Fine Art Professionals of Northern Virginia

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Get to Know Our Featured Artist

Robert Thoren

WINTER SHADOWS - 20 x 24 - oil (cover image)

My artistic journey actually began while an engineering student at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Surrounded by natural beauty, I bought a camera and became very interested in capturing the local landscape. Shortly after graduation, a friend suggested I try oil painting.

Several years later after a few horrible oil paintings, I had the good fortune of being introduced to a local artist and teacher Eunice Martchenko, a former student of the Russian master Sergei Bongart. Eunice took me under her wing and I studied with her for a number of years. Her Tuesday evening class was quite a departure from my daytime job as an aeronautical engineer at a nearby Lockheed Aircraft facility. She started me with simple still life setups painted in black and white and gradually introduced color and more complex setups. After Eunice’s unfortunate passing, I studied with Sunny Apinchapong, another very gifted artist/teacher who had also studied with Sergei Bongart.

In 1993, a job transfer brought me to Northern Virginia where I really first became interested in plein air painting. I have enjoyed the seasonal changes which I never experienced living in Los Angeles. I really enjoy walking into the nearby woods and painting down by the creek, particularly after a snow storm.

“A job transfer brought me to Northern Virginia where I really first became interested in plein air painting."

Robert Thoren

Following my retirement from Raytheon in 2008, I got quite active in the plein air movement, and participated in a number of nationally recognized competitive events. These included Plein Air Easton, Mountain Maryland, Wayne, (PA), Estes Park (CO), Sedona (AZ), and San Luis Obispo, to name the most significant. Awards included:

Top Award - Most Creative Plein-Air Painting, 8th Annual San Luis Obispo Plein-Air competition
1st Place - Quick Draw, 8th Annual Estes Park Plein-Air competition
Best of Show - 7th Annual Estes Park Plein-Air competition

In more recent years I have been adding some international travel to my plein air experience, including several painting trips to Tuscany and my new favorite location, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

AREA OF EXPERTISE

ROYAL MODEL 10 - 24 x 24 - oil

EXPRESSIVE STILL LIFES

I may be best known for my expressive still lifes, which I have been painting for many years and for which I owe a debt to the Bongart method which placed a strong emphasis on this genre. I have gathered quite a collection of objects at swap meets and junk stores through the years (all different sizes, shapes, colors, textures, etc.) and really enjoy the challenge of coming up with interesting compositions to paint.

POUND OF POTATOES - 16 x 20 - oil

Looking Up Cornhill Street by Robert Thoren

I am also drawn to architectural subject matter (no doubt influenced by my engineering background), and really enjoy painting street scenes. Favorite local spots include old town Annapolis, Washington DC, Waterford, VA, to name a few. I can also be found every summer painting in and around Provincetown, Cape Cod. Of course, I love the Northern Virginia landscape and really enjoy tromping through near-by woods to paint the four seasons.

LOOKING UP CORNHILL STREET - 16 x 12 - oil

IN THE STUDIO

AFTERNOON SHADOWS - 24 x 20 - oil

My home studio occupies a significant portion of our finished basement and provides me with ample space for setting up still life compositions and for storage of all my art related supplies. I also use it on occasion for teaching. The only draw back is the lighting which is all artificial. This necessitates bringing paintings upstairs throughout the painting process to make sure colors are accurate. I will sometimes set up a still life composition on my kitchen table to take advantage of the natural north light. My dream is to someday have a studio with ample north light.

ENTERING DELAPLANE - 24 x 30 - oil

I love being out in the environment painting plein-air, whether it be on the beach, in the mountains, or on a street corner in San Miguel de Allende. For me it is a much more rewarding experience than being back in the studio working from a photograph. More challenging, definitely, due to all the variables, wind, heat, bugs, changing light, moving shadows, etc. which one is not confronted with in the studio. If possible, I like to scope out a location in advance so I can become familiar with lighting conditions throughout the day (would it make a better morning, afternoon, or early evening painting?). Perhaps the biggest challenge for me is being able to complete a plein air painting within the two hours typically available before changing lighting makes it time to move on. If unable to complete a painting in one session, I’ll try to go back another day when lighting conditions are similar.

LEFT: Robert paints on location in all kinds of weather.

BOTTOM LEFT: Start of the painting INTO THE WOODS

BOTTOM RIGHT: INTO THE WOODS - 24 x 18 - oil

“I like to paint in a sensual, impressionistic style emphasizing vivid color and the employ of dramatic brushstrokes."

Robert Thoren

PEARL STREET SHADOWS - 20 x 24 - oil

HEADING DOWNTOWN - 24 x 24 - oil

I have been teaching oil painting for approximately five years, having taken over an adult education art class at Chantilly High School. I am currently represented by the following galleries: Berkley Gallery (Warrenton, VA), Chasen Gallery (Richmond, VA), and Kiley Court Gallery (Provincetown, MA).