American Artist Magazine : Painting

November 2010

Brian Riley — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:56:00 GMT

On the Cover:
Belle (detail, reversed)
by Galina Perova, 2007, oil, 50 x 44.
Private collection.

FEATURES

Rosemarie Beck: Exploring the Physicality of Paint
by Eric Sutphin
This New York artist used themes from mythology, music, and literature as ways to explore the tactile properties of oil paint, and her approaches can offer inspiration and guidance to today’s painters.

Rose Frantzen: Building Community & Impacting Culture, One Portrait at a Time
by Allison Malafronte
When Iowa artist Rose Frantzen returned to her hometown of Maquoketa after several years living in major U.S. cities and traveling abroad, she decided to commemorate members of her community through a powerful portrait project.

Inspiring Figures: Portraits by Women
by John A. Parks
A new exhibition reveals the enormous contribution of women artists to the figurative tradition.

Painting Life: Galina Perova and the Portrait Society of America
by Michael Gormley
Galina Perova is a contemporary figurative painter who has taken up the challenge of painting from life in an attempt to replicate “real” human experience.

Inside the World of Pastel
by Wende Caporale
As a pastel painter, I feel that knowing the history of the medium is important for me to grow and improve as an artist. I am especially inspired by female artists who helped bring the medium to public attention.

December 2009

Brian Riley — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:01:00 GMT

On the Cover:
Still Life With Box of Jellied Fruit, Bread,
Silver Salver, Glass, and Wine Cooler
(detail)
by Luis Meléndez, 1770, oil, 19 1⁄2 x 14 1⁄2.
Collection the Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Love at First Touch: The Pastel Paintings
of Linda Gross Brown

24 Watercolor Portraits
(One for Each Year of a Child’s Life)

DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Note
Letters
What’s New at www.myAmericanArtist.com
Art Mart
Quick Sketches
Exhibitions
Business of ArtTechnical Q+A
2009 Editorial Index
Bulletin Board

FEATURES

A Very Spanish Appetite: The Paintings of Luis Meléndez
by John A. Parks
The greatest master of the Spanish still life came to artistic triumph through professional failure.

The Perfect Gifts for Artists
by M. Stephen Doherty
Find holiday gift ideas for the artists in your life.

Painting Landscapes in Exact Scale
by Marc Dalessio
Marc Dalessio explains how he paints landscapes using an adaptation of the sight-size method normally associated with studio work. His method is to paint what he observes in such a way that the subject and painted image are exactly the same scale when viewed from a constant position.

Building Rich and Full Layers (Available Online)
by John A. Parks
By subtly layering pastel, Marlene Wiedenbaum creates a luscious and convincing sense of the world.

The Benefits and Limitations of Painting Personal Imagery
by M. Stephen Doherty
George Towne first painted portraits of friends and members of his community as a way of instilling meaningful content in his artwork and motivating himself through long hours of painting. He now applies what he learned to creating drawings and paintings of models that are only acquaintances but whose appearance and personality appeal to him.

24 Watercolor Portraits (One for Each Year of a Child’s Life)
by M. Stephen Doherty
Carol Carter began a series of annual portraits of her son shortly after he was born, and she continues to add to her Growth Portraits series now that he is 24 years old.

Love at First Touch: The Pastel Paintings of Linda Gross Brown
by James A. Metcalfe
Ohio artist Linda Gross Brown loves the freedom of working with her fingers, creating pathways through her peaceful scenes with light and shadow.

June 2009

Brian Riley — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

On the Cover:
Still Life With Butterfly (detail)
by Suzanne Eisler, 2007, oil, 13 x 14.
Collection the artist.
This painting was the winning entry in
the 2009 American Artist Cover
Competition.

Is Richard Schmid the Most Powerful
Influence on Painters Today?

Capture a Sense of Place With
On-Site Travel Sketches

DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Note
Letters
What’s New at www.myAmericanArtist.com
Art Mart
Quick Sketches
Exhibitions
Business of Art
Technical Q+A
Bulletin Board

FEATURES

SPECIAL SECTION: 6 Top Pastel Painters Share Materials & Techniques

by M. Stephen Doherty
Look closely at detail photographs of paintings by top artists, and learn how the pastels are built up in layers on a variety of surfaces.
(Please visit the site to view this media) (Downloadable PDF)

Cover Competition Winners Announced (Available Online)
Artists from across the country submitted their work for consideration in the 2009 American Artist Cover Competition. After an extensive selection process, Suzanne Eisler’s Still Life With Butterfly was chosen as the winning image. It is presented here, along with artwork from the nine other finalists.

Injecting Sophisticated Drama: Painting Skies and Coasts With Delicate Brushstrokes (Available Online)
by John R. Kemp
Gulf Coast oil painter Susan Downing-White has a found a way to depict warmly illuminated skies and coastlands using light strokes and a muted palette.

Capture a Sense of Place With On-Site Travel Sketches
by Gerald F. Brommer
Without sufficient time to create full-scale paintings on location during a recent trip to Europe, I relied on graphite and ink sketches to capture the essence of the scenes we visited, adding watercolor washes once back in my studio.

Telling Stories Based on Dreams, Experiences, and Friendships
by M. Stephen Doherty
Taking advantage of the disciplined training she received in the United States and Russia, Tennessee artist Melissa Hefferlin develops drawings, pastel paintings, and oil paintings about the people and events of her life.

Making Dynamic Portraits in Acrylic
by John A. Parks
New Jersey artist Matt Cauley uses a delicate acrylic technique to build powerful form and richly varied color in his larger-than-life portraits.

Is Richard Schmid the Most Powerful Influence on Painters Today?
by M. Stephen Doherty
This month, an exhibition of paintings by Richard Schmid and 12 award-winning artists he mentored is on view in New York City. We asked several of those artists to explain how Schmid has influenced them through his teachings, friendship, and art.

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