John Seed blogs about the paintings of Alan Feltus, on view at the Lux Art Institute, Encinitas, CA through December 29, 2012.

Seed writes: "Feltus is a veteran representational artist known for his close-hued paintings of figures who carry an air of self-absorption tinged with melancholy. Remarkably, Feltus works without models and, for years, has used mirrors, referring to himself as the starting point for the faces and bodies of both his male and female figures. Seeing his works together is just a bit uncanny: it's a bit like attending a Feltus family reunion. The upstairs exhibition area at the Lux has 14 Feltus originals on display — a dozen oils and two drawings — where they emanate burnished quietude and a hint of august strangeness."