For your inspiration today is an untitled sunset by Jasper Cropsey. Cropsey was an American artist and a core member of the Hudson River School. This painting is a bit more relaxed than his typical work. It may have even been a study. But the execution is strong and there’s much to learn from it. … Read more
Someone asked in response to my recent Elora newsletter why I didn’t project the reference photo and trace it straight onto the surface. It sure would be a lot faster, wouldn’t it! But would it have made me as fulfilled? And would I have learned as much? Probably not. That’s all it comes down to, … Read more
I got started on my Elora painting today. I’ve been procrastinating on it after doing the initial drawing as it’s a tricky and unforgiving subject. If I don’t capture Elora’s spirit and character just right, the painting won’t work. I want to invite you behind the scenes as I create it. I expect this one … Read more
I want to walk you through some of the key points of my Three Pylons painting (shown below). I painted this a few months ago. It’s an eerie seascape viewed from the jetty of Kingfisher Bay, K’gari (formerly Fraser Island). The three pylons are a familiar sight for locals and regulars. The jetty has undergone … Read more
I often harp on about simplification and doing more with less. But there are times when you should focus on the tiny details and push the complexity. If you oversimplify the subject, you may fail to capture its true character and personality. I noticed this with many of the student submissions for our Tree Workshop. … Read more
I got up early yesterday to do some kayak fishing. I hit the water just after sunrise, when everything was illuminated by a soft, low-angle light. The water was still and there was no other person in sight. All you could hear was the sound of birds and the odd fish jumping. Perfect. It wasn’t … Read more
Let’s take a closer look at Children Playing on the Beach by Mary Cassatt. This one hits close to home for me. I’d love to paint something similar one day featuring my daughters, Elora and Arabella. It was one of Cassatt’s rare coastal paintings. She typically stuck to interior subjects. It was also showcased at … Read more
At the start of this year, I wrote about some of Claude Monet’s lesser-known paintings. This was quite popular, so I thought I would do the same for Vincent van Gogh. Like Monet, van Gogh had an extensive body of work comprising over 800 paintings and 1,000 drawings. A handful of those steal the show, … Read more
(This follows on from the video I published last week walking you through my Secret Spot painting. You can watch it here if you missed it.) My Secret Spot painting is a good demonstration of weaving together all kinds of different techniques. Take a look at the close-up below. I can see: It’s not easy … Read more
One student sent in a tree painting this morning along with a brief reflection on how they went. Under “areas for improvement,” they wrote that there’s no clear focal point in the painting. A clear focal point isn’t always necessary. Sometimes the painting as a whole can be the focus. This is the case with … Read more
I’m nearly done with the New Zealand painting that I’ve been working on for the last week or so. I’ll share it soon. In the meantime, I have one more lesson from the painting process. Below is the reference photo I’m painting from. Take a look at the distant mountains. Notice how the edge along … Read more
I’m about to start a new painting. But before I make the first strokes, I want to invite you behind the scenes of my painting process. The subject I want to paint is a pebble beach Chontele and I visited on our New Zealand honeymoon back in 2024. It was a very paintable spot (like … Read more