Bright Figurative Images: Art by Frans Geerlings
Battle at Sea Dutch VS British, oil paint
Frans Geerlings was born in the Netherlands and is now based in Salem, Oregon. In his artistic practice, Frans creates bright figurative images combining oil paint with chalk and pastel.
Old Barn, acrylic paint in authentic Texas barnwood frame
I enjoy the way Frans showcases most of his works in frames on his website. The borders add an extra dimension to the works, and make it seem as though they’re already hanging in a museum. Technically, Frans’ subjects are skillfully rendered, with an interesting level of detail and attention paid to lighting and shadow. I like that the artist doesn’t shy away from using pure black to create deep shadows and a high-contrast appearance. With highly saturated colors, the images often seem dramatically lit.
The front page of Frans' art website
I think Frans’ attention to detail comes out especially in his hand-painted limited-edition prints. Several of these works are collaborations of a sort with the artist’s late wife, with Frans painting the designs in combinations of watercolor and airbrush. The works are expressive yet highly precise, with that same pleasantly bright color palette that Frans favors in the rest of his works.
