After years of plain-old painting, I’ve recently ventured into collage and mono-printing. Both are fun and exciting; not only have they really energized my creative process but that wonderful, fresh energy is seeping into my regular painting style as well! Blue Blossom Symphony is the fourth piece in my series of “acrylic skin” collage. What… read more
Latest Posts
Has Your Creative Muscle Atrophied? Some Solutions!
I’ve heard from various students that they are missing the weekly class, and somehow they do not find the motivation to paint at home on their own. This seems to be a fairly universal problem for aspiring artists. Here are some thoughts from one of my favorite artists, Alain Picard. “I know what happens when… read more
Finding My Truth an Artist
Last night I watched an episode of Portrait Artist of the Year on YouTube. Have you seen this terrific British show? Painters from all over the UK submit a self-portrait to be juried into the competition. As viewers, we get to see their initial submission, hear the three judges’ critique of it, and watch in amazement… read more
Why Painting Abstract Art is Both Scary & Exhilarating
I have a confession to make… after many years as a representational painter, I’ve fallen in love with abstract art. I know there are people who don’t get abstracts at all – I used to be one of them. There are those who think abstract art is the refuge of would-be artists who don’t have… read more
Don’t Toss That “Failed” Painting… Turn it Into a Pentimento Instead!
What the heck is a “pentimento?” According to the Oxford Dictionary, a pentimento is “a visible trace of an earlier painting beneath a layer or layers of paint on a canvas.” In other words, it’s a painting peeking out through the layers of the newer painting on top. Painting right on top of another… read more
“Seeing” – The Missing Link to Becoming a Great Painter?
I have long said that I can teach color mixing and brushwork, but I cannot teach seeing. But perhaps I am wrong! Let’s find out… “Seeing” is a specific skill that can be practiced and improved on, as important as brushwork or color mixing or any other painting skill. I am using the word “seeing”… read more
Practicing New Painting Techniques: Sgraffito
I taught a Zoom acrylic class during the pandemic lockdown, and every week I was on the lookout for some fun, new idea or technique to keep the class engaged. That’s when I came across the technique of “sgraffito.” According to Wikipedia, “graffito is the singular form of the Italian graffiti, meaning “little scratch.” So of… read more