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Calvin Lai Portrait Paintings

American
Calvin Lai would be the first to admit that the evolution of his art has taken many machinations. His painting process has matured into a mixture of seeing, distorting, and reinterpreting with the threads of realism weaving the backdrop of where his artistic style is today. As a child, drawing was something Calvin loved, and to make a picture appear lifelike became his goal. Through constantly working, Calvin’s art began to breath, and his fascination with value and perspective blossomed. Eventually, he moved from where he grew up in Los Angeles to San Francisco. There he studied drawing and printmaking at San Francisco State University. In 2008, he enrolled in the Academy of Art for illustration, but began painting instead. He found that he preferred the fine arts over commercial illustration, and now works as a full time oil painter. Since then he has continued to develop and refine his oil painting skills. Lai’s work has been shown nationally in galleries, group exhibitions, and juried shows. He has executed a large number of commissioned portraits over the past several years, and his paintings have appeared in national and international publications. His recent work has returned to a serious study of the figure, which has always been the anchor for his creative drive. His goal has gone beyond mere technical interpretations to a deeper sense of what the energy of the figure feels like. This goal has also carried over into his recent still lifes. In his ongoing series, “In the Land of Giants,” Calvin seeks to make a viewer feel as if they are immersed within the still life witnessing a world that is both fantastical and humorous. But the borders for what he chooses to paint has expanded to a variety of subjects, including cityscapes, and ultimately he is driven to capture everything around him through his paints, brushes, and determination.
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Artist: Calvin Lai
"Outside the Box" Oil Painting
"Outside the Box" Oil Painting

"Outside the Box" Oil Painting

By Calvin Lai

Located in Denver, CO

Calvin Lai's (US based) "Outside the Box" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman in profile holding up her dark brown hair and revealing her heavily tattooed arms...

Category

2010s American Impressionist Calvin Lai Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Deep Breath" (2022) Oil Painting by Calvin Lai Featuring Two Acrobats
"Deep Breath" (2022) Oil Painting by Calvin Lai Featuring Two Acrobats

"Deep Breath" (2022) Oil Painting by Calvin Lai Featuring Two Acrobats

By Calvin Lai

Located in Denver, CO

Calvin Lai's (US based) "Deep Breath" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts two acrobats, cast in red light, with the female figure balancing on the male figure. Artis...

Category

2010s Contemporary Calvin Lai Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Canvas

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Calvin Lai portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Calvin Lai portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Calvin Lai in oil paint, paint, panel and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the Impressionist style. Not every interior allows for large Calvin Lai portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Calvin Lai portrait paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,400 and tops out at $1,400, while the average work can sell for $1,400.