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Fabienne
Witte |
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Martin Roberts with
creative colleague, Dan Witte in the Manhattan apartment
of designer Marjorie Gross. |
Martin Roberts began his artistic career as a boy with
a brownie box camera. Today, he is one of the most collected
and “owned” artists in the country, with people
seeing his works in such spectacular settings as the Venetian
and Bellagio Resorts or in simple stores of main streets across
America. Martin’s work is visually appealing
with a detail unimaginable because he is a mixed-media artist.
His work is collected as a fine art paintings, which in fact
they are...but they have all started with extraordinary black
and white photographs over which he layers acrylics, watercolors,
and oil paints. The result is exquisite, three dimensional,
extremely informal and relaxing, with cascading flowers, foliage
and textured colored walls.
Mediterranean, Provence and Tuscany subjects are his specialization
with series featuring Venice and Rustic English Cottages as
well. One of his most well known pieces entitled “Cardinal
at the Vatican” was produced for Cardinal Hamer of the
Vatican. His exhibitions have included the Leica Gallery in
Manhattan; a distinction so rarely given to American artists.
“I want to create a work of art with a composition
so compelling that my collectors say that this is something
that they must own. Not because of the financial rewards it
brings me, which in fact is nice…but it is so extremely
flattering that people whom I have never met have my work
hanging in their homes.”
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Not long after the beginnings of photography in the
mid-1800s, hand-tinted colors were applied to black
and white photos to enhance the image and create the
appearance of color. This process continued to grow
in popularity until the emergence of color film. A renewed
interest in hand-tinting came about in the 1960s and
appears, once again, to be gaining popularity.
While some people indulge in photo tinting for fun
these days, adding color to black and white Photos has
been a passion of Orange County artist/photographer
Martin Roberts for more than 25 Years.
"I'm the only person I know who shoots black
and white film in the tropics," he said.
Roberts describes his work as hand painted, rather
than hand-tinted. He uses acrylics, watercolors, gouaches
and oils--often on the same piece to create different
shades and textures.
"I consider my work hand painted since I use
a variety of paints, layering and adding color until
the work becomes an art itself," he said. "The
colors vary between the different mediums. That's why
I use many types of paint." I look for what is
going to give the best color. My goal is to emulate
a striking realism in the work. I want the colors to
be believable."
His interest in painting and photography has over
the years become a successful career--his prints are
sold throughout the world and have enabled him to be
represented in some of the most prestigious galleries
in the world.
"Essentially, hand-tinting is a process that
attempt to turn black and white photo into a color photograph,”
said Roberts.
"Some people go for the surreal look;
neon green grass, purples, sky colors that aren't found
naturally."
Most beginning hand-tinters use photo oils, specially
prepared colors (available in most art supply stores)
designed to tint photographs, rather than the paints
Roberts prefers. However, he says, no amount of hand-tinting
or painting can "save" a poor quality photo.
The strength of the work comes from the strength of
the image. |
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Martin
Roberts first shoots his pictures in black &
white, then layers on a variety of different paint. |
"The image is only as strong as the photograph,"
he said. "You want something that will emotionally
move people. The photo has to be able to stand on its
own without any paint on it. I don't just pop out of
a car and shoot a cow and paint it purple. I'm trying
to shoot the perfect image. Something magical. No amount
of paint or effort will save an image that's not substantial."
Lucky timing has blessed some of his photos, but sometimes
a more direct approach has served him. While shooting
an archway in the Vatican, Roberts noticed a priest
proceeding in the direction he was going to shoot.
"I approached the gentleman, explained that I
was a professional photographer and asked him if he
would mind walking through the portico so I could have
him silhouetted against a statue at St. Peter's Basilica.
"He looked at me and said, "I'm not going
that far." "But you'll do it for me won't
you?" I asked. "He smiled and nodded and then
proceeded through the archway. Just before he reached
that point, he took off his hood and I saw the red cardinal's
cap. The gentleman was Cardinal Hammer, one of 13 cardinals
who live at the Vatican.
"That shot is one of my most popular and in fact,
an original hangs in the Vatican today." |
PHOTOS: Applying
Colorful Hand to Black, White Images
Once the photograph is shot and
printed, Roberts decides how the color should
be applied. While shooting in black and white,
Roberts also carries another camera to shoot a
color photo so it can jog his memory of how the
colors looked.
"I don't always paint the colors exactly
as they were," he said.
"Sometimes I'll try to brighten a picture
or try a slightly different look. But the color
photo is a good way to help me remember exactly
how the scene looked at the time I was shooting
it."
Every year, Roberts makes two trips, packing
his Leica cameras with him.
"I travel with my father, who is in his
70s," Roberts said. "He is also a photographer
and taught me everything I know."
Among Roberts many series of works, two standouts
are "The Old Country" series and a "Tropical"
series. |
MARTIN ROBERTS ARTIST/PHOTOGRAPHER
“I’m
trying to shoot the perfect image. Something
magical. No amount of paint or effort will save
an image that’s not substantial”
The Old Country scenes are set
in southern Europe: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal
and Greece. The Tropical series focuses on scenes
from the Caribbean, Samoa, Fiji and Guam. He
is currently working on a new series with deserts,
rodeos and other Western motifs. With the Old
Country series, Roberts strives for a classic
feeling: gondoliers against textured walls,
bright clothes drying on clotheslines stretched
across windows, an elderly man reading a newspaper
in front of a European coffeehouse.
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The Tropical series features rowboats
skimming the water, children playing and fishing
in the ocean, beached boats scattered like colorful
M&Ms across a dried riverbed, or palm trees
against a sandy beach.
"In the last five years, people have become
more interested in photography as an art form,"
he said.
"You see serious collectors looking at photographs
for the first time. The public is beginning to
appreciate the collection and the beauty of these
pieces. When art collectors begin to appreciate
photography, an interest in hand-painting or tinting
generally follows."
The initial process of painting usually takes
about two days. "On the first piece, I'm
experimenting a bit" he said.
"As I become more comfortable with the colors
and textures, it takes less time. As I work on
the image, I become a little braver. I think each
subsequent piece is produced faster and probably,
a little better than the piece before it. |
The first time I
apply paint to a print requires real study."
Among his most popular prints
is a photograph called, "Four Windows."
This features brightly painted green and blue
shuttered windows, with lace curtains and window
boxes of red geraniums.
A Roberts' favorite piece is titled,
"The Nice Lady's Garden," a scene shot
in Italy of twisting vines and blooming flowers.
An elderly woman stands near a fence, scowling
at the photographer.
"I call it 'The Nice Lady's
Garden' because she really wasn't a very nice
lady," said Roberts with a laugh.
“Nice Lady’s Garden”
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See Dan Witte’s biography
and comments by Martin Roberts below.
Dan Witte's Biography
Dan Witte was introduced to photography as an art form, years
before achieving commercial success, by way of his father who
was developing his own black & white images. Extensive darkroom
experience as well as years of on location black and white imaging,
has resulted in an unmistakable dramatic style in keeping with
the world’s best known photographic artists. Dan
specializes in subjects ranging from the natural wilderness
to rustic European. He makes his home in the Laguna Beach
art colony with his family.
Martin’s
Comments on Creative Partner, Dan Witte
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From
Rialto Bridge |
Dan
Witte |
I have known Dan longer than
his sons, now 21 & 18, or the mother of his children
and 2nd wife Fabienne. We ran in a circle of creative
friends at Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton; a place
we termed “sugar mountain” for some who were
well-healed, but believe me, we never had the silver spoons
from our beloved working-class families.
We traveled and photographed the world when we didn’t
have a dime, nearly getting swept away in South America
as we attempted to cross rivers in our mortgaged truck
or hiding from the Bolivian revolution as we sneezed
in the tear gas. Now we can afford to travel, take the
family, and not have to look for a sixty-six cent hotel
room.
I love working with Dan. He is an avid image-maker,
always shooting, never giving a damn whether his photographic
images earned a penny. I do what I do, and Dan has always
believed in it. Dan does what he does, and in the process
my work has benefited beyond explanation by his input
in compositional design, color sensibilities, and of
course utter graphic genius. In short, when I sell a
piece…we sell a piece.
Dan keeps me grounded as he is my harshest critic.
The worst thing is to be surrounded by false flattery
such as new age parents who will tell a child that everything
they do is remarkable.
What many people don’t know is that virtually
every image I do has a counter-part full color photograph
which Dan has taken, which in many cases serves as a
guide to the hand painted color pallet.
Dan’s own full color work transcends the boundaries
of what the public expects in as color photograph, one
of my favorites shown on this page, because he shoots
like he’s handling black&white film. (Which
he shoots every bit as well) Dan’s photographs
are sold along side mine in places like our gallery
in the Venetian Hotel and distributed in thousands of
our retail dealers.
It’s fun to share.
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