User:Jammyers1862/Neil Myers Artist, Oil Painter

Neil Myers Artist, Oil Painter

(Born 1975 - )

"I try to paint something people know, in a way they haven't seen before." quote from Neil Myers, Tucson Home Magazine, 2007.

Neil Myers, is a contemporary American artist known for brightly colored, thickly painted oil paintings of the American West. His works have been exhibited in Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Minnesota, and New Zealand. Myers' primary influence is the work of his mentor and friend, the celebrated contemporary French artist Jean-Claude Quilici.

Biography

Neil Myers was born and grew up in Elkin, North Carolina, in the United States. He graduated from Elkin High School 1993, and  attended and received his degree from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, where he majored in French and spent the spring of 1996 studying in Aix-en Provence, France. In 1994 Myers met Lenoir-Rhyne Professor Dr. Augustin Quilici, and the two began to talk about art. Dr. Quilici stated to Myers "If you like art, you have to come to my office and see my cousin's work, he is famous in France." In that way, Myers learned about the work of Jean-Claude Quilici, who would go on later to become his friend and artistic mentor. Myers lived in Auckland, New Zealand from 1999-2003. In 2003 he moved to New Mexico, USA, and then settled in Tucson, Arizona.

Art Career Myers was selected by Southwest Art Magazine in 2005 as a "21 Under 31" 'young artist to watch'. He was featured again in 2007 in Southwest Art Magazine's "Best of the West" section. His work has also appeared in Tucson Home Magazine(Spring 2007 issue) as well as Oro Valley Magazine. He is the author of the painting blog "What's Neil Painting This Week?".

Influences Myers' primary influence is the French artist Jean-Claude Quilici. As a young man he became interested in expressionistic, color driven work after seeing the work of Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. During his time in France, Myers visited some of the sites where Van Gogh painted, including the Night Cafe, and various spots such as Arles and St Remy. Myers cites American Artist Gary Ernest Smith, as a major influence, and Myers wrote a blog called "30 Minutes with Gary Ernest Smith", a result of conversations on art between Myers and Smith. Myers also credits artists such as Bonnie Posselli, Ken Voss, Gabor Svagrik, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Hans Hoffman, Maurice de Vlaminck, Paul Cezanne, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo as influences.

Awards Myers was given the "Rising Star Award" by the alumni association of Lenoir-Rhyne Unversity, for his contribution to the arts.

Book In early 2010 Myers published his first collection of paintings in book form, "Neil Myers Paintings, 2002 - 2010"

Official Website: www.neilmyersart.com

References Tucson Home Magazine, Spring 2007 issue P. 33 Southwest Art Magazine, September 2005 "21 Under 31" issue P. 136 Southwest Art Magazine, November 2007, "Best of the West, Arizona" p. 46

Art, Southwestern Art, Arizona Art, New Mexico Art, Neil Myers Artist, Oil Painting, Paintings,