I’m a color junkie. In fashion, in design, and especially in painting, vibrant color is what gets me creative. But before the image of Mimi from The Drew Carey Show becomes forever attached to my name in your mind, I’ll point out that I can control myself…sometimes. It’s tough, though, especially now that spring is officially here and I’m starting to see hints of color everywhere.

Jeffree , oil painting, 18 x 15. All works by David A. Leffel. I spend a lot of time brainstorming how an artist can become an Old Master of the 21st century. What kind of confidence, skill, and vision will it take for an artist working today to gain...

Beginning at the Water's Edge by Jovan Karlo Villalba, oil on stainless steel, 24 x 24, 2010. I sometimes put so much emphasis on what I’m painting—thinking about what makes a strong composition and how to lead a viewer through a work—that...

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when my interest in art history stopped at Post-Impressionism. When I read art books and visited museums, I was instinctually drawn to artwork from the Italian Renaissance through Impressionism and curious to...

Drawing can cause a repetitive strain injury (RSI), but with a few precautions and the right equipment, this risk can be minimized. by Edith Zimmerman Drawing is not usually thought of as a high-risk occupation. Calluses, dirty fingernails, stained clothes...

Cheers to the quiet moments at home that artists can capture. Sketch by James Jean . As I am faced with being almost two months into this "new" year, I wanted to take the opportunity to belatedly craft a toast to 2014 and acknowledge all the...

It's not as if the wall space in my apartment is getting any bigger, but still, I'm always looking at works of art and murmuring, "I know just the place for you..." And for the past several years I've been particularly drawn to works...

Head of 12-year-old Christ by Albrecht Dürer, drawing, 1506. Adapted from an article by Dan Gheno. As you know from my previous blog about needing a GPS to draw heads --because I get more lost in the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose than you'd think...