martinez