tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275934362012-01-05T23:34:52.355-08:00John Paul Thornton's Art BlogJohn Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-28660975170432431072012-01-02T12:02:00.000-08:002012-01-02T12:41:46.220-08:00

[John Paul Thornton is interviewed by Studio-Online]Director Veronica Abrahms approached me from Studio-Online to create a documentary about my journey as an artist.I do two painting demonstrations and discuss the "Missing Children-Paintings of Hope" project. I also describe experiences working in Haiti, Nepal, India, Mexico and China. I get emotional in the end. I am grateful for the incredible

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-31769426872664654972011-07-04T08:28:00.000-07:002011-12-26T13:52:58.062-08:00

We were working in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the Petionville Camp tent-city, home to 55,000 people displaced by the devastating 2010 earthquake. The challenge was, can art, writing, photography and drama impact traumatized participants and provoke them to become leaders? [John Paul Thornton and participants in the "Girls United: Haiti Through Our Eyes" project]I worked on a remarkable arts

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-43934350393985845042011-02-03T13:36:00.000-08:002011-02-03T15:38:25.695-08:00

[Our National Endowment for the Arts project team and participating young artists in Taxco, Mexico]Have you ever had a time in your life when there seemed to be a beautiful, poetic theme that ran through everything? This time last year, I had a remarkable opportunity to experience that sense of unity and spiritual connectedness...I received a travel grant from the N.E.A., the National Endowment

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-21523828949278904622011-01-13T22:09:00.000-08:002011-01-13T22:27:37.668-08:00

The world's largest social networking site for artists, "deviantArt",asked me to create a portrait using their new digital painting program, called "Muro." Here is the finished promotional video, featuring the sped-up creation of my digital portrait. My wife Martina is the model.

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-26526835179610587542010-05-24T21:11:00.001-07:002010-06-06T09:09:02.931-07:00

[John Paul Thornton with his portraits of America's Missing Children.] In observance of National Missing Children's Day, May 25th, Volunteers from across America have been asked to play "Guardian Angel". Each volunteer has received by mail an oil painting of a missing child, created by Los Angeles artist John Paul Thornton. The volunteers have been challenged to dream up creative ways to display

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-38637308460877191042010-05-11T11:13:00.000-07:002010-06-06T08:59:38.781-07:00

I am honored to be exhibiting along with two brilliant artists: " target="_blank">Toni Scott and " target="_blank">Charlie Morey for the exhibition "Three Artists-One World" at the " target="_blank">Burbank Creative Arts Center.The exhibition has an opening reception on Friday, June 4th 2010 from 7 to 9pm and runs until June 24th. For gallery information and hours, please call 818 238-5397.I will

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-17420489928829454082010-04-22T06:24:00.000-07:002010-04-22T06:37:19.620-07:00

[Portrait of Aja Danielle Johnson, by John Paul Thornton]As I continue to paint portraits of America's missing children, I was asked to paint a portrait of Aja Danielle Johnson. She was born January 5th, 2003, reported as missing January 2010.After I began her painting, she was found deceased.I could not bear to put her painting aside. Finishing it was one of the most emotional experiences I have

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-54892154296187616002010-04-09T20:13:00.000-07:002010-04-09T20:31:32.436-07:00

The message in "Art and Courage: Stories to Inspire the Artist-Warrior Within"became more powerful to me this year as I have begun speaking to both intimate and large audiences. People from all over the world are telling me that it is empowering them to advance through these amazing times of transition. I am grateful to all of you who have written to me and am looking forward to having everyone

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-82127142599292179982010-02-19T20:10:00.000-08:002010-02-19T20:14:36.810-08:00

The burial of a great artist...My father, James Thornton was laid to rest today. And I want to share something with you, about art. Sometimes art is not about techniques, workshops or exhibitions. Today, my family members dipped their hand in paint and covered my father's coffin with bright prints. It was a final form ...of fare-well, bringing everyone together in a way that broke the barrier

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-7251043940014143642009-09-02T01:10:00.000-07:002009-09-02T01:18:44.833-07:00

[Artist John paul Thornton with his 1991 portrait of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was safely recovered in August 2009, after eighteen years]Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 2, 2009 -- Artist John Paul Thornton never knew Jaycee Lee Dugard, the missing girl who recently reappeared 18 years after her abduction. But his colorful painting of her reminded people never to forget her story.Thornton painted

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-71017669945288109732009-08-07T00:56:00.000-07:002009-08-07T01:05:28.527-07:00

The first edition of my new book, "Art And Courage: Stories To Inspire The Artist-Warrior Within" has arrived. Order your advance copy today.Order now through my distributor, Atlas books.

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-58119001903908942442009-08-01T22:44:00.000-07:002009-08-01T23:32:07.833-07:00

Images from our journey to the city of love...

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-22724708453746886482009-07-28T08:24:00.001-07:002009-07-28T11:06:03.468-07:00

A painting inspired by my work and projects in Nepal.

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-59457663789223416832009-07-28T01:34:00.000-07:002009-07-28T03:10:33.942-07:00

A few grand scenes and intimate moments during our trip to Koln,Germany this Summer..Gorgeous...

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-6896543285654685192009-07-19T10:06:00.000-07:002009-07-19T11:29:00.612-07:00

Thanks to my position with the Cultural Affairs Department of a major U.S. City, I get a peek into the art-world that has become overwhelmingly telling: Every day, my Email box is filled with messages from all over the world from artists...desperately looking for work.I don't mean the normal kind of job-hunting that we all must do, but the new kind of hunting. The kind we must do when many

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-67827257829094485192009-07-18T08:31:00.000-07:002009-07-18T09:49:56.494-07:00

While in Paris, I was able to spend time admiring the legendary and iconic Cathedral of Notre-Dame in detail. Being fascinated with places of worship in all cultures, I was particularly seeing the design and artworks as a complete delivery-system. The message: Awe, beauty and terror. The history of this inspiring structure is vast and reflects a thousand years of political upheaval,

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-87749984243516450042009-06-01T08:23:00.001-07:002009-07-17T17:55:21.016-07:00

Here are photos of my recent exhibition of paintings depicting the faces of America's Missing Children. Created in numerous styles, the paintings fill the walls at Los Angeles' ArtShare Gallery. Special thanks to curator Martha De Perez who also oversaw the overwhelming installation of two hundred paintings. [John Paul Thornton's installation of Missing Children Portraits at L.A. ArtShare Gallery]

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-26632480055771647022009-04-20T19:48:00.001-07:002009-04-29T09:46:08.643-07:00

[Cover of my new book,"Art And Courage"]This book is about us.I mean, it's about how we all have this ability to be powerful.I wrote it because I became fed up with the old story that artists are incapable of affecting the real world. I wrote "Art And Courage" not just for when we are feeling strong and grand, but also when life unfolds with it's whole heavy agenda and we question why we are

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-579955184029449642008-11-30T18:46:00.000-08:002008-11-30T18:55:34.642-08:00

"The promise" by John Paul ThorntonDedicated to the light that shines in India.This large painting depicting a Hindu cremation ceremony is all I can offer.

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-9322950077000719412008-10-09T09:46:00.001-07:002008-10-12T10:46:59.859-07:00

[ John Paul Thornton stands before his installation of Missing Children portraits.]It was my honor to curate a powerful exhibition at Katalyst Foundation of the Arts in Los Angeles, called "Find The Vein- Eight Artists Reunite With Their Mentor."The "mentor" is American artist and educator Saul Bernstein.The "Eight Artists" are:Dan Caplan,Dan Milnor Gonzales,Ashley Laurence,Paul Lasaine,Steve

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-26063755053489687452008-05-25T07:10:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:13:58.880-08:00

["Portrait of a Missing Girl" by John Paul Thornton]A little girl I knew was abducted.I was very affected emotionally, and when I looked around my home town in the following days, I finally noticed all of the little fliers asking for help finding missing children. ( In America there are 1,500 missing child cases open every day. The fliers are often printed on the backs of coupons and are

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-50263621497711872882008-04-25T15:05:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:13:59.053-08:00

[ Portrait of Skipp by John Paul Thornton]Skipp stood before the south light of the window and struck a dance pose. I blocked in the planes of the drawing while we talked about his love for living. Within a few hours a stray beam of sun that had been slowly advancing along the wall finally struck his torso and shoulder. A few thick strokes of alizarin crimson and ochre paint had to express the

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-26071392821971977802008-04-03T03:23:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:02.150-08:00

[John Paul Thornton with art students in Taxco Mexico]The greatest high I have ever experienced is teaching art to children. Better still is standing back and allowing the children to flex their own power, and watching them go.As part of a cultural exchange with Mexico, I traveled with a group of artists and educatorsduring Semana Santa, Holy Week, to the city of Taxco. Led by Stuart Vaughan

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-89610977377512629312008-03-30T19:50:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:05.787-08:00

A celebration in Mexico carries with it remnants of Aztec pageantry and the belief that blood is the conduit which prayer requires to travel from Earth to the realm of the divine. At the same time it is bound by the Catholic Spanish traditions that wove a tight connection to the Mexican people.I spent Holy Week in Taxco, a fantastically intact hill town, 200 kilometers south of Mexico City.Known

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-30555317232424098862008-03-14T21:25:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:06.618-08:00

[ Bell Ringer, detail by John Paul Thornton]What does the uprising of Tibetans against the government of China mean to you? Have you been watching the Internet news? Does a crumbling bumper-sticker proclaiming the liberation of Tibet register anymore to anyone? Could anyone be shocked by the new images of sweet Tibetan monks torching businesses ? Could anyone be surprised by the Chinese promises

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-28811219365606376352008-03-01T00:46:00.001-08:002008-12-11T05:14:07.076-08:00

I am honored that my painting "In The Light" will be included in the Amnesty International exhibition, "Presente! Homenaje a la Mujer" at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles.Here is some information about the exhibition:The Aliados con Amnesty network of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) and Avenue 50 Studio present ¡Presente! Homenaje a la Mujer, a group exhibition including nearly

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-16075103728094181562008-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:002008-12-11T05:14:07.237-08:00

[ Nude Back, by John Paul Thornton]I painted this from life in one session.Always when I approach this kind of image and design I feel a connection to the traditions of poetry and gravity that held sway centuries before my birth.To me, the color and atmosphere were the areas of focus.The most direct way to achieve harmony in color is to limit the palette. Here, I have used only four tubes of

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-23903658090455979832008-01-26T01:29:00.000-08:002008-12-11T05:14:08.046-08:00

[Bathing -Varanasi, India by John Paul Thornton]I still feel the emotion well up in my chest when I smell India. It is the smell of sweet garbage and wet earth. Smoke and the hint of cooking spice. I can get this aroma in the most ordinary places... back alleys by restaurant dumpsters, crowded downtown street fairs. The sounds of India are bells, water lapping upon stone. Laughter. Now, when

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-18950961732411152252007-12-24T07:29:00.000-08:002008-12-11T05:14:09.163-08:00

While painting in open sunshine, the play of warm and cool reflections makes for some of the most gorgeous effects. My favorite tool of all however is the delicate and deliberate use of rim lighting. [ "Rimlit" by John Paul Thornton ]

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-13967852421343221392007-11-21T13:25:00.000-08:002008-12-11T05:14:10.605-08:00

"What is the most beautiful thing in the World?"It was me asking this question to one of China's most prominent art aesthetics professors while I attended Shandong University's Conference of Comparative Art Aesthetics in Fall 2007. The professor smiled and laughed out loud but quickly regained composure and straightened his shoulders as if preparing to deliver a mini-lecture to me right there in

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-659433470196414322007-10-29T22:55:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:11.277-08:00

[ John Paul Thornton, "Tibetan Opera Dancer"]Here is a Painting of a Tibetan Opera Dancer, from the series inspired by my journey to Dharamsala, India.A close up detail shows that he skin is a patchwork created from alternating shapes of warm and cool planes. Brush strokes are placed side by side and left intact. A minimum of blending around the lips suggests movement. A few dark accents define

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-67504721178901559992007-09-30T20:44:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:14.973-08:00

[Temple embellishment-The Summer Palace, Beijing]Mr Li met me at Beijing International Airport. There were perhaps one thousand cardboard signs held by one thousand greeters, each with a thousand distinct names written in black marker. It took ten minutes to find mine. The fourteen hour plane trip melted away as a renewed jolt of adrenaline shot through my bones. It is nice to arrive as a guest

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-18968469137239281852007-09-26T23:11:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:20.381-08:00

"Professor John Paul, I have a question for you: It has been keeping me up at nights, thinking and wondering... In many paintings created from the west... Why is there no mountain?"The question was asked by my new Chinese friend and translator, Wang Qi. She repeated the last part for emphasis and waited for my answer: " Why is there no mountain?"What a question! We were on a lumbering tour bus,

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-17844589287069406562007-09-06T00:40:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:25.275-08:00

It was time. I felt it in my gut. It was time to put down my chopsticks and put a pencil in my hand…While attending the International Symposium on the Comparative Research of Modern and Contemporary Chinese and Western Art Education, I became hungry for some creative action. For days, every conversation with my Chinese colleagues had been revolving around questions of aesthetics, issues of

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-55290460293136593512007-09-02T03:03:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:25.934-08:00

“Do you have any last words?” my translator asked.I was in China. I had been sitting for two days at the International Symposium on the Comparative Research of Modern and Contemporary Chinese and Western Art Education. I felt numb from the waist down. Add to my sitting time the twelve hour airline flight and the train, Bus and taxi time… There had been so much traveling and so much preparation

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-12570877522247755922007-08-20T02:47:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:26.096-08:00

Here is my daughter Lorelei, doing her morning coloring.That look on her face makes me so proud. This girl has no expressive hesitation.

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-26491356459367891312007-08-08T23:27:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:27.176-08:00

[ Portrait of Baby Lorelei by John Paul Thornton]How powerful is a single word? When we speak, should we mumble? Slur our words together? Bark?I recently presented a series of painting demonstrations in Los Angeles that celebrated the lone, amazing, isolated brush stroke. I explored how each application of

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-42540728530744408462007-07-25T08:33:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:29.556-08:00

Whenever I have grown as an artist, it occurs through my love of projects that take me beyond my private world of painting and into the "real" world of people places and ideas.I once attended a professional art seminar (given by a wonderful painter) where an audience member asked the speaker how she responded to the news and events that plagued the earth. The artist broke into a smile and cooed,

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-31586839570415230522007-06-17T23:39:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:31.153-08:00

Curators at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo Norway were in need of a solution: How could the results of international art programs featuring artworks from around the globe be displayed in a unique tactile way, with no available wall space? Someone on the conference call had a suggestion: "How about In books!" I instantly imagined how such books could appear, and I asked to design and create them

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-84523303837745211102007-05-30T22:20:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:31.590-08:00

"Listen babe, you've got to do something with that imposing helmet. Oh, and It just doesn't convey friendliness when you're ramming a pole into the scapullas of the elderly..."The month of May in Los Angeles began with a May Day Immigrants rights march in MacArthur Park which left a shameful stain on the LA Police Department. When a line of riot-gear clad police with batons began shooting

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-6022983542535816522007-04-29T22:29:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:31.960-08:00

The Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio Texas has included my portrait "The Old Tibetan" in the highly anticipated upcoming Salon International Exhibition this Summer.Created with a palette knife, the painting depicts the face of a refugee woman from Tibet who I met while in Kathmandu, Nepal.My journey, which began in Northern India and led me to be granted permission to live with

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-31561490856155664422007-03-25T22:49:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:32.400-08:00

[Blockprint 'Sun" by John Paul Thornton]I have been invited to design a series of murals for the United Nations Environmental Programme.The completed series will be displayed at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo Norway, beginning on World Environment Day, June 5th, 2007A contributing team of young artists from the Full Circle Learning Program in Los Angeles California will be collaborating on the

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-21609330549309132332007-03-22T23:54:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:14:34.077-08:00

How do we "see"?Here are two figure studies I created from direct experiences with live models. For each painting, I used only four tubes of paint: Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ochre, Black and White.Any other sense of color created is an optical illusion. For example: I used no "blue" or "green"paint, but these colors appear to the viewer's eye.

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-31919207390575906652007-02-26T13:17:00.000-08:002008-12-11T05:14:34.424-08:00

It is delightful to see a major museum dance with glee while they really ought to be squirming with near-apology about an uncomfortable truth.The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is about to close it’s presentation of the world class exhibition called "Magritte And Contemporary Art- The Treachery of Images.” Hanging as the centerpiece of the exhibition is LACMA's Magritte masterpiece— The

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1169948433766242352007-01-27T17:38:00.000-08:002007-01-28T07:33:03.946-08:00

[Tokyo Rain by John Paul Thornton]"What is Wabi-Sabi?" I asked.It was a rain-drenched evening in Tokyo. A typhoon had hit earlier that day, spawning seas of bustling umbrellas beneath the towering neon skyscrapers of the Blade-Runner like Shinjuku district. In the midst of the flury I had been driven by a pair of Japanese artists to the Tokyo Museum of Art. We could be dry, and become lost in the

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1166984952005699322006-12-24T10:20:00.000-08:002006-12-24T10:57:26.086-08:00

There is no sense of good or bad. There is only activity, color and devotion.It is an awe-inspiring thing to see forty six-year olds fill up forty blank papers with personal, meaningful creations... I just finished conducting some holiday art workshops for children in Los Angeles. It is amazing to work alongside of little humans who create anything at a whim. They become so happy, and somtimes

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1165922555113930742006-12-12T02:55:00.000-08:002006-12-12T05:06:40.500-08:00

My favorite approach to figure painting is to leap into the process without hesitation. No preliminary drawings or daydreaming allowed! For this painting, the background was created beforehand by placing random marks and washes until a density of yellow hazy atmosphere is obtained. The canvas languished in my studio for nearly a year until the day I created this image. Somehow, the time was right

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1164344346766623772006-11-23T20:08:00.001-08:002006-11-23T21:40:56.486-08:00

One of the most meaningful sights I have seen with my eyes, has been my father holding my daughter tenderly in his arms. My father is a gentle, complex man who has recently been battling cancer. My daughter is a radiant child full of affection and vigour.While art history is packed with paintings depicting mothers and their children, the image of a man holding a small infant remains rare. To

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1164188319978149642006-11-22T01:15:00.000-08:002008-03-01T00:41:42.195-08:00

Earlier this year I did a portrait demonstration for an audience of about fifty people at the Fine Artists Factory in Pasadena, California.I photographed each stage and wanted to share them with those of you who love the way oilpaint can communicate flesh, depth and light. For artists, this kind of painting experience is akin to savoring a meal, enjoying taste after taste. It is also like

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1160899266642496602006-10-15T00:21:00.000-07:002006-11-22T04:08:07.990-08:00

["Where To Now?" By David Andres Kietzman]Visitors entering the gallery at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles, were met with a space lit with candles and decorated with vases of marigolds. Groups slowly moved from piece to piece, or lingered to absorb the unapologetically heavy content.An art show about remembering the souls of dead children? Most gallery directors would never

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1159860185684840882006-10-03T00:22:00.000-07:002006-10-03T21:58:08.623-07:00

The spine of the old book was tattered, thick and covered with bold words:“NOB U Delima Likovnih Umetnika Jugoslavije”I had to climb a ladder to retrieve it from the top shelf of the art section in a favorite used book store I frequent every time I’m in Hollywood. Some people go to health spas, or meditation retreats, or brothels. I go to used book shops. They are like temples to me. Over the

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1156919465457981032006-08-29T23:27:00.000-07:002006-09-30T22:24:36.316-07:00

Tommy Hollenstein’s paintings are alive with color. Vibrant reds and rich blues collide with streaks of yellow like veins of energy. Colors like sunsets or lush abstract landscapes radiate seductively. Some canvases are elegantly stark, while others are dense with layers and rhythm. It’s the rhythm that is captivating. Evoking movement is the painter’s greatest challenge, for the picture is in

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1153536600601533352006-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:002006-07-28T00:40:12.456-07:00

A random search of the internet brought me to the websites of two living fine-artists. One is Lebanese, and the other is Israeli. They are approximately the same age and have the same joy in their painting. Take the next few minutes to visit each site now. Let all the news images of Middle Eastern assault and repercussion momentarily disappear. After you have visited each artist’s website,

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1151802656764429812006-07-01T18:10:00.000-07:002006-07-02T11:34:08.273-07:00

"I would like to exert influence in these times when human beings are so perplexed and in need of help-"These words were written by a mother whose son was taken from her during a ravaging war. This fact alone did not differ her mourning and grief from that of hundreds of thousands of other mothers across the cycles of human history. She was also an educated, articulate teacher holding prestigious

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1151217413882033752006-06-24T23:20:00.000-07:002006-07-01T21:14:12.863-07:00

When Napoleon Bonaparte conquered France, he was not ignorant about the power of art to reflect his regime's ideals. He was also quite aware of art's ability to affect public opinion. He wisely chose Jacques-Louis David to head up the French Art world and gave him reign over the content, style and moral role that painting would play in the growingly oppressive Napoleonic empire. Jacques-Louis

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1150849954588000232006-06-20T16:46:00.000-07:002006-06-23T07:50:09.726-07:00

"Nobody cares about art. No one really cares."My friend Peter spoke these words aloud, and they hung there in the air with the weight of a comfortable reclining chair. He stared out his studio window, waiting for me to repeat his mantra. Before I could speak, he churned out another sorrowful statement, punctuated with a heavy sigh. "It just seems that nobody is interested in art anymore."Of

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1149751311290042322006-06-08T00:18:00.000-07:002006-06-26T07:21:43.633-07:00

“It’s like abortion. You are either for or against it. The same can be said about this controversial artist.”With these shocking words, Scott Schaefer, the paintings curator of the J.Paul Getty Museum summarized a circus-like two-hour lecture called “The Great Bouguereau Debate” held on Tuesday June 6th. A near-rabid crowd of a few hundred art-lovers and art-makers crammed into the luxurious

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1149156208486661432006-06-01T03:02:00.000-07:002006-06-21T08:24:31.950-07:00

[The eyes of Lord Buddah peer out from the Swayambunath Monkey-temple, high above Kathmandu, Nepal]Nepal called to me in dreams from the core of my soul. I don't know when I first thought of Nepal as a destination I had to see. Was it mentioned in some half-remembered travel program? A book on Hindu sculpture I chanced upon? A photo journalist essay featuring blurred photos of muddy Kathmandu

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1148196253951751212006-05-21T00:23:00.000-07:002006-06-25T19:02:06.586-07:00

I paint them from the "Have You Seen Me?" fliers, distributed to over eighty million homes in America. What do you do with the fliers when they come to your mailbox? Since 1992 I have painted the portraits of hundreds of missing children from the mailers. To learn more about how I began this project and the different ways the paintings have been displayed to reach the public, visit my website,

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1147944264322600232006-05-18T01:07:00.000-07:002006-06-26T07:05:07.916-07:00

The Tate Gallery in Britain must have disappointed the fans of cutting edge art when it announced the nominees for the esteemed Tate award for 2006. ``We are moving away from sensationalism and toward a more serious realm,'' said Stephen Deuchar, the Director of the Tate. Seriousness? Is the sensationalist party over? Does this mean that they weren't "serious" until now?As an American Artist, I

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1147741705551745902006-05-15T18:07:00.000-07:002006-06-26T07:06:30.420-07:00

Welcome to "Art And Courage". I'm John Paul Thornton.I have alot of paintings going on for upcoming shows, but I've also got some commissions that I will be documenting on this blog. Right now I am just finishing the final touches on a formal portrait of a lovely young lady whose parents commissioned me to paint her before she heads off to Italy for school. The decidedly classical portrait smacks

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1147595327326794302006-05-14T01:06:00.001-07:002006-06-18T21:35:37.623-07:00

A young French painter named Jean Germain Drouais returned home from studying in Rome in 1780. He was asked by the Art Academy to present a humble copy of an old masterwork as proof that he had spent his stay in Italy wisely. At the time, all good students were required to dutifully copy a painting and deliver it to their professors as a final step towards earning their certificate of graduation

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27593436.post-1147198160281623832006-05-09T10:15:00.000-07:002006-06-18T21:32:02.436-07:00

It was a time of revolution… Crowds had erected barricades at major intersections throughout the city. The crackle of gunfire, and the acrid smell of smoke filled the air. The date was 1848 and the city was Paris, France. The country was erupting into frenzy but the neo-classical painter Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres continued to paint at his easel, carefully blending his brushstrokes on his

John Paul Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146507033558183193noreply@blogger.com