I’m finally done with this new painting: Elora With Christmas Lights. This was a tricky one. I spent most of January and some of February getting it right. There are several different light sources of different colors, intensities, and angles. It was a minefield of optical tricks and illusions. There’s also little room for error … Read more
Nicolai Fechin was primarily a portrait painter, but he also painted some stunning landscapes. I curated a gallery of them below for your inspiration. As you look through these paintings, notice the wide range of techniques—the thick, impasto strokes, the bursts of color, the texture, the intricate details, the broken and soft edges, the broken … Read more
In this post, I’ll walk you through how I painted Fraser Island, Sunset using oil paints, brushes, and palette knives. It features a striking sunset witnessed from the jetty, with brilliant warm lights, ambiguous shadows, and shimmering water. All up, it took about three and a half hours spread over a few sessions. (I also … Read more
Today’s featured artist is Elena Salnikova. She paints stunning portraits in oil, usually with the subject outdoors amongst nature. Her still lifes are also impressive. You can see a few of my favorites below. They are colorful and playful, but not so much that they appear cartoonish and overly stylized. Her style also seems particularly suited … Read more
Most people characterize Vincent van Gogh’s work for its bold, swirling strokes. But he was much more dynamic than just that. I have spent the last few weeks looking over his entire portfolio, including over 800 paintings, to get a feel for how he painted and his preferred techniques and processes. Here are my findings. … Read more
I was going through some of my childhood photos at my parents’ place and came across an old drawing in a wooden frame and a worn black-and-white photo in the top-left corner. Turns out it was done by my dad over 50 years ago. He was living with an artist friend who encouraged him to … Read more
Now that 2023 is over, we should use this as an opportunity to review how it went and what we can do to make 2024 our best year yet. What Went Well What Didn’t Go Well Three Things to Focus on in 2024 Here are three things I want to focus on in 2024, excluding … Read more
I recently put the finishing touches on my painting Montville, Lush Greens, Rainy Day. This was a tricky one with all the plants, leaves, flowers, and trees weaving in and out of focus. All up, it took about five hours spread over several sessions. The last couple of hours were just spent tinkering and adjusting … Read more
A few years ago, I tried Ampersand Gessobord as the surface for my oil paintings. I had only ever used canvas up until that point, but I wanted a more sturdy alternative that wouldn’t get damaged by my sometimes rough strokes. Gessobord has since become my go-to surface for most paintings. This is my detailed … Read more
(My “On the Easel” posts give you a behind-the-scenes look at what I am working on, what went well, what went wrong, and lessons learned.) Below is one of my recent paintings, Montville, Red, Yellow, and Green. It depicts the beautiful landscape of Montville, Queensland, Australia. We spent a few nights there around the end … Read more