Sean Cheetham Front and Door
Sean Cheetham (32) teaches at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and studied with Mike Hussar at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. His classical but edgy paintings of the figure is attracting attention as new important figure painter to watch. There is an interesting article about his painting approach in an October 2006 issue of American Artist Magazine that you can read online. He teaches workshops at the LAAFA that are very much in demand but you can watch a speed painting video of a portrait painting he made at a workshop that I’m posting below. I often find demo portrait videos rather boring but this one was fascinating, the end of the video has a slide show of his other paintings worth the watch as well.
Sean Cheetham’s blog has a number of his paintings posted with higher resolution images that really show the work well. However you don’t really get much information about him or the work other than the work itself. The Lines and Colors blog has a good post about him here. Sean also has a website but for some reason I am only able to see the top page. In any event here is a little taste with a few details of some amazing figure paintings.
Detail view
Detail view
Painting Perceptions was started in 2009 by Larry Groff to promote the ideas, practice and experience of painters working from observation in a modernist vein from around the world through interviews, essays, videos and community. It later evolved to include imagination-based and abstract painting as well.
One of the worst things my “art school” did, was it’s adhearance to then current “art-think” and its wholesale rejection of any art that it didn’t approve of. Thusly, the painting of the late 19th. century European Academy was totally ignored, and you were required to search through old books to find information about it.
Today, this has changed, and a lot more information and photo’s of these paintings are out there to be seen. A lot of current Realism (for lack of another, perhaps better term) is understandable in its continuation of ideas and theme’s from the Academy.
Paintings like the tatooed nude on the couch are so much in line with one’s like a Cleopatra by Alexandre Cabanal, almost to the expression in her eyes….
It’s a shame these links arn’t being discussed, pointed out, what-ever, but given roots historically so to speak. I haven’t followed the links you provide yet, perhaps some of this is spelled out.
I wish he would paint with natural light.
Thanks for putting these out there. He is a incredible painter. Very inspiring.
Oh no, can you add “more often” to the end of my comment? I clicked “send comment” by accident, before finishing, and only saw today that it was posted. My apologies for saying something like this by accident about a painter I actually admire a great deal!
Sean has a superb mastery of realistic technique, composition and most definitely of original conception, even if it might have glints of influence from other painters from the past. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion! I have looked at his website before with a lot of admiration, and my only wish is that he would paint with natural light more often. I only say this because, having painted for years in natural lighting conditions, it can add just another dimension to the work, like the difference between painting an artifically-lit landscape, and one naturally lit by the sun with all of its changes. There is nothing wrong with painting people under artificial light, I do it sometimes too, but I prefer the surprises that come about by painting under natural lighting conditions more.
The question of light… when and where we paint seems somewhat obscure considering the fact that lights were used for photographing these, plus we see paintings in studios, galleries and museums under mixed light sources, and finally all of this is currently back-lit through the monitor for viewing.
So many great paintings of light, atmosphere, etc., were done in the studio under totally different lighting conditions, that the role of memory has to be considered as just as great a source as being out-side in the natural light, whatever that means in these days of smog.
Of course the effect of painting outside on the artist themselves is another matter… nothing like the warmth of a sun… or a sudden rain, but again, I wonder about the degree memory can and does play in studio painting of these same effects.
The Link to Mendenhall Gallery should not include “sobieski”
http://www.mendenhallgallery.com/
It appears that Sean has thrown together a quick page for his website and does not have anything other than a link to his gallery and email. I do not believe there is a problem accessing the site other than an incorrect URL to his gallery.
Thanks Michael, I just changed the link to what you said (which previously didn’t work) but now I wish I didn’t as I don’t see his paintings anywhere and a search on that site for Sean Cheetham came up empty. The gallery isn’t at all what I would expect for his level of painting, doesn’t seem like a good fit. I will investigate further when I get a chance.
I just looked further and it looks like there is no real gallery – just a link from the site’s paintings to an ebay gallery. Maybe he previously was selling the painting on ebay and somehow used this site – seems bizarre though. I am taking off the link for now.
For those in the bay area please go check out his work at Lincart Gallery.
One Otis Street San Francisco 94103 415.503.1981
info@lincart.com
November 7th – December 2009
http://www.lincart.com/
Went to the vernisage last nite. Del Toro played. Fantastic eve.
This is the first time I’ve seen or heard of Sean Cheetham, and I have to wonder why. He is an exceptional painter.
Followed Joycelyn’s link and found mutiple Cheetham paintings here:
http://lincart.com/artists/album26
couldnt pull up the lincart link. He wasnt listed at La School of figure painting, does anyone know where he is or any contact information?
Please send me his biography
I love his paintings
Frans from holland