Exhibit: Stuart Fullerton

Stuart Fullerton's paintings have a stately, Classical quality that hasn't been seen at the Palette and Chisel since ----- since ----- well, perhaps it's never been seen here at all.

The closest artist I can think of is Thomas Wilmer Dewing -and I doubt he ever visited Chicago.

Stuart's paintings also have a sense of the normative -- an aggressive assertion of the way things should be -  that seems to have vanished from  American painting after William Merritt Chase.


 I am utterly charmed.

What I also find endearing is that the artist places such a high priority on formal composition.

He always seems to be working with shapes instead of trees or arms or noses.   (and BTW - this is primarily what distinguishes him from his esteemed teacher, Max Ranft)

Love the shape of this  bottom -especially the sharp angle at the hip.

This composition may be less successful -- but you can't beat the subject matter.
(that appears to be Bo standing before a canvas)

Small - ordinary- deliciously done

nice, big, looming shapes

The use of sharp cut, simple volumes in the face reminds me of Sir Henry Raeburn - one of my favorite British portrait painters of the 18th  Century.

No one here does fierce as convincingly as Stuart.

My favorite of the portraits in this show.

A well drawn edge on that forehead -- going from blurry to sharp

(note: ghost reflections from off the glass frame are present in this photo)

This is not just a woman --it's a civilization

There is tenderness, delicacy, and propriety.

2019 - New Years Drawing Marathon

I brought twice as much beef for the chili this year

 -- but even that was not enough.

Will bring even more for 2020

Photos by Del Hall

*BTW - that's a terra cotta bust of him at the far right.

The sculptor was Misha Livshultz.

We had a record turnout this year,

but I was always able to find a place to  draw

as I moved from one room to another.

Next time,

 I'll put pair models in the 1pm - 4pm session

as well as the 4pm- 7pm session.