This page presents news items concerning the artist and his work, as well as general news items related to portrait painting.
(Click on the portrait for a larger view; click on Detail for a detail view.)
SCIENTISTS UNLOCK SECRET OF MONA LISA'S FACE
July, 2010, CNN.
Using X-ray techniques, researchers in France have examined the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting to see how the master achieved his barely perceptible graduation of flesh tones from light to dark. The subtle, hazy 'sfumato' quality of the portrait was achieved by glazing multiple layers, some as thin as one or two micrometers. Although da Vinci's glazing technique is well known, it is now possible to analyze the superimposition of individual layers. Full story.
NEW DA VINCI PORTRAIT DISCOVERED
October, 2009, The Guardian, UK.
Art experts believe a new portrait by Leonardo da Vinci may have been discovered thanks to a 500-year-old fingerprint. If the scholars are correct, it will be the first major work by Leonardo to be identified for 100 years and will be worth tens of millions of pounds. Full story.
FIRST-EVER OIL PAINTINGS FOUND IN AFGHANISTAN
April, 2009, CNN.
Until now, art historians believed that oil painting started in Europe in the 15th century. Scientists have found what they described as the earliest oil paintings ever discovered. Murals found on cave walls in Afghanistan prove that painting with oil had been going on in Asia for centuries before artists used the technique in Europe. Full story.
ZOOM IN ON MASTERWORKS AT THE PRADO
January, 2009, Associated Press.
Spain's Prado Museum has teamed up with Google Earth for a project that allows people to zoom in on the gallery's main works, even on details not immediately discernible to the human eye. Images now available on the Internet are 1,400 times as clear as what would be rendered with a 10-megapixel camera. To view the astonishing detail of these images, type Prado Museum, Spain in the Google Earth Fly To field and click Go. Once the museum zooms into focus, click on the square with the name of the museum. For the full text of the AP release, click here.
MOZART PORTRAIT DISCOVERED
March, 2008, London, England.
A previously unknown portrait of Mozart has been authenticated by an academic from King’s College London, Professor Cliff Eisen, a world expert on the eighteenth-century composer. It could be the single most significant Mozart artefact to come to light in the last 200 years. The 19" x 14" oil portrait was probably executed by Joseph Hickel (1736-1807), painter to the Imperial Court of Austria, about 1783. Visit the King's College London web site for more details.
NEW GALLERIES AT THE MET
January, 2008, New York City.
New Galleries for 19th- and Early 20th-Century European Paintings and Sculpture are reopened with renovated rooms and 8,000 square feet of additional gallery space—the Henry J. Heinz II Galleries—to showcase works from 1800 through the early twentieth century. The renovated galleries feature all of the Museum's most loved nineteenth-century paintings, which have been on permanent display in the past, as well as works by Bonnard, Vuillard, Soutine, Matisse, Picasso, and other early modern artists. For more information, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site.
PICASSO PORTRAIT STOLEN FROM MUSEUM
December, 2007, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
In a brazen three-minute heist, thieves broke into the Sao Paulo Museum of Art and stole Picasso's "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch." Painted in 1904, the portrait comes from Picasso's blue period and is among the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection.
Update: Painting recovered, January 8, 2008.
WHY PRESIDENTIAL PORTRAITURE LOST ITS STATURE
January, 2007, Washington, DC.
This Wall Street Journal article analyzes the painted portraits of American presidents, comparing works by Gilbert Stuart (George Washington) and John Singer Sargent (Theodore Roosevelt) with works by artists who have painted portraits of presidents Truman, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Bush, and Clinton. To read the article, click here.
MONA LISA EXAMINED IN 3D
September, 2006, Ottawa, ON.
The world's most famous portrait, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, has been scientifically analyzed by the National Research Council of Canada with the aid of a color 3D laser scanner. Findings from this significant study shed light on the condition of the painting and on the artist's technique. For details of the 3D analysis, visit the NRC web site.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY REOPENS
July, 2006, Washington, D.C.
After an extensive renovation of the historic Patent Office Building, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery opened to the public on July 1. The National Portrait Gallery, with its collection of nearly 20,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and photographs, portrays men and women who have made significant contributions to the history, development and culture of the people of the United States.
FAMOUS ARTISTS' QUOTATIONS
April, 2006, Apex, NC.
In giving this web site a face lift, Dave has added a new feature. "Many pages of this site now contain quotations from famous artists of the past," says Dave. "You'll find the quotes in the right-hand column. Some of them are inspirational, some are humorous, and many provide a fascinating insight into the painter's mind—his technique, the way he approached his work, and how he viewed his art and his life as an artist. I hope that visitors to my web site will enjoy this new feature and find these quotations both interesting and stimulating."
Quotations are generated randomly and change each time the page is revisited or refreshed. For an example, go to the Artist's Statement.
SELF PORTRAIT IN 3 COLORS
March, 2006, Apex, NC.
Dave usually works with a fairly limited palette but now he gone a step further, crafting his latest work with his most highly restricted palette yet. Check the Portrait Gallery to see what can be accomplished by painting with only three colors.
PORTRAIT: LADY ANGEW OF LOCHNAW
February, 2005, Apex, NC.
Dave has finished his portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, after the work by John Singer Sargent. See the Old Masters' Gallery for images and a description of how this popular subject was rendered.
DAVE TURNER RELOCATES STUDIO
September, 2004, Apex, NC.
After relocating from Washington State to North Carolina, Dave has opened his studio in a beautiful, new, custom-built home. Says Dave, "I really like the architectural features of the Georgian Revival style, which is popular in the South. Designing your own home is fun, of course, but I especially appreciate having a more spacious studio with custom lighting, suitable storage, and a quiet, relaxing environment in which to paint. There can be various challenges in painting a portrait. The studio should not have to be one of them. I am excited to have a studio that is tailor-made for my work."
PORTRAIT: YOUNG WOMAN SEEN FROM THE BACK
October, 2002, Kirkland, WA.
Dave has completed the lively work Young Woman Seen From the Back, after the 18th-century French artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze. See the Old Masters' Gallery for details.
PORTRAIT: MADAME BARBE DE RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
June 2002, Kirkland, WA.
 Dave has completed a portrait of Madame Barbe de Rimsky-Korsakov, after the 1864 painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter that is on display at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. This life-size portrait (oil on canvas, 48" x 36") of the lovely young woman showcases the artist's rendering of fabric and flesh. According to Dave, "This is one of my favorite works at the Musée d'Orsay. It's an arresting portrait. Winterhalter has portrayed his subject with beautiful, pearlescent flesh and a soft, sensous charm. Painting her garment was an interesting challenge for me since the style is vastly different from what we are used to seeing in the 20th or 21st century. But even though the garment takes up a third of the picture space, it's the subject's head that is the focus of attention. The sweeping curves of hair, ribbons, and arms all lead the viewer's eye to Madame Rimsky-Korsakov's lovely face." [ Detail ] [
Zoom ]
PORTRAITS IN DEMAND SINCE 9/11
The Wall Street Journal, February 8, 2002
"The Hot New Subject: You" is the title of Friday's Art & Collecting column. According to Brooks Barnes, staff reporter of the Wall Street Journal, "Now, even famous artists will paint your portrait ... The portrait business is booming." One reason, Barnes observed, is that "Sept. 11 played a role, suddenly inspiring people to think about leaving their mark on canvas."
DAVE TURNER SOLO EXHIBIT AT KPC
November 2001, Kirkland, WA.
Dave Turner returns to Kirkland Performance Center ArtStage. After helping launch KPC's ArtStage a year and a half ago with a group of local artists, Dave returns in November for a solo exhibit. On display are six portraits painted in oil on canvas. The subjects are varied in age and character, some portrayed as head-and-shoulders, others as half-length or full-length figures. This body of work showcases Dave's style and technique in painting modern subjects in the traditional manner of the Old Masters. The artist is donating a portion of new commissions to the Kirkland Performance Center.
Says Dave: "It's exciting to return to KPC ArtStage. This season brings another outstanding program of music, dance, and theater to the Eastside. For me it's a pleasure, not only to attend and enjoy performances, but also to support KPC through my painting."
ArtStage is open during box office hours and scheduled performances.
PORTRAIT: LADY IN A RED DRESS
March 2001, Kirkland, WA.
Dave Turner has completed a copy of Florentine master Bronzino's Lady in a Red Dress (oil on canvas, 28" x 22"). The bright red of this elegant and attractive woman's dress is balanced by the dark green of the sleeves, chair, and background. Highlights in the rosary, the hardware on the chair, and the subject's gold chain and head piece provide accents for the painting and interest for the eye. The rosary and lap dog [ detail ] are symbols of piety and marital fidelity. The original work was formerly attributed to Bronzino's mentor Pontormo. It's a larger painting (35" x 27 1/2"), is dated c 1530, and is referred to also by the title A Lady with a Dog.
According to Dave: "This is not a stroke-for-stroke copy. Instead, I have applied my own technique to Bronzino's superb composition of color and line. Learning from the great masters is a continual process. Although we do not have great masters such as Bronzino with us today, original works from past centuries provide us with inspiration and education. This work was a rewarding pleasure, from start to finish." [ Detail ] [ Zoom ] [ Demonstration ]
KIRKLAND ARTISTS EXHIBIT AT PERFORMANCE CENTER
June 2000, Kirkland, WA.
In cooperation with other local artists, Dave Turner is helping support Kirkland Performance Center with their opening of a new visual arts gallery called ArtStage: The Gallery at KPC. In addition to providing non-portrait work for the exhibit, Dave is inviting portrait clients to offer part of their commission as a tax-deductible donation directly to KPC. Following is the text of KPC's press release, with hyperlinks added.
ArtStage: The Gallery at KPC Opens in Kirkland
In order to expand its already broad arts focus, Kirkland Performance Center has opened a new visual arts gallery in the lobby of its theatre at 350 Kirkland Avenue in downtown Kirkland. ArtStage: The Gallery at KPC opens with the work of four local Kirkland artists. A selection of their work in a variety of genres and media is on display during performances and regular box office hours and offered for sale, with proceeds benefiting the performance center.
Lisa Smith, Sherrill Taylor, and Dave Turner are presenting works in oil, watercolor, Prismacolor, conte, pen and ink, and mixed media. Also shown are photographic works by Knykole Sheff. The artists are displaying landscape, still life, portraiture, life drawings, and other works that showcase a broad range of talent. Lisa Smith's work includes powerfully emotive oil paintings that challenge the viewer with their symbolism. Fine line and a delicate but sure touch are hallmarks of Sherrill Taylor's skillful drawings. Dave Turner's oil portraits, painted in the tradition of the Old Masters, are crafted to show character and interest. Knykole Sheff's monochromatic presentation of architectural and botanical subjects reveals a sensitive eye for form and balance.
"ArtStage gives us an outlet to present the work of some fine Eastside artists while giving our lobby a whole new look," says KPC Executive Director Steve Lerian. "Although the space we have to display art is not immense, we will rotate the work in and out of the show to keep it fresh. We are very grateful to these artists for allowing us to show their work and for offering to share the proceeds of all sales with us. We hope to add several more artists to the mix as time goes on and to keep ArtStage as an ongoing part of KPC's programs."
The organizer for the artist group, Dave Turner, says "Kirkland is rich in local artistic talent. We also have a center that brings a variety of outstanding performing arts programs to the Eastside. The Kirkland Performance Center has a positive impact on the cultural scene and on the quality of life in this community. We're delighted to have the opportunity to support KPC through a special display of our work."
ArtStage is open Monday through Saturday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 PM or until intermission on performance nights. Artwork may be purchased through the KPC Box Office or from the KPC House Manager during performances. The current show will run through the end of July. For more information on ArtStage: The Gallery at KPC or any other programs at Kirkland Performance Center, call the KPC Box Office at 425-893-9900 or see KPC's web site at www.kpcenter.org.
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