Mark Ransom blog

  Ruth Greaves Welcome back to the Mark Ransom blog. In this post we will showcase the work of artist Ruth Greaves. Ruth Greaves is a contemporary South African artist whose practice centres on large-scale mixed media painting, distinguished by its vibrant use of colour and immersive and distinctive surface techniques.  Although her early career in fashion, where Ruth established her international label—and later film, where she worked extensively as an Art Director and Production Designer, painting has remained the consistent and defining thread throughout her artistic life. Working on a large scale, she employs mixed media techniques that incorporate bold, saturated colour, metal leaf, and heat-treated resin.   Greaves’ work is rooted in a deep sensitivity to the natural world, with a particular focus on often-overlooked creatures—such as insects, frogs, and butterflies—that serve as indicators of fragile ecosystems. Rather than engaging with overt social or ...

 Artist of the Week Welcome back to the Mark Ransom art blog. In today's post we will be appreciating the art of Giacomo Valentini. Giacomo Valentini began painting at 15 as the only pupil of Fratel Venzo, but distanced himself from traditional oil painting and his master’s influence early on. After a long hiatus, he returned with a graphic style shaped by years of reflection, travel, and exposure to Japanese aesthetics.  In his 20s, he founded a design company in Australia, then returned to Italy, where he coined the term “Abstract Naturalism” and embraced spray painting. His career moved fluidly between art and design. By 2014, he had founded the "Apocope of Design" movement, reimagining traditional Japanese forms like Byōbu screens and Kakejiku scrolls with a modern edge.  In 2015, he led the "Neo Japanesme" group to innovate on centuries-old Japanese artistic traditions. In 2018, he pioneered "Carbon Art," using carbon fibre to create durable, scul...