Plein Air – TOMAS HONZ

Paintings from Andalusia

A month ago, I took a trip to Spain and brought my painting supplies with me.
The result is four fantastic plein air paintings and one larger studio piece.

Even after all these years, I’m still surprised by how much the environment influences the look of the paintings. While in the Czech Republic I often choose dark, earthy tones, while in the Mediterranean I can’t help but use bright, vibrant colors.

Wishing you a wonderful spring,
Tomáš

by tomashonz

Paintings of hot but colourful Czech summer

The foggy and mysterious days of autumn are beginning – my (and I believe many yours as well) favourite.
But I’ve also got a bunch of paintings full of light, colour and Czech summer that I haven’t shared anywhere yet. I painted a lot during the holidays. I couldn’t work much in my beautiful new studio because of the extremely hot weather that we had here. However, I went to forests and ponds and everywhere that means summer for me and I did a lot of focused work there.

by tomashonz

Magna Grecia - Paintings from the South of Italy

A few weeks ago I returned from a residency in Italy. They put me up in Albanella, one of those picturesque mountain villages where you can sometimes buy a property for one euro. They took care of me there, cooked for me (every evening they prepared an Italian feast where the whole family gathered. Often friends from the neighborhood came too). They also drove me anywhere I wanted to paint, and I quickly got used to it.

The best thing was that I could devote all my energy and decision-making capacity to painting.
I have never felt so focused and undisturbed.

Several other painters from different parts of the world were invited along with me, all able to paint in plein air. Each with tremendous ability, dedication and passion that I sometimes miss in contemporary artists.
We became friends and this is definitely not the last time we painted together.

See all the paintings with more info here.

Sincerely,
Tomáš Honz

by tomashonz

A tribute to Otakar Lebeda

Otakar Lebeda - Horské oko v Krkonoších

The pictures of the glacial lakes in the Krkonoše mountains on the border of Czech Republic and Poland were painted by Otakar Lebeda (1877 – 1901) during his last trip in September 1896. He was only 19 years old at the time.

Both canvases are too detailed to be completed in one sitting. So he had to either return to the spots or finish them from memory somewhere else. Strolling around the peaks of the Krkonoše Mountains with equipment for painting certainly required determination and physical fitness.

Small and Great Lakes can be found today on the Polish side of the mountains. Lebeda portrayed them several times and always chose an unusual view from above into the depth. A realistic record of the steep rocky slopes falling to the water surface of the Little Lake was painted not far from the trail, which can still be followed today. However you will not be able to see the view on the other painting of the Great Lake, unless you break the rules of the National Park and walk off the trail. Of course I don’t recommend doing that.

Otakar Lebeda, Horské oko v Krkonoších, 1896, NGP, Oil on canvas, 78 × 98 cm

In June 1897, Lebeda graduated at the landscape studio of Julius Mařák at the Prague Academy, where he was considered to be one of the most talented students. Four years later, he prematurely ended his life and promising career with a shot from a revolver. The cause was depression and physical exhaustion.

On the level of considerations, it can be argued that if he had not done this and continued to paint in a similar spirit, then today he could be considered the greatest of Mařák’s students.

Otakar Lebeda, Velké jezero v Krkonoších, 1896, NGP, oil on canvas, 78 × 98 cm

Paintings of mountain lakes are among my favorites by Lebeda. A few years ago, during a visit to the same mountains, I decided to make my own version. The painting is an acknowledged tribute.

Tomas Honz, Maly Staw (Tribute to Lebeda), Oil on canvas, 65x75cm, 2019 (2024 revision)

by tomashonz