Artist Daily : street art

Go For Awesome

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:38:00 GMT


Looks Like Heaven by John Budicin, 2002, oil painting, 32 x 40.

Almost any artist will tell you that there's a certain appeal to working outdoors that can't be found anywhere else. With spring in full swing, many of us have left our studios for our porches, backyards, and beyond. To celebrate the season and all of the landscape art being made, here are 10 ways you can make the most of your next outdoor painting session.

Start with a good, long look. Painting landscapes lets you create work that can take the viewer on a journey into a new environment. To create a truly expressive work of art, it helps to take more than a cursory look around and quickly set up shop. Walk around, sit a spell, and really soak in the landscape around you.

Focus your eye. Whether's it a rocky cliff or a busy urban street, outdoor settings can offer a myriad of potential subjects. Sometimes, however, it can be too much to take in, leading to a painting that feels busy, cluttered, and lacking a center of interest. Massachusetts-based artist Nancy Colella starts every composition based on what she's visually drawn to. She makes those elements the focal point of her painting, and tones down everything else so that they come to the fore.

It's all about the light. Light changes throughout the day, which makes accurately capturing it one of the biggest challenges of painting outdoors. The flip side, of course, is that when one is able to do this correctly, a painting is instantly elevated. Observe the quality of light, aiming for a spontaneous interpretation that still takes observation skills into consideration.


	Birds Wading by Stephanie Sanchez, 1989, oil on panel, 32 x 46, private collection.


	Marble Cascades by Jane Bertram Miluski, 2003, watercolor, 14 x 21.

Don't paint a blue sky. They rarely exist! California watercolorist Dick Cole acknowledges that landscape painting has enhanced his skills as a colorist and helped him to realize that the sky, along with many elements in nature, are made up of a variety of colors and not just one pure hue.

Strike a balance. Spend as much time observing as you do painting. For artist Glenn Rudderow, this is a crucial part of his plein air practice. "Nothing can take the place of direct observation—of being there, seeing, communicating, and expressing the spirit of one's subject," he says.

Go for awesome. Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran of the Hudson River School produced paintings of the American landscape that were technically masterful, but most of all they were awe-inspiring. They created luminous paintings that seemed too bright to be true. They amplified the elements of the landscape that inspired them most, leaving the viewer with the same sentiments.

Don't bring your studio outdoors. The thrill of working en plein air is that you can shake up your routine and work differently than you might usually. Use the change in location to try new techniques, such as working on a smaller scale or focusing predominantly on light and other atmospheric qualities.

Colors contribute to a sense of space. When creating her landscape paintings, Kansas artist Kim Casebeer adjusts her palette in order to accurately render atmospheric changes and a sense of space. For example, there is usually more red, orange, and yellow running through objects in the foreground, and blue, indigo, and violet for shapes that recede in the distance.

Go with the flow—of air. Air moves objects. It ripples water, curls leaves, and sways limbs of trees. Use brush strokes and shading to create movement in your work.

Perfection isn't everything. You can spend all day looking for a "perfect" composition that just doesn't exist. Embrace the reality around you—smog, power lines, even debris—and open yourself up to telling interesting stories with new subjects.

How have you been taking advantage of spring in your work? Leave a comment and let us know. If you want to learn more about painting landscapes—including how to paint mountainous vistas accurately, avoid compositions that lack cohesion, and more—Donna Dewberry's Essential Guide to Flower and Landscape Painting gives you all the one-on-one instruction you'll want to successfully paint landscapes and all the elements you'll find there. Enjoy!

A Sucker for Architecture

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 03:08:00 GMT

Arches, towers, bridges, and vaulted ceilings--I love all aspects of architecture and engineering, and it was through these things that I first started to appreciate plein air painting. Before, when I was trying to understand what plein air was all about, I was sort of "meh" about the idea of going out of the studio to paint. But then I saw Thomas W. Schaller's watercolor paintings and came to the realization that plein air isn't just about finding beautiful mountain vistas and cascading waterfalls and rivers. There is also room for capturing a little bit of the awe you feel when walking through a Parisian city square or encountering the quaint loveliness of a garden bungalow or cottage.

North Broadway Bridge - Los Angeles by Thomas Schaller, watercolor on paper, 18 x 24.

Another artist, Seth Camm, calls his outdoor paintings of houses "house portraits," and I think that there's a lot to this. Plein air artists, at their best, capture both the likeness of the landscape they are painting and the spirit of the place. Architecture and houses and homes are manmade structures that--hopefully--fit into their landscape and tell stories of their own. We can find immediate human connections to them, which makes them great artistic subjects. Camm's paintings take advantage of these connections, telling the story of the place and the feel of it through the houses and nearby environs.

One of Seth Camm's house portraits.

A city street filled with skyscrapers and cars whizzing by gives quite a different feel than a white clapboard house surrounded by shady trees. But what is exciting, no matter what environment you prefer, is that you can inject personality and verve into a plein air painting if you choose your subject with the idea of painting the "portrait" of the place foremost in your mind.

After looking at landscape and seascape "portraits," have you started to wonder, "What is plein air painting able to do for me that, maybe, my studio practice can't?" I certainly wonder a bit too, and I want to know what is on the other side of that question. In the Plein Air Painting Premium Palette and Deluxe Palette, there are resources that can get you started with your plein air foray to help you figure out how to capture the feel of the places you paint, and if you are already comfortable outdoor painting, these can give you the insights you need to take your work up a notch. Enjoy!

A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 04:50:00 GMT

In a lot of ways the art world can be a little like a trend-crazed teenybopper. What's new and exciting gets the most attention, while art and artistic movements and groups that have been around for decades or centuries fall out of favor. But I think anyone artistically minded would be hard pressed not to agree that when it comes to portrait artists, Rembrandt, Velázquez, and Sargent (among others) are the true and undisputed godfathers of the genre.

An Old Man in Military Costume by Rembrandt, oil on panel, 26 x 20.

Their works defined classic portrait painting and made it an enterprise that kings and politicians, dignitaries and the well-to-do had to be part of. It was their work and vision that could take a humble servant or dirty urchin off the street and turn him into the subject of a sensitive and intensely human piece of portraiture that could rival just about any other artwork ever made.

A Spanish Gentleman by Diego Velázquez, 1634, oil on canvas.

Wow--even as I write this, I get impressed all over again, because these artists weren't given superpowers or anything extraordinary beyond their motive to make portrait art that truly plumbs the depths of the human experience. That, I would argue, is what you have to do every time you pick up the brush to create a portrait painting. To capture a likeness is one thing, but if you want to join the ranks of Van Dyck and Caravaggio, you have to envision something more in you art. I honestly think this can entail putting a little bit of yourself into the work to make it really stand out--establishing empathy and painting that connection between you and your subject. It's the only way to make it really come alive.

My Friend Chadwick by Sargent, 1880, oil on canvas.

If you are determined to understand classic portrait painting like our revered "godfathers" did, consider the Painting Classic Portraits Kit, which include Mastering Oil Portrait Painting with Ron Hicks and Classic Portrait Painting in Oils, so that your portrait art is created with the same mindset and media as the greats. Enjoy!

Art Is Not a One-Way Street

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 04:10:00 GMT

It goes without saying that making art is not a creative process that only goes one way. No matter what cleaned-up biographies or histories I've read about great American painters or Old Masters, I know that there is no neat and straightforward path where logic rules when it comes to art. In fact, it seems to me that art-making is just the opposite: It's a little messy, definitely confusing (at least for me!), and you have to be open to the whims of the muse. And she can take some roundabout ways of getting to where we want to go.


	Goldin photographed paintings by Pontormo, Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, Zurbarán, and others at the Louvre and placed them side by side with her own works--showing how artistic inspiration can be so close, no matter the timespans that separate the works or their original media.

But drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and all the rest--they are all equal in the creative energy they allow us to utilize when we are pursuing them, so I try not to be hard on myself when I feel the urge to jump around and try new things--or reuse known art techniques in new ways.

And when other artists come to me saying the same thing--that they are interested in many artistic endeavors and don't want to pursue just one--I cheer them on. There's no reason to feel abashed about that. In fact, I think it is the way we start to realize our full potential as artists.

Constantly, I am reminded of--and excited by--this "road diverges" mentality when I see art online that is being made in so many different ways. Young artists are using technology to make digital art--and some established artists are trying it too. Artists that I meet talk to me about how they work in so many processes, from different methods in painting to graphic design to architecture.

Photographer Nan Goldin created a whole photo installation and slide-show series based on centuries-old sculpture and painting from the Louvre in parallel with her own autobiographical images. To see a contemporary artist's work having a conversation with works of the Old Masters makes me realize that artistic inspiration is all around us, and that we can be inspired by and work in so many ways and with so many resources.

Yet no matter how you decide to walk your own artistic path, art techniques that allow you to get the most out of your studio time are crucial. If you are searching for online art resources, look no further than the eBooks, digital downloads, and more that you can find at the Artist Daily Shop on painting and drawing, plus instructional books and your favorite magazines. And you can use the Shopping Spree Coupon for them all--just enter SAVE10, SAVE20, or SAVE40 (see details at the Artist Daily Store). Enjoy!

May I Introduce Michael Klein?

Courtney Jordan — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:12:00 GMT

Michael Klein: Weekend with the Masters art instructor


Karina's Rose by Michael Klein, oil painting.

Michael Klein is a young artist in the NovoRealist movement (new realism), creating melancholic oil painting art that has a distinct and haunting feeling. Klein developed a special connection with nature and a desire to describe his world accurately while growing up in the Midwest. He began his academic art training at the age of 18 with Richard Whitney, and continued at Richard Lack's The Atelier, in Minneapolis. Still searching for further enrichment, he moved to New York City to study at The Art Students League of New York, and subsequently at the Water Street Atelier with Jacob Collins. The intensive atmosphere of the Water Street Atelier awakened in Klein a desire to pursue an aesthetic in painting not common in our culture. In 2006 Klein moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to prepare for his first solo exhibition. Working abroad gave Klein the isolation he needed to develop his artistic vision and apply the methods he previously learned. Inspired by nature, Buenos Aires was the ideal environment for creating the unique paintings the artist is known for. Klein returned to the United States in 2009 to launch the first video magazine for representational painters, called American Painting Video Magazine. The production quickly grew and was downloaded in more than 30 countries the first month alone and has continued expanding with each issue. The videos include interviews and demonstrations with some of the world's most sought after painters. Klein's work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions and in the pages of numerous art magazines. He stated in a recent essay, "I believe that a form of exceptional representational painting is closer to science because you have a fixed truth, which is the external world around us. Making art is a series of personal decisions based on that true source, which is the natural world. We can refer to it as natural law because it doesn't change; the law of gravity is the same now as it was before it was discovered. From the beginning of time the gravitational pulls of different parts of the universe have existed." Klein is a strong advocate for the return to beauty in art and has dedicated his life to achieving this goal. For more information on the artist, visit his website.

Return to the Weekend with the Masters Meet & Greet.

May I Introduce Juliette Aristides?

Courtney Jordan — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 18:40:00 GMT

Juliette Aristides: Weekend with the Masters art instructor


Alexis by Juliette Aristides, oil painting.

Juliette Aristides is a Seattle-based painter who seeks to understand and convey the human spirit through art. Aristides is the founder of and an instructor at the Classical Atelier at the Gage Academy of Fine Art, in Seattle, and she teaches workshops both nationally and internationally. Author of The Classical Drawing Atelier, The Classical Painting Atelier, and Lessons in Classical Drawing (all Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, New York), Aristides' work has been featured in FineArt Connoisseur, American Art Collector, American Artist, The Artist's Magazine, and Gulf Connoisseur Magazine. She exhibits in solo and group shows nationally. Aristides has spent 10 years acquiring a rigorous education on the principles of classical realism. She began her studies in 1988 under Myron Barnstone in Design Systems and continued to study drawing and painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, followed by study at The Atelier, in Minneapolis, in the tradition of Richard Lack. This training was followed by two years of instruction at the National Academy in New York with Jacob Collins, while also receiving instruction from Carlos Madrid. Aristides spent a year working with a small group of students at Collins' studio prior to becoming a founding member of the Water Street Atelier, in Brooklyn. She has received both the Wilder Prize for Drawing and the Albert Hallgarten Traveling Scholarship while studying at the National Academy of Design. She is also a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant. Her work can be seen on The Art Renewal Center's website under the living masters gallery and on her own website.

Return to the Weekend with the Masters Meet & Greet.

Do It with a Stranger

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:51:00 GMT


Eva Mullarky by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 9 x 13, 2011.

I can be a really hard sell when it comes to portraiture because from a beginner painter's perspective, I'm not always sure how to get the most out of a portrait painting session. So I wanted to talk to a close friend and amazing portrait artist, Kristin Künc, about her portraiture teaching and painting practice to get some insights into how to get the most out of any portrait I decide to paint and how to make one a cut above the rest.

"An interesting hairdo." As an artist who has spent hundreds if not thousands of hours working, Künc stresses that you can't underestimate the importance of eye-catching. If you are doing just a standard head and shoulders portrait with no background, then encourage the model to bring an interesting accessory to wear during the session. It could be a scarf, earrings, a necklace, or even a unique hairdo. As long as it catches the eye, you are on the right track.

"Shy, or outgoing, or strange." A strong advocate for getting to know your model—even if just setting aside a few minutes before the session for a brief conversation—Künc encourages her students to paint the model the way they are. If they are shy—don't have them look directly out. If they have a bolder disposition, they can look right at you. If the person is strange or has a peculiar way about them, use more dramatic lighting to accentuate their expression in a way that heightens their look.

"Sounds old fashioned, but..." Künc says that the one thing that differentiates a great portrait is whether or not the underlying drawing for it is good. If not, it won't matter how great the colors are or how interesting the brushwork is. Another key necessity is a good light source where the lights and shadows are clearly distinguished on the face.


Portrait of Deiter by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 10 x 12, 2011.		Portrait of the Fortune Teller by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 9 x 13, 2010.


	Hill Girl by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 10 x 12, 2009.

"Get someone off the street." Künc mentioned this to me in a tongue-in-cheek way, but she went on to explain that what she meant was that when learning to do portraits, it can be really helpful to not paint your family members, children, husband, or wife. These are the people who are apt to be most critical, and that can be hard to take when starting out. If it is a friend or stranger, you won't be emotionally attached and can approach the painting relaxed and not worried, freeing yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.

For Künc, portraiture is a way of challenging herself and simultaneously doing what she loves, and isn't that all of us really want? So if you want to further explore all that portraiture has to offer, you might be interested in our DVDs on the topic: Mastering Oil Portrait Painting with Ron Hicks, Mastering Portrait Drawing with Susan Lyon, and Mastering Watercolor Portraiture with Mary Whyte. Enjoy!

Surviving the Trauma of an Art Breakdown

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:45:00 GMT

I remind myself that even artistic legends like Michelangelo struggled. When he did the Sistine ceiling in
fresco, a medium he wasn't familiar with, the first few sessions were stressful and trying for the artist.
But he persevered and created one of the wonders of the art world.

It's okay. Breathe. Stay calm. Do. Not. Panic. It happens to all of us—a creative breaking point in our art that threatens to push us into a tailspin. When I was in school, this was my routine: I would try so hard to push it, to make something happen. Then I'd get derailed, and then came the frustration and even anger. I would get down on myself and just mope around for a while. Not fun!

But those kinds of episodes happen to me less and less now because I do a few things differently that I want to share with you:


	Edvard Munch channeled his psychological anxiety and pessimism into powerful, moving artworks (Ashes, 1894, oil on canvas).

I acknowledge that not every studio session is going to be a brilliant, amazing success that will leave me with a cheery smile on my face. The reality is that it can be really tough in there, right? If I feel like my expectations aren't matching what I am accomplishing with my work, I make an effort to set reachable goals so I'm not disheartened. For example, I'll focus on working without stopping for an hour. No looking back on what I've done or reworking, just working. At the end of that time, I'll usually have one or two ideas that I can build on, and that is really satisfying.

I take off the blinders and try to honestly assess what is going on. If I keep stumbling over something, I ask myself—what's in my way? If something isn't working, I don't want to ignore it. There's no shame in retracing our steps to see what has tripped us up. Art is not a one-way street. You can go back and forth dozens of times until you are happy with your progress. I know I have!

I give myself permission to start over. I used to be the type that had to see things through to the end, and to a point I still am. But I also see the value in letting go in order to refocus myself. If something isn't working, I'm not going to let one painting or drawing sour my whole creative pursuit. If I want to put something aside, I do it. You should too!

And most importantly, I know how to get back into the right mindset—inspiration and artistic guidance. That means looking at art that excites me and studying the techniques of the master artists I so admire. I also reach for new resources like Daniel Greene's collection of expert art DVDs. He explores color, and portraiture in pastel, oil, and drawing. Each one of these had me itching to start working by the end of them. Such art guides spur me on and enlighten me when I reach a crisis point. I hope they do the same for you. Enjoy!

P.S. Have you had an art breakdown? What did you do to get back into the right artistic mindset? Leave a comment and let me know.

Can a Caricature Help My Portrait Painting? Plus Our Self-Portrait Contest!

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:17:00 GMT


The Grimaces by Louis-Leopold Boilly, 1823, lithograph, 13 1/8 x 10.

A few weeks ago I was in the Met and saw "Infinite Jest," an exhibition of drawings and prints that explore satire and caricature from the Italian Renaissance to the present. I enjoyed the show, walking around and chuckling at several of the drawings, but nothing really spoke to me, and yet weeks later the images from the show are popping into my head as if I had seen them just this morning.

I've been puzzling over why that could be and came to the conclusion that even though caricature is a completely different category of portraiture, it uses the same strategies that can make fine art portrait painting and portrait drawings memorable.

At its most essential, a caricature is an exaggeration or distortion of a person's physical characteristics, but it is still a study of a person's physicality. We've all seen the boardwalk artists at the beach who draw quick caricature sketches in a handful of minutes. The artist gets the shape of the face and accentuates two or three physical features of the sitter and voila, a caricature.


Caricature of a Woman in a Large Hat by Enrico Caruso, 1920, 14 x 20, pencil drawing.	Senator Dolph of Oregon by Thomas Nast, 1894, pencil drawing with ink, 13 1/2 x 10 1/4.	The Clown: M. Joret by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, 1885, pen and ink drawing.

Although fine art portraiture takes longer to create, an oil portrait painter still uses the same approach. First, it is essential to get the shape of the head right. This is a crucial step because it determines how the head sits on the neck and leads into the torso, and how the features sit on the face. Think of how you are able to recognize a friend or acquaintance from across the street. The same rule applies for a portrait; the sitter will be recognized first from their big ol' noggin.

With a caricature, the artist will usually exaggerate a person's features—eyes, lips, chin, ears, or hair, even freckles or big eyelashes. It always varies, but usually the artist doesn't emphasize everything and only select one or two features for the biggest impact. Fine art portrait artists should work in the same way. Not in terms of exaggerating the size or proportion of a person's features, but drawing attention to certain aspects of a person with color, light and shadow, and brushstrokes.

For me, looking at a model and first thinking of how I'd draw their caricature can really open up my mind to what I'd showcase in their portrait. And, just like the caricatures that stood out in my mind weeks after I'd seen them, a portrait that visually "heightens" certain aspects of a person's looks will certainly stand out from the crowd. For more on what goes into painting an excellent portrait and how to capture a person's likeness, our Master Teachers Highlights magazine is a great all-in-one resource. And today you can download Master Teachers Highlights for just a dime. Yep, only ten cents. Enjoy!

And in the spirit of appreciation for portraiture, American Artist is sponsoring a self-portrait contest that I would love for you to be a part of! Enter now!

Will You Please Put Some Clothes On?

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:50:00 GMT


Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard (attributed), 1585.

I can only imagine the excitement and thrill of sitting for any one of the great portrait painters in history such as Bronzino, Velazquez, and Sargent. But then my mind goes directly to the most pressing question, what to wear?!

What a figure is wearing has a lot of bearing on the results of a portrait. I mean, the stiffness and regal stance of Elizabeth I as depicted by Nicholas Hilliard was not just the result of her being the regent of England. Her clothing all but forced her to stand in such a way—she was wearing pounds and pounds of fabric and a neckpiece that all but imprisoned her.

When painting portraits, an artist needs to reflect, on some level, the likeness of the sitter, but he or she also needs to take into consideration how they are depicting their subject, and that speaks directly to body position and the way a person is dressed. It doesn't make sense to paint an oil portrait of a person in street clothes standing ramrod straight with nose in the air, unless you are being ironical. In the same way, a portrait of a person in a business suit is instantly going to be evaluated by viewers as someone being seen in a professional role. A person curled up in a t-shirt and jeans on a couch calls to mind an entirely different context.


		La Familia II (Sisters) by Tim Okamura, oil on canvas, 84 x 74, 2006.

And the more flamboyant or outrageous the costume in a portrait, the less likely I am to pay attention to the person first. That isn't to say that I won't take in the specifics of the person eventually, but visual interest is not something that comes equally to every part of a work of art. You have to know that one aspect is going to grab people's attention first, and decide on what you want that to be.

Knowing how to depict a person in anything from lounge attire to an intricate costume is an asset for those of us who really want to make the most of our figure painting. In Sketchbook for the Artist by Sarah Simblet, the artist not only discusses the minutiae of painting and drawing figures, but also how to depict costumes and clothing in interesting and eye-appealing ways. So don't hesitate to adorn your next portrait sitter with a glittery necklace or colorful headscarf. If the context can accommodate it, give it a try with the tips from Sketchbook for the Artist. You will be opening yourself up to working in new ways and only good can come of that. Enjoy!

P.S. In the honor of Halloween and all the outrageous costumes in artworks past and present, add a few of your favorite paintings that feature wild and crazy or beautiful and unique costumes or modes of dress to the online Costume Gallery I've created on Artist Daily. I've added a few of my favorites to start. Can't wait to see what we come up with!

If You Don’t Enjoy the Creative Process, Then It’s Over.

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:48:00 GMT

Blue Bird by Tonja Sell.

Artist of the Month: Tonja Sell

A new member to Artist Daily, Tonja Sell is the kind of artist whose creativity has so many places it wants to go that nothing is off limits, especially when it comes to the materials she uses. For years, Sell has been perfecting her art and exploring many visual mediums, including fused glass, metal-glass-oil painted sculpture, felting, printmaking, photography, pottery and ceramic sculpture, watercolor, acrylic painting, mixed-media, sewing, charcoal, pastels, and oils, with a few other odds and ends thrown in.

Artist Daily: What are your first memories of making art?

Tonja Sell: I grew up in a very creative home. My father was a builder and is currently a full-time glass blower and my mother was a high school art teacher. It was evident early on that making things was very much a part of my nature. I was continually building forts and making mud sculptures. One of my earliest memories of "making art" was from the age of about four; a young friend and I painted automobiles in an apartment complex parking lot with house paint that we had found!

The Bohemian-Painted Scarf by Tonja Sell.

AD: Are you a full-time artist? If not, how have you made art a part of your life?

TS: Upon high-school graduation I received a scholarship to attend Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). Since I was a lousy waitress and needed to pay for art supplies, I chose to sell fused glass jewelry from a cart in downtown Milwaukee that I made with my father from old bicycle parts. That was my first "professional" art experience!

After college, I did freelance illustration, public murals, and worked on a few minor book projects. I also taught art to children and adults and continued to sell glass fusing at street fairs. I worked when I could while raising and home-schooling four children, now ages 6 to 17, and I was able to get some drawings and paintings in a few galleries.

AD: Do you prefer one medium to another?

TS: I'm in an experimental mode right now and I'm interested in so many things that it can be difficult to focus. Drawing is my first love. I love the feel of the paper, the noise the tool makes as I am working it, the motion of it. I am pretty aggressive as I work. I just love making marks!

Elah's Ballet by Tonja Sell.

AD: What subject matters do you favor and why?

TS: I focus on what moves me. Usually it's simple, beautiful things. That is the world that is mine. I don't care if I am "discovered." I just love the process and activity of making things. I like art that draws me into someone's experience, a point in time, a moment that I can become a part of. I have a harder time connecting with completely abstracted images for that reason. I can appreciate them on a certain level but they lose my attention very quickly.

The human element is also important to me. People, usually women, are a reoccurring subject. Though I am interested in nature themes and landscape I find it more difficult to interpret them in a way I am comfortable with and find they don't hold my attention the same way the figure does.

Sell's story resonates for me because she has been making things for as long as she can remember—just like so many of our Artist Daily Members. And she enjoys the creative process and feels it is a reward in and of itself. In the 25^th anniversary issue of Watercolor, you'll find artists who feel exactly the same way. Artists want to share their process and their finished works because that is just what artists do—come together as a community and celebrate what a gift our creativity is! Enjoy!

Three Works of Art I Would Kill to Have

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:32:00 GMT

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 on paper. The mark-making and drawing techniques used can be so unique from artist to artist. And when I look at drawings, I feel like I can relate to the artist and really understand how he or she works more than I sometimes can when looking at a finished painting. Here are a few of those drawings that inspire me and hold a place in my heart.

He was my first...

MC Escher was the first draftsman I remember being aware of as an artist. Obviously, I had seen other drawings before, but learning his name, and looking at a catalog of an artist's work—I'm pretty sure he was my first. And to a certain extent that is telling about what I hold dear in a drawing. As in Still Life with Street, I want to see something surprising and unusual in the drawings that I see, and Escher's work is definitely that. There is also his incredible command of the medium. I mean, in each of his drawings, every line looks so right. The drawing techniques he employs are incredibly well executed. He's moved beyond reality to draw things that are out of this world and can trick the eye. And his precision with his mark-making is extraordinary. The fact that this drawing is a woodcut—incredible!

Still Life with Street by MC Escher, 1937, woodcut drawing.

Just haunting...

The sensitivity and beauty of Female Nude with Green Shawl Seen from Behind takes my breath away. It is so quiet and introspective from a narrative standpoint, but I also just love the way the Käthe Kollwitz drew it. The deep luscious green of the wrap at the figure's hips, the warm shadows around her, the smudges of her vertebrae and shoulder blades, and the white highlight along her collarbone—it is mesmerizing how she created something so lovely using so few marks. And I'm especially haunted by the way Kollwitz shows light on the form. Haunted because the delicacy of the glints on the figure's shoulders and the sensitive line of light that brushes her right arm--I don't think I'll ever get there. But I'm grateful to have seen it!

Female Nude with Green Shawl Seen from Behind
by Käthe Kollwitz, lithograph drawing, 1903.

Black and white, meet kaleidoscope...

Charlotte Schulz is one of my favorite artists. The way she can use charcoal is so incredible. It is like she just breathes it on—the gradations from light to dark are that subtle. I also love the way she uses and even constructs the paper she draws on. The fact that she doesn't always create works that parallel, or are in any way hemmed in by the conventional four corners of a piece of paper is really powerful to me because it means that she is completely immersed in what she is drawing and doesn't let surface restrictions limit her work. If she wants something to jut off or fold away, she does it, even if it means altering her surface. And the way she merges different spaces together is mesmerizing and kaleidoscopic as they evolve into one another.

The uneven intensities of duration...by Charlotte Schulz, charcoal on paper, 2008-2010.

I love looking closely at drawings like these because it seems like the artists usually reveal something of themselves in them. Drawing magazine does the same thing—deep, thoughtful analysis of drawings and showcasing artists that I always seem to be surprised and intrigued by. Whether you want classical practice and drawing techniques or inspiration from the contemporary draftsmen and -women who are working today, Drawing brings them all to you (and you can get it all sent right to your computer via digital subscription, too). So you can start your drawing fantasy list, just like I have. Now if I can only get my hands on another few walls...

What did you think of my drawing choices? What drawings would you give pride of place on your walls? Leave a comment and let me know.

Move Over MacGyver. I’ve Got a Painting Studio Gadget for You!

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:19:00 GMT

I was on a studio visit the other day to artist Daniel Baltzer's place in Harlem and the first thing that grabbed my attention—even before looking at his paintings (!)—was this cool little contraption he had in the middle of his studio, with brushes sticking out of it and an inset groove on the tabletop surface to hold his glass plate palette.

Reacting to my interest, Dan told me that the table was actually one of those bedside tables you'd see in a hospital room. You know the ones—where you pull a lever under the tabletop and you can adjust its height. Dan got his from another artist and customized it with his painting supplies for the small studio in his home.

Daniel Baltzer's repurposed hospital table makes a great transportable palette, storage container, and brush holder all in one.

Essentially it is a portable art case with everything he needs to work with in a day of painting: brushes, painting palette, paper towels (in a dispenser made by the artist at the base of the table) and rigged out with a few drawers for the rest of his supplies. Plus it is still on wheels, so it can be pulled wherever it needs to go.

Dan and I got to talking about how in a home studio, you've got to be creative with just about everything—storage solutions, painting solutions, handling solutions—and that problem solving seems like the underlying trait that allows an artist to meet all those challenges. And it is well worth it because, in Daniel's case, his studio is conveniently located in his home so he can take care of his infant son while still being just a hallway down from his studio.

Our latest issue of Studios features artists from all across the country not only sharing their working methods and painting processes, but also sharing the nuts and bolts of how they work day to day. And that covers a lot of interesting, informative territory. From artists past like William Merritt Chase and his experience in the 10^th Street Studio Building artist community to how Everett Raymond Kinstler and John Howard Sanden tailor their portrait studios to their working needs. Plus there are great articles on workshop and residency programs that made me want to learn more, and I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy!

And if you have a great studio solution you want to share, leave a comment and let me know!

Artist Daily Contest Rules

Courtney Jordan — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:45:00 GMT

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

2. Eligibility

Open to U.S. residents (excluding Puerto Rico), 18 years old or older at the time of entry; and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec), that have reached the age of majority in the province in which they reside by the start date of this Sweepstakes as identified below. Employees of Interweave Press, LLC or any of its respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, or any other company or individual involved with the design, production execution or distribution of the Promotion and their immediate family (spouse, parents and step-parents, siblings and step-siblings, and children and step-children) and household members (people who share the same residence at least three (3) months out of the year) of each such employee are not eligible. The Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Participation constitutes entrant's full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor's decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. The Promotion consists of five prizes delivered by Artist Daily.

3. Sponsors

Interweave Press, LLC, 201 East Fourth Street, Loveland, CO 80537 is the primary sponsor.

4. Timing

The Promotion begins on July 19, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET") and ends approximately July 22, 2012, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time ("ET"). Sponsor's computer is the official time keeping device for this Promotion.

5. How to Enter

During the Promotion Period, July 19, 2012 to July 22, 2012, enter by visiting ArtistiDaily.com and complete all of the required information and follow all instructions. Submit your entry by leaving a comment. One (1) daily entry per person.

Interweave Press, Inc. ("Sponsor") will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. In the event of a dispute, all online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the email account from which they were sent. For these purposes, an email account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such email account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with such email account. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted or the owner of an email account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Sweepstakes.

6. Winner Selection

The Winner will be randomly selected through the promotional period. One winner will be randomly selected. Participants will be notified on June 1, 2012 so that their mailing addresses can be obtained to receive their prizes/giveaways. Winner selection will be final. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible Entries received and quality of submitted Entries.

7. ALL POTENTIAL CONTEST WINNERS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY SPONSOR WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE PROMOTION.

8. Winner Notification and Acceptance

Potential winners* must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. If a potential winner of any prize cannot be contacted within the required time period (if applicable), or if the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize. In the event that a potential winner of a contest prize is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner chosen randomly from eligible entries.

*If a Canadian resident wins a prize, that person must also answer correctly, within a five (5) minute time period, a mathematical skill-testing question without the benefit of any calculating devices before the prize will be awarded.

9. Prizes

5 American Artist Aprons

For all Prizes: No cash equivalent for the prizes, prizes are non-transferable and no substitution will be made except as provided herein at the Sponsor's sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute the listed prize for one of equal or greater value for any reason. Winners are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use.

10. Entry Conditions and Release

By entering, each participant agrees to: (a) comply with and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, Administrator and/or the Contest judges which are binding and final in all matters relating to this Contest; (b) release and hold harmless the Sponsor, Administrator, and their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies, the prize suppliers and any other organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Contest and Promotion, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the "Released Parties") from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property, including but not limited to invasion of privacy (under appropriation, intrusion, public disclosure of private facts, false light in the public eye or other legal theory), defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, infringement of trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights, property damage, or death or personal injury arising out of or relating to a participant's entry, creation of an entry or submission of an entry, participation in the Contest and Promotion, acceptance or use or misuse of prize (including any travel or activity related thereto) and/or the broadcast, exploitation or use of entry; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor and Administrator from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of or relating to an entrant's participation in the Contest and Promotion and/or entrant's acceptance, use or misuse of prize.

11. Rights

As a contest participant, you hereby assign to the Publisher all rights in the publisher's version of the contest entry, which may be exercised by Publisher and/or its licensees and assignees in print, electronic, digital and/or other media of all kinds.

12. General Conditions

Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Promotion, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsor's reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

13. Limitations of Liability

The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant's participation in the Promotion or receipt or use or misuse of any prize. If for any reason an entrant's entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, entrant's sole remedy is another entry in the Contest.

14. Disputes

Entrant agrees that: (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, other than those concerning the administration of the Contest or the determination of winners, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved exclusively by the United States District Court, District of Colorado or the appropriate Colorado State Court located in Larimer County, Colorado; (iii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (iv) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses , and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Promotion, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Colorado, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Colorado or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Colorado.

15. Entrant's Personal Information

Information collected from entrants is subject to the Sponsor's Privacy Policy which is available at http://www.interweave.com/privacy_policy.asp.

16. Privacy

By entering and providing entry information, you acknowledge that Sponsors may also send you information, samples or special offers it believes may be of interest to you about its products or other complementary goods offered. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SHARE YOUR INFORMATION, PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THIS PROMOTION.

17. Promotion Results

For Promotion results please consult the Artist Daily blog.

Patterns, Stencils, and Exotic Textiles

Courtney Jordan — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:58:00 GMT


Believe it or not, this piece of cloth was sky painted by artist Terry Maddox using light-sensitive paints. Yowza--it's beautiful.

Who says I have to start painting or drawing on a blank page? Some of my favorite drawings are doodles that are on torn newspaper pages or napkins or menus, where there are lines of text or graphics or blocks of color underneath. That might be the reason I like street art and art quilts so much. Street art...and quilting? Did you hear me right? Yes, yes you did. Both practices are all about interesting layer effects with color, shape, texture, and pattern.

Why not apply the same techniques to a drawing or painting? That's what I asked myself, too. And that's why I did a little recon over at Quilting Arts to see how I can turn my defiance of the blank page into something new and noteworthy.The potential to learn from other crafts is definitely there. I found this article on surface design that really set my mind a'thinking about possibly pre-printing or marking my surface before I start on my final composition by stenciling with found objects, incorporating patterns I see in the landscape, and more.


	Painting on top of a surface that has a subtle pattern on it creates the illusion of depth on a flat surface, as in this art quilt by Barbara Schneider.

Plus, there is a free eBook on 5 Surface Design, Paint, and Monoprint Techniques that quilters likely apply to fabric, but I could definitely apply to paper, panel, and canvas. Sneaky, aren't I?

I've already brainstormed a few ideas. Like instead of doing an underpainting wash on an oil painting canvas, I could use a subtle, all-over pattern taken from a vintage ceiling tile (I got that idea straight from the eBook). Maybe get a length of unstretched canvas, dye it, and then mount it? Who knows if any of these will "work," but that isn't really the point for me. I want to explore! I've got artistic wanderlust, and I think this might be just what I am looking for to express myself and open some doors that have been closed to me before, artistically speaking. Are you with me?