Thomas W. Schaller is a widely respected watercolorist and a frequent award-winner in numerous competitions. The Los Angeles painter has once again created a winning work with his masterful depiction of a picturesque Italian street scene in PONS FABRICIUS—ROME. In this painting Schaller wanted to capture the timelessness of the Pons Fabricius, the oldest intact bridge in Rome, which has been in continuous use since its construction in 62 B.C. “I love paintings that play with dimension,” the artist says. “We paint on two-dimensional surfaces, trying to create the illusion of three dimensions—but if I can begin to hint at the representation of the fourth dimension, time, I am especially excited.”
Schaller cites bridges in particular as a source of endless narrative inspiration, as they allow viewers to imagine themselves moving from one place and time to another. “They represent change, evolution, and motion,” he says. “The passage of time, so integral to the spirit of the great city of Rome, is especially palpable while walking across this beautiful bridge.” When creating the painting, the artist deliberately chose a nearly square format “to help drive the energy of the piece deep into the work, across the bridge, and back in time.”
Schaller’s innate understanding of structure comes from his experience as an architect. He delights in scenes where the natural and the man-made coalesce, light and shadow dance across textured surfaces, and extremes and opposites coexist. “I love to design with conflicting elements,” he says, “allowing them to find balance and resolution on the surface of the paper in surprising and expressive ways. I try never to paint just what I’m looking at, but rather how I see.”
Find Schaller’s work at Colibri Gallery, Morgan Hill, CA; Folly Cove Fine Art, Rockport, MA; and www.thomasschaller.com. —Allison Malafronte
This story appeared in the December 2021/January 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.
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