Biography

Original Oil Paintings on Canvas, Direct from his Parkland Florida Studio.

Ernest algaZI, 1952 -

International Artist Ezi has sold and showcased his paintings in England, France, Italy, South Korea, China, Israel, Egypt, the Bahamas, Bermuda and in the US from coast to coast. Ezi was chosen to be Festival of the Arts 2012 Signature Artist. His paintings can also be seen locally in galleries such as The Painted Easel Art Studio Weston FL, Coral Springs Center for the Arts Museum FL, Broward Art Guild Gallery Fort Lauderdale FL, American Orchid Society Boca Raton FL, the Howard Gallery of Fine Art New Hope PA, Riverrun Gallery Lambertville NJ, Delaware River Gallery Yardley PA, Gallery 125 Trenton NJ, Sketch Club Gallery Philadelphia PA, Simply S.O.T.A New Hope PA, the Upstairs Gallery of the Sand Castle Winery PA and other galleries in Doylestown PA. He has also exhibited at MCCC, the College of New Jersey Gallery and a one man show at the JCC of Ewing NJ. He is now teaching a still life workshop class.

“It’s all in the Journey” a full page article was published in the Sunday issue of the Bucks County Courier Times. The newspaper article was about Ezi’s Art and included pictures of his paintings and his studio.

Ezi’s paintings can be seen on the internet: “Ezi Algazi Fine Art Studio” EziStudio.net, the International Artist Magazine website, MyArtHost.com, MyGallery website and many search engines that can be found by Googling "Ezi Algazi". Ezi is listed in the National Register's Who's Who in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. "Rose under Glass" oil on canvas is part of the White House Collection.

Ezi is a member of the Boca Raton Museum of Art Guild, the Coral Springs Artists Guild (CSAG), the Brower Art Guild, the Artists of Yardley (AOY), the Sketch Club in Philadelphia and the Trenton Artist Workshop Association (TAWA).

“Ezi” (as he signs his works, a family nickname for Ernest) is an Artist strongly influenced by his travels around the world where he captures the beauty of what he sees in landscapes, people and cultures.

Ezi was born in Cairo, Egypt. When he was 14 years old the Algazi Family (his parents, brother and 3 sisters) left Egypt for Marseilles France and then spent six month in Paris, France before settling in Trenton, New Jersey. During the summer of 1970, Ezi spent three months in Israel, where he continued showing his artistic talent by sketching the farm scenes and the people that he met. On the way back to the United States he spent time in Belgium, France and England.

After high school, he attended Mercer County Community College where he studied art under Mel Lepzig, a renowned artist. Ezi also attended the College of New Jersey, where he studied art with Bruce Rigby and Horoshi Murata (two very accomplished artists). "I remember going to New York City to help Bruce Rigby hang his paintings in one of the top Soho galleries. It was a great learning experience." Ezi also studied Photography and minored in Computer Science and later received a degree in Advertising and Design.

In 1973 Ezi moved to a kibbutz in Israel for six months. In 1984 he traveled to Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Belgium and Holland. This was more than a vacation, as he traveled with his sketch pad and camera, studying the great art masters of Europe.

In 1989 he met and married his beautiful wife Amy. In 1990 Amy and Ezi had a son named Robert. In 1995 they moved from Ewing New Jersey to Yardley, PA.

In December 2010, Ezi and his Family relocated to Parkland, Florida.

Ezi worked as a computer programmer for the State of new Jersey, Office of Information Technology (OIT) and after 28 years he retired at a young age and has been a full time artist for many years.

Ezi continues to travel to find new inspirations for his paintings. He recently traveled to Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Monte Carlo and Monaco. He also cruised to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, St. Thomas, St. Martin, Puerto Rico and other tropical Islands. He takes hundreds of photographs back to his new larger studio in Parkland Florida and analyzes each picture and then give his own interpretation of what he sees. When he is finished he comes up with the perfect composition, where each work conveys a special feeling to the viewer. His paintings are full of color and life, having the sense of controlled spontaneity and liveliness in brushwork; in essence they are a reflection of him.

Ezi is planning to expand his horizons by returning to Europe and will continue to look for new places around the world for inspiration. He will also submit more of his works of art to Museums, Galleries, Magazines and art competitions.

Artist's Style:

Wet-in-wet or alla prima painting techniques, in which paintings are completed in one or two sessions without allowing layers to dry, do not require adherence to the "fat over lean" rule. Such paintings effectively form only one paint layer, so the rule does not apply.

Inspiration:

It’s All in the Journey. I love to travel around the world and see different cultures, landscaping, sea scaping. I have a fascination for the natural world, its variety, colors and textures. As an artist, I thrive on the challenge of being able to transfer this richness and beauty to canvas. The world is a beautiful place and we have all marveled at people we met randomly who have left an impression on us with their images, as precious moments in life. I like to recreate the moments in my new Florida studio.

Design Strategy:

When I travel I take thousands of pictures, many of the same subject from various angles. The advent of digital photography has greatly aided my ability to compose a painting. Back in the studio, I can use the computer to further crop, adjust the lighting, values and color saturation to get the final design. I also combine pictures by changing backgrounds, adding or removing people, posts, street signs and other unwanted objects.

Working Process:

I transfer the image on the canvas by using carbon paper or grid the canvas. Then I sketch over to highlight more details. Using the laptop to view the image, I am also able to zoom in on the specific area that I am working on. I also use the computer to look at other references that I want to add to the painting.

I keep a loose brush and change what I see to add more contrast and change colors to have more complimentary colors. Sometimes I start from the top right of the canvas concentrating on the most important part of the painting and leaving the background to the end. As a slightly color-blind artist, having problems distinguishing between green and gray with a close tome, I use color manuals as a reference. I also like to use bright and vibrant colors.

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