Category Archives: Weekly Art Lessons 61-70

Air! You can’t live without it.  It really is something, isn’t it? Take a deep breath: we are blessed to have such an atmosphere.   Your paintings need this air to breathe too!

It is not empty space between you and the distant mountains.  The Atmosphere in atmospheric / aerial perspective is a tangible thing.

Tips on seeing the atmosphere  can be found at  COLOR: Beware of Preconceptions (Online art lesson #35).… Read the rest

PleinAir Magazine’s Paint the Adirondacks Invitational – WOW!

Eric Rhoads and his team pulled off an event so inspirational that I will be motivated by it for months to come.

All the amazing people, paintings, and places… all the rare opportunities going on simultaneously…  How does an artist – accustomed to working alone – stay balanced?

How do you sort yourself out in a situation so stimulating? … Read the rest

To honor the memory of Margaret Munt  (July 3, 1954 – May 31, 2012), we’re drawing flowers this week.

•  Select a few flowers almost at random.  They can be wildflowers, roadside “weeds”, or carefully cultivated varieties.
• Admire each one from different viewpoints – above, below, front, and back.
• Think about the process of the buds opening  and blooming.  Note the different stages if they are showing in your flowers.

“Must have art books!” is a simple statement along the lines of “Will work for food!”

Rummaging  through stacks of old books and papers, I felt like an addict needing a fix.  I was tippy and needed an art book to provide ballast and stability. I need Old Masters in order to re-affirm that, yes, beauty and harmony can be created from  chaos.… Read the rest