Hard To Define Fantasy Art and Surreal Art (Part I)

Alone by Louloua Asgaraly

available for sale HERE

The wonderful thing about practicing art is that pieces or ideas evolve into artworks that are often hard to define or pigeon-hole. 

We are a group of fantasy artists who often straddle between fantasy art and surrealism. They are both alike in a lot of ways.

This is the definition of fantasy art (according to the Wikipedia definition):

It can be characterised by subject matter – which portrays non-realistic, mystical, mythical or folkloric subjects or events – and style, which is representational and naturalistic, rather than abstract - or in the case of magazine illustrations and similar, in the style of graphic novel art such as manga.

Fantasy has been an integral part of art since its beginnings,[2] but has been particularly important in mannerism, magic realist painting, romantic art, symbolism, surrealism and lowbrow. In French, the genre is called le fantastique, in English it is sometimes referred to as visionary art, grotesque art or mannerist art. It has had a deep and circular interaction with fantasy literature ...

... Fantastic art has traditionally been largely confined to painting and illustration, but since the 1970s has increasingly been found also in photography. Fantastic art explores fantasy, imagination, the dream state, the grotesque, visions and the uncanny,[2] as well as so-called "Goth" art.

This is the definition of surrealist art (according to the Wikipedia definition):

Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for its visual artworks and writings. The aim was to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality".[1][2][3] Artists painted unnerving, illogical scenes with photographic precision, created strange creatures from everyday objects and developed painting techniques that allowed the unconscious to express itself.[4]

Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur ...

Our group of artists primarily practice both styles of art. 

Because many of the images in this post do not conform "exactly" to the subjects of fantasy art (or story-telling), per se, they are being featured to show that the "realm of fantasy art" is also often the realm of "surrealist art". 

At any rate, they are very creative, which is the point of art.

Here are some more images from the members of our group that fall into that category:

 Bananas by Marvin Blaine

available for sale HERE

Fantasia by Martina Rall

available for sale HERE

A Separate Reality by Jim Rehlin

available for sale HERE

Boating on Clouds by Martina Rall

available for sale HERE

Midnight Tale by Psycho Shadow

available for sale HERE

Treasure Chest by KaFra Art

available for sale HERE

Greek Gift Right by Melinda Dare Benfield

available for sale HERE

Harbinger of Light by Alice Chen

available for sale HERE

Alone in the Clouds by Louloua Asgaraly

available for sale HERE

Lady of the Lake by Susan Maxwell Schmidt

available for sale HERE

Texas Blue by Pamela Smale Williams

available for sale HERE

Don't forget that a lot of these images from our respective shops come on tote bags, pillows, greeting cards and other products. Here are just a few from our featured artists:

Bananas tote bag by Marvin Blaine

choose background color from drop-down (this one is #ddd092)

available for sale HERE

Treasure Chest shower curtain by KaFra Art

choose background color from drop-down (this one is #2e5d70)

available for sale HERE

(note: the Fine Art America watermark does not appear on products)

A Separate Reality phone case by Jim Rehlin

 choose background color from drop-down (this one is #a7c5e2)

available for sale HERE

click here for more unusual artworks from our group

our group home page

In the next post (part II) I will feature twelve more fantasy-surreal images.

See you then!

Fantasy Art Members Spotlight winners, plus showcase of some of our other members

Into the Bog by Jeremy Martinson

FIRST PLACE SPOTLIGHT

(this piece is available for sale HERE)

This was a "juried contest" of our members (Fantasy Art for Home and Office group). It was a chance to spotlight our members and it was difficult to choose among so many great images. So many of them are simply excellent and I think it defines the type of talent in the group.

So this post is largely about highlighting some of our artists from the group, with some picks for first, second and third place in the contest. These picks are largely subjective and based on originality as I was accostomed to do when I worked as a curator in NY. 

Because choosing was so difficult, and because originality was in abundance (it is a fantasy art group, after all!). I focused on works, for this go-round, of styles, sentiments and ways of working that I hadn't seen before, or hadn't seen much of. Of course, there were more than the three top winners that also came very close, so I kept going, revealing the process of choosing.

Jeremy Martinson was my pick for first place because I hadn't come across this style of fantasy art in my art explorations and knowledge of "contemporary art history". The combinations presented in the piece (newspaper hats, soft modeling of the boat, lighting, treatment of water, serpent like being wrapped around the boy's stick) were entirely new for me.

It also seemed evocative of a fairy tale, very fitting for fantasy art.

And indeed, Jeremy Martinson made a fairy tale to go along with the piece. In his description he writes:

Their adventure had begun when they accidently stumbled upon a forest meeting of the fae. To elude capture by the faery king and forever be trapped in the magical realm of the fae, they had to escape. Befriending a gnome, with the promise of candy if they were successful, they made their escape. Snipperpop the gnome warned the boys, that the only way home would be through the swamp, and that it was dangerous. He agreed to help guide them if only for a little extra candy and perhaps some bubble gum. So they went, with Snipperpop, into the bog...

Following are some framing possibilities for this piece. You can find framed prints HERE and then choose from the drop-downs which frames and mats fit your fancy.

This one is a simple black frame (444BKS) with a white mat:

This one is another black frame (GG1) with some gold trim and a white mat:

This next one is in the gold category. It is brown with a gold braided trim (G) with a manor white mat: 

This is what it looks like in a pillow design:

When ordering pillows, you can use the slider to adjust the picture size.

Pillows found HERE

Jeremy's piece will also be featured on our side panel for two months.

We also have a second place winner and a third place winner:

This is a digital collage. The originality of the headdress (as a shell), the lovely monochromatic coloring, the slow emerging of the figure, and even the background are given a lot of detail and thought. One thing about Ali's work is that it is recognizable anywhere: 

Wish on a Pearl by Ali Oppy

SECOND PLACE SPOTLIGHT

(this piece is available for sale HERE)


The simplicity of the message, sort of pop art-like treatment and the originality of including a planet in the background put this piece on top for me: 

Puppy Love by Marvin Blaine
THIRD PLACE SPOTLIGHT
(this piece is for sale HERE)

These were some of the runner ups. These were too good not to show here -- and some of them were hard to let go of for the top 3 (and I did struggle with the decision):

The originality of this next piece struck me, the swirl tree, the rendering of the figures and the somewhat Bosch-like "underworld" feeling:

Naked and Afraid by Hans Neuhart
(available for sale HERE)

The next two, painted by Richard Hescox, have some unusual and unexpected occurrences happening in foreground or background, and it seems to be a signature of his style. These are some of the finest fantasy art pieces I have seen anywhere:

Lady of the Waters by Richard Hescox

(available for sale HERE)

Dream Clouds by Richard Hescox

(available for sale HERE)

This next piece by Mike Savad was in the running too. Although I have seen pigs flying in other art pieces, I have not seen them in a plane like this, with a picture of a man with a clown-like nose on the side of it. The rendering was also excellent!  

Flying Pig - Plane - The Joy Ride by Mike Savad

(available for sale HERE)

Who wouldn't be enchanted by this piece? It is the cliff hard-edged waterfall in the ancient world of boats, that makes this piece original:

Parallelism by Psycho Shadow

(available for sale HERE)

This piece was hard to pass up too. All of those other-worldly objects in the sky! To me this was reminiscent of both Kandinsky and Bosch, but it has an originality all his own: 

Spring Vibrations by Vasko Taskovski
(available for sale HERE)

This next piece by David Griffith, although more traditional-style fantasy art, was in the running too as it is so well done, with a lot of details from the fire, the carving in the fireplace, the oriental-like carpet, the grainy floors, all with fantasy art creatures:

 The Library by David Griffith
(available for sale HERE)

The following pieces weren't in the running, but so many of them were so well done that it was impossible to leave them out of this post.

This piece was excellently done with lighting effects on the tiger (and I liked the sentiment too):

The Protector by Davandra Cribbie
(available for sale HERE)

Here are some of the more traditional fantasy art pieces that caught my eye:

Maiden of the Forest by Sharon Lisa Clarke

(available for sale HERE)

Poseidon by Henryk Gorecki

(available for sale HERE)

Nightglow by Putterhug Studio
(available for sale HERE)

Reading About Dragons by Daniel Eskridge

(available for sale HERE)

Talking to the Rabbit by Louloua Asgari
(available for sale HERE)

Pond Fairy by Sherry Shipley
(available for sale HERE)

And of course, these were too much fun to leave out:

Mistress of Dragons by Brian Wallace
(available for sale HERE)

Alien Waterscape by Brian Wallace
(available for sale HERE)

jury and curator for this round: Lise Winne

Other jurors will be chosen for other contests for our group, so that there is a level playing field.

Thanks for reading, and until the next time ...