Max Sugar

Artist's Statement

I am transported to a Nirvana-like state when I paint.  My focus is on color and the effects of the light key on the shades of the landscape, seascape, or still life I am painting.  Colors are ever-changing, altering with the seasons, the time of day, the type of light (sunny or grey), and juxtaposition.  
 
Plein air painting has been my particular approach for a long time because it provides luminosity and offers shades and varieties of color that are not available with studio lighting.  
 
I use the palette knife exclusively.  It provides texture and increased vibrancy and intensity since the colors come straight from the paint tube.  
 
All these aid my approach to painting impressionism with oils.  

I lived in New Orleans for many years, but after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I relocated to Denver.  The scenes here are so varied and exciting because of the panoramic Rocky Mountains, the surrounding countryside and the way light is affected by higher altitude, increased sunshine and the difference in humidity.  This has prompted me to paint in a variety of settings.
 
Since arriving in Denver I have been fortunate to participate in a number of shows, meeting other artists in the Aurora Artists Guild, Plein Air Painters of Colorado, Art Students League of Denver, and the Colorado Artists Guild.  
 
This is the path on which I have been traveling for some years now. I hope the effort is pleasing to you.  Some of my paintings hang in Colorado, California, Florida, Louisiana, Jerusalem and Toronto.