Robert Francis James

Two environmental activists superglued their hands to Botticelli’s Primavera in the Uffizi Gallery last week, AP reports . A museum security guard wasted no time in reacting. In a “refreshing, no-nonsense approach to eco-warriors,” according to The Daily Mail , the guard tore the protesters’ hands from the painting and dragged them away. They were promptly taken to a local police station and handed orders to stay out of Florence for three years, the same penalty given to rowdy soccer fans after their arrest. Museum officials said the demonstration left Primavera unharmed, thanks to protective glass installed on top of it several years ago. Defacing paintings has become the tactic du jour of environmental activists lately. The Botticelli was targeted because it portrays an idyllic spring day—the kind of day that climate change threatens to extinguish. Other paintings have been defaced for similar reasons this summer, including a Constable, a Van Gogh, and a Da Vinci—the Mona L...

I have commissioned a limited edition of full-size giclee prints of three of my still-life paintings, and am offering them for only $80 each (plus tax and shipping). Please email me , if you are interested. All prints will be signed and numbered. Giclee (pronounced “zhee-clay”) is a French term meaning “to spray” and refers to the way an inkjet printer produces a print. The term was coined in 1991 by printmaker Jack Duganne. A giclee is of significantly higher quality than a traditional photographic print. New Dragon Takeout (20 x 16 inches) Oatmeal. 11 x 14 inches. Milk and Chocolate Frosted Doughnut. 11 x 14 inches, The post Prints Available appeared first on Original still life oil paintings for sale l Robert Francis James .

Next Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, I’ll exhibit my paintings on the 1,000-acre grounds of Winterthur , America’s premier museum of the decorative arts. I hope you’ll attend this very special event, the Artisan Market at Winterthur . I’ll join over 100 other artists and craftspeople offering paintings, sculpture, jewelry, crafts, vintage clothing, antiques, collectibles, home and garden décor, artisanal foods, and more. While shopping, you’ll hear live music and be able to nosh on festival food and drink. Besides the Artisan Market, your two-day admission ticket will provide you entry into Henry Francis du Pont’s 175-room mansion, containing his collection of 90,000 masterpieces of Americana— and a guided tour the current museum exhibition, “ Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House .” Baby Boomers will remember that Jackie’s televised tour of the restored White House in 1962 rekindled the country’s love of fine antiques and traditional in...

  Art offers breathing room for the spirit. ― John Updike A new study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology shows that visiting art museums can ease chronic paid, reduce anxiety and depression, and forestall dementia. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania compiled and reviewed over 100 science articles to reach their conclusions. Among other things, they discovered that visiting art museums decreases stress and anxiety, and that viewing figurative art, in particular, lowers blood pressure. They also found that art reduces the intensity of chronic pain, increases a person’s life span, and lessens the likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia. Art, moreover, induces higher cognitive functioning among people with dementia. Art museums also affect the way people interact. Museum visitors report feeling less isolated, more empathetic, and better equipped to connect socially with others. The researchers plan next to study how specific museum programming ...