Michael Theise

This  peice was done some time ago. It was in a group of slides I found recently. Its still one of my favorites, I just had to post it. 

I haven’t posted in awhile, just busy and a bit lazy. But I have been doing some small still life painting to get motivated to do some more trompes.. Sometimes I need to do paintings that are not so involved, it helps me recharge my battery. Trompe l’oiel can be very draining and the results take a long time to see. Every now and then I like to do paintings in which I’ll see more immediate results. As I finish these I will post them, I hope people find them of some interest.
The first one is of an old fruit press. I found it at an antique shop and thought that one day it may make for a major painting. But in this case I did a small piece, only 6×6. I prefer to think of it as a study.

I thought it might be interesting to post some painting I did years ago. They are now in private collections. I came across these slides and it felt like seeing old friends. So from time to time I will post them. I remember when I did this piece it was done on canvas mounted on wood. It is one of only a few I’ve done on canvas. The canvas has a tooth to it and I find it difficult to do fine detail although on this one it seemed to work.

Trompe l’oiel is a french phrase that means” fool the eye”. The artist does a painting that is so real it is thought to be the actual object. Trompe l’oiel is always a still life, but not all still life is trompe l’oiel.

 This style of painting has some rules to it. One of which is the objects being painted are usually flat or of little depth they are always painted actual size and rarely cropped. The setting for these objects  should be done against a flat background to prevent the eye from penetrating the picture plane. And the work is always painted realistically, not in the style of a photograph this would be considered photo realism a totally different style of painting (a style of painting I enjoy very much).

There are more rules and some exceptions to them, but this is just a starting point.  Artist can be very clever and find ways to bend the rules its just one of the things that keeps this style of painting current and interesting.

 Just when you thought you’ve seen and heard it all, now  painters can be a writers. I hope this blog will help explain some of the questions I’ve been asked over the years about trompe l’oeil.  The painting style can be complex at times. The techniques used take years to perfect but well worth the effort. Framing, although sometimes not necessary in trompe can be as interesting a journey as the painting itself.  The history of this painting style is fascinating, and its unique place in American art history makes it a story unto itself.

I hope readers will find enjoyment and knowledge here, your comments, questions and critiques will always be welcome. Together we can learn more about art and and make it a more enriching experience for everyone.