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 Friday, May 16, 2008
April Creative Spark Winner
Posted by jessica
 In the April issue of the magazine ("Creative Spark," in the Art Matters column), pastel artist Carole Katchen offered readers a Creative Spark challenge: "Take some time off, even if only long enough to walk around a park or visit a farmers' market—and let your surroundings inspire your work." We invited readers to e-mail us with their travel-inspired pastels. We received our largest response to date: more than 100 submissions! Congratulations to Julie Deane, of Gainesville, Ga., for her winning piece, Reverence (at right). “During a music and praise session one evening [on a mission trip to Peru]," the artist writes, "the man in the foreground of the painting came into the church and stood next to me. He was obviously very weary, but he stood for hours that night, worshipping quietly. The scene was a highlight of my trip." Deane won $150 worth of PanPastel colors and tools—many thanks to Colorfin for their generosity! Other favorite submissions included: (below, top row) Nature’s Cathedral by Cecilia E. Baker, of Ridgeland, Miss., and Karen Ann Patton’s Along the Ormond Loop; (second row) Grand Indeed, by Sandy Byers; (bottom row) The Grid by Trish Callaghan, of Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales, Australia, and Lamar Valley, by Lisa Sheppard, of Westminster, Md.  
Thanks to everyone who participated in our challenge. You’ll find the next challenge
in the June issue, which is now available on newsstands. The winner of
that challenge will receive $200 toward the purchase of a Heilman
pastel box!
Art Inspiration | Overheard
5/16/2008 11:01:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Introducing ArtistsNetwork.tv
Posted by sarah
We've been busy little bees behind the
scenes for months, arranging the production of a wonderful new tool for
artists: ArtistsNetwork.tv
ArtistsNetwork.tv was launched today
to provide online instructional videos from leading contemporary
artists. The videos are streamed to ArtistsNetwork.tv members so that
they can be viewed 24/7 from any computer with a high-speed internet
connection without requiring software downloads. You can choose to
subscribe to any of our individual workshops for a six-month period or
you can subscribe to all ArtistsNetwork.tv video workshops for
a six-month period.
Check it out. Right now you can watch free previews, sign up and get a
free gift (Paul Dorrell's "How to Market Your Art"), or get unlimited
videos for six months. All in all, it's very exciting news for all of
us here at F+W Publications. We've been chomping at the bit to tell you about it. And by the way, if you're wondering where the pastel demonstrations are, stay tuned. We'll be rolling out new offerings every month, including pastel-exclusive material.
Art Inspiration | Overheard | Shows and Events | Tips and Techniques | Tools and Materials
5/14/2008 3:22:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, May 12, 2008
When the Weather is Fair
Posted by anne
 We're still two weeks out from Memorial Day and I'm already anticipating the arrival of summer. As my teacher-husband is fond of saying when he's weary of those piles of papers waiting to be graded: "June's comin'!" And likewise, even though I get no summer hiatus from my job, I still look forward to the season for the change in routine and the special activities summer brings—like picnics, vegetable gardens and summer art fairs! Two nearby fairs that I'd like to get to in the coming weeks:
The Broad Ripple Art Fair, sponsored by the Indianapolis Art Center, is a national juried fair and competition that takes place every May. This year's event is set for this weekend, May 17 and May 18. If you go, look for pastel artist, Brian Mathas Burt, a four-time winner in the magazine's Pastel 100 competition and a soon-to-be-featured artist in the October issue.
Summerfair is the official launch of summertime for the Cincinnati area. The national juried fair, which takes place at the historic Coney Island park, brings together artists working in paint media, printmaking, jewely, photography, fiber, ceramics and more. The dates are May 30 through June 1. To get more information, including a complete list of participating artists (and a list of food vendors, because as you know, cruising an art fair can really muster up one's appetite!), visit the website. The winning design in the Summerfair poster competition (shown here) was created by Michael Holder. If there are art fairs that you love to go to every summer, tell us about them right here on the blog!
Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
5/12/2008 4:35:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Go Speedpainter Go
Posted by sarah
Looking for a way to rejuvenate your painting process? Try putting yourself on the clock. Force yourself to complete a painting in one session, for example, or take it to extremes like the artist featured in this video. He completes an entire work in spraypaint, in less than one minute. We might advise you not to try this at home, unless you have a supply of drop cloths at the ready. This may be the one painting process more messy than painting with pastels.
Art Inspiration | Overheard | Tips and Techniques
5/7/2008 12:46:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, May 05, 2008
The Power of the Portrait
Posted by anne
 The large-scale portraits of pastel artist Chin-Chen Hung ( Animosity, shown here, is 36x63) make a huge statement. But it is not the size alone that supplies the power and magic. The artist manages a contemporary expression out of his deft handling of the pastel medium and a bold approach to composition. Hung is one of the featured artists in our new June issue. In managing editor Sarah Strickley's interview with the artist, she asked what it is that draws him to the human subject: "The human form," Hung ssaid, "has been my main subject since I started painting. To me, the possibilities for creating refreshing and exciting figurative work are endless. I began painting portraits in 1998, right after I finished my first year of graduate study. At that time, I was trying to simplify the content of my figurative work. (From time to time, my figurative work transforms and becomes simpler in content.) Then the idea of challenging myself and creating a series of contemporary portraits was born. When people think of portraiture, they think of traditional portrait sittings. I’d like my portraits to look contemporary and still maintain their classical beauty." To read more of the interview, see our June issue. To see an extensive slideshow of the artist's work, visit our website.
Art Inspiration
5/5/2008 2:06:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mary Cassatt and Me
Posted by sarah
I may as well admit now that I've developed somewhat of a Mary Cassatt obsession. (It happens to the best of us, right?) In any case, that's why I can't help returning to the theme of news regarding her work. I'm posting this admittedly kind of sappy YouTube tribute to the artist's paintings of mothers with children as a segway into the news of a recent Cassatt sale: Artdaily.org is reporting that Cassatt's pastel painting, Mother With Child, is among four major works of art purchased by The High Museum of Art for its permanent collection. Other paintings include the oil painting Snowscape with Cows, Montfoucault, by Camille
Pissarro; the oil painting The Breakfast, by Pierre Bonnard; and the
painting on paper Villa les Écluses, St. Jacut, Brittany, by Édouard
Vuillard. Good company indeed. From Artdaily.org: The new acquisitions were purchased from the estate of longtime Atlanta
resident Kathryn Welch Hartzog. ... Beginning on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, and running through August
17, the four new works will be on view at the High as part of a special
permanent collection installation of eight works titled “Cassatt,
Pissarro, Bonnard, Vuillard: New Acquisitions for the Collection.” The
four new works will be displayed with another Cassatt pastel, which was
gifted by Jacqueline and Matt Friedlander in 2005; a Cassatt oil
painting; and two Vuillard pastels, which were given by Mrs. Hartzog in
1992.
Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
4/30/2008 10:38:31 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
National Poetry Month
Posted by jessica
 "It would be tragic not to realize the extent of man’s dependence on the arts."—Wallace Stevens, "Relations Between Poetry and Painting"
Because most varieties of art inform and cross-reference each other—visual artists, for example, typically have other creative passions like gardening, classical guitar, writing—this month we celebrate National Poetry Month. Check the Academy of American Poets’ website for NPM events and celebrations. Coming up April 17 is Poem in Your Pocket Day. The Academy of American Poets has some great resources on its site, including a National Poetry Almanac that devotes a section to Poetry and Art. My favorite subject within this category is visual art’s (more specifically, Picasso’s) influence on Gertrude Stein. A friend of Picasso’s, and ever the experimental writer, Stein forayed into "verbal Cubism" in her 1914 book, Tender Buttons—poems modeled after visual effects she observed in the artist’s paintings.
Art Inspiration | Overheard
4/2/2008 10:51:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, March 28, 2008
Inspiring Impressionism in Colorado
Posted by jessica
Through May 25, the Denver Museum of Art features Inspiring Impressionism, an exhibition of 100 works by Impressionist painters that examines the ways they were inspired by their Old Master predecessors—for example, looking at Putto next to Paul Cézanne’s Still Life with Stauette. Other artists and their influences include: Claude Monet and Meindert Hobbema; Camille Pissarro and Jean-Siméon Chardin; Mary Cassatt and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and more. Check the museum’s website for details about the show, and a cool timeline that connects the Impressionists to the Old Masters.
Art Inspiration | Overheard | Shows and Events
3/28/2008 11:09:24 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, March 07, 2008
National Women's History Month and the Brooklyn Museum
Posted by jessica
 Before inclement weather forces us to flee TPJ headquarters, we’re taking a moment to celebrate National Women’s History Month—particularly appropriate, considering our all-female staff. The National Women’s History Project (NWHP) is the organization responsible for the observance of National Women’s History Month each March. NWHP chose “Women’s Art: Women’s Vision” as the theme for this year’s month-long celebration, and selected the following artists as the 2008 honorees: Judy Chicago; Harmony Hammond; Edna Hibel; Lihua Lei; Cecilia Rose O’Neill; Violet Oakley; Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith; Faith Ringgold; Miriam Shapiro; Lorna Simpson; Nancy Spero; and June Claire Wayne. Go to the NWHP site for details on events throughout the month—and to celebrate women in history all year long. Speaking of Judy Chicago, her multimedia project, The Dinner Party, is now permanently on display at the Brooklyn Museum as part of its Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, so the next time you’re in New York, check it out. We got a look at a few works from the Brooklyn Museum Wednesday here in Cincinnati at the Taft Museum of Art; “From Winslow Homer to Edward Hopper: American Watercolor Masterpieces from the Brooklyn Museum” recently opened, and we weren’t about to miss it! The exhibition features 70 watercolors from the Brooklyn Museum’s fantastic collection, chronicling the rise of the medium in America, and shifts in technique over the years. Anne even spotted some pastels in one of the earlier landscapes—Samuel Colman’s Late November in a Santa Barbara Cañon, California (about 1886-88). It’s truly a gorgeous show, on display through May 11.
Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
3/7/2008 10:52:07 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Cross Pollination
Posted by sarah
 You've seen our new site, right? And you've noticed that we're teaming up with two other fine art magazines, right? What can this union bring to us? Here are just a few things you might want to check out this afternoon: 1. Find out what copyright law means to artists with this free downloadable guide. You can't afford to miss it. 2. Check out artist Greg Albert's critique of a pastel painting and find out how you can have your own work critiqued. 3. Watch a slide show that takes you inside the studio of renowned still life painter Jeanette Pasin Sloan. 4. Watch a PanPastel demo here. And then check out a whole heap of product reviews here. 5. Find out how to avoid Internet art scams here. 6. Do an art-inspired crossword puzzle and then look at all the answers.
Art Inspiration | Overheard | Tips and Techniques | Tools and Materials
3/5/2008 4:01:13 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Pastel Confessions
Posted by sarah
 While trolling around the web today for art news and ruminations (as I am wont to do), I realized I was due for a visit to Maggie Price's site. After all, she's a TPJ co-founder and a regular contributor to both the blog and the magazine and we just love her. Those of you who are wondering what Maggie has been up to lately can visit her site and find out about her recent painting trip to Spain, or the tricks she sometimes plays on herself to get back into the studio, or the workshops she's teaching. But of interest to me today is her recent work as the editor of Confessions of a Brush Peddler, an autobiography by Jack Richeson. From what we hear, it's a real page turner, and we're anxious to get our copy here at TPJ world headquarters.
Here's Maggie's blurb on the book: Maggie Price is the editor of Confessions of a Brush Peddler,
an autobiography by Jack Richeson. From his humble beginnings on the
streets of Chicago to positions of power and influence, Jack Richeson
chronicles his own growing-up years along with the growth of an
industry. It's a history of a way of life that's vanished--of changes
that eliminated entire professions, illustrators, graphic artists,
layout specialists and typographers. And it's a fascinating account of
the gritty streets of Chicago and a tough little Irish kid who fought
his way out of the slums and up the corporate ladder. Anyone who was
even peripherally involved in commercial, graphic or fine arts in the
last fifty years will find this an interesting record; anyone who just
likes a good story about the battles and triumphs of life will enjoy it
as well. Read any good art books lately? We're in the process of putting together a summer reading list for the June issue of the magazine and we'd love to hear your suggestions. E-mail us at pjedit@fwpubs.com
Art Inspiration | Overheard
2/27/2008 10:17:58 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Honoring the Honorables
Posted by anne
We shipped the much-anticipated April "Pastel 100" issue off to the printer last Thursday. It's 100 pages of amazing art—the results of our 9th annual competition. (Perhaps you heard the staff's collective sigh of relief when that issue went out the door?!) While we await this official "broadcast" of the year's top winners, I thought I might go ahead and give our blog readers a sneak peek at some of the year's honorable mention winners. In a contest that pulls in nearly 5,000 entries, to be among the 70 honorable mentions is a mighty accomplishment. So, here's a look at the prize-winning work of five artists who achieved this impressive distinction:  In the Animal & Wildlife category, David Wells' painting Burba (20x28) is a fine example of engaging animal portraiture.  In the Still Life & Floral category, Jaye Schlesinger turns the ordinary extraordinary in her pastel White Door, No. 2 (8x8).  In the Abstract & Non-Objective category, the floral-inspired abstract Arched Patterns-Japanese Magnolias (18x12) won an honorable mention for artist Marcia Holmes.  The rich color in Paul Murray's landscape, Watermelon Mountain Glow (16x10), adds to an already attention-grabbing composition.  Theresa Deseve's painting, Grace (28x17), is the kind of portrait that stirs emotion. You'll find these and 95 other award-winning pastels (as well as guidelines for the 10th annual Pastel 100 competition) in the April issue. Be sure to look for it on our website February 19 or on newsstands beginning March 11.
Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
2/11/2008 4:01:09 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, February 08, 2008
New Creative Spark Winner
Posted by jessica
 In the February issue of the magazine ("Creative Spark," in the Art Matters column, page 7), pastel artist Carole Katchen offered readers a Creative Spark challenge: generate visual energy by developing an entire painting with a certain type of stroke. We invited readers to e-mail us with their stroke-inspired creations. How surprised our team was by the increase in responses since the first challenge; our inbox was flooded with excellent work! Congratulations to Becky Way, of Yukon, Okla., for her winning piece, Two of a Kind (above). “ Two of a Kind is a small study, painted with the ‘chunk-chunk’ stroke with half-inch pieces of Ludwig pastels on Kitty Wallis paper, toned with a watercolor wash. It’s a quick push-and-pull stroke,” the artist writes. Way can look forward to some more Wallis paper—her prize is 16 (18x24) sheets of Wallis’ Belgian Mist and Museum paper. Many thanks to Kitty Wallis for her generosity! Other favorite submissions include Warm & Cool (below, left) by Lisa Fricker, of Lakeport, Calif., in which the artist “experimented with crosshatched strokes to move beyond filling contours, exploring the painting vs. drawing issue that is unique to pastel.” In Turning Point (below, right), by Barbara Newton, the artist “was thinking of wind and movement. The strokes I chose to portray that feeling are loose, open and random to give the feeling of rustling leaves and swaying grass.” More favorites (below, L-to-R): Le Petit Dejouner de Blu by Brenda Boylan, Sadie by Carol Murphy and Carbon by Maret Webb.    Thanks to everyone who participated in our challenge. Look for the next Creative Spark in the April issue of the magazine—coming soon (on sale on newsstands March 11). The winner of that challenge will receive $150 worth of PanPastels.
Art Inspiration | Tips and Techniques
2/8/2008 10:52:56 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, January 25, 2008
See Your Work On Our Blog!
Posted by jessica
 In the February issue Creative Spark column, Carole Katchen prompts you to generate visual energy by developing an entire painting with a certain type of stroke. For example, in A Puppy’s Work Is Never Done (pictured here), Katchen chose scribbled pastel strokes to mimic the wild hair of the terrier. Send us an example of your stroke-inspired pastel painting. E-mail us a JPG image (at 72 dpi and an image size of about 4x5) by Friday, Feb. 1 and you'll be eligible to win eight sheets of 18x24 Belgian Mist Kitty Wallis paper and eight sheets of 18x24 Kitty Wallis Museum Paper. (Be sure to include "creative spark" in the subject line.) Our editorial team will select one winner (but runners-up may appear on our blog). Include your name, e-mail and mailing address in the message, along with a brief explanation of your design. (Unfortunately, you must be a U.S. resident to participate.) Get creative this weekend!
Art Inspiration
1/25/2008 10:14:26 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, January 18, 2008
Happy Birthday, Cezanne!
Posted by jessica
In honor of the French Post-Impressionist painter’s birthday (Jan. 19, 1839), we thought it might be nice to post a slideshow of some of his works. Perhaps they’ll inspire some of your own projects this weekend, as they did for a certain well-known writer: “I was learning something from the painting of Cézanne that made writing simple true sentences far from enough to make the stories have the dimensions that I was trying to put in them.” —Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast Enjoy!
Art Inspiration
1/18/2008 10:07:42 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Pastel Demo for You
Posted by Sarah
 Evening Light (11x14) by Maggie LathamIf you're in the mood for a little arts education, we recommend that you check out this fine pastel demonstration by a pastel artist we are quite pleased to know: Maggie Latham has posted a "Talk on Pastels" at WetCanvas! In it, she discusses techniques, materials and her own personal approach to painting. She also shares photos of her process from board prep to finished product.
You don't need to be a member of WetCanvas! to visit the demo, but you do need to be a member to participate in the discussion. If you were on the fence about joining before, now might be a good time to come on over. Latham has invited you to jump in with questions, comments or input.
I also hasten to mention that you can download a free PDF of a guide Latham wrote for our sister publication, Watercolor Artist, on using technology in the studio to produce your own giclée prints. (That's right--Latham also paints in watercolor.)
Art Inspiration | Overheard | Tips and Techniques | Tools and Materials
1/16/2008 4:03:05 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, January 07, 2008
Showstoppers: Asher B. Durand
Posted by anne
 Landscape artists, like Clive R. Tyler [featured in the February issue], who are driven to capture the emotional connection they feel toward the scene they're painting, usually find kinship in the contributions made to American art history by the Hudson River School of painters. One of the major figures in the movement, Asher B. Durand, turned to landscapes after an inspiring journey to the Adirondacks region of New York. There he saw and began to convey in his work a grand and poetic vision of the American landscape (see The Beeches, a work from 1845, at left). A survey of Durand's work can be seen in the retrospective, "Kindred Spirits: Asher B. Durand and the American Landscape," which opens February 2 at the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA). Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, the show makes its last stop at SDMA—the only west coast venue, so start making your plans! As a bonus, you'll also get to see "Plein Air Past and Present," a display of 20 paintings from the Southern California area, painted in the late 19th and early 20th century. Organized in collaboration with the Lux Art Institute, the display will run at SDMA concurrently with "Kindred Spirits." Inspiring art. Southern California in February. Say no more! The Beeches (above; 1845; oil on canvas, 60 3/8 x 48 1/8) by Asher B. Durand. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Maria DeWitt
Jesup, from the collection of her husband, Morris K. Jesup, 1914,
15.30.59, Photograph © 1992 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
1/7/2008 12:21:15 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Music to Paint By
Posted by anne
Todd Rustad, the nephew of the late pastel artist Richard C. Pionk, has created a CD of original piano music. The proceeds from CD sales will support the Richard C. Pionk Memorial Fund. The fund was set up at the Salmagundi Club, where Pionk had been president. Memorial funds will be used to promote excellence in oil and pastel art.
Sounds like a perfect way to acquire new music to paint by, honor the memory of a pastel master, and provide funds for the continuing support of pastel art! To listen to CD samples or to order a CD, visit Rustad's website. To read more about Pionk, see our earlier blog entry about his passing. Persion Vase With Pears (above; pastel, 19x25) by Richard C. Pionk
Art Inspiration | Overheard
1/2/2008 9:21:10 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Creative Gift
Posted by anne
 The topic of gifts is certainly a popular one at this time of year, but I wanted to talk about creative gifts—as in talents—not creative gifts as in " clocky," the alarm clock that has wheels so it can roll off your dresser and come at you if you don't get up. Yes, I can see that clocky might be a helpful thing for me, especially on these dark, winter mornings, but even more helpful would be anything that exercises my creative muscles. Before it ceased publication in 2006, Artist's Sketchbook magazine was just such a ready supply of creative inspiration. Fortunately, the latest CD compilation at the F+W magazine store is Artist's Sketchbook 2005 and 2006 which includes nine issues of the magazine, all on a single CD for your computer. As a former editor of that magazine, I
have a soft spot for the publication and its mission to help new and
experienced artists alike discover and nurture their creative powers. Sketchbook
articles celebrate the artistic process with exercises to keep artists in the
flow and peeks inside real sketchbooks—the universal tool for artists. The June
2006
issue of Artist's Sketchbook, which includes features on
nature sketchbooks, travel journals, drawing portraits, painting to
music, and getting the most out of a trip to the Musee d'Orsay in
Paris—was the last. So, if you never happened on to this little gem,
now's a great chance to see what you missed.
You'll also find at the store CD compilations of our sister publications, Watercolor Artist and The Artist's Magazine. And don't worry, similar compilations of The Pastel Journal are in the works for 2008 (we'll be sure to alert you). Meanwhile, you can find excerpts from The Pastel Journal on the CD "The Best Art of 2005 and 2006,"
which compiles more than 500 images, all the winning art from the competitions of all three
fine art publications. The CDs are easily searched, easily stored and perfectly portable. How fun to
think you could stuff more than 500 works of art into a single
stocking? That's a creative gift that can actually inspire our creative gifts!
Art Inspiration | Tools and Materials
12/17/2007 4:36:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, December 03, 2007
Creative Spark Winner
Posted by anne
 In the December issue of the magazine, we introduced a new element, "Creative Spark," to the Art Matters column (page 9), in which pastel artist Carole Katchen provides tips and techniques for finding inpsiration and recharging our creativity. In each installment, Katchen will also offer readers a Creative Spark challenge. In this first installment, the challenge was to choose a letter of the alphabet to inspire a painting composition, and we invited readers to email us with their letter-inspired creations. We saw some terrific paintings, and today, I'm pleased to share with you our winning entry —Café Study (left; pastel, 8x10) by Marie Stanton Cardany of Stuart, Fla. Cardany's painting, created on Canson paper, used the letter "A" to inspire its composition. Cardany will receive a 39-piece set of pastels from Great American Artworks. Congratulations!  Other favorite submissions include Kimono by Mary Ann Pals, of Chesterton, Ind., in which the letter "S" leads the viewer's eye through the folds of silk and through the painting. In Two Pots, by Lynn Chapman, of Pueblo, Colo, the letters "C" and "O" take shape.  Thanks to everyone who participated in our challenge. And don't forget to look for the next Creative Spark in the Jan/Feb issue of the magazine—coming soon (on sale on newsstands January 1). The winner of that challenge will receive $150 worth of Kitty Wallis paper!
Art Inspiration | Overheard
12/3/2007 2:30:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, November 26, 2007
Fun Stuff From My In Box
Posted by anne
A friend forwarded me this link showing an artist's drawing of a female model from the inside out—skeleton to body to undergarments to clothes. I don't know to whom to credit the work, unfortunately, but it is an entertaining two minutes.
Art Inspiration
11/26/2007 1:46:31 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by anne
This may be a stretch as an art-related topic for the blog, but as a
writer, I certainly consider words to be an important artistic tool. With that in mind, I'd like to share with you my favorite new website: www.freerice.com. A sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com, Free Rice tests your English vocabulary and, with every correct answer, sets aside grains of rice for hungry people around the world. Think of it: You can improve your vocabulary with an addictive online game and help stop world hunger at the same time! So, as our minds turn to feasting this week, perhaps this will be one way to "give back" to those less fortuntate. If nothing else, now you have something to do while you wait for that turkey to come out of the oven! Happy Thanksgiving!
Art Inspiration
11/20/2007 11:42:21 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, November 02, 2007
Artist Website of the Week: WhimsicalWest.com
Posted by jessica
 Our thanks goes to the Pastel Society of New Mexico for putting America’s Drawing Cowboy, Darryl Willison Jr., on our radar. Back in July, the society’s newsletter mentioned that Willison’s pastel painting, Dare to Dream, won the print competition for the 2007 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 6-14), which meant that his image would be reproduced as a serigraph print for the festival. Willison's work can be found in 13 galleries throughout the west. “I have been an artist all my life, drawing with whatever I got my hands on,” he says on his site. “I am self taught in all aspects of what I do, driven by the curiosity of the outcome.” Also on his site, he explains Dare to Dream was inspired by the color and beauty of the annual event. See what he’s talking about here, and have yourself a colorful weekend. image from whimsicalwest.com
Art Inspiration | Overheard
11/2/2007 10:13:23 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
All Hallows Eve for Artists
Posted by Sarah
Art Inspiration
10/31/2007 9:18:14 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, October 26, 2007
Maggie Price Workshop Diary: Plein Air Indoors
Posted by Sarah
    The sun doesn’t always shine, even in sunny Spain, and contrary to the saying, the rain in Spain may fall in the mountains as well as on the plains. We were scheduled to have a day trip to the nearby village of Alpandeire, but the clouds loomed and the forecast was not encouraging. Knowing we’d have no shelter there in an open plaza, our group of 15 artists and companions elected to stay indoors here at the hotel. While the non-painters enjoyed the library and video collections, the painters scattered upstairs and downstairs and throughout the halls. Painting from life is good indoors as well as out, and there were so many subjects here in the hotel and just outside the windows that none of us lacked for inspiration. Our group painted stairways, still life compositions of dried flowers in vases, chestnuts from the trees in the valley, and views of the buildings and streets from windows and terraces. We had a lovely lunch served in the hotel, and at the end of the day as we watched the rain come down, none of us felt we’d missed a thing. Tomorrow the sun’s supposed to shine and we’re going to Zahara in Cadiz Province. It should be another wonderful day. (Photos of paintings: Copper Bowl, by Janette Dickerson; Looking Up, by Len Slesick; Reflections, by LaDonna Escamilla. Photo of painter: Len Slesick working on one of his hanging plant studies.)
Art Inspiration
10/26/2007 11:33:13 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, October 22, 2007
Creative Spark Challenge
Posted by anne
 Staying inspired is a problem for artists of every kind—be they pastel painters or poets. So, we've planned a regular addition to the magazine's "Art Matters" column—an item we're calling "Creative Spark." In each issue, pastel artist Carole Katchen will introduce a
creativity-boosting idea along with a creative exercise to take
straight to your easel. In the first installment, in the new December issue, she addresses the problem of trying to stay excited about a subject that sells well, but with which you've lost some of the original enthusiasm—in her case, a series of chef paintings. To rekindle her inspiration, Katchen turned to design, showing in the example (at right), how she used the letter "C" shape to inspire a composition. In The Chef's Secret Ingredient (26x18), you can see that the top of the shape begins at the upper right of the hat, and follows down through the face to the white shirt, then along the center of the line of the white jacket. Trying something different is often a quick path to inspiration. So, with each "Creative Spark" installment, we'll throw out a new creative challenge for you! For this first challenge, send us an example of a work in which you've used an alphabet-inspired composition. Email us a jpg-image (72-dpi and an image size of about 4x5) by November 30, 2007, and you'll be eligible to win a 39-piece set of Great American pastels (winner chooses the set). My editorial team and I will select one winner, but runners-up may appear on our blog. E-mail your image (or images) to pjedit@fwpubs.com with "creative spark" as the subject line. Include your name, email address and mailing address in the message, along with a brief explanation of your design. (Unfortunately, you must be a U.S. resident to participate.) Now, get out your pastels, sing the ABC song a few times, and have some fun!
Art Inspiration
10/22/2007 4:38:31 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, October 19, 2007
Art in the 21st Century
Posted by jessica
 Ah, PBS—the single upside to not having cable. Next Sunday the channel airs the fourth season of the Emmy-nominated public television series, Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century, so get your TiVo, DVR (or, in my case, ancient VCR) ready. Running Sunday nights Oct. 28-Nov. 18, the latest installment offers four one-hour episodes based on ideas of romance, protest, ecology and paradox, featuring 17 contemporary artists divulging their creative process. First on the lineup is “Romance,” featuring artists Laurie Simmons, Lari Pittman, Judy Pfaff and Pierre Huyghe on the role that emotion, regret, fantasy and nostalgia play in modern art. The series’ website also includes listings of season 4 artists who might have exhibitions coming your way. If you’re near Cincinnati in May, check out An-My-Lê’s gelatin silver prints at the Contemporary Arts Center. Check local listings for air times.
Art Inspiration | Overheard
10/19/2007 12:23:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, October 15, 2007 |