a SOUP - December 2019
Christmas in New York
- By: Camila

Welcome! Welcome! Do take a seat where ever you please. I was just about to get started. As the holiday time nears I think it's only fair if we cover some holiday art. Now, I have a question for you all. Have any of you been to New York? Alright, alright. Now, have any of you been to New York during the wintertime? Ah, not to worry! I've got a special treat for you then.

Today, I have the honor of presenting to you a piece that captures the magic that is New York in the winter. All this is thanks to artist Alexander Chen. He is a well-recognized artist that is best known for his "hyper-realist" style. What that means is that he has a way of capturing a scene in his art in a way that makes you feel like the painting is real! Almost like magic. *cough cough*

Yes, exactly! He isn't a regular artist, he's from our world. Alexander Chen loves incorporating a little bit of actual magic into his art. As a wizard, he's allowed to do such things. Now, as for his secret on bringing his art to life...that is still a mystery!

Now, as I was saying, New York in the wintertime is beautiful! There is snow everywhere just covering everything in white. The waters are frozen and good for Ice Skating. It's a breathtaking city. Here is one of his pieces. This one depicts children and their families enjoying a good time in Central Park. You can see them riding their sleighs, making snow angels, and having snowball fights!



Picture taken from Art Gallery Plus

According to Park West Gallery, Chen's work is so detailed that he's only completed about 600 original paintings. This is a very small number for an artist. His "hyperrealist" style requires time to be brought to life. He's known for documenting all he sees from windows to people to ensure that he can capture them in detail later.



Picture provided by Shopify and Park West Gallery

One of his favorite places to paint is New York in the winter because when he visited New York for the first time in the 90's he was blown away by the beauty. As you can see he captures even the smallest of details in his work. All with the help of a little magic.

Now, wherever you may be, I hope you feel a little of the Christmas spirit. Take your time to breath in the cold winter air. I hope that these paintings inspire you to create a little Christmas art too! Use a little bit of your magic to bring the beauty of the holidays to life.

Thank you for joining today and Happy Holidays, Folks!