Hyper Realistic Paintings of Vintage Board Games; Tape, Tears and All.

At first glance, these look like vintage board games one might find on ebay, complete with frayed corners and masking tape holding them together. But look a little closer and you'll see that they are the impressive photo realistic paintings of Missouri based artist Tim Liddy.




Using oil paints and enamel Tim recreates nostalgic Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley board games- some of which are no longer made and others that are still family favorites, on copper.

















Tim will take commissions as well. The prices for these works vary from $3,000 to $11,000 + depending upon size.

Tim Liddy

Hyper Realistic Paintings Of Retro Barbies By Judy Ragagli

Artist Judy Ragagli paints original paintings of nostalgic Barbie dolls, from the retro years of 1959 to 1970. Whether it's Barbie in Bora Bora or Hollywood, on Prom Night or dressed for an Enchanted Evening, the paintings at first glance appear as photographs and upon closer inspection are incredible detailed oil paintings. Ragagli captures the smooth perfect plastic skin and uses colored backgrounds, clothing and/or venues- that compliment the clean and bright world of Barbie.



According to Judy, "I see nostalgic Barbie as possessing a soul and positive spirit; her true persona extends beyond the plastic facade."



Judy's goal, she explains, is to pay homage to this surviving icon of modernity, femininity and style. "I want my viewers to recognize Barbie as an important and positive influence within American society on both the individual and aggregate levels," she notes. By presenting nostalgic Barbie through portraiture in oil on canvas, Judy's aim is to create a vision of Barbie that is still and noble. I strive to elicit veneration for Barbie's legacy while painting a mark of beauty and grace into the world."

The paintings:













You may not be able to afford her original oil paintings which run approximately $3,900.00 but she offers fine art prints of her paintings starting at an affordable $150. USD.



This Limited Edition giclee on canvas, shown above, features a 1964 Barbie originally painted on canvas in oil by Judy Ragagli. "Platinum Swirl" is released in a limited edition of 50. The size is 20" x 16," inches, varnished with a UV protective coating and stretched on 1 1/2" stretcher bars.

Ms. Ragagli's paintings can also be viewed in the newly released hard-cover book titled EdgyCute: From Neo-Pop to Low Brow and Back Again by Harry Saylor.

Visit her website here

Hugo Kobayashi's Nothing For Something. Paintings Of Crushed Lottery Tix

Los Angeles born, but San Fransisco based artist Hugo Kobayashi, whose painting studio is in Oakland, has a new show opening at the Hang Art gallery today.

In his third solo exhibition with HANG ART, Hugo Kobayashi continues to materialize his observations of societal obsessions through meticulous rendering. He carefully explores how drastically the perception of gambling or chance has changed over the years and how its pervasive nature now causes fun to overshadow risk. Shown together, the body begs one to wonder how the scratchers’ owners were affected. Rather than implying a specific story, shown together the body leaves the viewer to wonder how the scratchers came to be.

The show, called Nothing For Something, features hyper realistic oil paintings of crumpled lottery tickets and scratchers. Each painting measures by 16" x 32" and I love every single one of them.

Nothing For Something:

Easy Go:

Losing My Cool:

Spinout:

Uneasy:

Red Ink and Blue:

In The Red:


The show runs from May 1 through May 15th. The Opening Reception will take place Thursday at the gallery May 6, from 6-8pm.

HANG ART
567 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94102


Paintings can also be purchased online here.

About the artist:


 Hugo Kobayashi's vertical canvases are filmic, skillfully rendered, and often autobiographical. A native of Southern California, he spent four years as a comic strip writer for LA View, which gave him a strong grasp of the narrative potential of visual images. He draws inspiration from comics and films, and the tall, narrow format of his work invites the viewer to read his images from top to bottom like unreeling filmstrips.

Kobayashi's goal is to combine the graphic techniques of cartooning and design with a painterly brushstroke and representational approach, crafting powerful, unified paintings that can both tell personal stories and comment on the world at large.

Born in Los Angeles in 1962 and reared in Orange County, Kobayashi has been making images since he was five. He earned his bachelor's degree in studio art from the University of California at Berkeley in 1983 and his master's degree from Hunter College in New York in 1986. Hugo has participated in exhibitions at the Berkeley Art Center, the Keyson Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael.

See all of his work at his site.