Francis K. Fong's Oil Paintings of Historical Buildings : The Ivy Tech Campus Art Collection

While an undergraduate at Princeton University, the author Franics K. Fong took a few lessons in oil

Self Portrait: "A Warm Evening at Annapolis," 2003, oil on canvas, 18" x 20"

painting.  Unfortunately, he disagreed with his teacher's painting method.  A chemist by training, he disliked the use of organic solvents as paint thinners.  Instead, he preferred the use of full-strength oils straight out of the manufacturer's tubes.  He used titanium white as dilutent for other colors.  He abhorred the use of blacks like ivory black or lampblack, opting instead to mix different portions of secondary colors such as varying mixtures of van dyke brown and ultramarine blue to make cool and warm shades of blacks.  He likes to use complimentary colors to bring out brilliantly contrasting pure primary and secondary colors.  The result is that his oil paintings are bright and vibrant.  His training in the making of art was acquired in his boyhood years. 

This is his first attempt to display his works online; as such, this blog must be considered as one under continuing construction. 

First Snow on Nineth Street Hill

Of interest are his early works, mostly pencil drawings done on some trains or airplanes on his travels, which are in the collection of Tage Kjellroier, in Almunge, Sweden, some 20 miles to the north of Uppsala.  These works will be photographed and displayed on this blog at a future date.

"First Snow on Nineth Street Hill," 2002, Oil on Canvas, 16" x 18"

More readily availble are the two early oil paintings in the Ivy Tech Campus Art Collection in Lafayette, Indiana.  The first, shown above, is called "First Snow on Nineth Street."  It was done over a 4-day span after the Christmas Holidays of 2002-03, along with two other oil paintings by Fong of historical buildings in Lafayette.  This group was completed hastily in order to meet the deadline entry date for an early January, 2003, nationally sponsored competition on "Buildings on the National Historical Registry."  The "First Snow on Nineth Street Hill" won the First Prize, although the companion work shown below is more to Fong's and many others' liking.  "First Snow" captures the soft green ambiance of a gentle snow fall, the first of the 2002-03 holiday season.  The little mansion sits on the Nineth Street Hill in Lafayette, Indiana, home of the late Mr. and Mrs. Cable Ball.  Ball was the founding partner of the Ball and Eggleston law firm in Lafayette.

Nightfall on Courthouse Square

"Nightfall on Courthouse Square," 2002, Oil on Canvas, 24" x 30"

A second painting by Fong in the Ivy Tech Campus Collection is the more ambitious work, "Naightfall on Courthouse Square."  The scene is one of the 19th Century courthouse structure at the center of Lafayette, bordered by the 3d, 4th, Main and Columbia Streets.  The second of the group of three done in the 2002-03 holiday season, the painting was modeled after a photograph taken on the evening after Christmas day, 2002.  On that day rain fell and moistened the 4th and Main streets to reflect the lit Northeast facades of the magnificent building.  Fong uses here complimentary colors to bring about the luminescent effects: the yellows of the bell tower decorations are made blinding against the bluish purples of the night sky; the red purples of the street lamps and their reflections dance against the yellows of the remaining lights and reflections surrounding the courthouse.  No blacks are used (they are too dull).  The darkest of the darks is a 1:1 mixture of Vandyke Brown and French Ultramarine.  This work remains Fong's favorite piece to the date of this posting.  

Evening Vespers at St. James

"Evening Vespers at St. James," 2003, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 24"

The third of this group of historical buildings is "Evening Vespers at St. James."  Completed on the day the submission deadline was due for the national competition, Fong was unable to enter this work on time.  Thereafter, it was never displayed at any public showings, because the pastor of St. James purchased the painting for its congregation before the oils had dried on the canvas.  As it turned out, the church was unable to raise the funds for the purchase, and the painting was returned to Fong's private collection.  It now hangs in the dining room of the Fongs' residence in West Lafayette, a constant reminder of that intense and interesting holiday season of nearly a decade ago.

Both "Vespers at St. James" and "Nightfall at Courthouse Square" depict night scenes; but the two paintings summon forth emotions of polar opposites. In sharp contrast from the chilly tones of ultramarine blue of "Nightfall," the night skies in "Vespers" carry over the warm, orange-gold glow of the brightly lit church entrance.

Daggers of Illumination, a detail of "Vespers"

Fong conveys this carry-over by the daggers of illumination, providing a sense of urgency and, at the same time, that of serenity and peace to the faithful.