For many years I’ve lived in the Portland, Oregon area, primarily in the Lake Grove neighborhood of Lake Oswego. A year ago, I moved to Vancouver, Washington. It’s been a very busy year creating many new works of art.
I created several remakes by studying and copying the masters of paintings like I was doing reproductions. I was fascinated how I was able to do this, learning by copying what a master artist created. Through observational skills and critiquing their own work, many successful artists themselves also copied or studied from the masters.
So here are a few I’ve created.
Rokeby Venus. Painting by Diego Velázquez. 1647.
The Fan. Painting by Christopher B. Mooney. 2022
This is my version, a remake, and a similar composition to The Grand Odalisque.
The original painting by Ingres of the woman is in the nude. Today we clothe the women in tight or loose fabrics or other sensual material primarily as props, leaving the viewer to imagine the sensation. It’s like a suggestion instead of the beauty of the female nude.
Rokeby Venus. Painting by Diego Velázquez. 1647.
Tattoo Venus. Painting by Christopher B Mooney. 2022.
This is my version, a remake, and a similar composition to Rokeby Venus. The original painting by Velázquez of the woman is in the nude. I chose to clothe this subject in tattoos. It seems an ugly or tribal movement only to suggest instead of portray the beauty of the female nude.
Cityscape #3. Painting by Richard Diebenkorn. 1963.
Cityscape No.3. Painting by Christopher B. Mooney. 2022.
This is my version, a remake, of the abstract landscape painting Cityscape #3. I personally think it’s the most color-discordant work of art I’ve ever seen, and yet that’s the reason it’s the most successful work of art. For each different color in my painting, I had to mix a batch of different colors and set aside the palette to create another color. I must have had about five or six palettes! Normally, I use one palette with a minimum of colors—old school colors—yellow, red, and blue with ochre, sienna, umber, and white to create one entire painting.