This issue explores realism, both contemporary and historical. We also take a trip to the Woodmere Art Museum, in Philadelphia, currently hosting an exhibition filled with unconventional approaches to the realist tradition.

In this issue of American Artist, we look at both the plein air and figurative work of the California art scene. Articles feature the upcoming “On Location in Malibu” exhibition, the philosophies and artwork of NovoRealism, Weekend With the Masters instructor Jennifer McChristian, and the influence of Theodore N. Lukits, among others.

The pursuit of commercial and fine art has been explored by many artists, including those working in a fantasy or symbolist mode. In this issue, we look at James Gurney, of Dinotopia fame; comic-book-artist-turned-portraitist Everett Raymond Kinstler; and Howard Pyle.

This issue considers artists who paint the figure in context, such as Martha Erlebacher, who paints figures in classically informed configurations, and acrylic artist John K. Harrell, who offers a demonstration of how he paints city scenes filled with pedestrians, trees, and bright lights.

This issue of American Artist features consummate classicists Jacob Collins and Daniel E. Greene—artists who champion figurative art and its embrace of beauty and humanist thought.

The autumn season is approaching, and the lazy days of summer will soon be a hazy (and humid) memory. Our collective engines ramp up to full throttle this time of year as we cycle through the few remaining months in the calendar. November marks the end of harvest season, and we are reminded to be grateful for the abundance that is provided us. Artistic abundance—the product of sustained study, diligent effort, and a deep appreciation of beauty—overflows in the art world, and we can provide but a small sampling of all there is to see, learn, and create within the context of contemporary practice.

Realism today comprises a myriad of working styles that derails any effort to define it based on select studio practices—such as whether an artist works primarily from life or from photographs. Nor can realism be equated with an effort to capture exacting detail, which would leave out the probing vision of Degas.

How an artist paints is as important as what he or she paints. Enhance your work with realism, the most indigenous art form, a product of its own time derived from keen observation and direct experience with present reality. The artists featured in this issue fall within this singular vision. Their works are sophisticated images of contemporary city and town life that demonstrate noble study, native talent, and a genuine interest in the people, places, and things in their lives.