His Point of View

I think I will start a new periodic piece here called a moment to share, where I will post random things that I have observed or heard personally out in the “real world”.  I will begin with these B&W photos I took around DC during two afternoons/nights this summer (2009).

Remembering our Veterans and their families who sacrificed so much in the name of this nation.

Recently I have decided to venture into the world of Independent /limited release films, and I must say that I am disappointed in the fact that I have not done so sooner.  Last night I saw one of the best movies I have seen in a long while.  In my mind Full Metal Jacket is the bar when it comes to military movies and I can only think of one other movie (aside from the movie I saw last night) released in the last few years that comes close to the bar, and that film is We Were Soldiers.  Las night I saw the movie titled “The Hurt Locker” which is about a bomb squad team serving in Baghdad.  The movie has no real “stars” (but it does have a few familiar faces) and i think that is the major reason it is not a mainstream film.  If you like war movies this is definitely a must see, you can go to the movie’s official web site to find a theatre near you that is showing this flick.

If you live in the DC metro area you should check out the E Street Cinema, I will be there frequently this summer and fall, as it appears there are several more excellent Indie films to be released this year.  Even if you don’t live near DC you should check out the link to the E Street Cinema to find an affiliated theatre near you, and to read the description of some of the films currently available.  I must add that many of these movies have stepped their game up tremendously… no longer do independent films have that notorious “low budget” appearance.  Many of these films are shot using equipment of similar if not equal caliber to what major studios use. 

If you ever wonder how you can view some of the films that you hear about or read about winning major awards at film festivals such as those in Cannes and Utah ( Sundance Film Festival) you should find your local theatre which shows Independent films.   If you are concerned about prices,  the admission prices at the E Street Cinema are actually cheaper than the major chains in the area (tickets are $10 after 6pm).  Also, for you film producers many of these theatres have events where you can show your works to the public.

It’s time to expand your horizons, let’s go out and seek entertainment instead of being spoon fed the same repeated themes by the major production studios.  

(If you know of some other venues, especially in DC or ATL that show good independent films please let me know)

These are the films I plan to check out in the coming weeks… (sadly it seems that I just missed the Unmistaken Child, as it’s showin gin the DC area ended yesterday…)

Last fall (2008) I was wandering around the “gas lamp” district of San Diego, CA when a painting in a window caught my eye. I saw that the establishment was an art gallery/studio, and it happened to be open so I decided to take a look inside. What I saw when I entered was a collection of the best oil paintings I have had the pleasure of enjoying. We all know the art of the old standards such as Picasso, Monet, Bacon, Matisse, etc… and I recognize their work as being great… but its not really art that moves me or that I can relate to, with few exceptions. I recognize all of their work as being great… but as far as art that i would hang in my office or home I would place Tim Cantor above all of the previously mentioned artists. When I say that Tim’s art jumps off of the panel that is what I mean. The colors, the shading, the lighting were unlike anything I had ever seen done before with oil paints.
His works appear as if they are computer animations displayed on an HD screen (hopefully that is interpreted as a compliement). In fact I had to ask one of the staff members if the images were paintings or Computer Generated Images (CGI). The images you will see below do not fully capture the brilliance of these paintings as I experienced in the gallery. Tim’s work reminds me of Cirque du Soliel for more reasons than one… but primarily because he has taken something so familiar and put a whole new spin on it, just as Cirque has done with the traditional idea of a circus. Now I say that last statement because his style is new to me, perhaps there are many other artists with a similar style… Tim just happened to be the first I was exposed to, just as Cirque was the first circus experience I have had of that type. And to any reader out there if this style of painting has a name please do share it with me. If you are ever in San Diego and you appreciate art I urge you to stop by:

Ashby Galleries . 527 Fourth Avenue . San Diego . CA . 92101
619.235.6990

If you like the images below please do visit his site at: http://www.timcantor.com Be sure to click on the “Detail Views” link if it exists for the image you are viewing, it will zoom in to show you some of the featured details of the painting.

When you visit Tim’s site please see the “Limited Editions” page for prints which you can purchase (many are under $2000 framed or unframed), or the “Available Works” page for works which range in price from around $700 for a sketch  to $32,000+ for an original oil on panel or canvas.

All images are from http://www.timcantor.com

“En Pointe” Oil on Canvas

“sine qua non” detail close up of bee

“sine qua non”full-painting, oil on linen

“Sword of Damocles”, Oil on Panel

All images are from http://www.timcantor.com

“Ghost of You”, Oil on Canvas

“Grain of Sand”, Oil on Panel

“Journeyman”, Available as a print

“Born Again”, available as a print

“Stalking the Scarecrow”, available as a print

“The Hollows”,Oil on panel & available as a print…This is the image that attracted my attention. The leaves of the tree appear to jump off the canvas toward you if seen it in person. This shows how the artist captures lighting effects in his paintings… I absolutely love this effect (…but I am a photographer so I appreciate attention given to proper lighting).

All images are from http://www.timcantor.com