Acuity

ACUITY is a rather new painting of a model I hired when I lived in Toledo, OH. Steven was an incredible model. I oversaw a life drawing session at our gallery and was responsible for finding models. Steven knew how to use his body, how to pose and how to use light to its advantage. This is my second painting of Steven. As I looked through my photos, I was drawn to the intensity of this image. The lighting and the facial expression caught my attention. To start the painting, I did something I have never done before... I mixed metallic gold into my mixed black for the background. It gives the background an interesting quality that I feel enhances the image. This painting is small compared to my recent work. The painting is a 12 x 24 acrylic. Once the painting was completed, I was looking for an appropriate name. I felt that the painting showed an intensity of thought or focus. I settled on Acuity, "a quick and penetrating intelligence." I hope you enjoy the painting.

Thomas - Head On

"Thomas - Head On" was the first large scale portrait in a potential future series entitled "Friends...and Lover". The intent is to paint portraits of friends of mine and a portrait of my partner. This painting is of a former boyfriend of my partner's second cousin. The painting is a 30" x 40" acrylic on canvas. I wanted to capture the softness in his eyes. Thomas is a very sensitive man and I was hoping to capture the sensitivity in the portrait. I learned a lot doing the painting. In the past, I thought of the people in my paintings as nothing more than objects as in my still lifes and landscapes. In this painting, the feelings I wanted to convey weren't coming across and the painting felt quite cold. I started the painting over several times. Then, one weekend, Thomas and Christina came over to visit and, while he was in the other room playing games with her, I could hear his voice, his humor, and his laughter. I connected with who Thomas was and the painting seemed to flow out of me. I completed the entire face from pure white to what you see now in a matter of about three hours. I have started thinking more of the model as a person in my newer portraits and that has made all the difference. This painting has been on display in several group exhibitions.

63 Cocktails

"63 Cocktails" is my newest work. It is an acrylic on canvas and is sized 30" tall by 40" wide. The painting is of a neon sign above John's Grill, a restaurant in San Francisco. At the time I was there photographing, I was drawn to the old neon both during the day and at night time. I shot many photos of the sign and have more paintings of it planned. I decided to do research on the restaurant recently and learned that the restaurant played an important role in the book and the movie "The Maltese Falcon." This piece is available for purchase. It is framed in a black wood frame and is selling for $2,000.00. If interested, please contact me at dsimoneau@wi.rr.com with the subject 63 Cocktails.

BUSY BUSY - News Updates

I have been a very busy artist!

• I currently have three pieces accepted into the Racine and Vicinity Exhibition at the Wustum Art Museum in Racine, WI. The show opens on Saturday July 26 and runs through November 15.
• I just delivered a piece to the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, WI for the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors Southeast Chapter Exhibition. The show opens on August 10 and runs through October 12.
• I have been juried into Lemon Street Gallery, a collaborative, cooperative gallery in Kenosha, WI and I dropped off four pieces for display.
• I have again been accepted into Who's Who in American Art!
• I am working on a new piece for display at the Artists Gallery in Racine, WI., another cooperative gallery of which I am a member and the gallery director. I will post the painting as soon as it is completed.

Market and Powell - San Francisco

This Acrylic on Canvas (24 x 48) recently took first place in the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors Winter Exhibition at the Reuss Federal Building in downtown Milwaukee. I like this painting because I feel it says a lot about society. Notice that, even though there are 4 people in the painting, all in close proximity to each other, there is no connection between any of the people. Even the two women on the left are not connected even though they are walking together. I also like the ethnic diversity of the image (Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian and African American). I go to San Francisco annually and make a point of spending time each year at the Market and Powell Cable Car turnaround to "people watch". I have taken many images here that are potential paintings but this was my first in the series. This painting is available for purchase for $3,000.00. If interested, please contact me at dsimoneau@wi.rr.com with the subject Market and Powell.

Breaking Up is Hard To Do...

Breaking Up is Hard To Do... is a recent acrylic on paper piece. The model, Walter, was moving to Arizona and had recently broken up with his partner. The title has as much to do with what Walter was going through as with the style of the painting. The painting was treated as a mosaic. I began by drawing and painting the "grout." I then painted the "tiles" one color at a time until the image was completed. I loved watching the image appear as more colors were added. The image came to life near the end as the darks were added. This painting is available for purchase at $3,000.00. If interested, contact me at dsimoneau@wi.rr.com with the subject Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. The painting is 22 x 30 matted and framed to 28 x 36 and glazed with plexiglas.

Dan Simoneau Art: Welcome to my gallery. About me and my work...

About Me...
I have been creating art for over 30 years. Art has always been a major part of my life. I make an attempt to work on something creative every day. I have been fortunate to have several of my pieces win awards in major juried shows and to have pieces in several collections throughout the country.

I graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 1984 with a BFA. My majors were painting, printmaking and pottery and my minor was art history focusing on architectural history. I have taught art, primarily intermediate and advanced watercolor, through school programs and privately. In 2005, I was fortunate to be selected for inclusion in Who's Who in American Art.

I am currently gallery director of the Artists Gallery, Racine, Wisconsin's only artist-run cooperative gallery. The gallery is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.

About the paintings...
I want my painting to make people look closer at the beauty around them. Beauty is present in many forms. In today's fast-paced world I want people to slow down, relax and enjoy the abundance of beauty in the World.

While it appears that I paint a great deal of subject matter, I really only have one subject in all my work. The subect is light. I am fascinated by the way light affects mood and the appearance of objects, whether, they be figures, landscapes, florals, etc. Monet captured the many moods and colors of light in his work and I attempt to do the same in my own style.

All works on paper are matted in neutral acid free mats and framed under glass or plexiglas.