Park corner, landscape painting video by Maxim Grunin

Part 1 of Maxim Grunin video, painting landscape. I am a trained painter and my work bares a degree of clarity and coherency that comes from my experience in the discipline. I am not restricted to a manner or a gimmick in my approach to painting. I look for my own, unique features and let them stand out. Please examine how I develop my painting up close.



Part 2 of Maxim Grunin video.

Landscape painting time-lapse by Maxim Grunin

1st part of the video landscape painting. It is interesting to see how exactly the artist approaches his work. What motivates Maxim Grunin when it comes to his job as a studio painter? How does he create his paintings?



2nd part of the video where Maxim Grunin keeps working on his landscape painting and eventually finishes it. These videos are time-lapse of the actual process which takes a little longer in real time.

Sketches with pencil, pen and marker Maxim Grunin

Sketches have a wide variety of purposes. They can be studies of form and proportions. They also allow the artist to explore a new image without having to complete it. I often start mapping my drawing with very light graphite lines. I want to be sure that the outlines are correct because I don't like using an eraser at all. I want to keep the initial appearance of every mark placed on the page. The unchanged lines tell me a great deal about my methods of constructing the image. Observing, thinking of how to place the lines and tone within a page and also letting my body express through the drawing process happens all at once. Even psychological processes of relating to my subjects, accessing an emotional response contribute to the outcome of the drawings.

Spring Is Here, 30"X30", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009, Maxim Grunin

Original landscape painting by Maxim Grunin is listed on eBay at great bargain price. Personally, I think it's hard to beat the prices I have right now for high quality art. Thanks to all the people who purchased my work.

Canadian painting, contemporary artist Maxim Grunin

Make Me Dance, 40"X60" (diptych), acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009, Maxim Grunin

I am a formally trained artist, specializing in studio visual arts such as drawing and painting. What I do can be labeled as contemporary art practice. I am an immigrant from Russia, but I am not at all Russian. It's true that Russian is my first language and being brought up in the former Soviet Union makes me "culturally" Russian. I also have mixed Jewish and Ukrainian background, but I am foremost Canadian. My education and experience in the field of visual arts prohibit me from being ignorant or under-informed about cultural nature of my job. I am critical to every motion of my body and mind when it comes to painting. Classical, figurative and avant-garde influences as well as conceptual, art theoretic aspects are present in my work. "Make Me Dance" is responsive to my emotional state of a city dweller. I also let the methods of applying paint interact somewhat under-mediated in this piece. I construct the image with implied narrative and then disrupt it with abstract paint application. This results in an unexpected and pregnant visual surface.

Landscape painting in acrylics

It's So Nice Outside, 30"X30", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009, Maxim Grunin

Landscape painting of a sunset at a nearby park

"Watching Sunset", 24"X30", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009, Maxim Grunin

 

Head study, untitled by Maxim Grunin

Untitled, 30"X24", oil with acrylic under-painting (gallery wrap), 2009. This head study depicts a young woman with her mouth open and her tongue sticking out. Grotesque facial expression is accompanied by calm, studying gaze of the person in the painting. I was attracted to the ambiguity of the reference picture I've collected in order to produce this work. I wanted the immediacy of  the brush strokes to come forth in this study. Making the piece was a carefully calculated process based on my experience as a classically trained painter. Please visit my web store on eBay under Maxim Grunin.

Art on eBay - landscape painting by Maxim Grunin

"Sunny, smile", 30"X30", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009. This landscape painting is inspired by my interaction with nearby parks and ravines. These places can be truly sublime when one is out walking for a breath of fresh air. Here I become absorbed in my experience of living  in the present moment. My senses and my intellect immersed in the state of being. My current body of work attempts to bring these bits of sublime scenes to the viewer. The paintings are also informative of the color, line, contrast, space and paint application. I use palette knifes to construct most elements of this work. Paint splatters and drips are added to represent foreground detail. I also resort to the use of brushes in order to create thin linear elements and translucent washes. My work is available for sale on eBay and priced commission free:

ebay art sale - new painting by Maxim Grunin MFA

"Trail By Ravine", 24"X30", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009 - is a palette knife painting executed in black, brown, gray, gray-purple, orange-brown and bright white-yellow-orange colors. I like using subtle grades of these colors taken from observation of nature. A life-like impression of a landscape interests me more then a bold color statement in this piece. I often take walks in the area surrounding my studio. It is a suburb riddled with ravines, parks, farmland and city developments. Sometimes I find myself on a trail that makes me feel like I am traveling through a forest. I stop and enjoy the sensation. There is so much to look at - trees, branches, grass, sky, ground beneath my feet and light gleaming through tree leaves.

Maxim Grunin - Red Rose, a painting of a rose on eBay sale

"Red Rose", 30"X30", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009. This square painting depicts a red rose over a dark black green background. Realistic flower, painted with dark red browns and red purples within the shadows and brighter reds, oranges and pinks in the mid tone and light areas, is leaning towards the left. The rose opens it's petals in a glamorous fashion symbolizing love and beauty. This painting by Maxim Grunin MFA is on sale at:

Figure and Collage 2012

    Female head and portrait study, 20"X20", acrylic on paper, 2012

    Untitled, study, acrylic and collage on paper, 2012

    Untitled, study, acrylic and collage on paper, 2012

    Material, 20"X18", acrylic on canvas, 2009

    Untitled, study, acrylic and collage on paper, 2012

    Suffering face, collage, 2012

    Untitled, study, acrylic and collage on paper, 2012

    Untitled, collage, 2012

Maxim Grunin Fine Art Online on e_Bay

"Road To Lake", 30"X60" (diptych), acrylic on canvas, 2009, does not require a frame and could be arranged separately. This painting captures an impression of a landscape. A road on the left takes the viewer through fields surrounded by trees. There is warm sunlight as far as the eye could see. Tall grass sways touched by the light breeze. We're curious how warm the lake water is. A painting by Maxim Grunin

At The Park, 24"X30", acrylic on canvas, 2009 - landscape painting by Maxim Grunin

"At The Park" is a red-brown, ochre, black and white colored canvas. This painting reflects the setting of a park next door, where I and other people go for a little bit of exercise and fresh air. Some pathways at the park look especially vivid and painterly, they invite me to stop and admire them. When constructing a painting I look for brush mark , palette knife mark or a spill mark appropriate for making objects look "nature like" and at the same time I want the picture to be on the edge of abstraction. I also want my painting to be fluid and moving. Broad paint strokes and rich surface quality of the painting are designed to capture viewer's attention. "Park Run" carries some of the quiet and yet powerful beauty of nature.

City Park Trail - contermporary Canadian landscape by Maxim Grunin

"City Park Trail" takes the viewer into a picture space, reminding of a park trail. This piece is made with the use of broad paint application. Brush, palette knife and paint spills create a vibrant surface that the viewer would want to examine up close. Subdued dark purples, grays, browns, greens and black make up the shadow areas of the piece. Subtle grades of orange-brown, brown-green, gray, ochre and highlights set the mid-tone and the light in the painting. "City Park Trail" is 36" X 24", acrylic, 2009.

Woods By The Soccer field - contemporary landscape painting by Maxim Grunin

"Woods by the soccer field" are often found near schools and recreation areas in North America. These patches of trees are part of the plant life infrastructure of the city. Walking into such patch will place you in a spot where many creatures such as squirrels and birds find shelter. This painting takes the viewer into woods entered by strong, warm sunlight. The surface of this piece is textured with bold, expressive palette knife strokes as well as the paint splats. "Woods by the soccer field" creates a unique picture space examined by the viewer. This painting is ambiguous and semi-abstract

Light In The Forest - by Maxim Grunin

"Light In The Forest", 24"X39", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009. Getting out of my place is always a field trip - an excursion into the outside world. Out here visual properties of the landscape are observed first hand. Light, perspective, color and objects become apparent and revealing. Urban North American environment has it's individuality. Small patches of woods, parks, ravines, trails are left within suburban areas to help people breathe. "Light In The Forest" is an image harvested from my outside walks experience. In this landscape the light helps create an impression of depth.

"and the city" - painting by Maxim Grunin

and the city, 24"X24", oil on canvas, 2009 (sold)

It is a brand new day in the city and you are here, somewhere, with me... I live in Toronto, Canada. My reality unfolds in this modern city where technology and people are intertwined. Influenced by the immediate environment I tend to bring it's elements into my work. The image, the paint and the graffiti become combined in my painting in order to satisfy my search for the visual language reflective of the human condition. "and the city" is romantic, hopeful and poetic.

Sunflowers painting on sale - www.eBay.com

Flowers Of The Sun, 24"X30", acrylic on canvas, 2009

Sunflowers have a history of inspiration for the artists. Vincent Van Gogh among many painted them more then once. These flowers a strong and beautiful. Their shape and colors resemble the Sun. I used palette knife for the most part, to create this decorative piece. This painting's colors are quite vivid and it has a heavy texture of thick, overlapping strokes of acrylic paint. "Flowers Of The Sun" is a high quality painting perfect for interior decorating. It is on sale at great price on www.ebay.com eBay. Please contact me with questions and I will be happy to assist you.

self portrait painting and video monolog by Maxim Grunin

I often examine the self. What are my motives, how do I make my choices, what do I feel? It is important to me to try and understand what I am. This low resolution video is an attempt to say what's been on my mind...

Beautiful contemporary painting

thinking you, 30X30, acrylic on canvas, 2009 (sold)

This work started as a small collage where I used bits ripped out of fashion magazines glued onto a piece of paper painted over with broad strokes of acrylic paint. Marker drawing was added at the end when paint was dry. I wanted to combine magazine images, that attracted me, together to create a narrative. "thinking you" is approached as a collage, where the realistic elements are painted before the broad abstract surfaces and the thin black drawn lines. "thinking you" may illustrate a state of a person's mind while being on the road. The image is well composed within a square and contributes to pleasurable viewing experience. It is also rich in surface and ambiguous as a combination of symbols.

Contemporary still life painting

Morning Coffee, 24"X36", acrylic on canvas, 2009, gallery wrap

"Morning Coffee" is a decorative piece created using an abstract layer of smeared acrylic paint, overlaied with classical realistic painting. A horizontal canvas with black, blue, purple, gray and orange-brown background creates tonal and color contrasts. Paint marks are expressively broad and intertwined, add an impression of movement. Complementary palette continues in the still life of a coffee cup and a plate with croissant painted over the background. "Morning Coffee" is available for purchase on eBay at a great price.

Seascape painting sale on eBay

Standing On The Shore, 30"X40", acrylic on canvas, 2009, gallery wrap

The sun shining on the left is creating a bright highlight on the surface of the watter. Every object in the painting "Standing On The Shore" comes to life illuminated with sunlight. A foaming wave in the foreground is pulling the sand and the rocks under it. Translucent wave is about to crush down and the breeze is blowing mist at the top of it. "Standing On The Shore" is built up with soft brush strokes, layer after layer. This seascape painting is available on sale on eBay at a bargain price.

Seascape "Ocean Waves" by Maxim Grunin MFA

Ocean Waves, 24"X36", acrylic on canvas, 2009, gallery wrap

My parents took me on vacation when I was a child and the sea became very important for me. I loved swimming, diving , go fishing and collecting rocks and shells. I often explore the illusive beauty of the watter in my work. Amazingly the paint is capable of capturing the liveliness of the watter. Seascape is challenging and fun subject for painting. "Ocean Waves" is a horizontal piece executed in subtle red and green complementary color combination. This is a luminous painting with pronounced depth. "Ocean Waves" is available for purchase on eBay at a great promotional price.

Art on eBay, floral painting, Red Roses

Red Rose, 30"X30", acrylic on canvas, 2009, gallery wrap

A bush of red roses is the center of this painting. Saturated reds, pinks, maroons and subtle purples of the flowers are contrasted against dark greens branches and leaves of the bush. The background of the painting is composed of lighter variations of blue, purple, green and orange. Some areas are highlighted with white to further emphasise the contrast. "Red Roses" is painted in an expressive manner of paint application that can be achieved with the use of a palette knife. Every element of the painting is constructed with great care. For example, painting marks within the flowers are directed around the circular form of each rose. Paint strokes resemble the pedals of the flowers. "Red Roses" is intended as a decorative piece. It is on sale on eBay at a bargain price for a limited time, FREE shipping is provided:

Find Red Roses on eBay

eBay paintings - Maxim Grunin MFA

At Sea, 30"X24", acrylic on canvas, 2009

Thoughts Run Wild, 24"X36", acrylic on canvas, 2009

Woman With A Shell, 40"X30", acrylic on canvas, 2009

Decorative Painting "At Sea"

New decorative paintings by Maxim Grunin MFA revolve around the subjects of landscape, seascape, expressive figure and abstraction. "At Sea" is a vertical painting where color and tone gradients set the perspective. The sky and the sea converge in a lower part of the painting where a romantic tall ship sails towards the viewer. Seagulls are visible in the foreground above the ship. The birds are flying forward to lead the way for the sea vessel. Broad treatment of paint marks in this work give energy to the combination of blue, purple, orange, light yellow and white colors. The surface of the canvas riddled with three dimensional paint strokes is pleasing in a tactile sense. "At Sea" is a on sale on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/ , it can be found by typing Maxim Grunin in the search box at the top of the page along with other beautiful paintings.

Maxim Grunin - Biography

I was born in Russia in 1975 and attended art lessons since childhood. I hold masters in Fine Art from the University of Waterloo.


 

Talenthouse beta

There is a good web project beta called Talenhouse http://www.talenthouse.com/ . Any artist can create a free profile on the site, upload and organize projects in any media. Talenthouse is easy to use, it's fast and has excellent features to showcase the work. It also offers a comprehensive system for rating and networking.

PORTFOLIO - new painting gallery July 2009

Shown here is some new work by Maxim Grunin MFA. It has been made during the period of June and July of 2009. These paintings continue to investigate the theme of decorative landscape as well as the expressionist figure. Maxim is continually developing his original paintings for sale on eBay. The artist provides shipping, quality product, great service at a truly great bargain. Maxim Grunin is a talented Canadian Artist of Russian descent. Please do not hesitate to inquire directly.

At The Beach, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 30"X30" gallery wrap

City Spirit, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X36" gallery wrap

Missing You, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 30"X30" gallery wrap

Love, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X24" gallery wrap

email To My Love, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X24" gallery wrap

Mistery, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X24" gallery wrap

Sunset And The Lake, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 30"X36" gallery wrap

Sunset At Lake, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 30"X40" gallery wrap

After Rain, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 40"X30" gallery wrap

Setting Sun, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 30"X30" gallery wrap

Across The Field, 2009, acyric on canvas, 30"X40" gallery wrap

High Art VS Kitch on eBay

Illustration: Comparison of an abstract painting detail by Jackson Pollok to a detail from a painting by contemporary eBay artist Osnat Tzadok.

Today anyone who has access to the Internet can go on eBay and succeed at finding an artwork they are looking for. EBay is definitely the place that offers a wide range of art to choose from and it also introduces an added benefit of finding a bargain. Artisans from all over the world set electronic displays of their work often sold commission free. All art on eBay is commercial - it is there on sale, but what are the true gems worth buying? Is the majority of art on eBay nothing more than tasteless Kitsch?

Most of us recognize the painting called the Mona Lisa. It is a great work of art by the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa is exhibited in the Louvre in Paris, France and it is a priceless masterpiece. Why is a tiny, old and darkened painting of a female head considered a work of high art? How does the selection of such greatness occur?

Culture disciplines such as Art Theory, Art History and Critisism are responsible for shaping high art archetypes. A notion of aesthetics as well as what is art and what isn't can therefore not be fixed or permanent. As civilizations evolve, so does the culture of those civilizations.

In order to begin to understand what art is, we have to examine it's function. Art is often a physical object or a set of instructions arranged by an artist. Even though an artwork is an object, it may not have  any physical function. It can be compared to a rock that lies on the shore. It is just there without a purpose. We, the viewer, assign a special function to an artwork by recognizing it as beautiful.  Art created by an artist is not the only object that can have an aesthetic function. In fact any object can become art if it is displayed for it's beauty.


God in many cultural traditions is the creator of the universe and the many things that exist in it. Therefore God can be looked at as the ultimate artist. God determines function and design in nature. The reference to religion here, is important to understanding the role of the artist. It is not an attempt to impose a set of beliefs on the reader. The artist is seen as the creator of art in the cultural discourse. This is why before an object can be analyzed by the critic, it has to be arranged by the artist. Artist may paint, sculpt, print, draw, photograph, design, write out instructions to or simply take any object in order for it to be considered art. The critic is next in the chain of cultural evaluation. The educated mind sets a coherent framework for what may be considered art. In fact any viewer is automatically a critic who applies his or her set of cultural values to an artwork.

In our culture art does not come to be a masterpiece by just being created and placed on a pedestal. It has to be innovative and new in relationship to what existed before. High art functions as a catalyst when it comes in contact with the human mind. It yields meaning.

Being a visual entity, art almost literally shows critic the way to a new set of cultural values.

While new art is of the raw nature, high art is something that has already been studied and theorized. It may not be easy to pinpoint something new, never seen before, as art. New cultural notions are born out of struggle. Take for example the Abstract Expressionism movement in America mid 1900s. A prominent artist of that period is Jackson Pollock with his drip paintings. Pollock's work was not seen as art when it was first made. And yet after a period of time a new cultural archetype such as abstraction becomes public domain. From that point on, this new kind of art does not have the same edge.
It is now explained to us. However, art has an experimental nature and it's boundaries of meaning are yet uncharted. Art could be studied further even when art form has already been set into an archetype.

An established value in art spawns imitation. Public demand for a certain kind of art form rises. The borrowing of high art identities produces the inferior versions of art. Artworks that do not strive to achieve a new value in art and are content to imitate the established art forms are often called Kitsch. Kitsch is a term used to describe art that emphasises the banal decorative aspects of art. Kitsch takes a ride on the fame of the masterpiece by pretending to look similar. The result is a cheaper commercial version of art that does not yield much meaning. Kitsch is a reduction to a good looking, but empty facade. Professional and amateur artists follow the fashion, set by the High Art in order to earn profit. This process is by all means legitimate. Our consumerist society demands goods of variable quality and price. Kitsch can be good for decorating an interior and it wouldn't cost as much as high art. A homeowner or an interior designer may be looking for a color to match the furniture. It will be impossible to obtain an abstract masterpiece from a museum, unless it has been copied and printed. However a well made original Kitsch painting is a definite option.

by Maxim Grunin