I've found a new favorite artist. Now, for those who know me, when I say favorite, it's usually one of a huge list of people. I can't choose just one, for there are so many styles and genres. This new artist I found accidentally and simply love! ... oh wait ... *clears throat* here are two new favorite artists that I came upon while searching online.

I first ran into an art piece by Iman Maleki while I was collecting favorite paintings by William Adolphe Bouguereau. Okay...let's rewind a bit. On my laptop I have a folder of favorite paintings. There are several folders of artists including: Edmund Blair Leighton, Frederic Leighton, John William Waterhouse, William Adolphe Bouguereau, and Roger Loveless. There are my five top arists. If anyone notices, the first four are painters from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The last is a christian artist. So, back to the topic, as I was searching for more paintings of Bouguereau for my folder, I came upon an image while searching google images that was not one of Bouguereau's but really caught my eye. On that day, I could find no other works by Iman Maleki. Today, I tried again and found twenty-three more pieces by him, each just as captivating. Iman Maleki resides in Iran and trained under the greatest realist painter of Iran. I would love to own some of his works one day.
http://imanmaleki.com

The other author I came upon happened while I was trying to search for a pioneer painting (which I still need to find....hmmm). Megan Rieker resides in Maryland and has had her artwork displayed at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors Center, the Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City, Utah and at the Handcart Museum in Wyoming. My absolute favorite of her work is called "Eve's First Harvest." Her paintings are a bit different then I usually like, but this painting just keeps drawing my attention. I really like the meaning that the title draws from the painting.
http://meganrieker.com

Since I'm on this, might as well continue with my favorite paintings. So, Roger Loveless has been a favorite christian artist since I saw two of his paintings in one of the seminary buildings I attended (although I can't seem to remember which one). I love his painting called, "Living Water" especially because one day my seminary teacher described the painting to me and pointed out several differences between the land and what is seen in the water. While everything appears dead on land, it is living in the reflection of the water. Roger Loveless graduated from Utah State University.

John William Waterhouse became my first favorite artist because of his collection of mythology paintings. His representations of Psyche are a favorite: "Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden" and "Psyche Opening the Golden Box." They are mainly a favorite because the myth of Eros and Psyche is my absolute favorite of all mythology. In all honesty, my favorite mythological painting at this moment (featured here) is a painted by Edward Matthew Hale entitled "Psyche at the Throne of Venus." This is the moment of the tale when Psyche is begging at the feet of Venus for forgiveness and to see Eros. She agrees to complete several impossible tasks set by Venus so she could see her love again. Oddly enough, I can find few paintings by Hale and this is the best. I don't know what he was thinking since this is so different from his others, but amazing!

Edmund Blair Leighton became a favorite of mine because of his paintings of courtly love. I did a class presentation on the subject my senior year of high school and fell in love with one of his paintings entitled "Tristan and Isolde." A majority of his work is relating to courtship of some sort. Here I wanted to show another favorite that I had found just last year. He has some amazing pieces. The one shown is entitled "Stitching the Standard." I think one reasone why I like it so much is because that's something I'd see myself doing if I lived during that time period. I'd sit out on the battlement sewing or reading as I look out on the beautiful landscape. Sometimes, I wish we still were able to wear those types of clothing, too. I honest think they look beautiful!! Just a small fancy of mine...

William-Adolphe Bouguereau actually started as a favorite of mine because of his painting "The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil." I'd show it here, but he has other amazing pieces a bit more appropriate for all audiences. One difficulty I come upon with artwork is my love of mythology and such. Nudity was not a huge controversy in that age, especially if it dealt with Greek gods and goddesses. Another favorite of Bouguereau is "The Remorse of Orestes" which I also shouldn't show, but is another favorite myth of mine: representing a scene from The Oresteia. Therefore, I've decided to show "Laurel Branch." It use to be one of my favorites, but it was hard to choose for all the paintings that are similar to this one is amazing.