Antal C. Goldfinger

Born Nov. 22, 1964, in Gyongyos, Hungary.
From childhood he had a noticeable and keen ability in drawing and painting. At the age 16, he studied at the Academy in Berze, acquiring the fundamental skills. The skills were honed with the experience and observations that come with service in the Hungarian army and NATO in Munich.Antal arrived in Seattle, Washington, at age 22 and supported his wife and two sons in a variety of occupations while strengthening his artistic vision.Later he went back to Hungary to study with a highly regarded Hungarian master of landscape painting, learning the traditional techniques of plein aire painting; landscape painting done in the open air rather than in a studio. The technique encourages alla prima or painting without preliminary drawing and an appreciation for true values because of the frequently changing outdoor light. Antal spent endless days painting at Lake Balaton, the great lake in central Europe, where he fell in love with marine painting.On his return to Seattle, Antal continued his studies in figure painting at the University of Washington. He explains that this experience was of particular importance in identifying color in a formal and comprehensive approach to art. At this time he began to apply all he had learned to a new interpretation of landscape painting and painting busy market scenes brimming with colors of the vegetable stands. With this subject matter, a gradual interest in still life painting began which he continued in studying old-world still life painting at the Kostka studios, which helped in clarifying certain techniques and ideas in his mind concerning his objectives as an artist.Antal is a master of the equilibrium achieved through combining classical balance of form and space with the spontaneous execution of color. It is the magical unity of form and color that makes him an artist recognized throughout the world.