Shades of Monet

Most of us would not know the difference between tache, pointillism and broken brush strokes, let alone what they are.

 

One time Gisborne City winger Billy Cakebread has made these techniques the subject of 30 years study.

 

Painting under the nom-de-plume "Van Ess' Mr Cakebread is a modern day disciple of Claude Monet, hence the title "Shades of Monet'

 

Mr Cakebread has always been an art lover, preoccupied with impressionism, Monet in particular.  He paints some of Monet's views, but with his own interpretation and he paints local scenes in the same style.

 

The impressionist style uses strokes, dabs or points of colour to represent objects. The picture is not outlined at all. This gives looseness of style and the freedom to the artist. Rather than tone on tone, complemenarty colours are used to dipict light and shade. This gives tremendous vibrance, variation and an almost shimmering effect to the finished painting.

 

"Van Ess' gets so absorbed in his painting he has stayed up all night on many occasions working on them.

 

40 years ago he came to New Zealand from Burnley in England to play soccer for Gisborne City. He has visited art galleries throughout England and America to study originals by the impressionist masters. Various styles he has practiced include; Seurat's pointillism, Pissaro's tache and Monet's broken brush strokes.