Arnold Bernstein
Learn more about Arnold Bernstein from Lynnwood, Washington - United States.
Joined
2015
Followers
11
Visitors
8,370
Born in 1946, I was raised and lived 25 years in Woodhaven Queens, New York. During my teenage years I won many chess championships, including Amateur Championships at the Marshall Chess Club in Greenwich Village, and the United States Junior Chess Championship (under sixteen years of age division).
In High School I painted oils Post-Impressionist landscapes in a later Van Gogh style with strong movement. Received my B.A. (in Economics) at Queens College of the City University of New York then moved in 1970 to Berkeley, California where I married and raised a family (we have 4 older children and 9 grand children). I pursued the ministry (not unlike Van Gogh) and received my Masters of Divinity at St. Vladimir Seminary in N.Y. was ordained an Orthodox Christian priest and am known as Father James. For many years I set aside painting as I pursued other interests. After seminary my family and I were assigned to an Orthodox Christian Church just north of Seattle, Washington where we have lived ever since.
Our oldest daughter Heather Sommer became a professional iconographer. She and another daughter of ours Holly bought me a set of acrylic paints and told me to paint again. So after taking a 44 year break I did! This time with acrylic instead of oil. Surprisingly I continued from where I left off with a strong later Van Gogh style that is more post impressionistic than impressionistic. Though my paintings have names I also number them in numerical order as, my 1st painting after taking a 44 year break, my 2nd painting after and so forth.
I am very thankful for having rediscovered painting and really love it. My paintings are obviously very bright with strong motion throughout. I like to think of them as presenting a reality behind the reality. They are somewhat mystical, indicating that there is an energy/presence throughout nature that binds all of reality together. A reality that can most clearly be seen with the eyes of the heart. Most of my paintings are landscapes of the Great Pacific Northwest. At present I only sell prints and keep the originals. Who knows perhaps someday I may have enough originals so as to be willing to part from some of them.
“I feel that there is nothing more artistic than to love others. I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed.”
Vincent Van Gogh
In High School I painted oils Post-Impressionist landscapes in a later Van Gogh style with strong movement. Received my B.A. (in Economics) at Queens College of the City University of New York then moved in 1970 to Berkeley, California where I married and raised a family (we have 4 older children and 9 grand children). I pursued the ministry (not unlike Van Gogh) and received my Masters of Divinity at St. Vladimir Seminary in N.Y. was ordained an Orthodox Christian priest and am known as Father James. For many years I set aside painting as I pursued other interests. After seminary my family and I were assigned to an Orthodox Christian Church just north of Seattle, Washington where we have lived ever since.
Our oldest daughter Heather Sommer became a professional iconographer. She and another daughter of ours Holly bought me a set of acrylic paints and told me to paint again. So after taking a 44 year break I did! This time with acrylic instead of oil. Surprisingly I continued from where I left off with a strong later Van Gogh style that is more post impressionistic than impressionistic. Though my paintings have names I also number them in numerical order as, my 1st painting after taking a 44 year break, my 2nd painting after and so forth.
I am very thankful for having rediscovered painting and really love it. My paintings are obviously very bright with strong motion throughout. I like to think of them as presenting a reality behind the reality. They are somewhat mystical, indicating that there is an energy/presence throughout nature that binds all of reality together. A reality that can most clearly be seen with the eyes of the heart. Most of my paintings are landscapes of the Great Pacific Northwest. At present I only sell prints and keep the originals. Who knows perhaps someday I may have enough originals so as to be willing to part from some of them.
“I feel that there is nothing more artistic than to love others. I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Arnold Bernstein joined Fine Art America on October 9th, 2015.