Interested in original artwork?

End of Day
30x40"
Oil on canvas

Accepted to OPA Western Regional Show
Devin Galleries
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho
September 12 - October 11, 2008

Recent Article from Skywest Magazine

ROBERT BISSETT : : :
of Naples, ID

Capturing Precise Value

Over the course of two decades, Robert Bissett, the artist responsible for this edition’s cover art, Schweitzer Nights, has carved out a solid reputation as an accomplished acrylic painter. He’s shown all across the nation, earned awards, contributed to a book on the subject and is a frequent participant at workshops.

Not content to rest on his accomplishments, Bissett readily admits, “one of the best things about art is that it is a continual process of learning and studying and trying new things.”

While he finds inspiration throughout life’s experiences, Bissett credits his north Idaho home with providing an especially stimulating artistic environment. He lives “just outside Naples, Idaho.” When asked “how big is that community?”, he replied succinctly “oh, it’s not.” Located a quarter-mile off highway 95 it consists of a post office/grocery store and restaurant/bar. Sandpoint is a half hour to the south.

“For an artist it’s a wonderful location,” he explained. “It’s relaxed and quiet, and I am surrounded by some of the nation’s nicest scenery. Glacier Park in Montana is close enough for a weekend trip. We’ve got lakes and rivers and the Selkirk Mountains and Schweitzer.”

That ski resort is the subject of the cover painting. Like most of his work it is grounded in real life. “I was working at a co-op gallery up there, and in the evening I’d look out the door at the dwindling day and wait for the lights to come on. I wanted to emphasize the foreground with the buildings and the people and let the ski hill loom up in the background almost as an afterthought; so the viewer could feel the distance between the mountain and the buildings in the early evening when things have gotten quiet.”

Bissett works in a variety of media—pen-and-ink, watercolor, oil — but is best known for acrylics such as Schweitzer Nights. “Acrylics dry fast; once you get used to that, it’s a good thing.” Bissett strives to keep his colors distinct and “clean. That’s another good thing about acrylics. They let you maintain the color because the paint you’re painting over is dry.”

They also contribute to precise value — the contrast between light and dark in a painting. The artist explained, “Usually if a painting isn’t working, the first thing to check is the values. That’s often where things go wrong. If the values aren’t right, the painting isn’t going to read correctly from a distance. It’s not going to grab the viewer. They may not realize it. Responding to an image is one of those things that happens unconsciously. But that’s the beauty of art. There’s no defense. It gets below your radar and grabs you on an emotional level. It happens before you’re even aware of it.”

For more information about Robert Bissett and his work, visit the links below.

Archival Giclee fine art prints from
Original Art by Robert Bissett
8x8" to 40x40" on Canvas or Paper
Matting & Framing also available
... ready to hang!

Prints and Originals
Fine Art America

Follow these links to see the amazing variety of Bissett originals...

zeroed Nov. 1, '07