Flint Reed Paintings: Through the Years From Here and There - Softcover

Reed, Jill

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1463417004 ISBN 13: 9781463417000

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2011

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

FLINT REED

Paintings Through the years From Here and thereBy Jill Reed

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Jill Reed
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4634-1700-0

Contents

Introduction....................................................4Background......................................................6Spain & Switzerland Paintings 1960..............................8Grenada Paintings 1966..........................................10Grenada Paintings 1970-1972.....................................11Central California Paintings 1972-1977..........................16Northern California Paintings 1992-1996.........................23Southern California Paintings 1977-1988.........................25Horse Race & Polo Match Paintings 1994-1996.....................33Chicken Paintings 1994-2005.....................................37Around the U S Paintings 1985-2009.............................39Canadian Paintings 1987-1998....................................66European Paintings 1990-1999....................................78Mexico Paintings 1987-2006......................................114Texas Paintings 1987-211........................................152Commissions.....................................................196Miscellaneous Information.......................................207Biography.......................................................210Notes...........................................................211About the Author................................................212

Chapter One

MADRID & SWITZERLAND 1960

Flint arrived in Spain in 1960 with intentions of becoming a Classical Portrait Painter where he attended the Escuela de Bellas Artes. He studied under Don Julio Moises, head of the art school, who was considered one of the best portrait painters in Spain, and had retired as head of The Prado Museum. During his studies there, he visited the Prado Museum two or three times a week being drawn to the Black Goya's. The students went to the Prado Museum almost daily to study the use of light, color and composition of the Masters. Morning classes were held at Don Julio Moises studio in portrait painting and in the afternoon at the school were classes in charcoal life drawing. Flint attended these classes for four months. Due to his lack of Spanish skills he was unable to appreciate and take in the finer points of the instruction and moved on to Switzerland.

MADRID & SWITZERLAND 1960-1965

Flint married his first wife in Switzerland. Spent the winter there, where he painted, learned to ski, then moved to Mallorca. Living in Europe at that time gave Flint many opportunities which included dining with Robert Graves, a professor at Oxford, poet and author of "I, Claudius", Henry Miller, author of "Tropic of Cancer", Claire Booth Luce & Henry Luce of Time and Fortune Magazine. "It's a long way from East Texas, Toto". He met some other artists and started painting outdoors and found that dealing with light, color and form was more to his liking. The final conversion to outdoor painting came in 1962 while visiting the Tate Museum in London where he became influenced by the paintings of J.M.W. Turner. "It was the first time that I had become aware of the separation of color from form and form from color," Flint said. "I like the idea of having form not necessarily define color, but to have color define the form". Flint left Europe in 1965 and purchased a 138' Schooner in Port Lavaca, Texas, with the idea of painting his way around the world. Personal problems set that dream aside and he then moved to Grenada, West Indies in 1966, and on to Greece in 1968. He spent one and a half years there which was very visually exciting and informative for his painting. He had spent ten years painting and living in Spain, Switzerland, and Greece. He returned to the U.S. in 1967 to take custody of his son.

GRENADA 1969-1972

Flint was in California for several months before taking off to Florida to buy a boat. This time a 38' sailboat re-named the "Passim"(translation: Here & There in Latin) with plans to sail through the Caribbean ending up in Grenada with his companion and two young children. We were married there in 1970.

GRENADA WEST INDIES

We lived in Grenada years ago and returned for our 40th Anniversary. We found some of the places very changed, but many the same. These paintings were some of the places we revisited. The Central Market, where spices are sold, is very much the same, the Coast Fishing Cove the same, but the large homes of European settlers had changed the southern end of the island immensely. The portrait is of a waitress in a restaurant that was once a house on Grand Anse Beach where Flint had lived in 1966.

SKETCH BOOK 1977

These drawings are used for layout, composition and form

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

We moved to the Monterey Bay area of California and lived there from 1972-1977.

Flint took print making classes at Cabrillo College. A tradition has evolved with the Etchings where one has been made every year for the past 35 years and given as gifts to family, friends and buyers at Christmas time. He then enrolled at UC Santa Cruz and received a BA in Fine Arts. During that time he was always painting the farming community.

Flint received this letter from Millard Sheets after attending his workshop in Yosemite National Park.

Flint admired Mr. Sheet's works and accomplishments in Art and was honored to be able meet him and attend his classes.

This painting is what Flint painted in that workshop.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1977-1997

We moved to Coronado Island with the idea of cruising again. We purchased "Dutchess" a 60' Flush Deck Motor Yacht, with the idea of traveling to Mexico which we did for several years. Flint enrolled in San Diego State University for Post Graduate studies in Art where he received his teaching credentials, but never used. This is were we stayed for the next 20 years. We did many painting trips driving though most all of the U.S. Continental States, Canada and the Maritime Providences, as well as, many trips to Mexico while living in California.

These two paintings above were made into puzzles and sold in the Hotel's Gift Shop. The ones below were done from old photographs circa 1900 which were provided by the hotel staff.

COMMISSION

Flint was commissioned by a family member while we were living in California. They provided photos of his mother feeding chickens at her farm in Illinois.

Buyer provided photographs of himself at polo matches which Flint combined into this painting.

CHICKEN PAINTINGS FROM HERE AND THERE 1994-2005

A Chinese lady once told Flint, "it brings a person good luck when a chicken painting hangs in your house", and we have two. We lived on a small farm during the early years of our marriage where Flint raised most of our food, which included chickens, pigs, sheep, as well as, the vegetables. This love of animals, as you can see, has continued in the following paintings.

AROUND THE U.S. ALASKA 1985-2009

The following paintings were produced during some of our trips around the U.S. In this section I have separated the works by regions, not by the time painted.

AROUND THE U.S. ARIZONA

Flint was a participant in the "Scottsdale Celebration of Fine Arts", aka, "The Tent Show", for the first nine years of the show. Each year the show went from January thru March and Flint lived in Scottsdale during those months. Each Artist had their own booths where they displayed their works in progress and painted there every day. Many friendships were made during that time where they critiqued each others work and had a few beers, too. They have kept in contact through the years and have gone out together on many outdoor painting trips.

Flint's painting and display area at the Scottsdale Celebration of Fine Arts show.

This is one of Flints larger paintings which was painted in Scottsdale at Alan Walton's workshop..

Flint's imagination created these paintings while at the Scottsdale Celebration of Fine Arts.

The Indian says "Interesting Country" The Critic says "Too Many Tepee's"

AROUND THE U.S. IDAHO

We spent a week floating down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River learning to fly fish with a guide in the McKenzie Boats depicted in the paintings. It was a catch and release river so all supplies had to be carried in and out. We could not eat the fish but had fun as we went down some rapids and camped along side the river while the guides did all the cooking and packing up.

AROUND THE U.S. LOUISIANA

This was one of the many places we passed on our way to eat oysters in New Orleans. Flint was attracted by the tranquility of the scene of locals in pursuit of their dinner.

AROUND THE U.S. MONTANA

Flint painting in Glacier National Park. This outdoor painting trip to Montana was made with artists Larry Pirnie and Joe Abrescia.

Photograph of Flint shows, in the background, the painting in progress on the easel is the "Glacier National Park" painting.

AROUND THE U.S. NEW MEXICO

We made many trips through this state. The many different area through this state are reflected in these paintings.

AROUND THE U.S. SOUTH DAKOTA

We spent a year in South Dakota taking care of family business and spent the weekends traveling around the state taking in the many areas. Flint painted many landscapes, fields of sunflowers, the churches of the area. Flint, also, painted the farm houses some of which were abandoned and being used for grain storage. We then traveled on to the east coast of Canada for a month.

VANCOUVER ISLAND

Summer of 1987

We drove up the west coast to Vancouver and took the car ferry to Victoria and then up to Port Hardy, a mining town, at the north end of the island. We spent a week exploring the area and then we took a passenger ferry to Sointula Island, where we rented bikes to tour the island as no cars were allowed there. A very picturesque place with many harbors and fishing boats. Right up Flint's alley

Flint did these small, on-site, sketches while on a painting trip with artist, M.L. Coleman.

NEW BRUNSWICK

We spent a month traveling in a cabover camper from South Dakota up the East Coast of Canada and through the Maritime Provinces to Labrador. Flint saw a painting possibility at every turn in the road. He did small oils which were hanging all over the camper drying. We also took a ferry to Ile de St. Pierre which is a French Island off the coast of Newfoundland.

The painting below was donated to the new Coronado Police Station in 1995

ILE de St. PIERRE, FRANCE

This French Island lies off the east coast of Canada and was a point of distribution for liquor to the U.S. during prohibition. The town had many old warehouses and an old hotel with photographs of Al Capone, Joe Kennedy and others in display cases. It is now, once again, a fishing village.

FRANCE

We made this trip to France in 1990 on a river barge. We went through the rivers and canals of the Burgundy region from Chalon to Dejon visiting various wineries. Flint took advantage of the bicycles provided on the barge and every morning he rode ahead on the levee and painted various scenes along the river.

We drove to Switzerland and Northern Italy after leaving the river barge.

Flowers in the windows were a common sight in many of the towns along the river banks.

Received this note from the buyer who watched this painting in progress at the Scottsdale show. He sent us this note and the photograph of Flint holding the finished painting.

EUROPE AFRICA & ITALY

Flint's love of boats and water, the fishermen at work, and the working people show up a lot in these paintings. He incorporates European techniques of impressionism while portraying the brilliance of the environment, capturing the intoxicating light through brush strokes and the use of vivid color. In his paintings, the harbors convey the sound of water lapping against boats, and country villages come alive with sounds and smells.

GREECE

The paintings below were created long after Flint left Greece from his drawings and small studies. He often says he will not live long enough to paint all the things he has in his mind.

MALLORCA SPAIN

We made two month long trips to Europe one in 1995 and the second one in 1997. The first one we spent more time in Spain and briefly into Portugal. The second trip was spent mainly in the southern coastal towns of Portugal. We did, however, drive up the entire west coast of Portugal and back to Spain's northern borders before returning home. I have used a special section for the many painting of Mallorca. Flint had lived in Mallorca in the 60's and loved revisiting it again. We saw some of his old artist friends that still lived there. The paintings in this section were painted from 1996 thru 2006.

Mallorca is a very fertile farming area where many grape vineyards and olive trees are seen through out the island.

SPAIN

"The rest of Spain" Flint is painting in Rhonda using his Pochade box. This was sometimes used in his small outdoor onsite paintings. The paintings in this section were done from 1996 thru 2001

We drove to this town after reading the following information in a guide book "This charming town which preserves the atmosphere of the past is now protected as a national monument. It give a unique picture of the way of life of the old country nobility of Spain".

PORTUGAL

We stayed in Portugal for a month in the southern coastal town of Ferraguda. We loved the cleanliness of the villages and towns, the friendly and wonderful people. We drove all over the country and would love to go back again. This section of paintings were done from 1996 thru 2000.

The canal boats were used to gather seaweed which would be laid out to dry, and then used as fertilizer on the fields.

These boats were 30 plus feet long and oxen were used to haul them in and out of the water. We arrived too late to see as the oxen were at rest in field behind the dunes. We were sorry to miss this as we had driven many miles to witness.

The painting below was included in the Oct./Nov. 1998 issue of International Artist magazine with Flint's statement:

SENATION "My impression for this painting came on an autumn day in northern Portugal. This family, on a pleasant seaside outing, had sought shelter from a cool breeze in the lee of a working fishing boat, and the juxtaposition caught my eye."

PROCESS "In portraying this captured moment, I employed the use of color as well as form. I was particularly interested in the multiple colors in the sand. Instead of under painting it with a cool wash, I began with Cadmium Red, Orange and Yellow. When that wash was dry, I used a dry brush technique on the medium-tooth linen surface to lighten and cool the under painting. To achieve transparency in the green wave, I left the under painting and white canvas showing. As I completed the painting, random impasto brushstrokes added texture and interest."

We stayed in this Northern Portugal town and crossed the river into Spain the next day.

These chickens were in the Estremoz market.

This painting was donated to the Port Aransas Community Theatre, and hangs in their lobby.

BAJA

We made numerous road trips, and excursions on our boat "The Dutchess", while living in Southern California to the many unspoiled places of Mexico. It was then a safe and inspiring place to visit, and Flint loved the material he gathered for the paintings he produced of the Mexican way of life. "The colors I choose are not always a literal translation, but my impression and the mood I wish to convey", said Flint. Our first three trips were by boat we went down the west coast of Baja and up through the Sea of Cortez to places one never saw unless by boat. We traded canned meat and water from the local fishermen for lobsters. We traveled the mainland of Mexico mostly by car as far south as Oaxaca. The following paintings are a result of these wonderful trips.

Thea Dutchess in a Mexico fishing village

This old hotel was on the road to Ensenada in Baja California. Flint's imagination brought this old hotel back to its former glory.

While anchored in Ensenada harbor we went ashore every morning and bought Fish Tacos for breakfast off this vendor.

ALAMOS

We stayed in this hotel for a week while Flint painted many pictures in this old colonial town and the surrounding areas. Many Americans had moved here and restored the old haciendas. I took this photo of Flint while he was painting the "The Arches" painting, which was donated to the new Coronado Police Station.

(Continues...)

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Edition details

• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1463417004
• ISBN 13: 9781463417000
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216