Tuesday, July 31, 2012

First Friday opening 08.03.12

Still Lives by Allan Chow
Opening starts Aug. 3rd, 2012
First Fridays at Boveri Realty
1819 Wyandotte, Kansas City, MO 64108

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Title: Fire and Rain
Size: 30H X 40W
Medium: Oil on canvas
Frame: Yes
Price: $4800.00 SOLD

This MAGICAL abstract sky painting is the latest that came out of my studio. Inspired by current challenges in life, I seek a miracle and prayed for faith and strength to carry me through the dark and gray clouds over my head. This painting reminds me that sometimes it takes darkness to see the light ahead. Hope you enjoy the painting!

Also do not miss my Etsy Store sale. Take 30% off your entire purchase until July 4th. Visit www.etsy.com/shop/chowallan and enter code: SALE30 at checkout. Thank you again for all your support. This is just one of many ways for me to thank you all for an incredible year of sales thus far.

Enjoy the savings while brightening up your hearts, minds and space!

Your friend,
Allan

Monday, June 18, 2012

Exclusive Sale Etsy Store Offer ends July 4th, 2012

Summer is here folks! Just want to kick off the summer with an awesome promotion going on starting today! Receive 30% off your entire purchase at my Etsy Store thru July 4th. Framed Prints now only $105 + shipping, Original Still Lives now only $158 (What a Deal!!!)

Visit my Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/chowallan and enter code: SALE30
Thank you again for all your support. This is just one of many ways for me to thank you all!!!

Enjoy the savings while brightening up your hearts, minds and space!

Sincerely,
Allan

Create your own Triptych of paintings!

CREATE YOUR OWN TRIPTYCH:
Fun! You pick your very own triptych of paintings at a DISCOUNTED price. This sale includes three original paintings of your choice. Just purchase this listing and provide me titles of the paintings from my store that you...

Follow link below for discounted price:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/102423469/create-your-own-triptych-original?ref=cat_gallery_2

Thursday, May 10, 2012

New painting 05/10/12


Here is the finished product.

Starts with a solid drawing. Here I am transferring my sketch onto the canvas.

Underpainting begins with blue paint. I establish the value and texture at this stage.

Fast forward, mixing just the right color for the screened porch in shadow.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

New Exhibit at Cafe Trio

Starting April 29th, 2012
Cafe Trio's featured Artist:
Allan Chow's Still Lives

Cafe Trio
4558 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64111

Follow me on Twitter:
@artistachow
@artofallanchow

Website: www.allanchow.com
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/allanchow

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

New Product on Etsy today!

New Product!

Just look at these beautiful and bright prints framed with an elegant, simple and modern white frame. They look even better as a series. I am so happy to inform you today that you can get your hands on these amazing looking artwork from my etsy store today.

Place your order today and receive a discount. Use code:TENOFFSALE at checkout and receive 10% off your entire purchase. Meantime, please click on the links below to learn more about the product.

Have a great day :-)

Framed "Cherries", $150.00 by Allan Chow View Item

Framed "Golden Apple," $150.00 by Allan Chow View Item

Framed "Sweet Bartlett," $150.00 by Allan Chow View Item

Framed "Best of Three," $150.00 by Allan Chow View Item

Framed "Red Apple," $150.00 by Allan Chow View Item

Framed "Prosperous Apple," $150.00 by Allan Chow View Item

Monday, April 02, 2012

New Painting: "Safety of the Sunset", 36"x48" by Allan Chow 2012

Step1: Drawing using a grid.

Step 1: So the painting started off with a sketch on paper. I used a grid system as shown above to help me with transferring all the detail from the skyline due to the scale of the canvas and the complexity of the subject matter. Multiple reference photos were used to compose this image. After a day's worth of work, this is what I got. After I am done, I spent some down time contemplating and thinking about colors that I can start working with. In the end I decided to start with the Western Auto building and it's warm colors.

Step 2: Under painting while losing and re-discovering my drawing.

Step 2: I began to experiment with grouping my warm and cool colors on the canvas. At the same time, I am establishing my values and textures with the first layer of colors. I will spend the next day or two building up the first two layers. This phase is quite challenging for I begin to lose my drawing and I have to re-establish my drawing with paint but this gives me an opportunity to make changes to my drawing if necessary. I used some greens, purples and phthalo blue for my background; burnt sienna, cad red and cad orange for the foreground.

Step 3: Drawing re-discovered, experimenting with values and colors.

Step 3: As I continue to apply paint, I continue to figure out how much detail I want the painting to have. From experience, I usually trust my painter's instincts to guide me as I work. I will indeed make mistakes. Whatever I am or do, as long as I continue to apply paint, I will usually find the way. Patience is my friend at this point. I work from dark to light so I decided the trees in the foreground to be the darkest.

Step 4: Painting is coming to life. Happy accidents discovered!

Step 4: As you can see here, I knew the sky was a wrong color even though the value is right. Its no problem, since it requires a few layers before I am satisfied anyway. This allows layers to show through when I am done. In step 6, you can clearly see where I left the green alone in the top right corner. I like the contrast of the blues and greens against the warm yellow and oranges. I will spend the next week or two choosing how much detail I need to complete the painting.

Step 5: A lot of time passed, light and detail established.

Step 5: There would've been a lot of psychological battles at this point. It took me quite a while but I was excited as I established the highlights on the trees below. My confidence began to build as I am in love with the warmest of the leaves complimenting with the warm bricks of the Western Auto building combined with the shadows it casted on the ground as it defined the streets and surrounding buildings abstracted by shapes of blues in the center of the painting. Not sure why I left the streets orange but I like it.

Step 6: Drying time. Deliver final painting.

Step 6: Another a week went by, I began to see the light at the end of this long tunnel. I managed to find a the balance of light, detail and color in the painting that I was searching for. As always, I try to create a dance floor filled with exuberant colors only found in dreams. A month later, I had to stop because the painting was due in a week and much drying time is needed. Hope you enjoyed the process. Until next time :-)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Article published on Missouri Valley Impressionist Society

Under the Palette Knife

Posted on March 28, 2012 by MVIS

"Morning Missouri" Oil on canvas 30"Hx40"W

It is truly a privilege to share with you a very personal and intimate moment during the process of creating a painting. The process of a painter to me is probably the most intriguing part of Art making. Unless stated, the story of a painting lies between layers of paint, leaving you armed only with your imagination and interpretation. When I stand before a painting by Monet or Jackson Pollock, all I can think of is how their life experiences and the air they breathe inspired them to move paint that way. Well today, I have the opportunity to share with you how I prepare my canvas and briefly walk through my process of starting a painting.

I am what they call an impasto painter obsessed with texture armed with a palette knife and often times I am called a paint guzzler. My primary subject matter are landscapes. I do include figures into my compositions from time to time. My surface of choice is traditional pre-stretched canvases. I don’t favor a brand as long as the canvas is well made and it has adequate bracing. Once, I have stretched my own canvas. Since then, I have decided that it is more efficient to purchase canvases and focus on my painting instead.

Most of the time, I work from photographs that I take and my compositions come from multiple references like a creative process of an Illustrator. As an Illustrator, I am trained to use visual references to help me create an original composition. Naturally, I start out by creating thumbnails on a piece of paper. I then transfer my composition onto the canvas by hand. Instead of transferring all of the details from my thumbnail sketches, I will try to keep outlines minimal and finish my drawing with paint.

During the first hour, my ultimate goal is to cover the canvas with paint. I use this time to establish my values and texture with either ultramarine or phthalo blue. Why blue? Blues seem to work well as colors for shadows in nature. Considering my primary subject matter are landscapes, the color blue seems to make perfect sense. Sometimes, when I predict a really warm palette in the horizon, I use burnt umber or burnt sienna as my shadows instead.

"Love's Aspiration" Oil on Canvas, 24"H x 30"W

During the first year of my career, I used a palette knife primarily to mix paint as I used a combination of brushes, pencils, oil pastels to apply my paint, I dreaded the smell of turpentine and time spent cleaning my brushes so I decided to switch to the palette knife as my primary tool to apply paint. The knife liberated me as a painter. As soon as I shed my brushes, my paintings started to evolve. It taught me how to simplify even the most complex subject matters at hand. Because I was unable to articulate what I saw precisely with a knife in comparison to a brush, I was forced to imply my subject matters. I believe this is the beginning of my love affair with Impressionism.

Learning to manipulate paint with a knife reminds me of sculpting. I find myself adding, subtracting and carving layers of paint as I sculpt the painting to life. In addition, it requires me to learn how to float wet paint over layers of more wet paint. Too much pressure will cause layers of colors to mix and become muddy. This is not something I was warned about, it is something I had to learn to control and adapt to in order to finish a painting. Beside my easel, I have a table where both my palette rest on. One of which is a cheap frame I acquired twelve years ago and inserted a gray piece of paper under the glass; taped the sides with duck tape. The other, a recycled piece of mirror that I taped the sides with duck tape. Cleanup is easy; I use a blade to scrape off unwanted and/or dry paint.

"Sundown in the Hills" Oil on canvas 30"Wx30"H

After the under-painting is established, an emotional roller coaster journey of self-discovery begins. I start with a vision and color is applied to the canvas. I don’t use a color wheel. I start with a few colors and choose colors that compliment them. I am constantly trying different color combinations. I work from dark to light and finish off my paintings with highlights at the end. I know the above sounds vague but I am glad I do not have a clear vision. During the paint application process, minimal planning is necessary; this preserves the spontaneity and fun. Most importantly, this technique forces me to take risks and make mistakes. All of my paintings do not come easily nor do they go my way initially but it is a battle that I will eventually win as long as I continue to work.
When a painting is complete. It will take at least two weeks for it to cure before I send it off with a Chinese marble stamp as my signature.

Allan Chow, MVIS Charter Member

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

New Arrivals at Pop Gallery

Brilliant Mango, 14x14, on Gallery Wrap canvas, Allan Chow 2012

Brilliant Mangosteen, 14x14, on Gallery Wrap canvas, Allan Chow 2012

Brilliant Pomegranate, 14x14, on Gallery Wrap canvas, Allan Chow 2012

Double Trouble, 14x14, on Gallery Wrap canvas, Allan Chow 2012

Sweetest Pear, 14x14, on Gallery Wrap canvas, Allan Chow 2012

Two Pears, 14x14, on Gallery Wrap canvas, Allan Chow 2012

These are New ALLAN CHOW Arrivals at the Pop Gallery located below Strecker Nelson Gallery in Manhattan Gallery. You have to see them in person to appreciate the bold, exuberant colors and their textures.

To purchase paintings:
Call or email your inquiries at:
785-537-2099
gallery@kansas.net
406 Poyntz Ave.
Manhattan, KS 66502

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

2012 Fairway Frames exhibit


Eleven years ago, I had my first exhibit here. Its good to be back. Fairway Frames are located at 2806 West 53rd Street Fairway, KS 66205. They are closed Sun-Mon.

More paintings inside. Be sure to check them out in person. You can find more paintings at www.etsy.com/shop/chowallan

Next to First Watch in Fairway, it is hard to miss driving down Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Be sure to check it out if you are in the neighborhood. It is even better at night as the window lights up from the exuberant colors.