International Prize Winners
Athens, Greece, Textures, pastel, 14 x 20" (36 x 51 cm)
All the Prize Winners in International Artist magazine Challenge No. 113, Still Life
Intuitive Thinking
As a self-taught artist, George Tsakiris was always concerned with developing his technique and painting skills. He now confidently focuses on the design and composition of each piece, with his style varying from photorealistic to a looser, impressionistic approach. How he decides on his method depends specifically on what he is creating and the medium used.
“Each time the subject matter and the medium I choose dictates the path I take,” he elaborates. “For example, I have a tendency to paint in a tight, highly realistic style whenever I use pastels for still lifes. Conversely, I believe that painting fast and loose is a better way to translate what I feel about a landscape when the medium of choice is oil or watercolor.”
Often Tsakiris’ inspiration comes from his surroundings, which he observes through the lenses of composition, shape and color. “As a result of this abstract perception of visible things, I’m able to find inspiration in almost anything be it a figure, an object or a landscape,” he says. “I’ve never had the intention to paint a series of a particular theme through my artistic journey; although at some point I realized that every so often I have been painting themes that pertain to children.”
Lending itself naturally to the idea of finding inspiration in almost anything is Tsakiris’ belief that each painting has its own language “through which it transmits its message to the soul of the viewers by elevating their spiritual vibes,” he says. “In other words, art acts as a refining tool for the soul. That’s why I don’t feel it necessary to incorporate social or political messages in my paintings, I don’t reject it though. After all, whatever lies in an artist’s heart eventually will emerge.”
Painting can be a time-consuming process for Tsakiris, so he relies on sketches and his photos. He will often envision the composition and search through his references for what approach to use for the work. “Other times I start looking at my photos and after I find a potential one, manipulate it to make a pleasing composition,” he says. “I don’t follow a steadfast way of painting but rather rely on intuition and the spur of the moment.”
My Inspiration
On this occasion I started with a general abstract idea I had in mind for my next painting. I visualised a warm, earthy color scheme with a variety of different and contrasting textures and dramatic lighting. As this idea became clearer and took a definite form in my mind over time, the next step was to select the objects that would serve the purpose and transfuse a luscious feeling to the piece.
My Design Strategy
As the thematic unity was not an issue but rather the sheer visual aspects, I selected miscellaneous objects of various textures and sizes in order to be able to set a pleasing and balanced composition. I used a single light source and a cardboard to create shadows and obscure some parts of the setup, especially the background. I moved the objects around and took many reference photos. The final composition was based partly on logical planning and partly on intuition. I took my time looking at the setup, thinking of the way I was going
to proceed. I decided to work in a highly realistic manner as I thought that this was the best way to depict what I intended for.
My Working Process
I selected a dark grey sanded paper for this painting. After taking a few basic measurements with a proportional divider I completed the initial drawing freehand using a white pastel pencil. I started by painting the background in a Pan-pastel layer and sprayed it with fixative. Whenever painting with pastel in realistic manner I don’t work all over, but rather complete each section as I proceed to avoid smudging. I use a variety of pastel pencils, hard and semi-soft pastels and very soft pastels for highlights where needed, as in pomegranate which, by the way, is the focal point of the painting, hence the high contrast in value and texture comparing to the surrounding objects. I don’t blend with fingers nor I spray the final painting with fixative.