Sneak Peek: Michael Klein Solo Show

In the Studio, oil on linen, 10 X 15½ in.

"There was a time when I thought I would spend my life trying to paint something beautiful.

Now, I would change that, and say instead - 

I will spend my life painting what is already beautiful."  

~  Michael Klein

Corner of the Studio, oil on linen, 11¼ X 18¾ in.

Earlier this year, Bronx artist Michael Klein returned to Buenos Aires, where he keeps a studio that he and his father-in-law built several years ago.  As much as he loves the feeling of connectedness he experiences in New York City, there is quietness in his surroundings and in himself which he seems to find only in Argentina.  The paintings which he produces there reflect the bittersweet introspection he faces every time he sits down to closely observe and record his subject, and they are as much self-portraits, as they are beautiful renditions of the natural world in and about his studio.

Opening this week at Collins Galleries in Massachusetts is a solo show of Klein's paintings, most of which he created during his recent trip to South America.  The show, which opens August 24th, primarily focuses on the artist's still life paintings, with a special concentration on his floral paintings, for which Klein is quite well-known (his DVD, Flower Painting, was reviewed on Underpaintings in 2009).  The exhibition begins with a reception from 5:00 - 8:00 PM next Friday, and runs through September 12.

Collins Galleries is located in Orleans, Massachusetts.  It specializes in American, traditional, realist paintings from the 20th and 21st centuries, with a special interest in works created directly from life. During the summer, it is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday, and from 10:00 AM through 8:00 PM Fridays and Saturdays.  To schedule an appointment to visit the gallery on a Sunday or Monday, please call 508.255.1266.

If you scroll to the middle of the post, there is a You Tube video created by American Painting Video Magazine for the use of Artists on Art Magazine.  It shows Klein working in his New York studio, creating one of the paintings in the show.  The video was shot as part of an interactive feature which accompanied an article by Klein in the second issue of Artists on Art.

Diana Resting, oil on panel, 6 X 10 in.

Antique Sofa, oil on linen, 9¾ X 15½ in.

Studio Lunch, oil on paper, 9¼ X 12¼ in.

Spring (Studio Bench), oil on panel, 8 X 14 in.

Garden Pots, oil on linen, 10 X 16 in.

First Fruit (Peaches and Grapes), oil on linen, 11¾ X 15½ in.

Potted Plants and Plums, oil on linen, 13½ X 15¾ in.

Bouquet, oil on paper, 22 X 25 in.

Michael Klein painting Bouquet, as featured in Artists on Art Magazine

Bouquet demo

Las Flores, oil on panel, 24 X 36¼ in.

Rose Bouquet, oil on linen, 10¾ X 13½ in.

Two White Roses in a Glass Vase, oil on linen, 16 X 14 in.

Red and White Roses

Peonies, oil on panel, 8 X 12 in.

Spring Floral II, oil on linen, 8 X 12 in.

Spring Floral, oil on panel, 8 X 12 in.

Pink Rose and Purple Iris, oil on panel, 12 X 16 in.

White Roses, oil on panel, 12 X 16 in.

A Moment in Time, oil on panel, 20 X 24 in.

Arrangement on a Wooden Crate, oil on paper, 30 X 21½ in.

Silver Vase with Roses, oil on linen, 15 X 9¾ in.

Yellow Rose, oil on panel, 23¼ X 16½ in.

Wash Bowl, oil on panel, 20 X 24 in.

Karina Esperando
oil on linen, 48 X 24 in.

A Quiet Moment, oil on linen, 35 X 53 in.

Artist's Studio, Buenos Aires, oil on linen, 12½ X 12¾ in.

Daybreak, oil on panel, 4½ X 7½ in.

End of Day (Drying Sheets), oil on panel, 4½ X 7½ in.

Sliced Pineapple and Plums, oil on panel, 18 X 30 in.

Berries, oil on panel, 8 X 14 in.

Visual Music, oil on panel, 18 X 30 in.