Featured Artist Dan Simoneau

Artist Dan Simoneau presents a remarkable collection of contemporary male figurative paintings. Enjoy his work and see more of his portfolio by visiting his website.

 

 

I have been creating art for over 45 years! Sometimes I find this fact unbelievable. I started exhibiting and selling my art at the very young age of fifteen.

 

 

I’ve always been drawn to creative pursuits. This led me to receive my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I majored in painting, printmaking, and pottery and minored in art history. During my studies, I was drawn to artists such as Philip Pearlstein, Richard Estes, and Caravaggio. My work is still influenced by these artists, particularly Pearlstein’s figure compositions and Caravaggio’s use of light and shadow.

 

 

My primary media are acrylic and watercolor, but I also work in oil. When young, I began painting using oil paints but became frustrated with the slow drying times. Once I found acrylic paint, I switched and have stayed with acrylic since. I find acrylic very versatile. I can paint on canvas as I do with oils but I can also paint on paper as I do with watercolor.

 

 

Over the years, I’ve developed my own approach to applying the paint to canvas which, once varnished, makes my paintings indistinguishable to the eye from oil paintings.

 

 

While I paint many subjects, my primary subject matter is light and how light sculpts an object with light and shadow. The primary way I present this subject is through male figurative work in a contemporary realist style. The male figure is a constant challenge due to its anatomy, visible musculature, and endless variety.

 

 

While male figurative work used to be prevalent, it is hardly seen today, even in figurative art venues. My more recent paintings concern men questioning and seeking to find meaning related to their place in the world. I wish to pay tribute to and continue the legacy of the male figure in art through my work.

 

 

I hold signature status in several respected art societies: Allied Artists of America, American Artists Professional League (Fellow), American Watercolor Society, Art Renewal Center (Living Artist), International Society of Acrylic Painters (Master), International Society of Experimental Artists, National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, and National Watercolor Society.

 

 

I’m also a member of the Portrait Society of America. I have exhibited, received awards, and had my work published in the United States and in Europe. My work is in collections throughout the world, including in the permanent collections of several museums.

Dan Simoneau invites you to follow him on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

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