Every year since its inception, the International Guild of Realism has presented its Annual IGOR Exhibition,highlighting member artists creating in the realist genre, and presenting their impressive works for public view. This year’s event will be hosted in Scottsdale, Arizona, one of the most prominent art destinations in the United States. The event will be hosted by T.H. Brennen Fine Art located on Main Street in the heart of the Old Town Scottsdale arts district.
Attendees gather and enjoy realism works at the 2023 Annual IGOR Exhibition opening reception.
“The International Guild of Realism (IGOR) was founded by a group of renowned realist artists in 2005,” explains founding charter member Donald Clapper. “IGOR now represents the work of over 500 juried members from over 35 countries, and prides itself in selecting today’s finest realist artists through a juried committee.”
Clapper also notes that IGOR’s definition of realism “ranges from the classical, based upon traditional, academic-style painting; to the contemporary, where cutting edge techniques and a wide variety of subject matter are used to comment on today’s world.” Artists represent a spectrum of styles in the genre including trompe l’oeil, photorealism, surrealism and super-realism.
IGOR celebrates the 2023 Best of Show winner Duffy Sheridan with founding charter member Donald Clapper.
Visitors to the exhibition, opening for viewing on Wednesday, April 10, will witness 88 extraordinary works by 80 juried IGOR members. This includes an impressive wide-angle ranch and landscape view by Cathy P. Johnson titled The Walton Ranch. She shares that her artistic inspiration is influenced by close observation of nature and the world around her. “My early background as a scientific illustrator and graphic designer sharpened my eye for detail and connections,” says Johnson. “When I am struck by an idea, it creates an almost inexplicable emotional resonance. I start by studying and researching the subject. I explore the idea using form, color, tone and luminosity applied with a delicate sensitivity to realize my vision.”
Cathy P. Johnson, The Walton Ranch, oil on linen, 24 x 48"
In another ranch-life inspired piece, Along the Cheyenne, artist Brenda Morgan shares that the scene was taken from a photo shoot she attended at the Shearer Ranch in South Dakota. “I was delighted to watch as she and the other cowhands herded horses across the Cheyenne River and back,” she says of the female subject atop her horse. “This scene is showing a moment at rest. They also took a herd of cattle down a steep ravine and back up. The bond and respect between horse and rider was quite evident as I admired them at work.”
James P. Cawley, Return to Hidden Lake, oil on canvas, 30 x 30"
Find impeccable landscape views in pieces like Robert Steiner’s Yosemite -inspired Bridalveil, which took the artist nearly a year to complete. “Yosemite is one of my favorite places on earth,” Steiner confesses. “Of all the geological features in the park, Bridalveil Falls is the most aesthetically pleasing to me. When I was in school, the photorealist teachers preached against romanticism. Obviously, I wasn’t moved by their plea. My painting expresses not only my appreciation of the sublime grand vista, but also my love for the minute details contained therein.”
Artist Ed Copley submits a tribute painting depicting a good artist friend William (Bill) Ahrendt in Curious Onlookers.“All of the curious onlooking characters gathering around Bill are from previous paintings that he has done,” says Copley. “They are critiquing and offering their views and opinions on how he should be doing the painting that he is working on at the moment. On one of my visits to Bill’s studio, I took a photo of him working and told him that ‘one of these days, I think I’ll do a painting of you,’ and he remarked, ‘why would you want to do that?’”
Top: Ed Copley, Curious Onlookers, oil on linen, 30 x 44". Bottom: Karen Budan, Horsepower, oil on panel, 16 x 20"; Robert Steiner, Bridalveil, acrylic on aluminum, 15¾ x 221/8"
From James P. Cawley, find a moody yet compelling waterscape titled Return to Hidden Lake. “I had completed an earlier painting at the same location near my home on one of the lagoons in Rose Hill Plantation, Bluffton, South Carolina, and I wanted to see what it would look like at a different time of year,” the artist explains. “What I discovered was the tree I had painted previously had been significantly damaged by recent storms. As I gazed upon the scene, I found it was a poignant reminder of how life is a struggle and how things change over time.”
Cher Anderson, Aussie Banks, acrylic on gesso board, 24 x 32"
In a slightly different kind of waterscape, we find the gorgeous colored pencil and ink drawing by Erwin P. Lewandowski titled Oceanside I. “[This is] a very detailed waterscape along an ocean shoreline,” the artist says. “The contrast of landscape formations with a rich display of colors against slow moving water currents makes for a unique and inviting composition.”
IGOR artist Karen Budan says that “painting still life allows me to create arrangements, adjust the lighting and set the stage to transform everyday objects to extraordinary. I am especially drawn to compositions that include translucency and reflections.” Budan’s painting style is hyperrealism, seen in her detailed show piece Horsepower.She continues, “I thrive on the challenge of transferring the complex subtleties of the color, texture and light patterns of the composition before me onto a two-dimensional surface resulting in a painting that looks as real as the setup itself.”
Nikki Travaglino, Aqua Chrome, acrylic, 20 x 20"
In another still life piece, Things are Piling Up, Henry Bosak shares that “sometimes inspiration presents itself and you see the finished painting before you even open a tube of paint. This happened to me in an airport lounge while my family and I were waiting for our flight to Ireland. A bus cart was stacked with a bunch of dirty glasses. The light coming in from the windows gave the glassware a sort of kaleidoscope feel, and that’s what caught my eye.”
Animal presentations can also be expected at this year’s showcase, found in works like Cher Anderson’s Aussie Banks—an acrylic on gesso painting of a forest red-tailed black cockatoo. “The amazing part about being a bird and wildlife artist is getting close to the subject in their natural environment, studying them and hopefully being gifted with a behavior which is characteristic to the breed and species,” says Anderson. “I am inspired by the beauty of nature and my need to represent it accurately and in high detail. Drawing the audience in to study a work of art and be in awe of the delivery of the subject I have chosen to represent gives me great joy.”
Henry Bosak, Things Are Piling Up, acrylic, 18 x 24"
Rob MacIntosh presents Salt River Wild Horses—a painting inspired by a desire to capture "the untamed beauty and spirit of these majestic creatures,” the artist shares. “Their presence symbolizes the resilience of nature amidst human encroachment, serving as a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural world. Through my artwork, I hope to evoke s sense of awe and appreciation for these magnificent animals. Inspiring others to cherish and protect them for generations to come.”
Growing up, Nikki Travaglino’s family owned Mobil gasoline stations and, as a mechanic's daughter, she was always around cars—specifically hot rods and muscle cars. “When I was seven years old, I began taking art classes on Saturday mornings and would then go to work with my father to ‘the station’ in the afternoon,” Travaglino says. “I quickly saw the beauty in the shapes and lines of the cars in the garage and began to appreciate and draw them.” This is where the artist’s obsession with automotive art began, seen in works like Aqua Chrome.The artist continues, “Through the years, I’ve captured thousands of photos at car shows and enjoy painting the chrome and the reflections in the paint of the cars. To me the automobile is a piece of art.”
Top: C Moffitt, Bills Last Trail, oil on canvas, 32 x 26"; Priscilla Nelson, Broad Horizon, oil on panel, 36 x 30". Bottom: Brenda Morgan, Along the Cheyenne, oil on canvas, 20 x 16"; Lara Restelli, Rocks in a Box Orange, oil on canvas, 18 x 24"
Artist Barbara Rudolph confesses that she’s always been caught up in the intricate details of the subjects she paints, and in her case, this usually means featuring birds in unexpected places. “I enjoy telling a story and bringing in a little humor through a unique composition. I love when the painting brings a laugh or a smile to the viewer,” she says. When visiting Tlaquepaque Village in Sedona, Arizona, you will see the beautiful old carved doorway featured in her show piece Are You Sure This is the Right Address? “I thought it would be fun and interesting to paint just a section of the doors,” says Rudolph, “and I placed the little bluebirds sitting on the ledge as if saying ‘are you sure this is the right address?’”
Barbara Rudolph, Are You Sure This is the Right Address?, oil on canvas, 30 x 20"
Self-taught Southern California artist JC Moffitt has been creating artwork professionally for decades as a fine artist, muralist, illustrator and scenic artist. Moffit’s IGOR piece titled Bill's Last Trail is representative of his award-winning Aces and Eights series of trompe l’oeil oil paintings depicting actual historical weapons, memorabilia and personal objects. “They’re arranged in narrative compositions directly associated with the demise of some of the Old West’s most notorious characters,” he notes. “In this case, I tackle the infamous 1876 assassination in Deadwood, Dakota Territory of James Butler Hickok—better known as ‘Wild Bill.’”
Rob MacIntosh, Salt River Wild Horses, oil on canvas, 24 x 36"
Contemporary figurative artist, Priscilla Nelson, captures snapshot moments in her paintings that viewers may interpret in their own way. “I have always been fascinated with people watching, and as a result, it has greatly influenced the direction of my art,” says Nelson. “I paint what people surround themselves with—their clothes and the mood they convey through body movement.” The inspiration for her show piece Broad Horizon was a hat and how proudly it was worn. “[This woman] walked past me and that was my first impression, a beautiful proudly worn hat,” she adds. “As I painted her from behind, I wondered, ‘what is she looking at?’”
In even more detailed pieces, you’ll find Lara Restelli’s Rocks in a Box Orange—one in a series of five paintings inspired by the intrinsic magic of stones and crystals. “Precious stones found their way into my life and taught me about simplicity and beauty,” Restelli explains. “They fascinated me so much that I turned them into my primary subject matter. I chose to represent their exuberant colors and incredible energy through my work. I want my paintings to convey their peaceful and balanced energy.”
Erwin P. Lewandowski, Oceanside I, colored pencil and ink, 16 x 24"
Find these fascinating realist works and so much more on display through May 1, at T. H. Brennen Fine Art on Main Street. IGOR will be offering two days of art events to guests including a seminar, group dinner, realism gallery walk of Scottsdale and, not to be missed, the opening reception on Thursday April 11 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. during Scottsdale's weekly ArtWalk. Visit the show website for additional details. —
18th Annual IGOR Exhibition
When: April 10-May 1, 2024; opening reception: Arpil 11, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: T.H. Brennen Fine Art, 7150 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Information: (480) 994-1355, www.thbrennenfineart.com, www.realismguild.com
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