Fine Art Tips and Techniques
One of the major highlights of My Tour de France was our fast and furious 5 hours at the beautiful Musee du Louvre in Paris. With 652,300 square feet of exhibition space, 5 floors and 17 wings, the Grand Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world. In 2008, more than 8.5 million visitors flocked to this number one ranked museum. The Louvre contains over 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art. It is said that if one … [Read more...]
During my recent painting trip to France, I was surprised to see so much urban graffiti throughout Paris and the countryside of Provence. At first I was upset by this, then strangely enough I began to enjoy looking at it. I noticed that many of the graffiti 'artists' were quite talented had sense of respect for where they painted. That might sound like an oxymoron, but most of the 'art' was relegated to abandoned buildings or alongside … [Read more...]
What a whirlwind trip! France was filled with art museums, plein air painting, touring villages & castles and of course - fresh baked baguettes & croissants with cheese! We went from Paris to Provence and back again. I want to share some of my French musings before I write specifically about the art. My 'tour deFrance' began in Paris. My daughter and I arrived to a wet mid-morning after a direct flight from Salt Lake to Paris de … [Read more...]
POCHADE BOXES are a compact, portable painting studio in a box which work especially well for the landscape artist. I made this one myself and I will show you how. But first a bit of history… The word, “pochade” is French which means a quick color sketch. Originally, the painters from the 18th and 19th century had to lug big heavy French easels into the field. Pochade boxes have made painting out-of-doors or ‘en … [Read more...]
For most artists, facing a blank page is more intimidating than starting a new painting! We can ’deal’ with artist’s block, but writer’s block too! But the reality is - all successful or aspiring artists need an ‘artist’s statement.’ What is an ARTIST'S STATEMENT? Simply put, an artist’s statement is a short piece written for your viewers to answer questions they may have about you and your art. The artist’s statement is a vital … [Read more...]
"Create meaning in your work." That phrase may seem daunting to some, but below are a few tips that might help. (Thomas Moran, painted glorified important Luminist landscapes never had not been seen by most Americans) But first, what is MEANING? Meaning is the responsive chord that is struck in the sensibilities of the viewer. Okay…but how do we do that? I have listed a few thought-provoking and useful ways to help bring more meaning to … [Read more...]
The reality is beginning to hit me…this weekend I will be hopping on a plane and flying to Provence, France where I am teaching my plein air painting workshop! We have been planning this trip for 6 months and it is finally here. I am excited to go, but now I have to PACK! And I am asking myself, “What should I bring?” Since 911 flying isn’t as simple as it once was. This has made air travel challenging for artists. So nowadays I try and make … [Read more...]
A lot of people dream of being an artist. Maybe you are one of those people who loved to draw as a kid or took an art classes in college, but was discouraged away from art as serious profession. Ask yourself: Do you still have an inner desire to create? To relax, do you like to flip through art magazines, books or art related websites? Do you find yourself saying things like, “I just don’t have the time to paint, … [Read more...]
Rule of Thirds The Rule of Thirds is probably one of the most basic rules that has been used in painting for ages. It is a compositional rule of thumb that is commonly used in the visual arts today including painting, photography and design. This is a very basic rule about that is often overlooked by amateur artists and forgotten by many art teachers. Interestingly, it is one of the most important rules that a novice photographer learns … [Read more...]
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