Wednesday, June 19, 2013

New Series - American Classics

andythomas.com

There are many American Classic Novels we are familiar with, that circulate generation to generation. Captains Courageous and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are just two of them. Many of us know the stories from childhood and appreciate the messages they portray. Somerset Fine Art asked Andy to paint an American Classic Novels series. Guess what? Andy is currently hard at work on the new series, to bring some of our favorite classics to life. So far, he has Captains Courageous and Huckleberry Finn completed.

If you don't already know the story of Captains Courageous, then here's a little background. Young Harvey Cheyne came from an affluent family in San Diego, CA. He accidentally falls overboard an ocean liner, and gets rescued by fishermen off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, when his life suddenly changed. The crew refused to take Cheyne back to the port right away, but Captain Disko Troop, offers him a job until they return. Young Cheyne learns he must participate in hard manual labor, something he is not familiar with. He eventually adjusts to his new lifestyle and gets reunited with his family, who are not only surprised by his new found maturity, but impressed as well.

The story on Huckleberry Finn is: A young teenage boy, Huckleberry Finn, runs away from home when life becomes too challenging. On his journey, he meets a slave, Jim, who also decides to run away with Finn. The two float away on a raft along the Mississippi River encountering many adventures. Of course, the novel is much more than this blurb. As we know, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been banned from many libraries and schools due to a racism aspect, so the newer generations won't have the experience of reading the novel.

Andy's painting below of Captains Courageous shows two sailboats and the men hard at work somewhere on the Atlantic ocean. Look at those waves and how the sailboats are gliding by. Can you image the long laborious journey aboard that sailboat?

Captains Courageous

Below you see Huckleberry Finn laid back comfortably with his arms behind his head and his runaway slave friend, Jim. Here, they're travelling along the Mississippi River, aside some ferries. I couldn't imagine travelling by raft on a long voyage; although, it seems like it could have been fun with all the adventures they encountered, but you won't see me trying it!

Huckleberry Finn

These two paintings will be available for reproduction soon; production will begin early Summer, so keep an eye out for them. Pre-orders are now available through the website, so you can place your order at anytime. If interested in the originals (24x48), they will be available for purchase from Greenhouse Gallery. To purchase Huck Finn original click here; and for Captains Courageous, here. The series will consist of approximately six paintings all together. I personally love these two paintings, they're truly amazing. The realism makes me feel like, I'm there, on the journey with them. I can't wait to see what's in store for us next!

What American Classic would you like to see on canvas next?? Who knows, Andy just might paint it... Leave a comment below and let us know.


No comments:

Post a Comment