"Painting that simply reproduces likeness of subject isn't enough -- I create paintings that express my emotional response to the beauty of subject."
--GLEN TARNOWSKI, "SAY SOMETHING MORE", THE ARTIST'S MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 1999
From a childhood immersed in the beauty of nature, a youth surrounded by the classical sense of Renaissance-era European art and architecture, and a lifetime devoted to art as the highest form of expression, Glen Tarnowski brings stunning vitality, depth and emotion to his still-life paintings.
Influenced by an intense formal education in art, pain-staking study of the works of Old World Masters Rembrandt Van Rijn, Peter Paul Reubens and Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin, and ongoing study with contemporary masters David Leffel, Sherrie McGraw and Dan McCaw, Tarnowski’s use of Chiaroscuro techniques provide his still-lifes with a vibrant dichotomy of old world feeling and contemporary realism.
His formal education in oil painting began at the age of eight when his innate talent for painting and unique perception of color revealed itself in his first art class. He continued his formal art education at California Lutheran University and The Pasadena Art Center College of Design, separated by extensive self-study in the art capitals of Europe. He later returned to California Lutheran University to teach painting.
Tarnowski’s talent is recognized by his peers, art associations, and the art press as well as notable private and corporate art collectors. He was the recipient of the 1996 Angel Winner Award, a finalist in the 1997 Artist Magazine International Competition, the 1998 Oil Painters of America National Show in Washington, D.C. and the 1999 Oil Painters of American Regional Show in Chicago, Illinois. He was also the featured artist in the October 1999 issue of “The Artist’s Magazine”. Tarnowski’s collector list includes Hollywood celebrities such as Mel Gibson, media moguls Ted Turner and Aaron Spelling, institutional collectors like the Billy Graham Institute and a variety of corporations including Twentieth Century Fox, TRW, Nordstrom Corporation and major media networks including NBC and CBS.
Biographical Chronology
- Born in 1961 Culver City, California.
- Tarnowski’s studied at the Art Center in Pasadena, California, one of the most challenging, demanding and labor intensive art education curriculum.
- A most profound change in Tarnowski’s life came with an enlightening trip to Europe. As Glen states, “Painting in Europe was a natural extension of oneself”. His interest in the Old World Masters, such as Rembrandt and Rubens, intensified as he studied the use of the Chiaroscura technique, where, in a very direct manner, both thick and thin areas of paint are applied, side-by-side, not in layers, to literally create “Light and Shade”.
- Tarnowski studied under the tutelage of Artist David LaFelle for six years in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With this experience, he touched on the true emotion inherent in the Paintings of the Old Masters.
- Tarnowski lives with his wife and children in a home, nestled in Nature. His Studio has large cathedral windows that allow the perfect natural lighting to strike the fresh fruit, flowers and the other still life subjects for his paintings. The light is pure, as it drifts across the field, illuminating the sheer perfection of the scene.
- Tarnowski endows each Still Life and Surreal Paintings with more than a visual stimulation of the senses. His choice in values of color and light symbolically portrays our Humanity, as he creates a view through a window into the innermost core of our being, insightfully revealing the extraordinary range of human attributes and emotions.
- Tarnowski’s genius is lauded by his peers, the art associations, and the art press, as well as, notable private and corporate collectors. The list includes Mel Gibson, Ted Turner, Aaron Spelling, the Nordstrom Corporation, TRW, CBS, NBC, and Twentieth Century Fox.
Symbolism Of Tarnowski Paintings
Apples – The fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Representation of knowledge and understanding. Golden Apple: Vigilance. Attributes of the Three Graces: Beauty, Desire and Fulfillment.
Birds – Birds are symbols of the ‘winged soul.’ Symbol of the soul in ancient Egypt. It features in this sense in Still Life. Symbol of Air, one of the Four Elements. Attribute of Touch, one of the Five Senses. Birds are allegories of Spring, one of the Four Season.
Branch – Representation of Logic.
Cherry – The red, sweet fruit of the cherry symbolizes the sweetness of character which is derived from good works. It is often called the Fruit of Paradise.
Flowers –Flowers in general are the attribute of Spring personified, one of the Four Seasons and of Smell, one of the Five Senses. They symbolize the evanescence of human life in allegorical Still Life. They are also sometimes the attribute of Hope, and of Logic, one of the Seven Liberal Arts.
Fruit – Fruit is often used to suggest the ten fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, patience, modesty, temperance, and chastity.
Grapes –Grapes are the attribute of Bacchus, god of wine, and of the personification of Autumn, one of the Four Seasons. Grapes represent the beginning of the renewal of life.
Ivy – Symbolically, the ivy has always been closely identified with immortality. Because of its forever green, it is a symbol of Fidelity and eternal life. The ivy, which clings to its support, is also a symbol of attachment and eternal affection.
Lemon – The lemon is a symbol of fidelity in love. It represents loyalty and trust.
Light – Light is symbolic of resource of life. Light gives radiance, warmth, and provides energy for our planet; a source that will always be there.
Lilies – Symbol of purity, associated particularly with the Virgin Mary. The lily of the valley is one of the first flowers of the year and announces the return of spring. The flowers and the sweetness of its scent it is a symbol of the Virgin Mary.
Oil – Oil is the symbol of the Grace of God. It is used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination, and unction.
Olive – The olive branch has always been regarded as a symbol of peace, and appears as such in allegorical paintings of peace. A dove with an olive twig in its beak is often used to indicate that the souls of the deceased have departed in the peace of God.
Orange – The orange tree is regarded as a symbol of purity and generosity. When it is seen in representation of Paradise, it alludes to the man’s redemption. The white flower is also used to suggest purity, and for this reason orange blossoms are the traditional adornment of brides.
Peach – A peach represents an attribute of Truth.
Pear – The pear frequently appears in connection with the Incarnate Christ, in allusion to His love for mankind. Universal Love for Humankind.
Poppy – The poppy is a symbol of passion and indifference.
Rose – Traditionally, among the ancient Romans, the rose was the symbol of victory, pride, and triumphant love. It was the flower of Venus, goddess of love. Before it became one of the flowers of the earth, the rose grew in Paradise without thorns. Only after the fall of man did the rose take on its thorns to remind man’s fall from grace; where as its fragrance and beauty continued to remind him of the splendor of Paradise. In Renaissance art, a garland of roses is often an allusion to the rosary of the Blessed Virgin.
Teapot – Represents the East. East, being the direction in which the sunrise appears, is symbolic of new beginnings and new hope. It also represents worldly knowledge.
Vase - Smell, represents one of the Five Senses.
Violet – The violet is a symbol of humility. The strawberry is occasionally shown accompanied by violets to suggest that the truly spiritual are always humble.
Colors:
- Blue: Truth, Contemplation
- Brown: Earth, Nature
- Green: Good health, Fertile, Life
- Purple: Regal, Richness
- Red: Love, Passion, Power
- White: Purity, Innocence
- Yellow/Gold: Friendship, Wisdom
GLEN TARNOWSKI
MASTERS GALLERY
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