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Untitled by Mark Tennant, 2009, charcoal,
24 x 18. Featured in Drawing, Winter 2010. |
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As we head into the holiday season and finish up 2010, I did the math and realized I’ve been working here just a couple of months shy of a full year. It’s flown by! I’m loving my time at Artist Daily—communicating with painters and draftsmen, writing articles for our eNewsletters, and sharing in the art process with so many of you.
On behalf of Black Friday, which I celebrate by staying home, watching TV, and cyber-searching for gifts my friends and loved ones will enjoy, I wanted to highlight some of the resources that have been on my radar for a while in our store. Each one is about a different topic, but the high level of instruction is a must for those of us always looking to improve our skills. And right now, our online store is offering free shipping for orders of $30 or more, so if something looks appealing, you may want to take advantage of that!
Community is one of the most important components in my life. Whether it is a network of family and friends; working with teammates; or volunteering in my community—when I am in a group it is one of the most rewarding experiences I know. That’s especially true with artistic practice. Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media by L. K. Ludwig is an inspiring book because it shows how art can bring us together. It presents ideas for global collaboration, and how to create with a shared vision. It’s a very interesting read, which now has me thinking in new directions.
I’ve always been intimidated by charcoal drawing. Whenever I start one, it’s soon over because the charcoal is everywhere and I’m a mess. The winter 2010 issue of Drawing made me want to try again. An article on artist Jen Hagen was devoted entirely to her charcoal works, and Mark Tennant's drawings in charcoal were featured as well. The two combined made me see how I can better approach the form with charcoal and how to add and subtract charcoal to a piece.
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C.W. Mundy working through his seven foundational
truths for this still life painting, featuring three
oranges and a brass kettle. |
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At Weekend With the Masters this past September, C. W. Mundy was the artist I hung out with the most. He is an exceptionally skilled painter, and he’s also a lot of fun. His DVD,
Mastering the Dramatic Still Life, is great because you get an in-depth lesson on still life painting from C. W. as he takes you through his seven foundational truths. The artist keeps it exciting by telling stories and talking you through the process in a way that makes it seem as though you are in the studio with him.
I’ve been doing a bit of this myself, so when I came across the book Rethinking Acrylic, it was apropos. The book goes over many ways that acrylics can be used and manipulated. That’s exciting, because once I start to understand the potential of a medium the creativity starts flowing. I zeroed in on the chapters covering the watermedia effects you can get with acrylic, and the sections about collage and reflective paint are interesting as well.
Enjoy! And don’t forget there’s free shipping on orders of $30 or more in our online store.
